We let our answering machine handle telemarkets, and everybody else. We screen all calls and have done so for years. We never pick up the phone unless we recognize the voice and we are in the mood to talk. Telemarketers in our area never leave messages. People who call us regularly know the drill and will simply keep talking until we pick up the phone. Not all our friends like the way we deal with phone calls, but my wife and I figure that it is not our job to satisfy other people with our phone policy.