MSE News: British Gas suspends doorstep selling

smugbear2007

get ready for the solar power canvassers now, both free and not free... I am one of them.
before i get slammed as a doorstep caller/ canvasser for solar power I can honestly say the vast majority of homeowners are polite even when not interested. In 6 weeks I have had 1 instant door slam.lol.maybe thats down to my charming personality. ;-).
it seems people don't want people doing this job, but would you rather I go on the dole and claim?
from my side of the fence i see it like this.
I never knock on doors with a "no cold caller" sticker or in no cold calling zone as that is asking for trouble. if you have no sticker then how do you expect me to know not to knock on it? if it bothers you that much get a sticker! and if you get a sticker please put it on the door and not some silly porch or side window where its not seen from walking up the driveway.
If you say "not interested thankyou" within the 1st 20 seconds I say thanks for your time and go. Trying to carry on talking afterwards rightly invokes a harsh response.
Badge should be on display, if not I expect a harsh reception so it always is.
I never walk across lawns or jump fences to save time.


You would be surprised at how long many people on the door want to spend talking about solar and I have spent 15 mins with some informing them about solar without getting an appointment or details, thats fine as I like to talk, so maybe I am the one thats providing a free service? ;-).

We are not all bad you know

polvean

smugbear2007 wrote: »

get ready for the solar power canvassers now, both free and not free... I am one of them.
before i get slammed as a doorstep caller/ canvasser for solar power I can honestly say the vast majority of homeowners are polite even when not interested. In 6 weeks I have had 1 instant door slam.lol.maybe thats down to my charming personality. ;-).
it seems people don't want people doing this job, but would you rather I go on the dole and claim?
from my side of the fence i see it like this.
I never knock on doors with a "no cold caller" sticker or in no cold calling zone as that is asking for trouble. if you have no sticker then how do you expect me to know not to knock on it? if it bothers you that much get a sticker! and if you get a sticker please put it on the door and not some silly porch or side window where its not seen from walking up the driveway.
If you say "not interested thankyou" within the 1st 20 seconds I say thanks for your time and go. Trying to carry on talking afterwards rightly invokes a harsh response.
Badge should be on display, if not I expect a harsh reception so it always is.
I never walk across lawns or jump fences to save time.


You would be surprised at how long many people on the door want to spend talking about solar and I have spent 15 mins with some informing them about solar without getting an appointment or details, thats fine as I like to talk, so maybe I am the one thats providing a free service? ;-).

We are not all bad you know

Well said, you sound much like myself. I do the same kind of work - partly as there is not much out there and I'd rather be working than claiming off the government. Partly because I enjoy the walk and talk!

I have always be honest in my sales ( even when d2d energy) just that people get tarred with the same brush and a minority spoil it for the rest!!

:beer:

Oranjj

I used to work in BG area sales. Trust me on this, the salesmen/women are greedy, selfish, unscrupulous !!!!!!!s who think nothing of forcing old ladies to sign on the line that is dotted. Because as with all salesmen, most of their income is commission. £10 for a OSW I think it was when I worked there.
This wont stop them camping out Sainsburys etc. But it's about time this practise was ended.

Oranjj

£500k to Centrica is loose change.

broxis11

Oranjj wrote: »

I used to work in BG area sales. Trust me on this, the salesmen/women are greedy, selfish, unscrupulous !!!!!!!s who think nothing of forcing old ladies to sign on the line that is dotted. Because as with all salesmen, most of their income is commission. £10 for a OSW I think it was when I worked there.
This wont stop them camping out Sainsburys etc. But it's about time this practise was ended.

Considering that BG don`t ask customers for signatures and have used verbal contracts for many years, I`m taking your post with a pinch of salt.

What is an OSW?

I`m assuming that you mean the practice of working in Sainsburys should be ended. Why do you think that?

eurmalian

We shouldn't use verbal contracts on door to door sales. They are meant to be signed.

I'm curious about OSW too. It's not a phrase I know.

And I think they mean working in Sainsburys Energy and trying to ambush shoppers to make them switch suppliers, rather than just Sainsburys in general...

broxis11

eurmalian wrote: »

We shouldn't use verbal contracts on door to door sales. They are meant to be signed.

I'm curious about OSW too. It's not a phrase I know.

And I think they mean working in Sainsburys Energy and trying to ambush shoppers to make them switch suppliers, rather than just Sainsburys in general...

Door to door sales don`t take signatures with BG, the customer is put through a recorded verbal contract with the office and the terms and conditions are then sent to the customer.

To the best of my knowledge the BG employees working under the Sainsburys Energy banner are not allowed to approach customers, they are only allowed to speak to customers who approach them.

eurmalian

I didn't know that had changed. It defintely used to have to be signed, and Oranjj does say they used to work in area sales, not still do.

And yes, they are only allowed to speak to people who approach them, the same way as before being transfered there they were only allowed to sell if the person agreed to it and had to leave large groups alone and not try to sell at all to them. I know it's only a small minority that ignore the instructions, but do you really think that being transfered to a different area will suddently make that sort of person obey the rules?

broxis11

eurmalian wrote: »

I didn't know that had changed. It defintely used to have to be signed, and Oranjj does say they used to work in area sales, not still do.

And yes, they are only allowed to speak to people who approach them, the same way as before being transfered there they were only allowed to sell if the person agreed to it and had to leave large groups alone and not try to sell at all to them. I know it's only a small minority that ignore the instructions, but do you really think that being transfered to a different area will suddently make that sort of person obey the rules?

They`ve been using a company called Avance for the verbal contracts for at least 4 or 5 years. Why do you assume that people are breaking the rules?

polvean

Oranjj wrote: »

I used to work in BG area sales. Trust me on this, the salesmen/women are greedy, selfish, unscrupulous !!!!!!!s who think nothing of forcing old ladies to sign on the line that is dotted. Because as with all salesmen, most of their income is commission. £10 for a OSW I think it was when I worked there.
This wont stop them camping out Sainsburys etc. But it's about time this practise was ended.

This is a classic post as to why d2d sales people get a bad reputation. The minority do the damage and many honest hard working d2d sales guys get a poor rep because someone has done a poor service / job to a customer. I have been to doors where whole streets have had a bad experience by a sales guy (mainly by one of the companies now nolonger doing it) and would never do anything at the door again. I have also been to many doors where people have been treated right, given correct advise and when this happens are more than willing to do these sorts of things again.

Yes, there are those who lie cheat and bully, but that's not my general experience.

I have worked on utilities and pay TV plus solar, so have a wide experience.

It all comes down to respect. Respect for yourself and respect for others.