Phonebusters: when statistics helps

It was one of the several occasions when I thanked myself to be a statistician!
At around 4:30pm my phone started ringing. It was an unknown caller on the other end. I knew, it will be another credit card offer or an offer for a telephone calling card. I was quite right (you don't need to be a statistician to predict such a call). I picked up the phone and the person at the other end began with the typical note:


Voice: "Hello, may I speak to Mr. Raheem"

-Yes, speaking.

Voice: Sir, we are doing a survey.. which country do you usually call?

- (My heart jumped a little hearing the word 'survey') May I know what kind of survey you are conducting, please?

Voice: (He didn't expect such a question, I guess) Actually, its a survey to know which countries people usually make phone calls...

- (I was happy that he fell into my prey) Well, how did you select my phone number?

Voice: Sir, we use a legal software which has the phone directory of entire Canada.

- Okay, sounds good, but was there any reason you picked my number or it came just by chance?

Voice: (I knew its getting too complicated for the poor caller to handle, but, I was happy to have been able to divert the purpose of the call altogether) Sir, we would like to know where people calls and on that basis we will offer you our solutions at a cheaper rate. Which country do you call?

- You didn't tell me how the survey is designed and also how you picked my number.

Voice: Sir, sir..

- and.. why do I have to tell you which country I make calls to? Did I show my interest to be included in the survey at all?

Voice: (wanted to say something, but I did not give any scope)

- And, remember to seek permission before you ask a straight question, especially when you initiate the call. Okay, bye now.
(I hanged up)

Everyday, I get phone calls from unknown callers with varieties of offers ranging from credit card to local newspapers. I politely say "no" to them. Sometime they keep bugging. On many occasions, I became angry and hanged up the phone. But this time, I've learned a good lesson that diverting the caller's attention also helps. Especially if you can take them to your area of expertise, as it was the case in the above mentioned conversations. I could make the conversation too technical, invoking design issues and stuff like that. But that was not needed. Statistics helps in busting unwanted calls.