Napoleonic & ECW wargaming, with a load of old Hooptedoodle on this & that


Friday 19 June 2020

Hooptedoodle #370 - A National Initiative on the Phone


Yesterday morning I was sitting typing when my office phone rang. I picked it up, and was surprised to find that someone had obviously put me on hold. After a few seconds, I was connected, and there was a cheerful, though rather nervous, Glasgow girl ready to speak to me.

She addressed me, correctly, by my full name - could I confirm that she was speaking to the right person? - and she would just take up a few minutes of my time, if that was all right.

I asked, to whom am I speaking? - and she seemed to became rather more nervous.

Hi - this is Linsey, from [mumble] Energy [mumble].

She definitely rushed through the bit about who she was, but - as it happens - I've been expecting a courtesy call from SP Networks, who manage the power lines for our local electricity supplier. We had a power outage a week or so ago, and I phoned in to report it - all routine, and it was sorted out very quickly, but the power company always make a follow-up call to see if the customer is happy. I assumed Linsey was from SP Networks, without thinking about it too carefully, but was aware that this is not how she had introduced herself.

I'm sorry, Linsey, I don't think I know who you are - could you say that bit again?

Yes - as I said, I'm from [mumble] Energy Solutions.

I have never heard of you; I'm sorry, I don't have a few minutes to speak to you.

We are a national initiative, we can supply you with a grant to pay for home improvements, to fit double glazing or enhance your home's insulation.

A national initiative? - I think you are a commercial firm, trying to sell me something. You may be able to help me fill in the forms to apply for a grant, but it would be the Government's money, and your only interest is to persuade me to use this grant to buy something from you. I'm not interested, sorry.

No, no - we are not a commercial firm, we are a national initiative.

You mean, like a government department?

Yes - sort of. A national initiative.

I'm very sorry - I've told you I'm not interested, so if you don't mind I'll hang up now.

All right - no problem - I'll ring you again in a couple of days...


Click.

No you won't, Linsey - I just blocked your number.

I checked up on [mumble] Energy Solutions, and they have a proper website, so I guess they are a serious venture, right enough, but I get really very cross when cold-calling sales people pretend they have some sort of official capacity - a lot of gullible folk must get scammed by this. As for me, I'm too miserable to be fooled, especially if there is money involved. I would be happier if the company's logo, a cute cartoon penguin, looked rather less like Feathers McGraw from Wallace and Grommit.


2 comments:

  1. Aye, they are relentless. I feel for the poor folk that they do con.
    Take care,
    Paul.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I once worked for a company that got taken over by a larger conglomerate, who wanted to increase our prices to pay bigger amounts to shareholders in the land of the free.
    I'm so confused...
    I believe I walked out...
    but it does look like vengeance might be a dish best served cold ;)

    ReplyDelete