What a pointless telephone call

@Asylum (47893)

Manchester, England

December 13, 2017 8:47am CST

Like most people I receive my share of unsolicited telephone calls. These days the majority are questionnaires, which I never agree to and always answer “No” then immediately hang up the telephone. Today I received the most ridiculous request. Someone telephoned me and asked me to complete a short Brexit survey. I cannot imagine why they want to ask my opinion on aspects of Brexit, but I certainly had no intention of complying. I was asked my opinion on Brexit by the British government 18 months ago and so far absolutely nothing appears to have happened as a result. If making my views clear to the government does not make any difference then I see no purpose in answering telephone surveys about it. I assume that there was some ulterior motive behind the call, but I was not prepared to continue talking in order to find out what.

25 people like this

23 responses

@LadyDuck (471497)

• Switzerland

13 Dec 17

This is one of the most useless phone call I have ever heard about. I am waiting to receive a call to know if I am in favor of the independence of Lombardy from Italy. Well, I could even reply on that one.

5 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

13 Dec 17

You could, but your answer would be unlikely to make a significant difference.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

14 Dec 17

@LadyDuck This would not apply in the case of Brexit because we have already had a vote.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (471497)

• Switzerland

14 Dec 17

@Asylum Only my vote should make the difference and I would receive the form in this case, because I still am Italian citizen.

1 person likes this

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@thelme55 (77061)

• Germany

13 Dec 17

I don't answer any surveys. Unsolicited call from a number I didn't know will end up me talking in my Filipino dialect that no German or other foreigners could understand.

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

13 Dec 17

I do like that approach.

2 people like this

@thelme55 (77061)

• Germany

14 Dec 17

@Asylum me, too and I am becoming expert on doing it

1 person likes this

@AmbiePam (92708)

• United States

13 Dec 17

I hate it when I try to decline their survey nicely, but they keep hounding me until I simply hang up. I feel terribly rude.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

13 Dec 17

I know exactly what you mean. Polite refusals are blatantly ignored and they insist on continuing to ask questions.

1 person likes this

@marlina (154131)

• Canada

13 Dec 17

I never take surveys, period!

3 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

13 Dec 17

Not do I, but one specifically directed towards Brexit seems absurd.

2 people like this

@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

17 Dec 17

I always hang up on those sort of calls too.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

17 Dec 17

Many people do, although surveys about BREXIT are rare.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Dec 17

@Shiva49 Exactly since the outcome cannot be changed.

1 person likes this

@Shiva49 (26680)

• Singapore

19 Dec 17

@Asylum Yes, surveys on a done deal are pointless - siva

1 person likes this

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@Morleyhunt (21744)

• Canada

14 Dec 17

Survey calls get the same faction from me...no thanks I'm not interested...and no, I don't have time. Last year our household was chosen for a government employment survey..it was obligatory. This is the second time I had to do it...they didn't like some of my answers....are you currently looking for work? NO......do you plan to look for work? NO......

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

14 Dec 17

I find the compulsory surveys outrageous because we cannot ask them personal questions.

1 person likes this

@dpk262006 (58676)

• Delhi, India

14 Dec 17

I do not answer this kind of calls at all.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

14 Dec 17

I usually say "No" and hang up immediately.

1 person likes this

@dpk262006 (58676)

• Delhi, India

15 Dec 17

@Asylum On receiving such unwanted calls, sometimes, I would say - "Did anyone ask you to call me?"......hearing it the person on the other side would hand up.

1 person likes this

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44998)

• Preston, England

20 Dec 17

@Asylum seems a pointless survey question, like trying to find out if the nation prefers lime green or lincoln green and what you thought of the weather on August 9th in 1967

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

20 Dec 17

The weather on 9th August 1967 was excellent. Unfortunately I had to work because it was a Wednesday.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

20 Dec 17

@arthurchappell It was also summer, so it most likely rained for less than 16 hours.

1 person likes this

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44998)

• Preston, England

20 Dec 17

@Asylum It was in the UK, so probably some rain in there somewhere

1 person likes this

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@TiarasOceanView (70022)

• United States

24 Dec 17

Driving people out of their wits with those calls.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

24 Dec 17

They certainly can be very annoying.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

24 Dec 17

@TiarasOceanView Thank you and a Merry Christmas to you.

1 person likes this

@TiarasOceanView (70022)

• United States

24 Dec 17

@Asylum A very Merry Xmas to you dear friend xo

1 person likes this

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Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61102)

• United States

18 Dec 17

I never take a survey unless I am being compensated for it.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Dec 17

A survey is bad enough, but one about BREXIT is useless.

1 person likes this

Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61102)

• United States

18 Dec 17

@Asylum I agree!!

1 person likes this

@Fleura (30382)

• United Kingdom

13 Dec 17

There usually is, as you say. I have had a series of calls asking how I felt about my local water quality - so they can then try and talk me into buying one of their filtration systems.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

13 Dec 17

Yes, we all recieve calls of such indirect nature in order to try to promote a certain product or system. However, my views on the European Union and whether Britain should leave are unlikely to relate to any product.

@Shiva49 (26680)

• Singapore

19 Dec 17

"Too many cooks spoil the broth" comes to my mind. They have enough of feedback and also the crucial vote to go ahead - it is a done deal anyway. I get such and occasionally respond when I feel I can make some difference. Some can "lead us down the garden path" as you rightly suspected! siva

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

24 Dec 17

There was no doubt some hidden agenda behind the call, but I was not prepared to stay on the telephone to find out.

1 person likes this

@Hannihar (130218)

• Israel

14 Dec 17

There probably was an ulterior movtive behind the question but the person if they answer them may not find out.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

14 Dec 17

There quite likely is some ulterior motive, but not one3 that could interest or benefit me.

@Hannihar (130218)

• Israel

14 Dec 17

@Asylum I understand Koalemos.

1 person likes this

Keith Henthorne

@Scrapper88 (5983)

• United States

13 Dec 17

I do not like to take surveys over the phone. I just tell them I am not interested.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

13 Dec 17

I do exactly the same because they simply want me to provide information that they can sell to other companies, thus resulting in further telephone calls and mail for me.

@snowy22315 (180663)

• United States

14 Dec 17

The only time I will do those types of surveys is online if I get paid for them..unless they are like 5 questions. At least you got a person though..I get calls all the time where they will hang up after one ring, or you pick up the phone and there is no one there. Usually if I don't know the number I just ignore them anyway.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

14 Dec 17

I have had those one ring calls which are hung up immediately.

changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16763)

• China

17 Dec 17

It is quite a bother to you,but you have to answer them,in case it would be an important call.As for me,the majority are cold calls.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

17 Dec 17

This is perfectly true because there could always be an important call from an unknown number.

1 person likes this

@cahaya1983 (11116)

• Malaysia

15 Dec 17

The most annoying calls I've ever received so far are telemarketers. Never received any calls about surveys yet. I installed the TrueCaller app on my phone and it lets you identify spammers and those annoying callers based on other people's reports.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

24 Dec 17

I cannot understand why anyone would answer telephone surveys.

1 person likes this

@Srbageldog (7716)

• United States

14 Dec 17

That does seem like a pointless call. If the British peoples' voices are being ignored after voting for Brexit, a survey on the matter won't make a single difference one way or the other.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

14 Dec 17

Precisely what I believe. I cannot see any possible benefit of such a survey.

1 person likes this

@garymarsh6 (23404)

• United Kingdom

15 Dec 17

I hope you have registered with the telephone preference service which should stop these kinds of phone calls!

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

15 Dec 17

I have a reluctance to do that in case the wrong call gets blocked by mistake.

@JESSY3236 (19949)

• United States

15 Dec 17

I had gotten a survey call once about the election. I didn't vote in the election this year. I had hung up and they kept calling. So I had to do the survey. I don't do them anymore.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

15 Dec 17

Once the election has taken place I cannot see any benefit in conducting a survey.

1 person likes this