posted
So, I'm sitting up here minding my own business, happily surfing Hatrack in an effort not to mow my lawn, and the doorbell rings. My sweetheart is not supposed to be here for another few hours, but friends occasionally do drop by, so I go down to answer it.
At the door is a clean-cut young man with a clipboard and the name of his company on his shirt, who asks to speak to the homeowner.
For those of you who have not met me, I will admit I look rather young. I'm always carded for alcohol, and over 4th of July weekend while chatting with some girls in line for the park restrooms they asked what school I went to... and they meant high school. (Note to dkw: that does not mean I was just acting immature. )
So, I was not insulted that he asked for the homeowner. But I was a bit disgruntled at the extremely taken-aback look I got when I identified myself as such. If you're a face-to-face salesperson, particularly one doing coldcalling, you should be able to control your facial expressions better then that.
He proceeds to say he's in the neighborhood doing a marketing survey, and I've surely noticed... well, have I lived in the neighborhood awhile? Yes, I have. Then I've probably noticed that there's been an increase in break-ins over the last few years...
He kinda paused, and I said no, actually, I hadn't noticed that, and I wasn't interested. He proceeded to protest that he wasn't selling anything at the moment (did I mention the name on his shirt was of a large local company that happens to sell security systems?) I repeated that I wasn't interested and he asked how I could know, since I didn't know what he was there for.
I said "I know I don't want to talk to you anymore, so why don't you say 'Thank you' and leave?" He now looked extremely taken-aback and said "Oh, I'll leave..." but in a kinda aggressive voice that if I was in a bar and was bigger than him I would take to imply "...but I'll be back with my friends."
I do not like people coming to my home to sell me stuff in the best of situations.
I like it even less when they pretend they are there for a reason other than to sell me something.
I downright dislike it when they start the conversation by trying to make me feel afraid (We're doing a survey... I'm sure you've noticed an increase in breakins in your neighborhood... just like every other neighborhood I go through trying to sell security systems.)
And I get absolutly irritated when I tell someone I'm not interested and they try to argue with me about it. Yeah, that's gonna change my mind. Up until that point I was pretty polite. In fact, I was still pleasant for the rest of the conversation. You're disturbing me in my home, I tell you I'm not interested, LEAVE. Period, end of discussion.
Finally, I do not know of any break-ins in my neighborhood since I moved in, about 6 years ago now. We had someone dump some tires in the alley a couple of months ago. And my crazy neighbor thought he heard something at 3:00 AM week before last. So while I have not checked the crime statistics for the whole area lately, I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a sudden upsurge in crime. I would have heard about it from the aforementioned crazy neighbor.
So! </rant> Thanks for listening. I think I'll go mow the lawn now. Gotta keep property values up, ya know! Otherwise we might have an increase in crime...
posted
Have fun with it, mack. It's a human-powered reel model that cost 50 bucks new. I keep it in my unlocked garage.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
That is a lovely sticker. Unfortunately, it reminds me a little too much of my ex-fiance, who earnestly explained to me why he would shoot at any intruder even if our children were directly behind them, because anything that would happen if he didn't kill the intruder was worse then him accidentally killing our kids.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I have issues with salesmen. Especially door-to-door salesmen. There is so much lying involved, even just little lies. Like "We just want to clean your carpet for free. We aren't trying to get you to buy anything. It will only take a few minutes." All lies.
Not all door-to-door salesmen lie, we have had enough that had decent proposals that we don't put a "no soliciting" sign on our door. But I still find dealing with most of them unpleasant. Some are downright scams, conmen.
posted
ElJay, this whole thing sounded really suspicious, especially the part about "I'll be back with my friends". My first thought is he's casing the neighborhood for future mischief.
I'd talk to my neighbors and see who else talked to this guy, get their impressions of their conversations, and maybe even advise your police department of your concerns. Identifying the individual may be difficult but at least the PD will be alerted to a potential problem and hopefully step up their awareness a bit?
posted
Oh wow that's scary. I have to admit, I do not open the door if I don't know who it is. Old rule from when I was younger.. along with the classic "my parents are home, they're just in the shower...but not together or anything..separate showers."
[ August 07, 2004, 12:25 PM: Message edited by: from Cythera ]
Posts: 117 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Weird thing, the last two door-to-door salesmen that came to my place stood, not on my front porch, but back aways. Like, they rung my doorbell, and then backed way off on the walkway.
I just thought it was an effort be ultra-polite, more "unassuming" in appearence by being further away from your doorstep, but I am really wondering now. Is this a new tactic to lower the incident of, I dunno, violent attack? Can they run away better or something?
Has anyone else observed this sort of behavior in door-to-door salesmen?
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
No, he didn't say "I'll bring my friends." She said it sounded like that's what he was implying, like a bad mob movie. (I added that last part myself. )
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
PSI, exactly, it was his tone I was objecting to. He didn't sound dangerous, just like he was blustering because I wasn't playing along with his script and he didn't like it, and didn't know how to respond.
Non-normal conversation is exactly how I feel about that sort of thing... if someone is trying to manipulate me, I feel no need to play along... if you follow the "rules" it's much harder to get rid of them. Plus I'm pretty blunt at the best of times...
I had the phone ring at a little after 8:00 AM on a Saturday a couple weekends ago, and it was someone trying to sell me duct cleaning, or an air conditioner, or something. I'm on the do-not-call list. She introduced herself and went into her spiel, and at her first breath I said "You're calling to sell me something at (bleeping) 8 AM on a Saturday morning? Never call this number again. I was still in bed, I couldn't believe it. When I checked my caller ID later it was the actual company calling, not an out-of-area or telemarketing firm.
Anyway, I believe he was really who he said he was... just not very effective at it. He was not threatening, just incompetant. Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Hmmm. I had a security guy come to our old house and use that spiel last summer. Told me there were break-ins, etc. When I very bluntly told him that we weren't interested, he walked off saying, "Fine. But when someone breaks into your house next week I won't feel sorry for you." 'Course, that was followed up by me calling him an a**hole and threatening to phone the police.
posted
When a salesman is talking to me, and I figure it out, I just say "I'm not interested" and close the door or hang up the phone. I don't say it in a rude or mean way, but I don't give them a chance to say "but..."
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
During my freshman year of college, I lived in an apartment with three other girls. Being a solely college complex, there were a lot of magazine salesman. This one man came to our place one night, very charming and casual, and sweet talked my roommate and me for about ten minutes at first. I thought he was one of our neighbors coming to say hello. He finally says he's selling magazines and asks us to "help him out" by buying something because he desperately needs the money. Before I came to the door I was preparing dinner, and when I realized this wasn't a social call, I politely said "I'm sorry, I have no money for magazines" and returned to cooking. Meanwhile, he asks if the other roommates would be interested, and when my stupid roommate replied that they weren't home he asked to come in and wait for them and she actually said yes. So this man was in our apartment for about 40 minutes before the other girls got back and said no to him as well. He gets very angry for us having wasted his time, and threatens not to go until we buy something. I was getting really scared because he actually started yelling. When he got off the couch very suddenly, I was ready to call up one of my male friends who lived in the next building over, but he just stormed out and yelled **** you as he slammed our door.
That's why I won't open up for strangers anymore.
[ August 08, 2004, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: from Cythera ]
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posted
One exception with my no door-to-door or by-phone salespeople: I'll buy stuff from neighborhood kids.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
CT, I agree with you completely on the want-old-and/or-high-quality goods thing. I shop at thrift stores and discounters, I splurge on high-threadcount sheets and fabulous old crystal, when I can find it.
And mph, I also buy from children... but if I really don't want what they're selling (for school, etc) sometiems I just give a donation, instead. Lemonade I buy, and pour it out once I'm around the corner if it's awful.
One time I had the fam over for dinner and someone came by selling chocolate bars. I didn't have any cash, so dkw loaned me a couple bucks. After they left she asked what the fund-raiser was for and I said "math books," which is what the kid told me. She said "Oooooh, I like math. I would have bought more if I'd known it was for math." Very cute.
posted
It's their spiels that bug me. Some reps just try to get me to nod agreement to each step in their reasonable spiel and then at the end make conclusions that aren't based on anything but hot air. Half the studies are worthless or mangled beyond recognition. I'm not very good at understanding what makes a good study a good study, either. My background studying studies was very poor, in residency. I hate getting backed in a corner and I don't have TIME for it, either, in the office.
Some reps I can trust a LOT more than others. Some I even enjoy talking to. But most times they start waving charts and my eyes cross and I feel trapped in their logic. But then, they actually come to my office and stare at me while I move from clinic room to clinic room and I have to talk to 2-4 sets of them a day, and be nice about it, to get the samples I need. Torture.
Oh, and after fighting so hard to make myself be nice, I have NO problem taking their pens and pads and other minor stuff. Or bagels, I'm a sucker for cheesy bagels. I've even gone to a couple drug rep dinners, but I always order the cheapest thing on the menu.
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