So here I was working at my desk when I see a guy walking up the driveway. Youngish guy, maybe in his 20s. Hmm, I don’t see a delivery truck, looks like a private vehicle. Not obviously a JW. He looks like he has a purpose. Just the other day a guy came from the insurance office to do a walkaround of our property. So I answer the door.
“Hi, I’m [whatever]. How are you today?”
“I’m fine.” He’s holding a box of “Microwave Cookware” so that I can easily see it. “No thanks, I’m not interested.” I figure I won’t waste his time. As I’m closing the door he’s saying something like, “Oh, well, OK!?” Still has his game face on.
I gotta feel for the poor schmuck. He seemed like a nice enough guy. How many people voluntarily choose a job like that? I hate hate hate telemarketing, but at least there there’s some distance – and as bad an invasion as telemarketing is, it’s not showing up on someone’s property, in their face. At least sometimes telemarketers are using a targeted list, no? This poor guy has to show up at my door, knowing absolutely nothing about me, to try to sell me some random piece of crap that I may or may not be interested in at all. And then drive on to the next house and repeat. I live out in the sticks, and it’s about 10 degrees out today.
I hate telemarketing, but I like door-to-door sales folks. They come by the store often, and usually have neat stuff for not too much money. That said, I wouldn’t want them at my house, but anyone who wants to come by and bother me at work is welcome.
One time while I was unemployed some dude tried giving me the hard sell about some sort of baseball ticket deal. I eventually shooed him away, but I probably told him FIVE times that I’m UN-F*ING-EMPLOYED and I DON’T LIKE BASEBALL!
Reasons I don’t want to give you money:
I don’t like baseball.
I FEEL LIKE F*ING EATING THIS MONTH YOU GREASEBALL!
I did canvassing door-to-door one summer. I wasn’t selling anything, though. It was certainly an eye-opening experience. I learned a lot. It wasn’t so bad. I’ve thought about doing it again at times, if I’m ever really desperate for work for a short period of time.
A bunch of my co-workers’ purses were stolen by a guy that was selling cookbooks in the office (this was before office building security systems). Also, a guy came to the house one time and he just had a sleazy way about him. I don’t like 'em.
If they are deliberately invading your privacy, why feel sorry about turning them away? If people universally acted out how they felt towards door-to-door salesmen, this intrusive practice would cease. If they were selling products everyone truly needed, they wouldn’t have to go door-to-door with them. They are invading peoples’ privacy to make money off of them. Caveat Venditor, I say.
**
Don’t count on it. The U.S. Census Bureau compiles and gives away TONS of data on what type of people live where, and it is eagerly snapped up by marketers all over the place. He probably knew with some certainty your race, general income level, approximate age group, and maybe your profession.
Oh, absolutely, I agree. I have turned away many salesmen before with no compunction at all. Omaha Steaks? Sorry, we’re vegetarians. (Not really, but close enough not to be interested.) And if they’re really obvious, I just don’t come to the door, especially if I’m home alone. (I wasn’t today.)
There was just a different vibe about this guy, though. He didn’t show it, but just something about him said “down on his luck,” more so than the fact that he was at my door selling plastic crap. That was what gave me that feeling, I think – considering him on a personal level for those few seconds, instead of as another stinkin’ fakey glad-handing solicitor at my door.
A few years ago, Mr. S was working on the roof of our pumphouse – a structure about 4 feet high on the side of the house that encloses our well pump. A decrepit station wagon pulled in and a couple got out. The “wife” stood next to the car in her flowered dress while hubby came over in his shirt and tie and tried to sell Mr. S some kind of insurance. Mr. S politely declined and continued working. The salesman then proceeded to climb up on the pumphouse roof (which was covered with nails, shingle scraps, tools, and other debris) and continue his pitch! This really pissed off Mr. S: #1, I’m busy here and I told you I wasn’t interested, and #2, get off my goddamned roof before you fall off and sue me!! He finally got the guy to go away. What a jerk. That was different.
Usually I turn away salesmen without a second thought. I’d like to see the practice discontinued also, Bill Porter notwithstanding. I understand the pressure of the economy – my own hubby is severely underemployed. But for some reason, today’s visitor made me all the more grateful that I’m swamped with work and can support the both of us.
Many companies still train people for the dinosaur of all sales: the cold call. I’ve done it, and it is a tough way to make sales. As a former sales manager once explained, the concept is:
Hire the masses, put them through classes, and throw them out on their asses.
Having been a salesperson, I’m a little better about tolerating them now, the pushy tele people are the ones that raise my bile.
I’ve suddenly started getting door-to-door salsemen, too.
The first was a door-to-door * Kirby Sweeper * salesman. I was shocked. “They still make those?” I asked. My grandmother bought one about fifteen years ago, and they were god-awful expensive, even back then.
His pitch was to hand me a gallon of Tide and introduce what he was selling. After my inital surprise that his product was still being produced, I said I wasn’t interested, and by God, he actually grabbed the laundry detergent back from me! I laughed about that for a while.
Next, it was a man selling frozen food from a truck. Maybe it’s slightly irrational, but, for me, there’s an “ick” factor in buying food from a door-to-door truck. I told him I didn’t think I was interested, and he persisted in giving me a brochure. “If you want anything, just leave it on your door on Friday. You won’t even have to see me. I won’t bother you again.”
On Friday, the same guy returns. And asks me if I want anything from the truck. I look pointedly at my blank door, and say, “I guess not!”
How about, get off my property, if you come back on Friday I will have you arrested. I have no tolerance for door to door salesmen, unless they are selling Girl Scout cookies. Then I like them.
I used to know someone who had a sign on their door that read this If You Didn’t Bother To Call, Don’t Bother To Knock…that means you!. You would just have to remember to take the thing down if you were expecting company. Unless you really hate the inlaws. In that case just leave it up.
I used to be real suspicious of men who tried to sell me Girl Scout cookies. I mean, what if they kicked some little girl’s butt to get them? But now that my local “organization” has taken over Girl Scout cookie distribution for my neighborhood, I pay my money and don’t ask questions, just like everybody else.
When we first moved into this house, we got a guy selling some kind of carpet-cleaning equipment. I merely swung the door all the way open so he could see our bare plywood floors, still under construction, looked pointedly at the floors and then back at him. We both laughed and he went on his way.
Well, we must really mess with the demographic, then. Our house looks pretty rough from the outside. It says “Redneck.” Which we are most definitely not.
A few weeks ago a guy knocked on my door. Behind him is a little red freezer truck with the name of a butcher shop on it. He tried to sell me steaks! As if I’m going to buy a bunch of meat from some guy off of the street. I couldn’t believe it.
I had a guy try to sell me Papa Johns coupons the other day. Here he is, offering all kinds of good deals concerning Pizza. I ask, “What’s the catch?” He says,“What’s the catch? Here, catch.”
:rolleyes:
I told him I was broke, and I may as well have pointed a gun at him. He had that sleazy look, too, that someone here touched on.
My opinion: Of course we’re going to see more of these damned door-to-door salesmen. Most telemarketing calls are illegal, if you like, in half of the United States.
