Bloddy door salesmen!

lmp0507

I had some christians knock at the door once but before I had the chance to tell them to p*ss off my OH very loudly shouted 'YOU BETTER HURRY UP OR WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE TO THE SACRIFICE' they couldn't get away quickly enough - worked a charm :rotfl:
Or my brother and OH convincing some religious folk that they were a gay couple, they also left rather swiftly :rotfl:

cherie1122

I answered the door a couple of days ago to a guy in a High vis jacket with "Surveyor" on it. I asked if he was a cold caller and pointed to our two notices on the door. He said he wasn't. He wanted to give us a quote for replacing windows.

I wonder what part of the notices he couldn't understand?

I'm usually at work and have been off sick for the last three months - I never realised just how many people knock on the doors during the course of the week.

Incidentally, I would love a window cleaner to knock on our door - I just can't find one anywhere :rotfl:

picnic

Iv also got one of the signs on my front door.. not 10mins after putting it up the door knocked... I took great pleasure in asking the numpty if he could read and then told him to read this(pointing to sign) do one!! and the slammed the door in his face...
did I feel bad.. not one bit.

MamaMoo_2

I once had Jehovas witnesses at my door. Some numpty had let them in to the block.
Unfortunately for them, I opened the door about 7 months pregnant in my OH's t-shirt that said "Jesus Loves You- Everyone else thinks you're a c*nt"
That was awkward.

Luckyred

We had one yesterday trying to sell solar panels.
"Good morning, dont worry I am not selling gas, electric or double glazing and I am not from a charity. Have you noticed that some of your neighbours have had solar panels fitted?

"I am not interested if everyone on the avenue has had solar panels fitted. I dont want any. I never buy/subscribe to anything on the doorstep. Goodbye".

I have not seen any houses on our avenue that have had solar panels fitted. In fact I have never seen any anywhere in the neighbourhood.
Why do all the sales people always think that they are "different" from anyone else so therefore you wont mind them knocking.
To ALL you doorstep sellers out there...... I dont want you bothering me. I dont care where you are from. You are not "different" to all the others. As soon as I answer the door and see you standing there it irritates me before you start your sales patter (and I am sure I speak for many others when I say this) so you havent a chance of me listening to you let alone buying anything. :mad:
I can decide for myself what I want to purchase/subscribe to without being harassed on my own doorstep.
I wouldnt mind if it was a window cleaner or an Avon lady trying to build up a business but no one else...... no one at all!

wellused

I was just putting the car into the garage only a couple of weeks ago when I looked up and saw a chap with a big holdall standing on the drive, I knew instantly that it was someone selling dusters, oven gloves, and the like. "Hello I said what can I do for you"? He looked a pleasant enough sort of bloke and as he showed me his licence to sell door to door he said "I have just had to get that renewed as the police stopped me the other week and locked me up for five hours saying that I could be a burglar". I wondered why on earth did he say that? I listened to what he had to say but politely declined to purchase anything. As he walked away carrying his large heave bag I felt sorry for him what a way to have to make a living, still I feel that he should clean his sales patter up before his business has a real chance of taking off.

Bodymass

prowla wrote: »

We've got a sticker on our front door saying "ATTENTION: We do not buy or sell at this door".

So I pointed at the sign and said "We do not buy or sell at this door.", to which he replied "I'm not selling, I'm offering you a free quote."; I just pointed at the sign and repeated "We do not buy or sell at this door.".

You've obviously had no experience with door to door sales yourself. When I was younger it was a challenge to convert those prospective customers who had signs on their doors, and they were more receptive than most in many cases than those without signs. There was nothing better than winning someone over when they thought they have the upper hand; that central trail of thought by which they approach all door-to-door sales people is very often their downfall.

Everyone should at least experience having done some form of door to door (whether sales or otherwise - maybe even just informing residents about a local event) at least once in their lives if they have any hope of how to deal with them. Nowadays if anyone knocks on my door I know instinctively which parent company they belong because of their pitch, and I use that against them. Most of them are lost for words and usually cower with their tails between their legs - all without getting aggressive.

You can in many instances be nice to them and make sure that you will not be added into any more prospective runs in your area. Make sure to state that you know the head of the organisation too and they will respect that. Haven't been bothered since.

Hezzawithkids

MamaMoo wrote: »

I once had Jehovas witnesses at my door. Some numpty had let them in to the block.
Unfortunately for them, I opened the door about 7 months pregnant in my OH's t-shirt that said "Jesus Loves You- Everyone else thinks you're a c*nt"
That was awkward.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Devout_Miser

Fundamental wrote: »

This is quite interesting to me and my line of business.

I am a window cleaner having started from scratch last January following redundancy six months earlier. To build the business I had to go door knocking to ask each home owner whether they needed a window cleaner. This method has brought me approximately 85% of my current customer base. I did try leaflet drops alone but the uptake was very, very low. Since taking my service, some of my clients have placed those 'no cold callers' sign in their windows; so I enquired whether they would have minded me knocking on their doors even with the sign and the majority said they did not see my line of business as a 'nuisance caller' and would not have minded.

When canvassing now I still see these signs and tend to ignore them to be honest - if I had taken notice then I would have cut out a significant section of potential business. I have never had anyone object to my knocking where they display a sign.

I would like to know what your thoughts are - do you consider those signs only apply to the utility/double glazing companies?

Thanks in advance

FDM

I consider that a sign saying "No cold-callers" means just that, and would not merely apply to utility and double-glazing companies. If that was who I wanted to keep away I'd have a notice that read "No utility or double-glazing companies." If someone you don't know calls without an appointment, they are cold-calling.

The sign I have is even more specific, it says "No cold-callers of any kind whatever." I still get people ignoring it; some even claim they didn't see it, when I have watched them reading it. I get very annoyed by those who unjustifiably declare themselves exceptions to this, and one of my standard responses is to simply point at the notice. My alternative is to point out that I would not have any confidence in any company which employs people who are incapable of reading and/or understanding plain English.

There are exceptions of course, such as those who read the gas and electricity meters, and the gentleman from National Grid who called a couple of weeks ago to inform me he had detected a gas leak outside my house, but I see no reason to state that on my notice!

vikingaero

One of my Dads friends has a sign on his door:

POLITE NOTICE
No Sales Calls. Full Stop. End of.
Feel free to ring the doorbell for an impolite response
(Exceptions: Andy the Postman, post/parcels for neighbours and lost buxom nubiles)