I actually don’t know why it took me so long to get Truecaller. I think it was the 15 missed calls I got from the same number in 3 days and when I finally answered they tried to sell me stuff. I’m not a fan of telemarketing – it’s disruptive and what ever they are offering will probably cost money. If you’re like me, then here’s how to stop unwanted calls.
How NOT to handle a call from a telemarketer
A friend once told me to keep the telemarketer on hold and they will eventually hang up. I tried this and it backfired horribly.
After keeping the caller on hold for 3 minutes, I went back to the phone and said I wasn’t interested. To which the caller replied “Then why did you keep me on hold?” I felt terrible. This lead me to my current strategy.
Finding a middle ground with telemarketers
When I get a call from an unknown number, we exchange pleasantries and I ask if they are trying to sell me something. This is a yes or no question and once they say yes, I say no thank you. It keeps the conversation polite and saves time. There’s no need to be a d%$k about it.
SEE ALSO: How to stop SMS spam
Of course there’s an app for that
Recently the calls have been getting way too much for me. Screening them was disrupting my work day. That’s when I decided to download Truecaller.
What: Truecaller is an app that allows you to identify unknown callers and block unwanted calls even if they aren’t in your contacts.
Awesome:
- See who is calling even if they aren’t in your contacts
- Block telemarketers and avoid future calls
- See how many times a contact has been reported as spam
- Search for unknown numbers in the database
Not so awesome:
- You can see when your friends were last online and if they are currently on a call. Truecaller says this allows you to call at the perfect time, but to me this is creepy.
Get Truecaller here: