wrong numbers

1.Just in the past couple of weeks, I've started receiving lots of calls on my cell phone for a Richard *** from bill collectors, etc. I keep telling them they have the wrong number and I don't even know anyone named Richard anything, but they keep calling. The other day I had a voice mail from the OK DHS stating it was time for him to change some kind of card to keep receiving money. I called that number back and tried to explain the situation. I ended up getting three other numbers to call, and no one ever even tried to find him and correct the problem or get my number off their calling list! I almost think he's deliberately giving all these people a wrong number, but boy is he going to be mad when his welfare gets cut off, lol.


2.I got hundreds of calls from bill collectors. Asking "Can I speak to **** ?" I'd tell them they had a wrong number, they'd ask "do you know ****?" Crazy. The same people kept calling over and over, so after a while, I got to where I'd tell them, yes, hold on a minute, I'll get him. then I'd lay down the phone, and if I remembered, every couple minutes I'd yell out, just a minute, he's coming!
3.If you have a two year old, just hand the phone to them. If you don't have a two-year old, act like one. Ask the telemarketer or agent what color they like, and if they have a kitty kat, and if their mommy has toilet trained them yet.
4.I work in a federal office.

Believe it or not, we get calls asking for ABC now and again. He hasn't worked there for years. I wouldn't be surprised if the calls are from a parole officer etc.

We try to be polite and inform callers they have reached incorrect number and this is a business phone.

That just won't stop some of them. My staff now says "pls hold one moment" then they transfer the call to me.

"This is Supervisor W... how may I help you?"

"I need to speak to ABC"

"What is your social security number?"

"What?"

"You are calling a federal office and I must make a log of all calls. I already see your phone number, what is your social security number? I must submit my phone log to security at the end of each work day"

I usually don't get all the way through my little speech before I hear "click". Then it stops for a while before it starts up again.
5.Yeah, you can tell them to stop calling you, even if you're the one who got turned in to a collection agency (for whatever reason).

Had one collection agency call me re: a bill that I did NOT owe to AT&T. (Golly, I dislike those jerks...) Anyway, when I told the collector that the bill was not valid and I was not going to pay it, he said, "Well, you realize we'll keep calling, don't you?"

I replied, "You realize that if I tell you to stop calling me, I know that you have to stop calling me, don't you?"

He stammered something, and I said, "Now. I'm telling you that I am NOT paying that bill because I do NOT owe them any money, AND I am telling YOU to stop calling me. Did that come through clearly?"

I got a "Yes, ma'am" and I hung up.

I felt so empowered...
6.For those of you getting calls from individuals who've dialed the wrong number repeatedly, my parents had that situation for years. An older lady called on a regular basis asking for Ruth (if my mom answered) or Elmo (if my dad answered). They were always nice to her, as she was to them. Turned out, she was forgetting to dial the area code for the number she wanted. Over the years, they had lots of nice conversations with her.

I've gotten into conversations with wrong numbers before. So has my mother.

My mother can talk a LONG time on the phone. Usually, the only people who call her are various relatives. I can generally figure out who she's talking to just listening to her end of the conversation.

But one day I couldn't figure out WHO she was talking to. She was talking to someone for at least a couple of hours. Whoever it was, they were having a very lively conversation about all kinds of stuff.

When she FINALLY hung up the phone, I said, "Who was that?".

She said, "I don't know. It was a wrong number".