Answering a knock at the door

MiddyMum

ugh, people that keep knocking if they think you are there.....a quick peek out the window and you can see that it is some sort of sales type thing. Get the message, move away from my blimmin door, its like harassment.

krlyr

If I've spotted someone going door to door across the road, I tend to ignore it when they get around to me (we're at the end of the cul-de-sac so tends to be within a few minutes of spotting them). If I'm not sure who it is (I peer out the side of the bay window just to check), I tend to open the door but don't bother putting the dogs behind the babygates in the kitchen - I open the door a crack and usually the dogs let out a good few woofs when they hear a stranger's voice (and it's pretty obvious from their barks that they're large dogs) which I think would help deter anyone dodgy. My main defence is my lack of bothering with makeup in the house and wearing sloppy clothes - I already look young for my age so with those two factors, salesmen tend to ask me if my parents are home :rotfl: and I can just tell them that they'll be back later.
I don't tend to ignore it altogether because we've not long moved here so neighbours don't have our phone number or anything. Quite often it's them knocking to let us know something (one side is building an extension so pre-warn us when there's lots of noise, ask for access to the garden, etc.) so will usually jump up to at least check who's there.

Landline numbers are ignored unless I recognise the number though - we've got friends & family programmed in to is so it'll say who's calling. If my laptop is to hand then I'll google it quickly, for a brand new phone number (only had the line connected earlier this year), it has been sold on to a fair few coldcallers already!

polki

I am just leaving home to collect in electoral roll registration forms from people who have not responded to postal requests.

Wish me luck!

mrsrwallace

When I first moved into my own house I was always so keen to answer "my" door that I almost ran to see who could possibly be coming to see ME! Almost 20 years later and my, how my attitude has changed!

Nobody EVER comes to my door to see me unless it has been pre-arranged, my friends and family have a rule that we do not pop in unannounced, dear help anyone who interrupts me on a day off, PJ day or cleaning day - they are in my way and should not be there! Usually the callers are my childrens' friends so I ignore the incessant ringing of the doorbell as I know that it will be answered by them.

If I do get a knock at the door I take a peep out the window, if it's someone who needs to be there i.e. post, delivery/parcel, police (you never know!) I will of course answer but if the person is unknown to me then no, I do not answer. If they really need me they will leave a card and I can choose to reply.

As for the landline, well, like many if the caller ID is unknown or witheld then I do not answer and if I do know the number I will only answer if it is doctor or dentist and if it is a friend or family member I will only answer if I have time to talk. If it is an emergency they will ring me on my mobile or leave a message and I can get back to them.

I am very much of the mind that my free time is that, I am on beck and call of my boss during my working day so on my unpaid time I am at the beck and call of no-one. I have blatantly ignored cold callers and religious callers and some have even seen me inside the house after peeking through my blinds! Now that is rude! Oh and I agree with one of the posters who said it depends on what they are wearing if they answer the door. I usually have no make-up on whilst not working so am quite scary looking bare-faced and my choice of fluffy PJs and slippers are not for public viewing!

catkins

I have someone at the door today. OH had left literally 5 minutes before to go and see a customer and the doorbell went. I didn't answer it - I am not expecting anyone and it's a Sunday so could not be a parcel.

All my windows are wide open so whoever it was was probably pretty sure that someone was in although when my dog was alive I would go out and leave windows open. They only rang the once though and didn't put a note or anything through so couldn't have been important.

I can almost guarantee that it was one of my husband's customers. The down side to being self employed is people seem to think they can phone or turn up at your house any time of the day or night - it really p***es me off!

antw23uk

I think its a bit odd not to answer personally but each to their own. Im too nosy and i kida like telling a sales person we dont have cold calling on our estate and that they have wasted my energy getting up to answer the door and they should give me money for the hassle

GobbledyGook

I always answer the door. I have a notice up next to the door (as do most of my neighbours) stating that I don't buy, sell, sign up or discuss politics and religion on the doorstep so generally the cold callers stay away. The ones that don't get quickly seen off and I have no qualms about just closing the door if they are rude. Friends and neighbours chap once then come in, children's friends chap once then open the door and shout hello to save me having to get up a gazillion times a day.

I have caller display, but I generally answer the phone all the time (unless we're having dinner) since I discovered that loads of places with switchboards come up as a withheld number and that includes the hospital that call about my daughter's epilepsy appointments.

balletshoes

polki wrote: »

I am just leaving home to collect in electoral roll registration forms from people who have not responded to postal requests.

Wish me luck!

good luck .

balletshoes

GobbledyGook wrote: »

I have caller display, but I generally answer the phone all the time (unless we're having dinner) since I discovered that loads of places with switchboards come up as a withheld number and that includes the hospital that call about my daughter's epilepsy appointments.

but if its the hospital, they'll leave a message, won't they?

GobbledyGook

balletshoes wrote: »

but if its the hospital, they'll leave a message, won't they?

They will, but then you end up in the message-a-thon with them trying to speak to the person who rang as they won't generally leave any details on an answering machine.