Even simple lies like this stress me out. My method is to just abruptly say, “sorry, I’ve got to go” and hang up. If asked about it later, “I’d really rather not talk about it.” They pretty much never ask about it later though. Zero lies, zero stress, and you don’t have to keep talking on the phone.
It’s ugly for sure, but I think the biggest barrier to entry is the shortcut keys. Blender’s Industry Standard mode makes it a lot easier for Maya users to switch. Something similar for Photoshop users would kill.