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Cheshire Cat Special user Wilmslow, UK 941 Posts |
Do any of you ever get 'listening' phone calls on 'with-held' numbers - usually at peak party times, that you are 99.9% sure come from other entertainers to see how busy you are? We used to have a lot of this. Then it stopped. Now it's started again. Yesterday, Sunday, I had a day off. Sue, my wife was working, so I naturally answered the phone. No response, they just listen to see if it's an answer machine and then 'click'!
Don't they realise that a device can be bought that 'breaks the code' of with-held numbers now? Also over the years have had silly calls from entertainer (I know full well who!) claiming to be from a local TV Company (Granada), and also a Government Safety Inspector claiming incorrect use of fire at functions (never used fire!!). Ah, the price of success . . . and the effect it can have on a small minority of others . . . yes, friends abroad, - another symptom of what can be the mentality of some fellow Brits! |
wizardofsorts Special user Chicago, IL 935 Posts |
Ace,
I know here in the US telemarketing firms have computers that dial multiple numbers at once. Who ever answers first gets the sales person, everyone else gets dead air. So, maybe its not your competitors checking to see if you are home. If it is, what a weirdo. He doesn't have anything better to do then see if you are working or not. What's it matter to him? He should be using that time to work on his marketing or his show. Edd
Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a corporate magician available for your next trade show, hospitality suite, client luncheon, or company event. http://www.wizardofsorts.com
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Chrystal Inner circle Canada/France 1552 Posts |
Hi Ace,
I haven't experienced what you describe (least I don't think so) Our phone systems may be a bit different as most newer phones have "call display" where the persons name and number will be displayed on the phone. Sometimes a call can be blocked previous to phoning at a cost of aprox a dollar to the caller. In that case the call display will say blocked. In that case, it always makes me wonder why they are blocking their numbers? It sounds to be you're doing very well in your business and if what you are describing happens from time to time...it's jealousy! :O) |
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
I, too, use call display. Most calls that say "blocked" are salesmen. Some that say "Private name, private number" are legitimate customers, some aren't.
I know of one entertainer who would do prank calls, but she was foolish enough not to block her number on call display, so I could tell who made them, and called her on it! She was someone who I knew by (bad) reputation only, so she really had no reason for pranking me, other than small minded revenge. I have also had hang up calls. Sometimes those are from children. Using phone calls to tell if a person is working is very unscientific. If your rates are higher, you may not work as often, yet still earn a decent amount of income. Or, you may always take Sundays off (I know one performer who does that). And for a while recently, I took it easy because my wife was recovering from surgery, so there were personal reasons for not being out doing shows as often as normal. - Donald.
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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triadsong Regular user Long Island, NY 170 Posts |
Buy the other device if it will put your mind at ease. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. The important thing is that you are working and isn't that enough??
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Cheshire Cat Special user Wilmslow, UK 941 Posts |
Caller display / with-held numbers - all available here by the way. Had them for many years. Also been having these calls for many years on and off. Thought that website (we have our fees on) would satisfy anyone's desire to learn about the 'competition', but not to be. Perhaps they would like us to put a monthly Diary on our website? NO CHANCE! Yes, perhaps I should trace the caller and post him (oh yes, it is a HIM!) here in front of the Magical Community Worldwide . . . hmmm, don't worry Steve B., I'd not use your site for that!
Strangely enough, my wife saw two other entertainers out on the road on Sunday, so that eliminates two possibilities, and confirms our theory as to who it is even more! All entertaining stuff . . . but how pathetic . . . if 'mystery man' also views this site without logging in - 27 bookings this month buddy! and you know us, we could have done a lot more if we'd wanted to. |
Rupert Bair Inner circle ? 2179 Posts |
Ace some entertainers are pretty sad, anyway on sunday I was ringing you to see if you had a spare loaf of bread! lol
Matt |
Christopher Special user 531 Posts |
I work restaurants five nights a week and this generates a lot of hostility from those in the area not working. I've had them call and complain about me to my restaurants even though they were never in. Each of my restaurants received a call from a concerned father that oddly had visited and was unhappy because he said I was rude to his son. Oddly enough, each of my locations received the same call and to back up my theory, I was on vacation that week and had not even worked. They called the guy on it and there hasn't been a call since.
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Emazdad Inner circle Plymouth UK 1954 Posts |
Some of the calls that hang up straight away are from cold callers. At the call centre a computer dials hundreds of numbers. when someone answers if a line is free a saleperson will talk to you, if all the lines are busy the line goes dead. There is a place you can register your number on, it stops these company's using you number.
The ones I hate are the Fax calls. you answer the phone to hear a beep on the end which is a computer trying to send me a fax. I put a fax program on my computer and let that answer the calls. It was an advert from Dell computers.
Yours Funfully
Clive "Emazdad" Hemsley www.emazdad.com "Magic is a secret, without the secret there is no magic" Remember there are only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can't. |
Whiterabbit Loyal user Kevin Mc Lean 278 Posts |
Yep Ace,
the price of success. What surprises me is that it's a closed society and some people get really scared if you're good or (heavens forbid) better at something than they are. It's a bit silly really, I live in a town of 50,000 and instead of getting together and supporting each other - most magicians (there are four, including myself) are scared of chatting shop and resort to these ridiculous tactics in a town which probably couldn't support a magician well unless he toured and got government grants. I must admit, I'd love to talk shop over a coffee - but no one ever does.
May your fingers never lose their deftness,
May your tongue always lead them down the garden path... Regards, Whiterabbit |
NJJ Inner circle 6437 Posts |
I have a VERY sneaky way of telling how busy my competitors are.
What I do is... I ring them up... and then I say "Hey, its Nick, how's it going? Been busy?" |
Whiterabbit Loyal user Kevin Mc Lean 278 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-07-12 18:39, Nicholas J. Johnson wrote: Yep, and as a result, you've probably got a cordial relationship with them so that if they were very busy and couldn't take a show they'd refer it to you... As I said, I'm amazed at this secret society stuff.
May your fingers never lose their deftness,
May your tongue always lead them down the garden path... Regards, Whiterabbit |
macmagic Veteran user MA 400 Posts |
LOL I had a fellow magician call (I know because name and number came up on caller id) well HE tried to disguise his voice as a woman and started asking me all sorts of questions about my shows from b-day parties to school shows looking for prices and what dates I already had booked etc.
I couldn't stop laughing and he acted all offended like I was laughing at him then I explained about the caller id and he hung up right away pretty funny! that was many years back now I go with the never answering the phone rule and let my machine pick it up!
"Its a magic thing...........you wouldn't understand"
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MagicalPirate Special user Shamokin, PA 828 Posts |
Hey Tony (aceparties):
Great website. Sounds like a wonderful party concept, you should franchise and build your retirement fund from it. Martin
Martin Blakley, CSH, DASH, CMSA
http://www.thehypnoguy.com/HYPNORESOURCES http://www.docgrayson.com/ How To Sell Anything Online http://tub.bz/?r=1z Copyright to my own words retained 100%. |
magicgeorge Inner circle Belfast 4299 Posts |
Ace,
Are you sure these calls are from other professionals? Any evidence? It sounds a little paranoid to me but maybe I'm still a bit wet beneath the wings. I often ask other magicians "How's business?" when I see them and have noticed some folks are a little coy about it. To me it's just a bit of friendly shop talk, I don't see many advantages to finding out how the opposition is doing apart from doing a bit of mutual moaning when it's too busy or quiet. I think the 'sly ones' will only learn 2 things from this. If they're busy and your quiet it will be a little ego boost for them and vica-versa they''ll know they're doing something wrong or that you are better than them. George |
Cheshire Cat Special user Wilmslow, UK 941 Posts |
Ah, yes. I knew the word "paranoid" would eventually crop up! Don't think I need to reply to this personally. Just read the posts above!
Also thanks Martin. A male entertainer putting on a female voice! Wow, at least he could have got his wife, mother, g'friend to call . . . I too would like to be on 'terms' with other local entertainers, and there are a few newer ones around now I quite like. But when we first started it was 'daggers drawn' between everyone in my locality (two entertainers battling over the same name didn't help!). One of these told kids at parties: "other magicians just do tricks, I do REAL magic" . . . |
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