By . Paul Bentley . PUBLISHED: . 11:25 EST, 28 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:21 EST, 28 March 2013 . They are the last voices most of us want to hear when we pick up the phone. Jessica Robbins, however, would disagree. For the 84-year-old has credited a cold caller with saving her life. Mrs Robbins happened to be the first person Simon Shepherd contacted on only his second day in a job selling solar panels over the phone. Lucky: Cold-caller Simon Shepherd saved a pensioner's life after realising she was having a stroke while they were talking on the telephone earlier this month . When he realised that the pensioner . was finding it difficult to breathe he ended the conversation, having . failed to make a sale. But he was so concerned about her . condition that he dialled the number again, asked for her address and . then called for an ambulance. Paramedics found Mrs Robbins slumped . on the floor and paralysed after suffering a stroke in the living room . of her home in Walsall, West Midlands. The great-grandmother, who is now home . from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, reckons Mr . Shepherd saved her life. Home: Paramedics rushed to Jessica Robbins' house in Walsall, pictured, after Mr Shepherd called 999 . Random: If Mr Shepherd had not decided to tackle his call list from the bottom rather than the top, Mrs Robbins might not be alive today . The telesales worker, 25, said: ‘I didn’t make a sale but I’m so glad I could help her. ‘I felt uneasy after ending the call so we decided to call her back and I’m glad we did. ‘Cold callers get a hard time from people, but if I hadn’t called she’d probably have died.’ Mr Shepherd visited Mrs Robbins last week to meet her in person and deliver a bouquet of flowers. He added: ‘She’s made a good recovery. She’s had a number of mild heart attacks in the past  but is still . doing well. She’s a tough old bird.’ The 84-year-old was phoned on March . 12 by Mr Shepherd. By chance he had decided to start at the bottom of the long list of home owners in front of him instead of at the top as usual. Halfway through his solar panels pitch, however, he realised the pensioner was breathing heavily, so he ended the phone call. Employer: Mr Shepherd was in only his second day of working as a salesman for a solar panels company . He spoke to a supervisor before calling Mrs Robbins back. She answered and gave Mr  Shepherd her address so he could ring 999. When paramedics arrived minutes later, they were let in by neighbours and discovered her collapsed in the living room. Mrs Robbins, a retired dance teacher . who has three children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren, . said: ‘I am very grateful to the young man. ‘I’ve got the feeling back and I’ve . got the young lad to thank for that. He was very good with me on the . phone. He went above and beyond for me. ‘I don’t usually listen to telesales but I’m glad I answered the phone to Simon. ‘Salesmen sometimes get a bad name, . but in this case he saved my life.’ Mr Shepherd works for Zenith . Renewable Energy Ltd. His boss, Craig Siviter, said: ‘For some reason . Simon started from the bottom of the list instead of the top. ‘It was his first call of the day, on . only his second day of the job, [and] he spoke to me as he believed the . lady was unwell. I told him to call back and then we called for an . ambulance. ‘We get people slamming down the phone . on us, all sorts, but  it was pleasing on this occasion that we could . step in and help  the lady. FACIAL weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped? ARM weakness: Can the person raise both arms? SPEECH problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? TIME to call 999. If a person fails any one of these tests, get help immediately by dialling 999. A speedy response can help reduce the damage to a person’s brain and improve their chances of a full recovery. A delay in getting help can result in death or long-term disabilities. Source: The Stroke Association .
Simon Shepherd, 25, phoned Jessica Robbins to sell her solar panels .
Worried by 84-year-old's ragged breathing and distressed noises .
Called ambulance to pensioner's home in Walsall which saved her life .
By . Paul Bentley . PUBLISHED: . 11:25 EST, 28 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:21 EST, 28 March 2013 . They are the last voices most of us want to hear when we pick up the phone. Jessica Robbins, however, would disagree. For the 84-year-old has credited a cold caller with saving her life. Mrs Robbins happened to be the first person Simon Shepherd contacted on only his second day in a job selling solar panels over the phone. Lucky: Cold-caller Simon Shepherd saved a pensioner's life after realising she was having a stroke while they were talking on the telephone earlier this month . When he realised that the pensioner . was finding it difficult to breathe he ended the conversation, having . failed to make a sale. But he was so concerned about her . condition that he dialled the number again, asked for her address and . then called for an ambulance. Paramedics found Mrs Robbins slumped . on the floor and paralysed after suffering a stroke in the living room . of her home in Walsall, West Midlands. The great-grandmother, who is now home . from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, reckons Mr . Shepherd saved her life. Home: Paramedics rushed to Jessica Robbins' house in Walsall, pictured, after Mr Shepherd called 999 . Random: If Mr Shepherd had not decided to tackle his call list from the bottom rather than the top, Mrs Robbins might not be alive today . The telesales worker, 25, said: ‘I didn’t make a sale but I’m so glad I could help her. ‘I felt uneasy after ending the call so we decided to call her back and I’m glad we did. ‘Cold callers get a hard time from people, but if I hadn’t called she’d probably have died.’ Mr Shepherd visited Mrs Robbins last week to meet her in person and deliver a bouquet of flowers. He added: ‘She’s made a good recovery. She’s had a number of mild heart attacks in the past  but is still . doing well. She’s a tough old bird.’ The 84-year-old was phoned on March . 12 by Mr Shepherd. By chance he had decided to start at the bottom of the long list of home owners in front of him instead of at the top as usual. Halfway through his solar panels pitch, however, he realised the pensioner was breathing heavily, so he ended the phone call. Employer: Mr Shepherd was in only his second day of working as a salesman for a solar panels company . He spoke to a supervisor before calling Mrs Robbins back. She answered and gave Mr  Shepherd her address so he could ring 999. When paramedics arrived minutes later, they were let in by neighbours and discovered her collapsed in the living room. Mrs Robbins, a retired dance teacher . who has three children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren, . said: ‘I am very grateful to the young man. ‘I’ve got the feeling back and I’ve . got the young lad to thank for that. He was very good with me on the . phone. He went above and beyond for me. ‘I don’t usually listen to telesales but I’m glad I answered the phone to Simon. ‘Salesmen sometimes get a bad name, . but in this case he saved my life.’ Mr Shepherd works for Zenith . Renewable Energy Ltd. His boss, Craig Siviter, said: ‘For some reason . Simon started from the bottom of the list instead of the top. ‘It was his first call of the day, on . only his second day of the job, [and] he spoke to me as he believed the . lady was unwell. I told him to call back and then we called for an . ambulance. ‘We get people slamming down the phone . on us, all sorts, but it was pleasing on this occasion that we could . step in and help  the lady. FACIAL weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped? ARM weakness: Can the person raise both arms? SPEECH problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? TIME to call 999. If a person fails any one of these tests, get help immediately by dialling 999. A speedy response can help reduce the damage to a person’s brain and improve their chances of a full recovery. A delay in getting help can result in death or long-term disabilities. Source: The Stroke Association .
second day in a job selling solar panels over the phone. Lucky: Cold-caller Simon Shepherd saved a stroke in the living room . of her home in saved her life. Home: Paramedics rushed to Jessica Robbins' house in Walsall, pictured,