About an hour ago I received a phone call from an Orange Networks guy asking me the usual: “Do you have a contract or pay as you go?” with a typical Indian accent. I was in a good mood so I decided to be nice and kindly reject his offers for “a brand new amazing mobile phone for free”, “about a gazillion free minutes to everyone in the solar system”, and “only £25 per month”…

That was okay. Besides, everyone gets these calls every here and then. And despite becoming more and more frequent, you can usually tolerate them.

However, half an hour later (!) a woman from Orange called again! Here is an approximation of the dialog:

• Woman: Hello, I am calling from Orange Mobile Networks, do you hold a mobile phone account?
• Me: ahhh, yes but someone else from Orange already called about half an hour earlier
• Woman: what did he say? [!]
• Me: the usual
• Woman: what exactly? [!!!]
• Me: err, he was trying to sell me a contract, as I am assuming you are trying to do now
• Woman: so what did he say [oh god!]
• Me: I am sorry what do you want? [obviously annoyed]
• Woman: do you have a contract with another company? [why? what are you gonna do about it?]
• Me: Yes, and I am happy with it [irritated]
• Woman: how much do you pay per month?
• Me: this is my business [terribly annoyed]
• Woman: ok, thank you [hangs up]

So, is it me or have they become a bit more aggressive in their client fishing approaches?

That’s it, I am not playing nice any more. From now on, it is either “I am busy right now, please call again when the Sun exhausts its hydrogen“, or the slightly kinder “this is purely my business, have a good day“…