You’re in a bar with two of your best buds. The music is pumping, the dance floor is packed and you’re looking good in your designer jeans.
You find a gal you’re attracted to and you strike up a conversation. Everything is going great – until this potential take-home’s stock drops like it’s October 1929. Her ex is on probation and oh, she lives at home with mom, dad, grandma and three ferrets. Next!
But, she asks for your phone number. You don’t want to hurt her feelings, you just want out. So you grab a bar napkin and write down: 704-264-2861. Good night chickie, and good luck, you think to yourself.
You have just provided what I think is the coolest innovation, The Rejection Hotline. The “fake” number gives callers a G-rated and humorous recording that expresses your non-interest in a not-so-subtle manner.
The idea, invented by RH Brands, LLC president and creative director Jeff Goldblatt, has grown since it started as a joke on an answering machine in 2001.
The Charlotte Rejection Hotline number receives around 10,000 calls per month, according to Goldblatt. He says the more than 100 numbers nationwide get about 2.6 million calls a month. Goldblatt estimates Charlotte’s number is slightly below the average for most cities because there are other numbers in close proximity, including Greensboro, Raleigh and an 803-area code number for South Carolina residents.
Back when I was single, I gave my real number to a real loser (or two or three, or ... wow, a lot). Inevitably he (or they ) would call three days later, and I’d make up some excuse for why I wasn’t interested. I wish I'd had this hotline number; it sure would have saved a lot of time in the excuse department.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
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9 comments:
I'm glad there's a local number here...I heard about a number like this, but it was based in California...not good if you live here. This will come in handy! Maybe it's cowardly, but that's better than awkward.
This is funny if you're some second-rate morning radio show looking for some cheap laughs at 6:45 a.m., but if you're a real, honest human being it's definitely cowardly. If you're not interested then just say so. Just because you didn't give a guy your number doesn't mean he's going to go home and hang himself. Giving a fake rejection line number is gutless, and reflective of the character (or lack there of) you have as a person.
I agree with the above poster. There are more educated ways in letting someone down without being mean-spirited about it. Would any of you like to get that number?
I still say it's better to give someone that number and walk away, then just to say, "No, you cannot have my number," because believe me, when I did that, it opened up a whole new can of worms, because there are losers who can't take no for an answer, and that number is perfect for them. No, I wouldn't want to be given that number, but I wouldn't ask for a phone number of someone who didn't act interested in the first place.
Yes!!! I completely agree with you, there are some who don't get it despite one's blalant display of "not interested" body language. Yet with that being said there are some charismatic people, that while you are talking with them they seem to be genuinely "interested". And pass the rejection number as their phone number.
Personally I quickly study the person and tailor my rejection that will best fit the circumstances. If the guy is one of those jumpy excited types(you know who you are)then won't come across as harsh since no one wants someone to go physco. I have a girlfriend who took the easy way out and gave the guy that rejection number. Well we ran into the guy at RiRas, and he fliped out by saying all these obsceneities. We had to get one of the bouncers to bounce him out of there. Honesty is the best policy!
Why would I give someone a rejection hotline number? I can just simply say, thanks, that's so nice of you to ask me out, but I'm not available (married, engaged, in a serious relationship, busy with work, etc.)You can let the guy down easily, no need to be nasty. If he's psycho, you can usually see that right off the bat, and stop any kind of conversation before it gets too far. Tell him you have to go and walk away to a safe area where there are other people.
I'm a woman and I don't understand why so many of us feel the need to be nasty to a guy that we don't want to go out with.
To anonymous 7/20, 10:24 am: you can tell someone you're unavailable, but that only seems to make them try harder, so you walk away, and they follow you. To prevent from making a scene, you can give them the Rejection Hotline number, just to get them out of your face. If a seemingly nice guy asked for my number, and I wasn't interested, I probably wouldn't give him that number. But if someone gives you the creeps and doesn't understand the meaning of, "I'm unavailable" or whatever, they deserve to get this number!
i loved doing this cuz i had this guy whos bi who asked for my number and i gave him this it worked so well
Just thought you should know, as a followup to your article, that RH is also being misused by boiler room credit card hacks trying to "lower your interest rates"...I am on the Do Not Call list (married father of 2 who does not go clubbing or get involved in any situation where a RH number would be necessary) and in the middle of an international call, received a recorded call from "Card Services". Miffed that this interrupted my call (and that they violated the No-Call mandate) I waited for an operator. The "rep" was evasive about giving any contact info on the company, which is required by the FCC, and when I asked for a phone number they gave me a Texas number. She then got defensive and nasty and hung up on me. Of course I wished to let a supervisor know of all this so I dialed the number right back, only to get a Rejection Hotline script read back to me. So there is a company hiding behind this "fun" product using it for possibly illegal activities. RH should have a responsibility to track who they assign phone numbers to so this kind of activity can be traced if need be, this is not a dating or social situation but a company of dubious legality operating under the smokescreen of this RH.
While RH is not directly responsible for the frustration and inconvenience I experienced, their product's presence made it possible for this firm to continue safely targeting innocent consumers. This is another side to this product that people should be made aware of.
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