Covid-19 and Cold Calling

AlfaZen

Hi All,

I just had a knock on the door from one of the energy supply companies.

It was a young guy so I just said I'm not interested and closed the door.

After I had closed the door I got to thinking should Cold Calling be happening in the current Covid-19 climate? He was not wearing any PPE what so ever.

Should I contact the Company and question this practice?

L1011

Its not illegal/against current recomendations although it would be sensible for them to wear a mask

Energy firms that sell door-to-door usually don't really care about much - a standard response is to claim that the agent was not following training and this isn't what they usually do - even when that's not even vaguely true!

AlfaZen

L1011 wrote: »

Its not illegal/against current recomendations although it would be sensible for them to wear a mask

Energy firms that sell door-to-door usually don't really care about much - a standard response is to claim that the agent was not following training and this isn't what they usually do - even when that's not even vaguely true!

Thanks L1011.

The lad was very young, early 20s at the most. Just not a good reflection on the company to be doing this right now in my opinion.

Cabaal

Right now its idiotic for any company to be cold calling, has the massive potential of a PR disaster for them if one of the callers was infected

whiterebel

I had Vodafone and Bord Gais in the last 2 days.

Irish_peppa

Had a guy cold call to my house a week ago (ignoring no cold caller signs) selling life insurance at 9pm no mask or anything. For a minute I thought it was some form of Covid 19 skit Knocking at your door at night during a pandemic with no mask on selling life insurance then goes to hand me leaflets.... Mind boggles

Hangdogroad

I had this Pat Ingoldsby lookalike knock on my door trying to sell me pillows the other day.

silver2020

More covid police

Do any of the complainers ever read the actual regulations rater than take their cues from fakebook?

I saw some fucer in Newbridge yesterday berating a woman in her sixties for not wearing a mask in the open air carpark. A right bully boy in probably his 40's. I'm 6'2", well built and well able to stand my ground - he won't be bullying women again and went away with his tail between his legs after his forced apology

I'm sick to the teeth of the abject stupidity people are displaying

Jim_Hodge

silver2020 wrote: »

More covid police

Do any of the complainers ever read the actual regulations rater than take their cues from fakebook?

I saw some fucer in Newbridge yesterday berating a woman in her sixties for not wearing a mask in the open air carpark. A right bully boy in probably his 40's. I'm 6'2", well built and well able to stand my ground - he won't be bullying women again and went away with his tail between his legs after his forced apology

I'm sick to the teeth of the abject stupidity people are displaying

Not sure how that relates to somebody cold calling to homes where people may be cocooning or self isolating. Common sense would suggest calling door to door during a pandemic isn't the brightest move.

Dempo1

Interesting, I live quite rural and despite a smart esb meter installed a few months ago, they don't read them remotely yet, so for nearly 20 years I've had someone called every 4 months or so to read meter, I've had a few different ones but know them. So last week, he called, it never really dawned on me, told him to go ahead, I was gardening, it's only afterwards I realised, should that really have happened, no mask etc. Just seeing this thread got me thinking about it.

Patd6

Irish_peppa wrote: »

Had a guy cold call to my house a week ago (ignoring no cold caller signs) selling life insurance at 9pm no mask or anything. For a minute I thought it was some form of Covid 19 skit Knocking at your door at night during a pandemic with no mask on selling life insurance then goes to hand me leaflets.... Mind boggles

Pretty sure that central bank would not condone the sale of life insurance by cold calling to doors. Cowboys

Mrs OBumble

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

Not sure how that relates to somebody cold calling to homes where people may be cocooning or self isolating. Common sense would suggest calling door to door during a pandemic isn't the brightest move.

Cold calling isn't the brightest of sales strategies full stop.

But there are people who buy from it (or else the companies wouldn't do it).

And there are people desperate enough for work that they do it.

There's no recommendation to wear masks while outside. There is if you're going inside certain houses - but I'd expect that the people living in those houses would choose not to answer the door if they care about being "coccconed".

Bikerman2019

A friend works in a preschool and was verbally attacked by a gob****e when she put a leaflet through a letterbox.


Such a danger.......


Wonder how the postman does it.:rolleyes:

AMKC

I hate cold callers coming to my door a very rarely answer any of them anymore. Thankfully not had any for a while. Had a traveller about a month or two ago wanting to powerwash my roof. I told I was not interested and when he would not go away I just let rip said just fu,ck off and closed the door. That got rid of him I can tell you.

Bikerman2019

AMKC wrote: »

I hate cold callers coming to my door a very rarely answer any of them anymore. Thankfully not had any for a while. Had a traveller about a month or two ago wanting to powerwash my roof. I told I was not interested and when he would not go away I just let rip said just fu,ck off and closed the door. That got rid of him I can tell you.

Of course he intended to power wash the roof. Would take away all that moss and anything else unwanted

silver2020

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

Not sure how that relates to somebody cold calling to homes where people may be cocooning or self isolating. Common sense would suggest calling door to door during a pandemic isn't the brightest move.

100% agree, but this utter sh1te that the covid police use "he/she wasn't wearing ppe" just poisses me off.

Those people are as stupid as the cold callers.

You can't fart in this country now because some covid police eejit will find some way of suggesting an issue with it.

AlfaZen

silver2020 wrote: »

100% agree, but this utter sh1te that the covid police use "he/she wasn't wearing ppe" just poisses me off.

Those people are as stupid as the cold callers.

You can't fart in this country now because some covid police eejit will find some way of suggesting an issue with it.

Covid Police? - How about we look after each other and try look out for one another? How about we try and stop it spreading, How about we keep the more vulnerable safe.

Its about being sociable responsible. If a person is representing a Company and they are creating additional risk it needs to be called out. No different than you would call out a dangerous driver for example.

Captain Flaps

I think silver just wanted us to know what a big man he is.

Complaining about someone outdoors not wearing a mask is a bit silly. Complaining about someone calling to your door without one is a different matter altogether, you can't really compare the two.

SeeMoreBut

One of the few benefits of covid I thought was the lack of cold calling on doors

guitarhappy

I haven't answered the door to an uninvited stranger in years. I have a light chain across the front steps with a "By Appointment Only" sign hanging. I don't like strangers getting a look inside at who lives here, what hours we keep, and what we own worth stealing.

GT89

They are just someone trying to make a living no need to be abusive towards these people just tell them politely you are nkt interested in their product/service and they will go away. It's not a strategy I agree with it but don't target the people just doing a job it's not their fault I'm sure they would much rather be doing another job.

If you don't want them calling just put up a sign saying no cold callers and they won't call and maybe complain to whatever company they work for.

GT89

guitarhappy wrote: »

I haven't answered the door to an uninvited stranger in years. I have a light chain across the front steps with a "By Appointment Only" sign hanging. I don't like strangers getting a look inside at who lives here, what hours we keep, and what we own worth stealing.

Get electric gates if your that paranoid about people calling. They are people out trying to make a living. If you really don't like cold calling complain to the companies that do it and lobby politicians to get the practice banned.

theguzman

I almost miss the Jehovah Witnesses at this stage :pac::pac: I had a man cold called to powerwash my roof, sound fellow, my father knows him but told him I'll get him to do it eventually. Had another frozen food van trying to flog frozen food and fish, not my cup of tea since Lidl and Aldi arrived like 8-10 years ago. During lockdown and the big cleanout I found so many receipts and it was shocking to see how SuperValu were robbing people blind like 15-20 years ago compared to LIDL and Aldi today. The prices were high and the salary low, so the percentage of money spent on basic essentials was even higher as a result. These food guys still do alright in rural areas far from Lidls and Aldi's and amongst farmers and older types.