Telemarketing Call: Strange Request

Someone must have screwed up the marketing script or it was done on purpose to initiate the conversation. This call happened today in the middle of my dinner cooking. A phone rang. I screen calls occasionally, and if I don't recognize it, I don't answer it. This time I did, sometimes I just like to talk to strangers I guess.

'Hello.' - I said.
'Hi, can I speak to Mrs. ______.' - sweet young lady replied on the other side of the phone.
'Speaking.' - I answered.
'Mrs. so and so, don't worry we are not trying to sell anything.' - she said.
'Yes ...' - I said, and thinking did I sound paranoid that she is warning me ahead.
'We are calling from so and so Security company. We are currently in your town in your area, and we would like to place our sign on your lawn.' - she recited.
'I don't want any signs on my lawn.' - I said.
'How about small sticker on the window.' - she said.
'No I don't want any stickers on my window.' - I said firmly.
'Have a good evening Mrs. so and so.' - she said and hang up.

Okay what did just happen here. Did I miss anything? I didn't want to ask any questions because you know what happens. Soon as you show interest or curiosity (and believe me I am very curious person), they get you. Well I didn't ask any questions because I was late with my dinner and last thing I needed to waste my time on the phone.

Sign on my lawn. I know where she was going with it, but I think I said the right thing to get myself out of the conversation. They would put the sign on my lawn then come and knock on my door try to give me free security system, which on the end would cost me a monthly fee. Nothing is free, I learned, you end up paying one way or the other.

Now, I always think about those calls afterwards. So I thought when she asked me about placing the sign on my lawn, I for fun would say something like that:

'Yes dear by all means. Can you give me your company name so I can issue an invoice for the rental of my property for $50 a day.'

One day I will say that, just to satisfy my curiosity what the telemarketer will answer. Just to torture them  a bit too. Yes I do have this little mean side in me.

Strange Call - The Wrong Number

Wrong Number

Many weeks ago I got this strange call. I better blog about it now because it will be sitting in my head all the time. The phone rings. Call displays shows Mr. so and so, and his telephone number. Well in that case, this is not a telemarketing call so I better answer.

'Hello' - I said.
'Hi honey' - he said.
'I think you got a wrong number' - I said.
'Oh, this is not Michelle' - he said.
'No, its not, I think you got a wrong number' - I said.
'Oh I am sorry' - he said.
'That is okay' - I said waiting for him to hang up 'and don't do it again', I thought.
'You have a nice voice' - he said.
'Good bey' - I said and hang up.

I really wanted to say something to him, 'What happened to Michelle, she doesn't have nice voice anymore?'. Or 'Do you want to talk to my husband, he has nice voice too'.

Well in case like that we just have to bite our tongues, as we know this could lead to a trouble. May be he didn't get the wrong number; just phoning randomly to strike a conversation with a vulnerable woman, and then more and more. Scary call that was, all I can say.