Good answer. Problem was that the guy who called me never HAD a break in his speech, and I could not force one. I may steal your more creative approach next time. Thanks for sharing.
You cannot be polite to these people. Caller started out by saying we had talked before. We have not. Then went into his sales pitch. I tried to talk over him saying "Excuse me" at ever increasing volume, No luck; he would not shut up. So, I hung up on him. Have too much to do to pay any attention to these fools. Hint to marketeers...if your call starts out with a lie that alienates the prospect, do you think you will actually succeed in creating a transaction?
This pushy, overbearing creep with his Jersey accent needs to get a real job. I have never been so annoyed with a telemarketer! He will never get through to my boss, though he has been trying several times a day for at least a year. I have repeatedly told him to discontinue harassing us and to remove us from his call list, his response before hanging up is always the same - "I'll try him again later."