Sales people calling to your door

Once you say no thanks, just close the door. Keeping it open is an invitation for them to keep going

This is true - but are Phonewatch salesmen and travelling scammers a positive thing for the community? If anything they are signs of our selfish, disconnected society.

It's not like 50 years ago where you might get a local person calling to sell farm produce, those days ae long gone. Now, one of the things that we are lacking is a community spirit to look out for people who will be preyed on by manipulators.

A lonely person is at home and the doorbell rings, they answer it, desperate for some human interaction. The caller is a friendly man who is "in the area" and has some "tarmac left over from working for the Council". They'll do them a great deal and will even drive them to the bank to withdraw cash, how lovely!

Well funny you should mention that. One morning at 11 am I am off night shift (12 hours 8pm-8am) after doing 60 hours that week and I was unshaved and fairly raggy looking. just getting my head down to sleep when someone rings my door bell at 11am. I was not best pleased but still had to check. Two nice young ladies well dressed were there at my door with me in my boxer shorts and dressing gown (NOT House Coat!!!!). I entertained the small talk much longer than I imagine most people would and then decided, nay insisted they come in. after much verbal resistance, they managed to get away and I never saw a current member of the Jehovahs witnesses again. Now my good friend Julian was brought up in the Jehovahs Witness community but that is a story for another.

Door to door sales is a past concept out of the US, from the 1940ies or 50ies. They expect that the husband is out at work, and wife at home, and they can sell something or anything to the wife.

Today most of them are even more scams. Also often the job is done by foreigners who can't get any other form of work.

Mostly it's about insurance, electricity and phone and internet contracts.

Sometimes it's Jehovah Whitnesses.

If the latter, I often involve them in a discussion and tell them how rediculous their religion is.

And there's no recording of what's been said on the doorstep.

Sales management probably figured that if husband is at work, and wife at home doing housework, there are better chances of closing a sale. That was 1950ies and 1960ies America, good jobs, good economy affordable housing, husband worked and supported the whole family, wife could afford to stay home… Vacuum cleaner sales was like that.

Now mostly couples both have jobs, so the door to door salesman is more likely to encounter both partners, not just one. So it's more difficult.

And then there is the issue for the door to door salesman, how realistic the sales target is? I would presume it's commission only sales, and also hugely competitive.

Realistically it's not a real career.