Use of first name by unknown person

[red-beard]

I just received a business call from Direct Capital (which is pretty much a scam organization, but I digress). We answer calls with our business name.

This guy asks for me, by first name. He then says "This is Pat with Direct Capital."

It is bad enough when telemarketers call me at home and act casual and as if they know me. But in a business call to do this? What the hell has happened to courtesy? I think it is rude to call a person by their first name, unless they direct me do so.

I always address e-mails to people I don't know with 'Mr." or "Ms.' and then last name, so I do not offend them. Is this just me? Do you think this is rude? It is certainly not professional.

[legion]

I've had that before. It has thrown me off, as my last name is my normal telemarketing filter.

I got one once that went like this:

"Hello?"

"Hey Chris, what's up?"

"Um....nothing. What's up with you?" (Trying to figure out who the F I'm talking too...)

"Nothing much. I was just wondering if you'd be interested in DirectTV?"

Click.

Instead of one of my normal telemarketing gags (look them up, I've got a few good ones--I still think my gay dude ranch bit is the best), I realized I was had and hung up. I was so off-balance I couldn't think of anything clever.

[Tim Walsh]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I always address e-mails to people I don't know with 'Mr." or "Ms.' and then last name, so I do not offend them. Is this just me? Do you think this is rude? It is certainly not professional.

Be careful with the Mr. and Ms. thing too. I have multiple clients who insist that they be called "Dr." and are quite offended if not addressed by said title.

<- works in a university so Dr's are much more common than normal.

[m21sniper]

It's a trick for them to get you on the line. A disingenuous trick.

[carreraken]

I thought 'courtesy' and 'etiquette' were a thing of the past...

pretty sad.

It bothers me when retail clerks don't even say 'thank you' after making a purchase..

[krystar]

pick up phone

"Hey joe, what's going on?"
"you! you ****ing owe me $200. where's my money *****?! i'm gonna hunt you down! i know where you live *******!"

see if they reply "would u like directtv"

[red-beard]

I like Chris' suicide hotline shtick

[looneybin]

I go by my middle name, so if someone calls & asks for me by my first name it's usually a telemarketer.
you should listed to a comedian last named Mabe (can't remember his first name) with what he does to telemarketers that call - too funny

[Looking_for_911]

My late Grandfather, a crusty old sailor, kept a policeman's whistle laying right beside his phone.
He always "greeted" the telemarketers with a good, old fashioned blast on his whistle before saying something like, "Sum*****!" as he hung up the receiver.

[jeffgrant]

Like Looneybin, I go by my middle name, but have all of my official paperwork/etc in my first name.

So when I get a call that says, "Hey [first name], how're things?" I laugh and hang up, because NOBODY in my social circle calls me by that. Hell, only 2 of my life-long friends know my first name, and most others don't even realize that Jeff is my middle name.

Mind you, that can be embarrassing in the Doctor's office or something, when they call me by my first name, and I don't react until the 3rd or 4th call. (I'm just not trained to recognize it).

That usually follows with some sort of sarcastic "you SURE you're [first name]?"

[legion]

I've got it!

Next time I get a call from someone and I don't know who they are but they are acting familiar, I'm going to reply with: "Did you do it?"

If it turns out to be someone I know, I can play it off as something that they told me they were going to do.

If it's a telemarketer, I'm going to ask them if they killed my father and retrieved the will, and instruct them that their $10,000 is in "the drop location".

The good thing is that my father is dead and died penniless, so any real investigation that results wouldn't go anywhere...

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Just don't answer the phone from unfamiliar numbers and let everything else go to voicemail/answering machine. End of problem.

[porsche4life]

Thats what I was thinking... Don't you boys have caller ID... Suck thing right now is I can't blow off unknown on my cell b/c I am trying to sell the VW... Don't wanna miss a buyer....

[krystar]

Originally Posted by looneybin

I go by my middle name, so if someone calls & asks for me by my first name it's usually a telemarketer.
you should listed to a comedian last named Mabe (can't remember his first name) with what he does to telemarketers that call - too funny

lolol i remember him

YouTube - Tom Mabe funny phone call

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Just don't answer the phone from unfamiliar numbers and let everything else go to voicemail/answering machine. End of problem.

That doesn't work on the business line, especially since our out of country calls come up as unknown or out of area.

[legion]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Just don't answer the phone from unfamiliar numbers and let everything else go to voicemail/answering machine. End of problem.

I do that most of the time.

Sometimes I get telemarketing calls that appear to be from my area code.

Sometimes I'm expecting a call and don't know the number (or even area code) it will be coming from.

Sometimes I feel like being an ass to an underpaid, overworked kid who works for a company contracted to do another company's dirty work.

[john70t]

If you have the minutes: "Hey whats going on, sure, sounds great, hang on I got something cooking"(putting phone under pillow).

[Noah930]

I don't think I've ever had anyone pronounce my first name correctly on their first try. That would be a tipoff for me in this situation, at least.

[porsche4life]

Its funny at my Parents business when someone calls asking for one of them by their first name as they both go by their middles.... Those calls can be hung up instantly.... I don't get many for myself yet... Mostly military recruiters b/c of my ASVAB... I hang up on them too... Those guys won't take "I'm in College on a full ride" for an answer... Just have to let them talk to the static....

[Damian in NJ]

To really piss them off, waste their time. I just say 'hold on, someone's at my door' and then put the phone down. By the time they figure it out I've saved a few other people from getting called.