[Misc] No hawkers, no circulars.....

[Guinness Boy]

We've just been visited by door to door salesmen from a leading* window company. Twice. In five minutes. The Mrs told the first set to go politely because the open door was making the house cold and she was about to feed the kids. Then five minutes later another one from the same company ringing the doorbell no fewer than three times. He got me. I told him to b**ger off.

The thing is I would NEVER buy anything that was being sold door to door, There's simply no need to in this day and age where comparative pricing and reviews are available at the click of a mouse. I don't know anyone else who would either. So, have I been rude to people who didn't deserve it or are they on the hard sell to vulnerable pensioners and people too weak to tell them to f off? Have you ever done door to door? Did you like it? Did you make ANY money?

And, separately, is it time for me to get one of those "No Hawkers, No Circulars, No Salesman" type signs for the door? I've always associated them with Daily Mail reading colonels. But I'm never going to buy their wares. Why waste their time?


*obviously not so leading that they're not desperately resorting to sending teenagers in branded jackets round to hard sell in a family street at tea time.

 

[Foul Play Rocks]

I wouldn’t bother with one of those signs as they’ll still ring the doorbell and knock the door. We live in a no cold calling area and we still get them round. They don’t seem to care so I’m not bothered about how polite I am to them.

 

[Weststander]

I recall those signs on the gates of old folk’s homes in the town I grew up in. Along with hydrangeas and California block garden walls.

It didn’t prevent rascals playing Knock Down Ginger.

 

[Denis]

I have a little ‘polite notice’, bought off Amazon, stuck on my front door.
It states, ‘ NO cold callers
Canvassers
Salesmen
Or
Religious Groups
It really does work! If someone ignores it, I ask them whether they can read and shut the door. ��

 

[Knocky's Nose]

Usually they're just kids on minimum wage trying to earn some money by doing what they're told, along with promises of untold wealth if they make a sale. I've been in sales in one way or another all my life, and some sales jobs can be horrible. I've never gone door to door, but I did some cold calling on the telephone in the late 80's. I endured it for three hours, got up from my desk, and walked out.

These are the sort of kids who were sent over the trenches first because the adults knew better. I'd never be rude to them - they're just trying to make some money, and they're only disorganised because they're young, inexperienced, and usually badly led....

The best way to get rid of a salesman is give him/her big smile, an enthusiastic greeting, and politely explain you're not in the market for what they're offering - but when you are you'll certainly contact their company for a quote. Salesman completely disarmed with zero comeback to that, and you don't get high blood pressure. If the salesman gets pushy, fair game to lose your rag. As a salesman you should know when to fold and walk. If you don't, you shouldn't be in sales.

 

[Denis]

I used to do an evening office cleaning job, to supplement my daytime job wages, (as a single parent bringing up three boys). It was a company for life insurance and pensions etc. The staff would be there until after 8pm with a phone book in front of them just ‘cold calling’. I used to ask why they did such a soul destroying job. The answer was that the commission on just getting just a few people, per day to ‘bite’ and take out a policy made it all worth while.

 

[vegster]

I wouldn’t bother with one of those signs as they’ll still ring the doorbell and knock the door. We live in a no cold calling area and we still get them round. They don’t seem to care so I’m not bothered about how polite I am to them.

I'm on the Telephone Preference service but I still get people ringing up trying to sell me stuff I don't want or the famous " You have got a virus on your PC " scam, no one I know ever calls me on the land line, I might as well get rid.

 

[BNthree]

The thing is I would NEVER buy anything that was being sold door to door, There's simply no need to in this day and age where comparative pricing and reviews are available at the click of a mouse. I don't know anyone else who would either. So, have I been rude to people who didn't deserve it or are they on the hard sell to vulnerable pensioners and people too weak to tell them to f off? .

Usually I'll just tell them I'm not going to buy anything but if they want to leave a leaflet etc. However we have a little old lady as a neighbour on both sides of us (both of them over 85) and I'll always tell the hawker not to call on them and to leave them alone. They're like parasites hoping to pressure those unable to say no to sign up.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I've had chuggers and God squad this week alone. I interupted the chuggers and asked them if they would like to donate to my charity of choice. They soon left.

 

[Springal]

I spent a great 6 months in 2002 doing cold calling for Zenith Windows. Was the most fun in my life, allowed to smoke in the office (I didn't even really smoke), hang out with some proper 'classy' girls and had a brilliant time.

The amount of appointments I made, which we only got paid for if the sales person actually got in was mental for a teenager. Probably the last era before customers really shopped around.

I still work in sales now but for an IT manufacturer, we have people that cold call and I still prospect and target select people. Biggest difference now is if a customer approaches a vendor or shop to buy something, they're already probably 70% through their decision making process. Biggest change over the last 5-10 years.

 

[BN9 BHA]

In my previous house I was having new windows fitted throughout, the window companies van was parked sideways on my drive.
I had a knock on the door and someone asked me if I was interested in having new windows I was trying not to be too sarcastic when I pointed to the brand new front windows and door, and asked the salesman if he noticed the window fitters van that he had to squeeze past to get to my front door.

 

[Weststander]

This method tends to be more effective:

 

[Brian Parsons]

Some years ago my late wife and I were enjoying a progrmma on the telly. The front door bell rang at about 8:30pm. I opened the door to find a lady doing her best drowned rat impression. We asked her in to dry off and have a warm drink. It transpired she was promoting a new chocolate bar from Cadburys. We were the only people to invite her in that evening so as a mark of her appreciation she gave us the evenings entire stock of free samples. The kids and us didn't need to buy any sweets for weeks. So occasionally it does pay to answer that annoying door bell.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

 

[Goldstone1976]

Some years ago my late wife and I were enjoying a progrmma on the telly. The front door bell rang at about 8:30pm. I opened the door to find a lady doing her best drowned rat impression. We asked her in to dry off and have a warm drink. It transpired she was promoting a new chocolate bar from Cadburys. We were the only people to invite her in that evening so as a mark of her appreciation she gave us the evenings entire stock of free samples. The kids and us didn't need to buy any sweets for weeks. So occasionally it does pay to answer that annoying door bell.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

And how many days later were you burgled?


Seriously: nice story

 

[The Clamp]

I let them rattle on, nodding and looking intrigued. Once they’ve talked themselves dry I say:

“No hablo Ingles”

Then I shut the door and go back to Redtube.

 

[studio150]

I find not answering the door works very well

 

[Nitram]

I debated about wether to get a sign for the door the same reason as the OP gave as worried about looking like an old codger. However after a particularly bad week of almost daily calls from various people, and a mountain of junk mail ordered one off Amazon - No Junk Mail, Cold Callers, Salesmen or Religious Groups - Engraved Sign
Changed the religious groups to 'canvassers' as it allowed you to do before ordering and stuck it on the flap of the letter box.
Since in almost a year had only one person cold calling and the junk mail has reduced to almost nil. Definitely worth it IMO.

 

[beorhthelm]

I've had chuggers and God squad this week alone. I interupted the chuggers and asked them if they would like to donate to my charity of choice. They soon left.

oh the chuggers. used to go down my high street in London and it was like British Bulldog, having to evade several ranks of them.

 

[happypig]

in 2003 I was watching the Rugby World Cup final. Midway through the first half the doorbell went; Jehova's Witnesses ! Mr's H thought I was rude to tell them "F..k off, I'm watching the rugby" and shut the door in thier faces.

For nuisance calls, get a BT call blocker phone; I used to get 3 or 4 a day, now get about one a month who bothers to listen to the announcement and leave thier name. (https://www.shop.bt.com/learnmore/bt-branded-products-and-services/the-new-bt8600/)

 

[fork me]

In my previous house I was having new windows fitted throughout, the window companies van was parked sideways on my drive.
I had a knock on the door and someone asked me if I was interested in having new windows I was trying not to be too sarcastic when I pointed to the brand new front windows and door, and asked the salesman if he noticed the window fitters van that he had to squeeze past to get to my front door.

You sometimes get people over here, usually older guys supplementing their pension, selling fruit and/or veg door to door. You get vans with loads of stuff (usually smallholders) who are actually worth buying off (cheaper and fresher than the supermarkets) and the occasional guy with just one product. In my last house I had two lemon trees in the front. Very visible from the road. Once when they were full of lemons I had some guy knock on my door trying to sell me lemons. I just pointed at the trees...