I suppose some degree of commerce would grind to a halt if telephone solicitors weren't able to call people at home during the dinner hour.

But that doesn't make it any more pleasant. Now Steve Rubenstein, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, has proposed "Three Little Words" based on his brief experience in a telemarketing operation that would stop the nuisance for all time.

The three little words are "Hold on, please." Saying this while putting down your phone and walking off instead of hanging up immediately would make each telemarketing call so time consuming those boiler rooms would grind to a halt. When you eventually hear the phone company's beep beep beep tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task. This might be an idea you'll want to pass along to your friends.

When you get ads in your phone or utility bill, include them with the payment. Let them throw the stuff away. Think globally; act locally.

When you get those pre-approved letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and junk like that, most of them come with postage paid return envelopes, right? Well, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little envelopes! Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express, or a pizza coupon to Citibank.

If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their application back! Just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them. You can send it back empty if you want just to keep 'em guessing!

Eventually, the banks and credit card companies will begin getting all their junk back in the mail.

Let's let them know what it's like to get junk mail, and best of all... THEY'RE paying for it! Twice!

Let's support our postal service. They say e-mail is cutting into their business and that's why they need to keep increasing postage. We can help!

Who knows, maybe we could get enough Business generated for the post office that they will not have to raise rates in 2004.

 

Ulrich,
What an excellent idea! Mixing/ mailing junk mail back to the instigators of this irritating waste of time and resources is something that could have a real effect on the practice. Decades ago people use to tape "prepaid" junk mail envelopes to bricks and mail them back. Then some moron decided to make a law against it. I dare say even a minor movement to "up" their costs in this way would get their attention.
Support the U.S. Post Office! Having outgoing mail in the box often, implies that your a patron of the system and support the status quo of postal job security (they're gonna need it). I know it'll make my heart swell with pride to see my mail carrier in action helping me to carry on the great American tradition of "helping those who want to help me" by passing along the "incredible offers" that just can't be passed up! Hey, just because I can't use the "2 for 1" sale coupon on the amazing tap water enema attachment with the patented "colon purge vortex action" doesn't mean that someone from GEICO isn't in dire need of one and doesn't know of it's existence. I hate to just throw it away. This would be a great way to recycle!

 

Our community has a recycle program for newspapers as well as junk mail. However, I like the idea of sending back blank applications in prepaid envelopes. I'll have to start doing this and, like you stated, support the postal service. Thanks.