Door to door salesmen, how do you see us?

Agricola · 03-02-2015 12:18pm

anncoates wrote: »

Like most people, I just want to bath/feed the kids, relax, do my stuff in the evenings after a day's graft and I've no interest in being sold things in my home that I can research online during the day.

This is it really. Maybe 20 or more years ago before the internet was commonplace, this kind of thing could actually be viewed as borderline useful. You might find out about a product you didnt know about, or you might get to see a product up close and get some information about it which you could'nt easily get. Nowadays we have millions of professional and customer reviews to look at online, this practise is pointless.

I'd be less severe on charity collector's but they can become a problem too. You end up signing up to one to many (because it's a good cause shure!) and the next thing you know you have a lad arriving with a little docket relieving you off 10 or 20 quid every couple of months.

* theres another thread about travelling salesmen of another kind which merits discussion, but sadly it would be locked after the 3rd post!

irish gent · 03-02-2015 1:25pm

I remember a guy calling to the door one time , when I opened the door and before he could open is mouth, i said I'm not interest and closed the door on his face . I was a bit rude but i was on the phone at he same time. The door bell rang again I went to the door and I told him to f** off. he laughed at me ,He told me he was from the census depth.So from that day I'm not anymore rude to the private callers just in case..

vienne86 · 03-02-2015 3:17pm

Starscream25 wrote: »

I genuinely dislike it, if I ever want to donate I will in my own time, don't like having to answer the door and feel the awkwardness of knowing straight away that I'd prefer retreat back to my couch with a cup of tea than stand there listening to the good work that is being done etc and whether I would subscribe or donate, I feel it's quite invasive.

Agree completely.....and they always seem to call at a bad time.

grundie · 03-02-2015 3:55pm

My view is that is the product or service the salesman is hawking is really as good as they claim, then it would sell itself through word of mouth or reputation.

If it has to be sold door to door using high pressure sales tactics then it's probably rubbish.

whisky_galore · 03-02-2015 4:29pm

Can't think of a genuinely good product that was sold door to door, had experience with bodged together alarm systems, fire extinguisher salesmen that disappear and reappear at random, dodgy insurance salesmen and don't get me started on the nomadic furniture and tool door-to-door salespeople.

Lyaiera · 03-02-2015 4:40pm

"No means no."

Amazing how few people respect that.

Menas · 03-02-2015 4:46pm

Not a lot of love for door to door sales people on this thread. Not surprising really in my opinion. Its not a nice job to have and not nice to disturb people in their personal time.

Aglomerado · 03-02-2015 4:51pm

whisky_galore wrote: »

Can't think of a genuinely good product that was sold door to door, had experience with bodged together alarm systems, fire extinguisher salesmen that disappear and reappear at random, dodgy insurance salesmen and don't get me started on the nomadic furniture and tool door-to-door salespeople.

And the Israeli "artists"!! I haven't had one of those in a while. (Thankfully.)

2015dude · 03-02-2015 4:52pm

I HATE these guys

SMJSF · 03-02-2015 5:08pm

thankfully I've only had 1 call to my door living here in the past year from airtricity trying to sell me a electricity meter back in October... it was 7pm and while he was yapping all I could think about was "f#$k my dinners burning"... I asked him to come back in about an hour, and while eating my burnt dinner, I searched about complaints and problems with the meter and company... thank God I did.... I would have been in contract for 2 years.
even though he said I'd be saving.... I got a email from electric Ireland saying their prices were going down, and it showed on the bill after Christmas (only 4e more than normal)!
and when the cocky git came back, he wasted another 20 minutes of my time not accepting "no thank you" as an answer. and I missed corrie!

hardCopy · 03-02-2015 5:12pm

I just switched electricity supplier last week with a door to door rep.

I knew my one year contract was nearly finished and had been meaning to switch anyway.

They arrived at the right time and were cheaper than the rest.

They knew we had switched away from them almost a year ago and would be coming to the end of any contract we might have with a competitor.

I asked him to call back in a couple of hours so I could go over my current bills and check the offer out online, everything he said checked out so he got the business.

I'm fairly sympathetic though since I work in sales myself (business to business)

realdanbreen · 03-02-2015 5:14pm

quainy wrote: »

I'm a door to door salesman. I like to think I'm a good one, in fact, I enjoy my job. Sure, I stand in the hurling rain, the sleet, the hail, but I sign people up that are willing to give monthly donations to charity. Some people slam what I do, because of what the owners of the charities earn every year and I understand that it can be frustrating, it's frustrating for us too.

The fact of the matter is that I enjoy working with charities, and the idea that the last person I signed up, might just provide the few euro that will be needed to finalise the cure for cancer, or might be the few euro used to save a homeless man from the bitter cold this January.

I want to know, how do you guys see us?

I know that some people see us coming and say "Son, get the door and tell them your mother and I aren't here." Some people, on the other hand, see the charity that I represent and instantly open the door. (Unfortunately, I can't disclose the charity I work for, as I need to ensure that my views are not misinterpreted as the views of that charity as a whole.)

So which one are you? And when it's all done and dusted and we ask, so are you in? Do you think.... **** off?

Is there much money to be made in this line of work?

StormWarrior · 03-02-2015 5:36pm

I wish that you salesmen tw@ts would learn to read since maybe then you'd stop ignoring the NO COLD CALLERS sign on my front door.

Miaireland · 03-02-2015 5:45pm

I am polite to door to door salesperson, charity collectors, survey people etc. I tell them no thank you before they start into their launch and tell them that I wish them to info the company they work for that I wish to be removed for their calling list. THe request seems to throw them and they leave without any further discussion.

I would never give my bank details to someone who called to the door or stopped me in the street. It is not only that I haven't a clue who the person is from Adam but for all I know they could be robbed halfway down the street and then some criminal could end up with my details.

vienne86 · 03-02-2015 6:16pm

The ones who annoy the hell out of me are the ones selling house alarms, who start by telling you there have been a lot of break-ins in the area.....how do they know that????

Miaireland · 03-02-2015 6:31pm

vienne86 wrote: »

The ones who annoy the hell out of me are the ones selling house alarms, who start by telling you there have been a lot of break-ins in the area.....how do they know that????

I actually called the Gardai on two of these one day. They flashed an cardin front of me and started asking whether my alarm was monitored and was my shed covered my alarm etc. They had the card away so fast it could have been their library card. When I asked to exam their id they told me I clearly was not interested and they stormed off. They pulled the same stunt to a couple of neighbours who also called the Guards.

looking_around · 03-02-2015 7:43pm

I have a "No sellers/callers without permission" sign on my door.
If anyone does knock, I answer, point to the sign and slam the door in their faces.
(If they're not going to read what's right infront of them, they don't deserve any respect.)

If I have money to give to charity (Sometimes I do, more often I don't.) I'll give it directly to the charity of my choosing, not someone who's trying convince me they're charity is worth it.
and never, ever for a monthly donations. feck that.

seventeen sheep · 09-02-2015 7:37am

When I was on maternity leave, I was amazed at the amount of cold-callers to the house during the day selling electricity/charities/religion/whatever. Makes sense I guess, target the bored lonely housewives, or the vulnerable elderly people, two groups likely to be home during daytime hours.

I generally didn't answer the door, unless the baby happened to be crying at the time. Then, I would answer the door, in my PJs holding a screaming newborn, and tell them I'd been trying to get him to sleep for hours and he'd only just gone to sleep when the doorbell rang and woke him up. I would then proceed to lecture them about how inappropriate and socially unacceptable it was to go around entering people's property and ringing doorbells when they are unexpected, uninvited and unwanted.

I support charities of my choosing in my own way and in my own time. These are charities I've heard of through word of mouth or through the media (articles rather than paid advertising.) If I encountered a chugger or door-to-door rep for one of these charities, I'd never again give the charity another penny.

By the way, the OP is clearly bullshlt ... What charity claims to tackle both cancer and homelessness. :rolleyes: Also I've never heard of these so-called "charity workers" calling themselves sales people. Or being on a fixed wage with no commission.

Graces7 · 09-02-2015 3:08pm

Here I have a mile of private lane, a locked gate with barbed wire atop and two very loud dogs.. Only ones ever to come have been the JWs and Michael Healy Rae seeking votes. I dont count the brace of DNs who arrived unsought :rolleyes: The JWs persist. Last time int a rainstorm.

ScumLord · 09-02-2015 3:31pm

quainy wrote: »

I stand in the hurling rain,

Is that rain that's particularly good for playing hurling in?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 09-02-2015 3:35pm

I always find a firm but polite "no thank you" works. If they go to continue I just repeat the no thank you. In fairness the salesmen usually just go on their way.

Menas · 09-02-2015 3:36pm

Graces7 wrote: »

Here I have a mile of private lane, a locked gate with barbed wire atop and two very loud dogs.. Only ones ever to come have been the JWs and Michael Healy Rae seeking votes. I dont count the brace of DNs who arrived unsought :rolleyes: The JWs persist. Last time int a rainstorm.

I would love a mile of drive way.

Set up a load of booby traps that would test even the most determined chugger/sales person.
Then at the end they would face me, sitting on the veranda..beer in hand and shotgun perhced on the knee.
If they still try to sell me something after that I may just take pity and not set the dogs on em.

AndyBoBandy · 09-02-2015 4:17pm

I don't like when they call at my home, it always tends to be cold windy nights.
Sure I can stand here for 5 minutes with the wind replacing all the warm air in my house with the colder variety

I generally try to politely cut them off before they get started, and if they don't even let me get a word in to stop them, then I'll just speak over them and say 'sorry, no thanks' as I'm closing the door,

another good trick is to have your phone up against your face on an imaginary call, and just briefly give the cold caller the 'yeah, what's up? no thanks' before going back to your call that your not on.

I understand for them it's a job/source of income, but as time is money, and money/bank details is not something they will receive from me, I think it's best for all concerned if they just move on, as I will not be budging.

Then the ones that start badgering me/guilt tripping me, well, they just get the door closed in their face.

Wasn't Kerins getting paid more than Barack Obama?

dhaughton99 · 09-06-2015 7:35pm

I had airtricity claiming to be from the ESB in the clondalkin area. Said to me twice that he was from ESB and that ESB asked him to check if I was on the low rate or high rate and "can I see your bill". That was until he pulled out the airtricity brochure and when I questioned his lies, I was told that "they were the same company really". He was then told to "**** off"
Bloody scammers.

blinding · 09-06-2015 7:41pm

People should be allowed to put up signs saying;

"No Cold Callers"

This should legally stop people Cold Calling to people homes.

firestarter51 · 09-06-2015 8:11pm

shouldnt be allowed
i was getting them every second evening so i got a sticker on ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/No-Canvasser-Hawkers-Religious-Groups-Sales-People-No-Cold-Callers-Vinyl-Sign-/221489447632?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3391ccc2d0

i rarely get anyone calling now, when i do i just stop them quickly and close the door
hard enough keeping track of my direct debits without getting more

joollyparo · 10-06-2015 1:02pm

Still tolerates preachers but sales men really gets on my nerves like you just try to be nice with a fake smile and few nods but they interpret it for interest.

rubadub · 10-06-2015 1:13pm

joollyparo wrote: »

just try to be nice with a fake smile and few nods but they interpret it for interest.

That's like petting a dog who is shitting in your garden and giving him a doggie biscuit. This is why some people are abusive, you do not want to encourage this anti-social and highly objectionable behaviour.

People say "its just a job", or someone commented about if whingers would rather them be on the dole. I would rather them be on the dole rather than making a living like this, just like I would burglars.

I say burglars which can be seen as an extreme comparison but only since I cannot actually think of another objectionable job which is not illegal. I searched lists of most hated jobs and usual suspects were there, traffic wardens, taxman, estate agents. But all these jobs are needed and legitimately needed, and I have never heard of anybody suggesting the job of being an estate agent should be made illegal.

And speaking of burglars the legality of this job gives them a lovely alibi while checking out your house, one of my main reasons for thinking it should be illegal.

Feisar · 10-06-2015 1:17pm

The last one that came to the door asked to see my Mammy or Daddy, I'm thirty-one and he was twenty-five tops!

daheff · 10-06-2015 4:09pm

quainy wrote: »

I'm a door to door salesman.

I want to know, how do you guys see us?

Do you think.... **** off?

I dont buy unsolicited products. I dont give money to people who come to my door. I dont give my bank details to people who come to my door. My home is my small piece of refuge from the world where I should be left in peace if I want to be.

AH answer....bad enough you come to my door and annoy me...now your in my boards :mad: **** off

Door to door salesmen, how do you see us?

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