Some of the discussion in Tina's recent thread on Vanity Toll Free Numbers (http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=299135) had me thinking - for those of you who offer phone support/sales, what type of strange calls have you received?

We get a few strange ones, mainly related to wrong numbers.

Our toll-free number is very close to a snoring hotline, and we receive calls from people looking for them all the time.

The latest trend seems to be people looking to purchase calling cards. I was on the phone this afternoon explaining to a caller that we don't sell calling cards (the caller didn't seem to "get it"). I looked at the screen on the phone and seen two people waiting in the queue - after taking their calls I discovered that they were also looking to order calling cards.

Quoting Tina from the above-mentioned thread,
Originally posted by AH-Tina
The best one was "Is this (company name that isn't ours)?" "No, this is AffordableHOST" "Are you SURE?!?"


With our recent surge in "wrong numbers", it is becoming a common occurrence (and we're paying for the calls).

Callers hear our company name at least twice before they get to ask their query - once on the IVR that takes their call, and once when their call is answered.

One of our calls today went something like:

- Phone rings with "QUEUE: SALES" (caller would have pressed '1' for sales at the IVR, after hearing our company name in the greeting and the options).

- I answer "Welcome to Largenets, this is Shaun. How can I help you?"

- Caller "Is this <company removed>?"

- Me: "No, this is Largenets."

- Caller: "Okay. I'd like to order replacement calling cards please."

- Me: "We don't sell calling cards"

Conversation went on for another minute or so.

Our weirdest call (that I've taken anyway) would have to be a few weeks ago: This person called and pressed '0' for the switchboard. Phone flashes "QUEUE: SBOARD" with the caller's number.

I take the call, and asked how I could direct his call. The caller asked if I could connect him with a number, so I said certainly (thinking it was an extension). I asked for the number and the caller said a local phone number. I said I couldn't connect him to that number (as one would), and he said "okay" and hung up.

A minute or so later the phone rings again with the same caller ID. I answer and go through the same process.

It happens again the third time and I let the call stay in the queue for a few minutes before answering: caller "Why do I keep getting put through to you?". At this time I was starting to get a bit annoyed and retorted with "Why do you keep calling us?" at which point the caller said "I don't know" and hung up.

I never took down the phone number that he gave, but I've often wondered what his motives for calling were or if he actually expected somebody to connect him with the number.

*sighs* :)

-Shaun

The strangest I ever had was just a day or two go, but it wasn't incoming, it was OUTGOING, I had to call AMEX to complete some information regarding my merchant account.

The number I had 18006384636 I miss dialed by one digit. The number I called was 1 800 9384636 go ahead, call it :)

I was like :eek: then I was like :blush: then I was like :sickface:

Damn you Dixiesys, I was on lunch break when I called that... lol

I didn't even know they had those kind of phone lines... geesh

Originally posted by frozen
Damn you Dixiesys, I was on lunch break when I called that... lol

I didn't even know they had those kind of phone lines... geesh

Imagine my surprise here I was calling AMEX then THAT played I was like "WTF?!#?" then I looked at my handset and saw where I'd messed up the dialing. At first I thought the message on my answering machine was just spam hahaha a ruse "call AMEX at ..." and it really meant to get you into something like that, until I realized I'd just fumble fingered the number :D

Originally posted by Dixiesys
The number I had 1 8006384636 I miss dialed by one digit. The number I called was 1 800 9384636 go ahead, call it :)


I've done a similar thing before.

I call "Tell Me" quite a bit (1 800 555 8355 or 1 800 555 TELL) for news. Even though it's in another country (I'm in Australia), our phone system routes it over IP so it's still a free call from here.

One day I wasn't watching the phone and dialed 1 800 555 8255 - I got quite a surprise :)

lol...

So, what do you do once they pickup... I guess you guys don't hung up eh? :D

I'm scared to call it because someone used the :sickface: face... anyone want to give me a clue as to what I'd be getting if I called? :) haha

Well if you like another male calling you stud, go for it. That is as far as I made it before I hung up(about 2 seconds into the call). lol

Our 800 number used to belong to some 'payment processor' apparently. We're constantly getting calls and voicemails from people who get checks and don't know why. I guess it's some kind of stealth payment processor...

The weirdest was this morning though. A woman left voicemail in our sales box saying that we should REALLY put a warning on our site about the software that we automatically installed on her computer. She seemed very angry about this and said she was going to report us to the FTC and the FBI.

I did call her back and she seemed rather confused when I asked her just who she thought we were.

We get people calling asking to come fix their air coniditioners, and then we also get people who think we have some sort of automated system calling their house and harassing them.

Very, very annoying.

Ugh, I changed the number to my cell phone not too long ago, and I guess it was put on some number of a guy who had a lot of bills due, because I started getting all these calls looking for a guy by the name of Gabin. They were all from billing type places so I wonder what he was up to ;)

For the last few weeks we have been getting calls for Yahoo support.

First time it happened I thought it was a fluke then it happend a few more times then the other night I got 3 calls in row.

I finally did a search on and found out why.

On our support page it lists different ways to contact us Yahoo IM, ICQ, Phone number etc..
People do a search on Yahoo IM and phone support and see our page is listed and they call us. Funny it seems to be AOL users that make the mistake the most.

Our new site isn't up yet, so our new toll-free number hasn't been given out to anyone at this point. But, we did receive 4 calls from different people all looking for different companies. One was looking for a lumber company in Ohio, another was searching for an antique shop in Santa Monica, California, another was looking for someone by the name of Mary, and the most recent caller was searching for an auto-parts store.

It must be because this number has been recycled several times; what other explanation (aside from human error) would attribute to 4 calls from 4 different people looking for 4 different companies?

Regards,
Waylon

Originally posted by Velostream
It must be because this number has been recycled several times; what other explanation (aside from human error) would attribute to 4 calls from 4 different people looking for 4 different companies?

Here's one: Say the four companies, while appearing unrelated, are all the creation of the same fraudulent scammer who puts *your* 800 number on *his* merchant account. I make it a practice upon receiving my cc statement to call the numbers listed for the companies (the first time they appear), for no other reason than to ascertain whether the person answering has heard of the company the number is allegedly to.

Originally posted by shaunewing
I never took down the phone number that he gave, but I've often wondered what his motives for calling were or if he actually expected somebody to connect him with the number.

Back when I used to do magazine subscription fulfillment telephone customer service (I can type that faster than I can say it...) we had a 'blacklist' of scammer names. There was a curious subsection, devoted not to scammers but to freaks who spend all day calling random toll-free numbers and trying to figure out what company they've called and what they do. Pathetic, lonely, psychotic losers - the lot of 'em! Some do it just for the attention. Once they figure out what you're doing, they love to 'sign up' for whatever you're selling.

It was always fun to listen to a noob nearby in the call center take a call from one of these. Pay was by production, so it was always cool to tap your new co-worker on the shoulder, point them to the fraudster list and ;).