Coworkers selling crap at work

[Ca3799]

Note to coworkers:

I do not want to buy into your 'money saving electricity supply' program. No, I don't know what it is, but I suspect it's just another multi-level marketing plan that requires me to sell these plans to all my friends and family to save 5 bucks. No thanks.

The sticky pads that you apply to your abdomen guaranteed to make me lose 6 inches overnight? No way. Rumor says they smell like Ben Gay and there is nothing on the planet that will make you lose six inches overnight unless you count things like Ebola virus or some other hemorrhagic fever. Don't want that either, thanks.

Sticky pads that I apply to my feet that remove all my toxins overnight while I sleep? Also a "No". How could that possibly work? How do I know it won't remove my brain cells by accident? In fact, I think that's what they do.

I don't mind the candy bars for baseball or the Girls Scout cookies- if you just leave that stuff in the lounge and let me decide on my own. But please quit approaching me to buy these bogus products. Why are you all so gullible?

[Vinyl Turnip]

Where do you work, an email inbox?

[Daithi Lacha]

I am with you 100% on this. One of my peers is selling weight-loss shakes, and tries to work that into conversations whenever he can. Annoyingly, on his Facebook profile (and I know this is petty, but whatever), he changed his "employer" section so it shows that he's employed by this shake company, rather than the corporation who we both work for. And he's a manager (admittedly, a low-level one, just like me). He posted one day that he was actively striving for a "job-optional" lifestyle, meaning he could decide each day when he woke up whether he wanted to work. Pal, you keep missing deadlines, checking your phone in staff meetings while our boss' boss is addressing us, and pissing your team off, you're going to be living that dream more quickly than you'd imagine.

Also: he lost a certain amount of weight on his shakes and then plateaued. It's very apparent. And one of the gals here who bought the shakes, same thing happened to her. Guess they're not that effective.

[The Great Sun Jester]

Originally Posted by Daithi Lacha

Also: he lost a certain amount of weight on his shakes and then plateaued.

Well, I guess that means he's not entirely full of shit.

[DiosaBellissima]

Originally Posted by Daithi Lacha

I am with you 100% on this. One of my peers is selling weight-loss shakes, and tries to work that into conversations whenever he can.

Ugh. I work with a girl who is selling cleanses. Well, she wasn't up front about it at first-- all of her Facebook posts were about how HEALTHY!!!! she feels and how in CONTROL!!!!!! of her body she felt. Then it slowly slipped into veiled attempts at getting people to cleanse with her. . . and now she outright advertises it.

Why yes, friend, if I only drink cayenne pepper water for a week, I will most definitely get thinner. I don't have to pay $150 for the privilege, as I have both water and cayenne pepper I can use to anorexia myself at my home already if I ever feel so inclined.

[Chimera]

Most of the companies I've worked for, including this one and my previous one, have very strict rules about soliciting at work. The most I've seen in years is the box of fund raising candy bars on the counter by the coffee pot with the honor system pay envelope. At the last place, someone got a written notice on the first offense for sending around a solicitation email, and people doing so much as having something at their desk for it were told to remove it immediately or face disciplinary action.

Certainly, if I was getting regular solicitations from someone at work, I'd be filing complaints.

[Farmer Jane]

It is always most bothersome when its someone's boss.

[Jeep's Phoenix]

The solicitations for people's religious groups are the worst...this week it was a mass emailing (and later, flyers all over the place) advertising a spagetti (sic) plate sale to benefit some ministry. It makes for damn awkward conversation when people approach you with it, too..."Don't you want a spaghetti plate? It's only $7! You always get spaghetti when we go to Luigi's, why don't you get a plate? It's made by Joe's wife's friend's sister's choir director -- it's homemade! Do you want a plate?"

[Ca3799]

Some folks are also selling monogrammed bags, personalized 'Origami Owl' lockets and necklaces, and 'scentsy' candle-like products.

The weight loss wraps are called 'Skinny Girl Wraps'. I guess they don't claim to make you lose weight just tone you, reduce your waist (or whatever) by inches, and get rid of cellulite and stretch marks. But that is not all! They also detoxify you all while giving you energy and your skin nutrients!

So their website says they don't claim you will lose inches, but then proceeds to tell you to measure your waistline for 2-3 days.

Quote: "We cannot claim inch loss, however The more water you drink the slimmer and better your body toning result will be.

Remove the wrap after a minimum of 45 minutes and rub the remaining ingredients into your skin. Remeasure the area and document. It will continue to work on the skin for 72 hours.
Keep drinking water the next 2 days, measuring day 2 and day 3."

And if you buy, they say "Welcome to the family!"

Now how much would you pay?

[Vinyl Turnip]

Originally Posted by Inigo Montoya

Well, I guess that means he's not entirely full of shit.

<tips cap>

[JohnT]

Since we're all together, anybody want to order some girl scout cookies? You can pay for it from all the savings earned from the coupon books you bought from me, er, her, a few months ago.

[emcee2k]

Originally Posted by Inigo Montoya

Well, I guess that means he's not entirely full of shit.

I got this joke five minutes later while reading a different thread.

[SnakesCatLady]

At my last job I was one of the very few childless employees. I was constantly being hit up for something - baseball, softball, band....and I didn't have any kids so I could sell them shit. Pissed me off.

I did give in and buy a huge tub of cookie dough. It was surprisingly good, and made enough for an entire team of hockey players.

[Antinor01]

Originally Posted by SnakesCatLady

At my last job I was one of the very few childless employees. I was constantly being hit up for something - baseball, softball, band....and I didn't have any kids so I could sell them shit. Pissed me off.

I did give in and buy a huge tub of cookie dough. It was surprisingly good, and made enough for an entire team of hockey players.

I have a "no fundraisers" rule. It makes it very easy to say no to all that crap.

[Jeep's Phoenix]

Originally Posted by SnakesCatLady

I did give in and buy a huge tub of cookie dough. It was surprisingly good, and made enough for an entire team of hockey players.

My neighbor's daughter sold something like that one year...it was a big plastic tub full of cookie dough, and all you had to do was plop it on a sheet and bake. The cookies were good, and they impressed the heck out of my coworkers.

I have purchased wrapping paper being sold to benefit the private secular school of my department manager's son; however, he did not approach me directly (the packet was being passed around only on that side of the building). I also made it very clear that my purchase was entirely motivated by my desire to avoid Hallmark during Wrapping Paper Season.

[WisdomofLife]

I actually don't mind fundraisers at work or selling of items as long as your co-workers don't go begging for you to purchase something.

The worst products I seen people sell at my workplace is Avon products. It is basically Chanel Dollar Store. Mass produced products of Avon that are advertised in their magazines are pictured as being extravenge, fun and exotic. Yeah I think air is amazing also

[Rigamarole]

A couple of jobs ago I worked with this girl I liked and thought was really cute. One day she said she wanted to talk to me, and it got me pretty excited thinking she wanted to do something with me socially.

Then she goes into this pitch for some kind of traveling rewards scheme BS and what a great opportunity it would be for me. Heartbreaking.

[Cat Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Vinyl Turnip

Where do you work, an email inbox?

Won it in one.

Originally Posted by Antinor01

I have a "no fundraisers" rule. It makes it very easy to say no to all that crap.

Yup. I don't really buy anything at work, and I don't donate, either - I have my charities that I give to, and I'm not interested in any others.

[zweisamkeit]

Originally Posted by WisdomofLife

I actually don't mind fundraisers at work or selling of items as long as your co-workers don't go begging for you to purchase something.

The worst products I seen people sell at my workplace is Avon products. It is basically Chanel Dollar Store. Mass produced products of Avon that are advertised in their magazines are pictured as being extravenge, fun and exotic. Yeah I think air is amazing also

Psh, Avon can be fun and I don't know anyone who thinks Avon is exotic and extravagant. What crack are you smokin? I dig their nail polishes. Most chicks I know who love Avon mostly like it for cheap but cute flip flops and jewelry.

[ZPG Zealot]

I keep boxed "healing crystals" (actually they are rather nice rose quartz pieces if you like that sort of thing for jewelry) in a desk drawyer at work as a pre-emptive strike against anyone that come around hawking stuff. Sometimes fighting fire with fire works best.

[aruvqan]

Originally Posted by SnakesCatLady

I did give in and buy a huge tub of cookie dough. It was surprisingly good, and made enough for an entire team of hockey players.

I bought some frozen apple strudel things at my last job that were quite excellent. We didn't seem to have anybody doing cookie dough =( mrAru got Girl Scout cookied, and also some sort of chocolate frog things. I didn't like the chocolate flavor on the frogs enough to make one an occasional self treat, they were slightly waxy.

[WisdomofLife]

I do agree Avon does sell some nice items. What I am trying to say is that Avon customer mentality is weird. Anyone can find Avon-like or knock-off products (like nail polish) at most stores. Customers (mostly female-hey its true ) of Avon tend to think the items they are getting special, cute, great quality and exclusive when they are just ordinary and common specailty items you can get at your local cheap "luxury" (ex. Sears or JCPenney) store. I think even Wal-Mart sells similar jewelry of Avon quality.

I really don't remember the prices of Avon. I think they are similar in price to most store goods but I am not sure.

[zweisamkeit]

... Again, I haven't seen this attitude you describe. And since I mentioned the nail polish: I have a metric assload of nail polishes, most of which come from drugstores. I buy Avon polishes in colors I haven't seen dupes for. Oh, and btw, their polishes are cheaper than ~75% of drugstore polishes.

[flatlined]

While I can get into the rant about people expecting us to buy their crap, I have another reason many people like Avon. I tell my coworker who sells Avon that I need some more hand lotion or whatever. When the order comes in, she puts it on my desk. I pay her and never have to shop for it.

I have mentioned that I'm pretty lazy, right?

Something that always bothers me is when one specific person who has always done just one fundraiser a year for a very good cause comes to sell his expensive candy popcorn and its just expected that we all will open our wallets.

[Rachellelogram]

I agree that it's mostly obnoxious, but I will buy thin mints almost every time they're available. I only have a few coworkers who raise funds for Girl Scouts, and they come to me because I've asked them to. I was a Girl Scout as a kid and I'm a terminal thin mint junkie!

[Súil Dubh]

Originally Posted by ZPG Zealot

I keep boxed "healing crystals" (actually they are rather nice rose quartz pieces if you like that sort of thing for jewelry) in a desk drawyer at work as a pre-emptive strike against anyone that come around hawking stuff. Sometimes fighting fire with fire works best.

I don't have people trying to sell me things at work, but if I did, I'd steal your technique.

Bravo.

[digs]

Originally Posted by rachelellogram

...I'm a terminal thin mint junkie!

I keep a box in the freezer. It's my reward for getting yard work done when it's hot out.

And I see a huge difference between selling people something they want* at a reasonable price, as opposed to that ten-pound garbage can full of generic cheese corn that my son was "encouraged" to sell dozens of for his cub scout pack... (we said no thanks, we'll pass on this fundraiser).

*I've been known to stalk coworkers: "Is Brianna selling Thin Mints yet?" "Why can't I buy some NOW? They probably have warehouses full of them... " "Now..?" "Is it cookie time yet?" "Well, can you at least ask about the warehouses?"

[freckafree]

This is slightly tangential. I can tolerate the discreetly placed order form for Girl Scout cookies. What bugs the shit out of me was when my son used to bring home fundraising crap he was expected to sell for his public elementary school -- not to fund a class trip or the like, but for general budget support! Jesus! Can't we just adequately fund the public school system? Or, since parents are the ones who end up buying the crap, just fucking give me the option of paying tuition and spare me the fundraiser browbeating!

[Daithi Lacha]

Update: One of my team got hit with a stomach bug last week and still feels wiped. He just posted on FB how he wished he could shake this feeling. And of course, Mr. Healthy just responded with, "Did someone say SHAKE? I can set you up for FREE!"

GRAHR!

[Antinor01]

Originally Posted by rachelellogram

I agree that it's mostly obnoxious, but I will buy thin mints almost every time they're available. I only have a few coworkers who raise funds for Girl Scouts, and they come to me because I've asked them to. I was a Girl Scout as a kid and I'm a terminal thin mint junkie!

I would love to buy thin mints. The problem is there are at least 10 people in my office that sell them. That's not even counting the people from other departments that come through hawking the damn things.

[Farmer Jane]

Originally Posted by freckafree

This is slightly tangential. I can tolerate the discreetly placed order form for Girl Scout cookies. What bugs the shit out of me was when my son used to bring home fundraising crap he was expected to sell for his public elementary school -- not to fund a class trip or the like, but for general budget support! Jesus! Can't we just adequately fund the public school system? Or, since parents are the ones who end up buying the crap, just fucking give me the option of paying tuition and spare me the fundraiser browbeating!

My son has a scholarship. I pay what it doesn't cover. I'm still asked to chip in for PTO stuff, annual appeals, holiday presents ($36 per kid - I posted about that once), etc.

Trust me. It isn't any better. The first month of school was "buy a coupon book!" and then it was "sign up your kids to go skiing!" and "enroll them in after school activities!" and etc.

Last week, it was "You know you want to buy this nice 8x10 photograph of your kid for $50!".

[digs]

Originally Posted by Daithi Lacha

Update: One of my team got hit with a stomach bug last week and still feels wiped. He just posted on FB how he wished he could shake this feeling. And of course, Mr. Healthy just responded with, "Did someone say SHAKE? I can set you up for FREE!" GRAHR!

Oh. My. God. I can't wait til one of your coworkers is diagnosed with Parkinson's...

And re multiple Girl Scouts: I just buy from the first one that asks, and then apologize to the rest. "Oh, I'm SO sorry. I just bought WAY too many from Bernadette and Boraxo's daughter Brianna." So far everyone's been glad that I was supporting the cause.

And then I get home and find out that my wife just bought nine boxes from Belladonna (Brunhilda and Boromir's youngest).

[Ca3799]

Our middle school had a campaign called 'Bug Off' and a $50.00 'donation' exempted your kid from all fundraisers for the entire school year. It was money well spent to get out of all the other fundraisers.

[Kimstu]

I would think that bosses would be fairly ticked off that individuals are devoting time and energy during the workday, in the workplace to hawking work-unrelated stuff solely for their own personal profit. (I can see how hawking Scout-troop or school-trip stuff like Girl Scout cookies would be viewed more tolerantly, though.)

If you want to peddle crap to boost your income, do it on your own time, not your employer's. Sheesh, even the greenest teenage office boy in a Horatio Alger Jr. novel knew that much.

[kayT]

I used to work at a car dealer and the mechanics there were a selling-things-person's dream. They would buy any crap and take it home to their wives/gfriends. Wood covered in polystyrene with a hole with a tiny pothos plant dying in it: sold. Photos of waterfalls, covered in polystyrene with "woodgrain" frames: sold. "Magic" cleaner that works for laundry, dishes, your hair, the floor: sold. Gah.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by Kimstu

I would think that bosses would be fairly ticked off that individuals are devoting time and energy during the workday, in the workplace to hawking work-unrelated stuff solely for their own personal profit. (I can see how hawking Scout-troop or school-trip stuff like Girl Scout cookies would be viewed more tolerantly, though.)

If you want to peddle crap to boost your income, do it on your own time, not your employer's. Sheesh, even the greenest teenage office boy in a Horatio Alger Jr. novel knew that much.

Sometimes it's the bosses that are the worst offenders. Or the bosses are running their own businesses on the side.

[Baker]

At our church we have a number of girls in Scouting and the way they deal with it is like this.

On one Sunday, after church, a table is set up. All the cookie hustlers are there and customer orders are spread out evenly between them.

In this way they aren't hustling the after church crowds for several weeks in a row.

[hajario]

At one place that I worked several years ago, there was this one squirrely mother fucker that used to push Amway hard. He spent tons of work time hitting up co-workers and chatting with his "uplink" in the parking lot.

He used to tell anyone who would listen that in the future he wouldn't have to work anymore. Technically, he was correct.

[Farmer Jane]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

Sometimes it's the bosses that are the worst offenders. Or the bosses are running their own businesses on the side.

My boss did that. I really didn't want to spend $14 on bread, but he made sure to ask me every single day for a week. I was the only one who didn't buy it.

[saoirse]

Originally Posted by hajario

At one place that I worked several years ago, there was this one squirrely mother fucker that used to push Amway hard. He spent tons of work time hitting up co-workers and chatting with his "uplink" in the parking lot.

He used to tell anyone who would listen that in the future he wouldn't have to work anymore. Technically, he was correct.

I thought I understood the Amway business model. Apparently, I was quite wrong.

Originally Posted by Kimstu

I would think that bosses would be fairly ticked off that individuals are devoting time and energy during the workday, in the workplace to hawking work-unrelated stuff solely for their own personal profit.

You would think that, if you were terribly naive.

[Daithi Lacha]

Originally Posted by digs

Oh. My. God. I can't wait til one of your coworkers is diagnosed with Parkinson's...

Three hours later, and I just started laughing at this. Completely whooshed me when I first read it.

[olivesmarch4th]

We have a special version of this in the non-profit world. Since donations are so critical to the daily operations of non-profits, and all your friends and coworkers are social workers and doing like 20 projects on the side, you pretty much get hit up by a different person every day for Issue of the Week Donation. And if you can't afford to shell out ten dollars a day for the rest of your life, you not only feel like a bad friend, but you have the added bonus of feeling guilty for not caring more about the blind anorexic baby seals on crack. My Facebook News Feed is just one long guiltrip.

[Pitchmeister]

Originally Posted by ZPG Zealot

I keep boxed "healing crystals" (actually they are rather nice rose quartz pieces if you like that sort of thing for jewelry) in a desk drawyer at work as a pre-emptive strike against anyone that come around hawking stuff. Sometimes fighting fire with fire works best.

Maybe you could cut them a deal and read them their fortune in exchange for whatever they are selling? It's a lose-lose!

[Springtime for Spacers]

When my dad was working (as a teacher) he did a cracking business selling bedding plants that he'd grown himself from seed. It paid the costs of supplying the plants for his own garden. That was down to the providing a good product that people actually want business model however.

[Kimstu]

Originally Posted by saoirse

You would think that, if you were terribly naive.

Guilty as charged, I guess. But why don't bosses mind this sort of "commercial harassment" going on in their offices---at least, the bosses who aren't engaged in such activities themselves?

I know my co-workers and I would catch some flak from our supervisors if we kept pushing a hard-sell attitude about some completely work-unrelated product that nobody's shown any signs of wanting. Seems like it accomplishes nothing but wasting time and causing aggravation.

Originally Posted by Springtime for Spacers

When my dad was working (as a teacher) he did a cracking business selling bedding plants that he'd grown himself from seed. It paid the costs of supplying the plants for his own garden. That was down to the providing a good product that people actually want business model however.

Well yeah, I guess that's another exception. At my workplace, everybody does know that this one guy sells eggs from his free-range chickens and the occasional pumpkin etc. to people who request them, and there are some similar casual para-commercial activities going on. But AFAIK nobody's devoting serious time and effort to pitching unwanted crap to unwilling buyers, and I think there would be some negative repercussions if they tried it.

[Cat Whisperer]

I like it when someone sells Avon at the office, and they just leave the books in the lunchroom with their name and extension number on it. *That* is how you sell things at work.

[ZPG Zealot]

Originally Posted by Pitchmeister

Maybe you could cut them a deal and read them their fortune in exchange for whatever they are selling? It's a lose-lose!

That's not a bad idea. Evil laugh, I may start making that offer also.

[Fair Rarity]

Originally Posted by Cat Whisperer

I like it when someone sells Avon at the office, and they just leave the books in the lunchroom with their name and extension number on it. *That* is how you sell things at work.

I had the weirdest thing at one of my jobs with my crazy Avon lady. I'd buy stuff often, but she'd almost begrudge me the freaking catalog. She would be really pissy about giving me one, which seemed counter-intuitive to me. Normally I'm not too passive-aggressive, but I made sure to hunt her down when I knew a new one was coming.

I don't mind people selling things, but the begging and hard-selling is not work-appropriate. I wish I had a girl scout parent. I didn't end up with cookies the last few years.

[Smeghead]

Wow. I've never experienced this. I would...not react well, I think.

[aruvqan]

Originally Posted by Fair Rarity

I had the weirdest thing at one of my jobs with my crazy Avon lady. I'd buy stuff often, but she'd almost begrudge me the freaking catalog. She would be really pissy about giving me one, which seemed counter-intuitive to me. Normally I'm not too passive-aggressive, but I made sure to hunt her down when I knew a new one was coming.

I don't mind people selling things, but the begging and hard-selling is not work-appropriate. I wish I had a girl scout parent. I didn't end up with cookies the last few years.

I think they have to buy the catalogs and samples they hand out.