I really thought it was an automation...

You know the automated calls you get at times where you say, "Hello?" and there's a long pause before you get the whole automated spiel back, saying, "Hello, my name is so and so, calling in regards to your mortgage. Rates are lower than ever . . . blah, blah, blah." Now no one likes telemarketers, but I don't like to be too rude to people so I tend to try to figure out if it's a person or not before hanging up.

A few months ago, I got a call that sounded super forced and strange, and I was 99.9% sure it was automated. But when I interrupted their spiel, asking, "Is this an automation?" there was a long pause before the same, strange, robotic voice said back, "No. This is not an automation." But I was sure it was, so I hung up.

Dumbfounded by this, I told my husband about what happened. He explained to me that the automated systems have it programmed in to respond to questions like that, to keep you on the call longer to deliver their pitch. I couldn't believe it, although, after they made the internet, nothing should surprise me anymore.

Now, fast forward a few months to just a few days ago. I'm in the kitchen doing dishes, when I get a call. I answer, and there's a long pause before I hear a man's voice on the other end. He sounded like an actual person talking to me, but he did the whole, "Hi, my name is John, calling from your local sheriff's dept. We are trying to raise money for . . ." And the spiel kept going on and on, without any breaks.
"Is this an automation?" I asked, interrupting the caller mid sentence.
"No. This is not an automation," the caller said back.
'Sure,' I thought. 'You were programmed to say that.'
Now, surer than ever that the caller was an automation, I thought I'd give the caller a little test. Remembering my conversation with my husband -- that they program the automation to answer typical questions -- I thought I better come up with something original, that no one would think to program in.
Quickly, I came up with something totally off the wall.
"Do your armpits smell if you don't use deodorant?" I asked, interrupting the pitch once more.
To my horror here was a short pause followed by a long chuckle.
At this point, I realized there was an actual person on the other end.
After apologizing and explaining that I really thought he was an automation, I politely declined whatever it was he was trying to pitch and hung up the call, mortified.
I probably made his day though. haha