Sales Call Etiquette: Was I Wrong?

Anonymous-0 · Apr 2, 2010

These days, I'm working until 2:30 am, and then the half-hour to 45 minute drive home. On Wednesday about 11 am, I had just gotten up and dressed, when there was a knock at the door. I have a working doorbell, and the button is lighted so even Ray Charles could see it, so that pizzed me off to begin with.

So when I answered the door--being careful not to let any of the indoor cats escape--this chump starts trying to sell me Dish Network. Before he gets into his spiel, I told him to save his breath, I have a perfectly good antenna and perfectly good reception, and NO monthly bill. By thins point I'm on the porch with him, and I begin walking him to his car. I made it pretty clear I had no intention of buying his product,how I'd been throwing his company's mailings away as soon as I got them, and that he needed to leave pronto.

As he gets into his car, he asked me, "Don't you like TV?" To which I replied,"I like TV just fine; I just simply hate sales calls."

Now...since I didn't contact the company and tell them that I wanted a sales rep to call, was I rude or out of line?

Anonymous-0 · Apr 2, 2010

No, you did good. When you told him you were not interested, he should have immediately left.

thurlow · Apr 2, 2010

The older I get, the more crotchety I get and ........... I was pretty bad when I was young. I feel the same way towards all unsolicited pitches, whether over the phone, by e-mail or in person; I don't owe 'em ANYTHING. Don't get many door-to-doors anymore, but occasionally I'll say something like, "I've always figured I've got enough sense to know if I want or need something and I'll order it or go buy it; in 65 years, I've NEVER bought ANYTHING from someone coming to my door, but maybe you're the world's best salesman and can talk me into buying something I don't want or need. Let's hear your best line." They always turn and walk away. I realize they're just trying to make a living, but if they're univited, they're unwelcome. I might feel different about the Girl Scouts or something similar, but we don't get them out here. Something that REALLY irks me is someone setting in their car and blowing their horn and expecting me to come out and see what they want. I don't have a dog, so there's no reason for it. That happens occasionally.

BIG ED · Apr 2, 2010

The horn blowing will set me off faster than anything. A few years back a man pulled up and started blowing,I went out didn't have he was looking for,told him not to blow horn.He said he was scared of dog. I told him the dog was in a pen
While [couple months]later he came back,blew again,I walked out to his truck,and said we are going to work this like a ballgame.You've had 2 strikes already by blowing horn in my yard,next time you do that YOU ARE OUT!! Haven't seen him since and haven't missed him.
When someone goes to someones home they MUST abide by the rules there.

gene bender · Apr 2, 2010

He is just a person thats got a job trying to make a honest living. Put yourself in hus shoes.

Bob Bancroft · Apr 2, 2010

You're way nicer than me. I consider it an invasion, intrusion, or whatever other negative word you can find to describe someone wasting my time, trying to get my money. That's what it boils down to- a stranger trying to get your money. And I hate that with a passion.

blinwmi@aol.com · Apr 2, 2010

I understand and would likely handle that situation the same way but I am curious how you would respond if it was a kid selling something to support the local FFA or maybe his church youth group? I would hope that we all would have the ability and patience to treat these type of interuptions differently.

Kruse · Apr 2, 2010

The guy was an irritating salesman. The best thing to do is never get into his shoes.

PJH · Apr 2, 2010

Buzz - be glad he didn't show up at 9 AM.

As far as your response - I think you did too much talking. I've found that the more talking I do, the more it ticks me off. Then it makes me want to make use of the bad mood and stew about it for an hour or so, thereby puting everyone else I come in contact with in a bad mood also. It's contagious. Pretty soon we're all a bunch of sourpusses, sitting around commiserating about the audacity of the situation, whatever we percieve it to be.

My standard response is, "Not interested, watch the big dog", and shut the door. But I'm a sucker for kids. I'd buy the Brooklin bridge from a kid.

By the way - I don't have a biting dog.

Paul

RodinNS · Apr 2, 2010

You walked him to the car?? I'd have told him to scram and closed the door...

Rod

kyhayman · Apr 2, 2010

I dont buy from door to door salesmen or telemarketers. As to being rude, when he asked me 'dont you like tv?' I would have gotten beyond rude, all the way to 'red'.

BCnT · Apr 2, 2010

my own grandmother useta do that horn blowin crap...one particular hungover saturday mornin she was blowin the horn outside my bedroom window...got up...went outside...popped hood on her car...and ripped horn wiring out...slammed hood and went back to bed.
so you can imagine how i am with salesmen.

Pat-CT · Apr 2, 2010

At first glance yuo were right and i get those door salesmen quite frequently at home. i jsut kindly say that im not interested and say have a good day and close the door. I agree that you gotta put yourself in his shoes and realise that hes just trying to make a living like the rest of us

CJ3b_jeep · Apr 2, 2010

They have to drive up an 800' driveway and make a right into the wood to find me. I usually tell them that this is private property and they are not welcome.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 2, 2010

Be glad it wasn't a Jehovas(sp) witness. I have nothing against anyones religion but I don't appreciate them coming to the door and trying to push theirs on me. I had the same guy come early in the morning about 3 weekends in a row after I told him the first time I wasn't interested. I've also had people try to get me to subscribe to the newspaper and switch my energy over. These idiots come on Holidays and times when they know you're probably home and doing something. Maybe it's just to annoy you more? Coming at supper time on boxing day or 9 pm on a holiday before you go back to work. Dave

Gun guru · Apr 2, 2010

You can always answer the door with a 12gage pump shotgun (not pointed at him)............and scare the pi$$ out of Him.

That dishnetwork clown is real lucky he didnt come to my house.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 2, 2010

Kids and worthy causes are different than folks selling a commercially-available, widely-advertised product.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 2, 2010

I do NOT deal with the Jehovah's Witnesses anymore. When I was a kid, we lived down the block from their "Kingdom Hall," and when someone shot their windows with a BB gun,I was falsely accused. [Turned out it was the guy across the street at the Shell station who was shooting at birds.]

So I have informed the last ones who stopped here that anything inside the boundaries of my property is OFF LIMITS to them, and that I will prosecute them for trespassing if they ever set foot on my property.

730 virgil · Apr 2, 2010

a friend of mine had a Jehvovah"s Witnees or baptist show up at his door his girl friend went to the door and said "Hello i"m Butch"s mistress and a Catholic what can i do for you".
that guy left so fast his heels were smoking.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 2, 2010

One morning last year, this trashy looking guy knocked on my door early one morning. He was selling meat out of a pickup truck. I told him several times, that I was not interested, but he said he was going to sit in my driveway until I decided to buy some meat.. After he sat a few minutes. I told him that the police were on the way to get him off the property.. He squealed his tires getting away.. It is a shame that it it is illegal to point a gun at such scum..

John M · Apr 2, 2010

Must have been the same one who came to my house. A real white trash looking guy who could easily be someone on the molester list? He literally stuck his foot in my door, and I told him to move it, and he refused. Said I had to buy some meat from him, and he wasnt leaving until I did, so I introduced him to my neighbor, whos a county deputy.

RN · Apr 2, 2010

Answer the door carrying M1 carbine worked for me and old girlfriend. Sister tends to have Ruger pistol on belt for morning chores- traps by chicken house for varmits might need a dispatch shot- couple people have driven up lane, she went to the car and they took off quick. I tend to carry large bowie knife when gardening- seem to make some callers nervous and leave quick. RN

Burnie · Apr 2, 2010

We had a cable dude come round one day and asked us 'do you like sport?' we said no (got nothing against people who do, just not our cup of tea). Anyway he replies, 'Gee, the weekends must get boring around here'. Told him sorry we had a policy of not dealing with idiots.

I don't think you were out of line. Anyway some of these guys bring it on themselves by being pushy.

IH574 · Apr 4, 2010

The ones that really torque me are the ones that come up to the house "Do you want to sell that (tractor, rake, snowmobile etc.)?" and when you tell them no they start the "Well why not, it's just sitting there in the weeds.".

I had a guy one day stop and say "Do you want to sell that tractor in the shed? It isn't worth much with the starter and water pump missing." Ok dummy, #1 I don't give a rip what you think it's worth, i didn't ask you to give me an appraisal; #2 You can't see the missing parts from the road so what the hell do you think you were doing INSIDE my shed that has a POSTED sign tacked up right next to the door!!!!!

No one respects private property anymore. :evil:

Sales Call Etiquette: Was I Wrong?

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