*%&@?^@& GOOGLE!

[Independent Gal]

I have a slightly unusual name. Strangely enough, in my town, there is a restaurant that is called by the same name. I actually like it there and go quite often, and not just because the napkins and matches have my name on them either, though that helps. I thought about collecting a full set, but...

Anyway, I don''t know what''s going on, but over the last few days, I have received about a dozen phone calls intended for them. The conversation goes like this:

IG "Hello?"
caller: "Yes, hello. Is this Indy?"
IG: "Why yes it is, who''s calling please?"
caller: "Uh.... can I make a reservation?"
IG: "Sorry, I don''t take reservations. My cooking is lousy anyway. Are you looking for Indy''s Restaurant, by any chance?"

The first few times, it caused serious confusion. But now I''m on to it and I''ve started keeping their number by the phone.

I asked the most recent caller where she got my number and she said "GOOGLE!"

GOOGLE! Damn you Google! I hope this isn''t going to continue indefinitely. I seriously got THREE calls today.

 

[NYCsparkle]

Hahahahaaa...i seriously think that is hilarious. you made me laugh so hard. you could have so much fun with those calls

Date: 7/13/2007 7:04:27 PM
Author:Independent Gal
I have a slightly unusual name. Strangely enough, in my town, there is a restaurant that is called by the same name. I actually like it there and go quite often, and not just because the napkins and matches have my name on them either, though that helps. I thought about collecting a full set, but...

Anyway, I don''t know what''s going on, but over the last few days, I have received about a dozen phone calls intended for them. The conversation goes like this:

IG ''Hello?''
caller: ''Yes, hello. Is this Indy?''
IG: ''Why yes it is, who''s calling please?''
caller: ''Uh.... can I make a reservation?''
IG: ''Sorry, I don''t take reservations. My cooking is lousy anyway. Are you looking for Indy''s Restaurant, by any chance?''

The first few times, it caused serious confusion. But now I''m on to it and I''ve started keeping their number by the phone.

I asked the most recent caller where she got my number and she said ''GOOGLE!''

GOOGLE! Damn you Google! I hope this isn''t going to continue indefinitely. I seriously got THREE calls today.

 

[door knob solitaire]

OH Indy girl...I feel your pain!

We have a department store here Dillards...it was one digit off from our number. Happened to be the Estee Lauder counter. They called hubby would say, You''ve got the wrong number, please check the number and try again. Usually no sorry...or thankyou...just a slam down. When the phone would immediately ring again-obvious they didn''t bother to check the number.. he didn''t mind coming back with..."Until close tonight there will be a full bottle of fragrance with every $19.99 purchase". He thought it was too funny.

Then....after that location closed our number was the same for dyslectic (sp?) people...so again...he answered hello and often said this is NOT MICHAELS Craft store...then they would RUDELY hang up and dial again...so when he was asked if they had the really large craft eyes for stuffed animals...Why, yes...yes we do. Today all animal parts are 75% off. Etc, etc, etc.

I would come home and ask what we sold today? He said Oil painting canvas was buy one get three free.

You better not call our unlisted number and not listen when you are told you have the wrong number!! We need entertainment...and we are going to get it! Boy would we have fun with dinner reservations!

Indy, can you contact your phone company and get your number unlisted? It won''t help right away...but eventually it will kick in.

DKS

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 7/13/2007 8:34:27 PM
Author: door knob solitaire
OH Indy girl...I feel your pain!

We have a department store here Dillards...it was one digit off from our number. Happened to be the Estee Lauder counter. They called hubby would say, You've got the wrong number, please check the number and try again. Usually no sorry...or thankyou...just a slam down. When the phone would immediately ring again-obvious they didn't bother to check the number.. he didn't mind coming back with...'Until close tonight there will be a full bottle of fragrance with every $19.99 purchase'. He thought it was too funny.

Then....after that location closed our number was the same for dyslectic (sp?) people...so again...he answered hello and often said this is NOT MICHAELS Craft store...then they would RUDELY hang up and dial again...so when he was asked if they had the really large craft eyes for stuffed animals...Why, yes...yes we do. Today all animal parts are 75% off. Etc, etc, etc.

I would come home and ask what we sold today? He said Oil painting canvas was buy one get three free.

You better not call our unlisted number and not listen when you are told you have the wrong number!! We need entertainment...and we are going to get it! Boy would we have fun with dinner reservations!

Indy, can you contact your phone company and get your number unlisted? It won't help right away...but eventually it will kick in.

DKS

LOL!!! thanks for the sweet compliment DKS, I think you are pretty wonderful and dang funny. Hey, what is up w/no southern hospitality by these callers just hangin up!

 

[AmberWaves]

My full name is the same name as a series of children''s books. So all the time I hear, "Ha, Amber, I hear you''re not a crayon!" Har har. It''s kind of annoying!

 

[elsie]

Uch, that sucks, Indy.

I thought I heard that you can request removal of your address/phone info from Google searches (I assume these people are Googling your name and getting the phone book listing that Google "handily" provides people).

Found this link, hopefully it''ll help: http://www.google.com/help/pbremoval.html

 

[door knob solitaire]

Great find Elsie!

DKS

 

[lumpkin]

How annoying! I wonder if you can contact Google and straighten it out (I have no idea how). But cool about the napkins and matches!

 

[monarch64]

I''d be so tempted to answer the phone and say "table for two at 9? sure, no problem."

Seriously, though, what a PITA. I hope you can get the matter straightened out with google and the phone company without having to go through the hassle of changing your number...in the meantime I think you should start messing with people, lol!

 

[Independent Gal]

Hey Elsie, thanks for that link! That should help.

Cross your fingers.

 

[elsie]

You''re welcome!

Crossing fingers and toes and eyes...

 

[gailrmv]

Indy, that stinks! One time a phone book misprinted a veterinarian''s office number as my parents'' numberr (the real number was different by two digits!) We got tons of calls for a whole year until the next phone book came out.

 

[Independent Gal]

So, last night I had a cousin in town, and he and I and my cousin who lives here went out for dinner. We ended up at.... "Indy''s"!

I told the waiter about the recent barrage of phone calls and pretended to be all huffy about it. He thought it was hilarious and when we left he brought me a container with chocolates that had ''INDY'' printed on them in pretty gold letters.

Now THAT''S what I''m talkin'' about! Worth the pain.

 

[Sparkster]

I know how you feel. When I still lived with mum, we changed our home phone number to a silent number. Unfortunately, there was a petrol station just up the road and we were given their old number. We used to get heaps of calls for them. Very irritating.