Double glazing sales job smells fishy

browneyedbazzi

ILW wrote: »

It is highly unlikely that it could be proven that anything illegal had been done. Basically it is just what selling is all about in that sort of market.

I disagree! The team I work with take this sort of case on a regular basis and get convictions.

It may be the way that the home improvement market has operated for a long time but that doesn't make it legal or right - and the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regs mean that a lot of practices of pushy salespeople can be dealt with effectively through the courts.

ILW

browneyedbazzi wrote: »

I disagree! The team I work with take this sort of case on a regular basis and get convictions.

It may be the way that the home improvement market has operated for a long time but that doesn't make it legal or right - and the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regs mean that a lot of practices of pushy salespeople can be dealt with effectively through the courts.

You would need to get an 85 year old to go to court on what basis?
Pushy is not illegal.

an9i77

OP if you do this job you are selling your soul. It will make you miserable! I know some people think any job better than none but you need to draw the line somewhere (and if it makes you feel bad about yourself doing it, then it is not worth it). Be glad you still have a moral conscience, unlike your boss and many of your new colleagues

browneyedbazzi

ILW wrote: »

You would need to get an 85 year old to go to court on what basis?
Pushy is not illegal.

There is a boundary between pushy and bullying. Read the guidance to the Regs, a lot of bully boy sales techniques are illegal and just because people got away with them in the past doesn't mean they will continue to!

And yes, sometimes a pensioner will be called to give evidence at court. Other times they can do a special type of video recorded interview which can be tendered in evidence - it depends on how able they are. I'm sure you can imagine who a jury is more likely to believe - a vulnerable old person who is upset etc or a pushy sleezy salesman.

21flames

I expected to have to hard sell and push and push but not on my first appointment to do it to an 83 year old single lady.

Telling her that someone could get a spade and pop the whole door out from the bottom then listen to her saying she can't afford it ( as she had only just the day before had the company fit 3 new windows....... that would have been at least 4 grand )

Then saying that I could see the glass was going and the one window would just pop and smash, then when she says it's hasn't happened so far, telling her that it will if she didn't have a new one.

Then keep pushing and confusing her to find a way to get her to post date a cheque to put a deposit down out of her pension when it clears, because she only had 200 in her account until her pension is paid.

Well sorry if I was a bit gob smacked by that, when my nan is of a similar age.

This lady was left confused any probably unsure of exactly what she had agreed to.

If ILW sees this as the norm then he obviously was one of those greedy, heartless axxholes that would do anything to earn 200 quid.

I would rather go back and work in a warehouse all week to earn £200 than stoop to the lowest of the low!!!!!!!!!!!

browneyedbazzi

Good on you 21flames, it's truly a shame that sleezebags like you describe continue to selfishly (and Yes illegally!!!!) take advantage of vulnerable people. Seeing that sort of salesman get a bit of justice is one of the things that makes me get out of bed in the morning and enjoy going into work!

ILW

21flames wrote: »

I expected to have to hard sell and push and push but not on my first appointment to do it to an 83 year old single lady.

Telling her that someone could get a spade and pop the whole door out from the bottom then listen to her saying she can't afford it ( as she had only just the day before had the company fit 3 new windows....... that would have been at least 4 grand )

Then saying that I could see the glass was going and the one window would just pop and smash, then when she says it's hasn't happened so far, telling her that it will if she didn't have a new one.

Then keep pushing and confusing her to find a way to get her to post date a cheque to put a deposit down out of her pension when it clears, because she only had 200 in her account until her pension is paid.

Well sorry if I was a bit gob smacked by that, when my nan is of a similar age.

This lady was left confused any probably unsure of exactly what she had agreed to.

If ILW sees this as the norm then he obviously was one of those greedy, heartless axxholes that would do anything to earn 200 quid.

I would rather go back and work in a warehouse all week to earn £200 than stoop to the lowest of the low!!!!!!!!!!!

I did say that when I did that job, the elderly and vulnerable were (on my part) not considered fair game. Any other punter was though. I would not want to go back to it. It is very tough and few make a go of it.

Again I will say, I did warn you.

Russe11

21flames wrote: »

I expected to have to hard sell and push and push but not on my first appointment to do it to an 83 year old single lady.
(known in the trade as a single sit, or sole owner... these appointments while always be made priority as you only have to sell to one person and its eaier to sell to one person than it is two or another party not present)

Telling her that someone could get a spade and pop the whole door out from the bottom then listen to her saying she can't afford it
(Using fear factor)

( as she had only just the day before had the company fit 3 new windows....... that would have been at least 4 grand )
(So this was a add-on lead, selling to an exsisting customer, maybe on the promise of further discounts)



Then saying that I could see the glass was going and the one window would just pop and smash, then when she says it's hasn't happened so far, telling her that it will if she didn't have a new one.

Then keep pushing and confusing her to find a way to get her to post date a cheque to put a deposit down out of her pension when it clears, because she only had 200 in her account until her pension is paid.

Well sorry if I was a bit gob smacked by that, when my nan is of a similar age.

This lady was left confused any probably unsure of exactly what she had agreed to.

If ILW sees this as the norm then he obviously was one of those greedy, heartless axxholes that would do anything to earn 200 quid.

I would rather go back and work in a warehouse all week to earn £200 than stoop to the lowest of the low!!!!!!!!!!!

The lead was prob made by one of the marketing team using the recently fitted list, do a curtious call to see how it all went, they might then ask to come round and take a photo, the using notes of further sales opportunities etc pitch a special offer for door at half price or what ever just as a ruse to come round and measure somthign should they want it doing in the future.

21flames

Russe 11

It sounds to me like you are trying to justify all of what happened was fine, at the end of the day, non of what happened was at all!

Would you want that to happen to your nan, someone that age you know?...........Doubt it

I think these people that can do that to someone like that are just deluded in thinking that is an OK thing to do just to earn some money then laugh afterwards.

I suppose after having that drummed into them for so long they don't see a problem with it and that is when they have truly become scum.

He said to me today.......Buyers are liars.................I think that is the other way around!

ILW

Don't think anyone is trying to justify anything, just telling it as it is.

You did start the thread asking what to expect and appears got good info.