Question of the day: What is the rudest response you have received from a random cold call?

The phone is a recruiter's best friend, but not always the source of good cheer. We all have them, so what is yours?

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Permalink Reply by Debra Nathan on January 17, 2012 at 4:58pm

An owner called me back and told me he googled me and could tell I was new and told me I have a shitty job and all I do is recycle bad sales people but if I got a real good one to call and present them. It was a backhanded compliment I guess lol!

Love meeting people globally! Love what I do and if I get a snotty response it doesn't bother me obviously their problems started way before I called.

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Permalink Reply by Valentino Martinez on January 17, 2012 at 10:33pm

The most arrogant response ever was a lecture I received when I called in asking for program manager for a stealth program at Lockheed. Employers who have government contracts that require security clearances to even work there take on a “gatekeeper” attitude it seems—to protect their people and work from the threat of intruders. So they have a dismissive attitude for the cold caller, but will give you access if someone vouches for you.

Interestingly I also attract the rudest responses from sports fans, and responses of disbelief, when I cold call candidates in Seattle, New York and Florida…to this day. It never fails for more than half of those calls—when I introduce myself as Tino Martinez I get blasted as in:

"What the bleep!...Who the bleep, blot, bleep do you think you are?" And “Tino? You’re not Tino Martinez. Is this a joke? Don’t be saying you’re Tino. I know Tino--&$%*. Etc., etc.,…click!

For those who don’t hang up and expect an explanation—they calm down when I explain that I too am a big fan of Tino Martinez, formally of the New York Yankees; Seattle Mariners; the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; and the University of Tampa Spartans. Tino Martinez is a fan favorite in those cities…not so much in St. Louis, however.

I further explain that my name is Valentino Martinez and I go by Tino. He goes by "Tino" but his full name is Constantino. We then exchange great "Tino Martinez" moments (you have to be a fan to appreciate) like his Grand Slam in the World Series against Texas; his USA Baseball Olympic Gold Medal; and 4 World Series Rings; his All Star Home Run Derby Trophy; and the best one...Tino's World Series home run in the bottom of the 9^th, with two outs against the Arizona Diamondbacks that extended the game to an eventual win.

Then we get down to the reason for my call.

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Permalink Reply by Vaughn Welches on January 24, 2012 at 2:12pm

A cold call to a retail store in the New England area. I had not said a word when a voice answered the phone and

said, "I'm busy what do you want?"

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Permalink Reply by Linda Ferrante on January 27, 2012 at 12:08pm

Heavy breathing......low voice.....seductive tones.....

I am, honestly, not sure if he had caller ID or thought I was someone else. I didn't get a chance to tell him who I was or why I was calling, but I hung up anyway. That was early in my career. Now, I would have followed through! :)

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Permalink Reply by Chris Grove on February 8, 2012 at 5:42am

I've rarely had to make a 'cold' call as such but I did have one chap a while back who pretty much told me he saw no value in what I did, nor in networking.

It was an interesting conversation 6 months later with him when he'd been made redundant and was looking for a new role!