Has anyone else had problems with door-to-door cleaner salesmen?
As a small (very small) business owner, I’ve been the target for just about every door-to-door, phone, mail and internet sales pitch imaginable.
My current gripe is the door-to-door sellers of the miracle cleaner that claims to clean anything and everything far better than anyone could have possibly imagined. Oh, and I should also mention that, allegedly, all of the surrounding businesses had purchased this product from this salesperson and have been absolutely thrilled with the results (yea, right).
First off, these people have prompted the prominent display of the NO SOLICITING sign on my door, which they all, consequently, ignore. Secondly, these people are inexcusably rude. I have been belittled for my cleaning ability (sure, now I’m going to buy something from you??), insulted, harassed, and several other descriptive words that slip my mind at this moment. Yesterdays visitors really “took the cake”. Not only did they insult the cleanliness of my store, but pushed and harassed me in front of the customer that I was attempting to ring up a sale for. There were other customers in the store as well, and as I noted before, this is a very small store.
This individual just would not give up. He actually gave me literature to peruse further, and then demanded it back! I told him in no uncertain terms, repeatedly, that I was not interested, and he finally, rudely, departed. My customers were fairly shocked at his behavior, and all told me that I handled the situation very well, and that they would have simply kicked him out.
My concern is this: I have no problem telling these people no, even though some of them are quite intimidating, especially when I’m here by myself. How many people are these bullies pushing into buying their products? Can anyone tell me what business these people are affiliated with, how they get this product and who they answer to? I imagine there has to be some business involved because they have a flyer.
I’m considering calling the Better Business Bureau, but I imagine I would need a business to complain about…
Has this happened to any of you? How did you handle it?
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I use to have those pesky door to door sales people visit my home quite often when I lived on Tiffany, but I sold that house and now live in an area that forbids all door to door sales persons other that girl and boy scouts. When in my old neighborhood, and answering the door, I’d tell the sales people that I DO NOT buy anything from door to door sales persons. If they persisted, I closed the door in their face. I had no problem and no guilt being rude.
Once in a great while, very infrequently, one of them (always a young male) would attempt to stop me from closing my door. I’d let him know that if he continued to try and stop me from closing the door I’d be calling the police on him; he’d then leave – and not come back.
It’s very important not to smile, and NOT be friendly to this people; even though they are just trying to make a living. If I wanted them invading my home and my time then, I’d hang a sign on my home saying “Solicitors welcome – my money is your money.”
Hi Alice,
I feel your pain. We get them ALL the time on the numbered streets. Mostly in the summer though. This past summer I was sitting on my porch watching my daughter and her buddy ride bikes and as the man was approaching I cut him off before he could even speak and told him I wasn’t interested and he continued on anyway and when I again told him I wasn’t interested he yelled and me and thanked me for wasting HIS time. I was furious and I wondered if he would have done the same thing to my husband.
I have no idea who these people are…but on that particular day I had seen this guy dropped off at the corner by one of the local shuttle services…I want to say it was Eagle Rock Transport or something like that. It was a big white ford econoline van and it was full of people probably selling the same crap.
thank you very nice
At least some of these people are in cults, like the Moonies. (I don’t know if the Moonies come around any more, but they used to all the time.)
They hit town, put up in a motel, and stick around for about a week or so and move on. There are several outfits that all use this tactic, and at least one commercial company who does it too.
They are very well versed in a variety of tactics, like making you mad- that’s intentionally done, as some folks will just buy their product to get them to leave. Their leaders put a lot of pressure on them daily to sell a huge amount of product, and the sales all go to the group leader.
Wendyjo got it right. Don’t be friendly or sympathetic in any way with them. I used to say ‘Not Interested.” and never changed my statement. That usually got them to leave.
DO NOT let them start spraying and ‘cleaning’! If they do, tell them OUT! NOW! Once they squirt something, they think they have you. They count on small businesses having polite people to sell their stuff.
Oh, Alice, since you are a business owner, just tell them that you won’t do business with anyone but your contracted distributors. Then give them one of your cards and tell them they are welcome to send you something by mail; when it arrives, file it in the trash. When the calls come in – hang up.
This is door to door 101…Never take the first “I’M Not Interested” No salesperson worth their salt every only takes one NO..we are trained to make you say no between 5-10 times..and yes to the potential client it might make you mad or even angry. No the salesperson should’nt be rude or disrespectful but they are human and have bad days too. And second a sign “NO SOLICITING” at your home or in your shop is an open invitation to salepeople. It means PLEASE STOP I HAVE NO WILL POWER AND WILL BUY ALMOST ANYTHING. Remember this is America Home of the the brave and the free.Believe it or not door to door marketing is one of the best ways to get the job done. No lines No waiting and a captive audience.
Who’s going to be stupid enough to stand there and say no 5-10 times? I say “no thanks not interested” once and shut the door. I don’t even give “you guys” a chance to respond. This is how it should be done and it’s worked for me for 20+ years. And I completely disagree with Wendyjo’s comment #5, “give them your business card”. Are you serious??? That’s just asking them to call you. If you’re really not interested, why bother giving them a business card? That’s no soliciting rule # 1. Good luck to JD and his cronies. I actually enjoy slamming the door in your guys faces. It truly gives me great pleasure. If you’re going to be rude enough to bother my family and I while we’re at home relaxing after a hard day at work, we’re going to throw it right back in your face by saying no thanks, SLAM! Works everytime. And that concludes todays lesson class. Practice it every chance you get and it will become second nature. Hopefully we can get it through these peoples heads that there are better and much easier ways to make a living.
Dear Desperate….Have you ever heard the saying “Two wrong do not make a right” Actually your the rude one in this circumstance. Slamming the door (that makes you feel so good) is just as bad as the rude behavior from the salesperson. In this country we all have the right to free enterprise. That means it is OK to knock on doors (even yours). Yes, it is a choice, but flipping burger or raking leaves only promote blisters on your hand and doesnt expand the mind. There are many summer college students who choose this as a way of making next semesters tuition.I have knocked on enough doors in my time as an outside salesperson to know the reason you slam the door is because your afraid you might actually buy something if you spent 5 minutes listening to the person at the door.I believe in Karma and the power of positive thinking and mrs desperate what comes around goes around, you must have been mistreated somewhere along the line.By the way if door to door marketing didnt work people would not still be doing it. Peddlers of goods have been inexistence forever..and i dont see that changing anytime soon.
I have not had a single salesman come to my door since I taped a “no soliciting” sign to my door last year. So much for the “open invitation” idea.
If one does come to my door with that sign displayed I plan to knock him or her out across my lawn. Stupid punks.
I agree with Desperate. My home is my sanctuary and if you’re going to come around peddling crap I don’t want or need then you’ll get a few doors slammed in your face. And believe me, I’ve slammed doors in many a salesmans face. Everyone from the church folk peddling religion to vacuum cleaner salesmen. Makes no difference to me what you’re selling because at the end of the day you’re not offering me anything I can’t go out and purchase in a store on my own time. I don’t need you “PUSHING” your product on me or my family while we’re at home. And I think you’ll find most people agree with me on this. As a matter of fact we have a similar post on this very topic. Karma and your two wrongs dont make a right schpeil doesn’t even apply here. You’re invading MY privacy. You’re interuppting MY dinner and MY family time. Perhaps you should check your own karma first because I’m quite sure I won’t be growing any lobster claws for hands due to any bad karma on my part.
Now hit the pavement and keep on walkin, nothing to see here.
Oh dear! At what point do either or both parties start using their tasers?
I’ve never needed to be rude. Sometimes I don’t answer the door, or if I have, the salesperson was polite and did take “No” either before or after his/her pitch. I’ve never had anyone that didn’t respond well to some consideration and humor in turning down their product (not them.)
hey, FHIL, you took the words right out of my mouth: does it really have to be so nasty?
“knock[ing] them out across my lawn”?? um, Guest of Comment #9, I truly hope you were just trying to be funny. . . or ironic. . . or something. . . .sounds dangerously like those who (mistakenly) believe “if they come on my property, I can do whatever I like to them” and wind up facing criminal charges or civil penalties . . . .
I wouldn’t mind using a taser on some of these pushy salespeople.
I bought a magazine subscription from a couple of high school kids last spring. They were raising money for their senior trip and I thought it was a worthy cause. Other than that I don’t get many door to door salespeople. I find the religious folk are the pushy ones. But in the past I have run across a few of these people that just wouldn’t take no for an answer. You tell them “no thank you, not interested” and they don’t want to hear it. They’ll keep going on with their pitch. Even JD admitted, they don’t take no for an answer. Kindness doesn’t always work in this situation, so I can completely understand people getting frustrated and slamming doors. I’ve had to resort to slamming a door or two myself over the years. But like Humor noted, often times I just won’t answer the door and that solves the problem without confrontation.
billyboy, let me ask you this..If someone knocked on your door tonite at dinner time and you were comfortably resting after your hard day at work and offered to fill your gas tank for lets say $1.00 a gallon cheepier then your local service station would you say no because you could get it tommorow from your local station? My only meeaning is a little open mindedness is not a bad thing.But you would probably say no before you even knew what the person was there for.Your loss huh? I do believe the find humor in life guy is right..meet me at the door with your shotgun. better yet vote the Mcain/Palin ticket it may become legal to do so..lol
JD, you and I both know that nobody is going to come to your door attempting to sell gasoline to you for a dollar cheaper than what you’re paying. People know that most items offered “door to door” aren’t worth buying which is why you guys get a bad rap. The other reason you all get a bad rap is from what you pointed out in comment # 6. Nobody likes an aggressive salesperson coming to their home during dinner and not accepting “no” for an answer. I understand you’re just doing your job, but perhaps a little more courtesy on your part may go a bit further for you and help you sell more. Ya think?
CR67….i no longer work going door to door, but when i did very rarley was i hostile or pushy or rude to the prospective client. no one actually plans on bothering you during dinner. As far as the idea of home delivered gas it is actually being tried. so you never really know what they are selling untill you close your mouth and open your ears for just a second and listen. I dont think that would actually hurt do you? I read where AT&T now has executive sales positions open door to door because of the NO CALL List limmiting their telephone sales. Google that and see for yourself.
Funny how you want everyone to listen to you, but you’re not listening to everyone elses comments. The fact is most people don’t like being bothered by salespeople while their at home, whether it be a telemarketer or a door to door solicitor. That’s just the facts and we don’t need google to show us that. And no matter how hard you try you aren’t going to convince people otherwise.
So good luck to you and have a great day.
(slam)
I go home to enjoy the peace and quiet after having a busy day. I in turn go shopping when I want to buy something that I need or want. I know for sure I don’t need anyone coming to my sanctuary and telling me in a high pressure way that I need something that they are trying to sell. If I needed it I would have allready gone to one of the local businesses that I support and purchased it. It is my feeling that if a door to door sales person doesn’t think it rude to interupt my precious time at home with my family they won’t think it rude when I slam the door in their face and quietly hope there fingers were in the door jam.
Boy am i glad i dont live next to .most of you pesimist..i see the glass as half full. Most of you must see it half empty(like your hearts) OMG..my santuary, my castle..what a crock of poo…..You all must be wage slaves…who work for someone else..that is of course the first post. Of course if i felt like y’all i’d hate myself too..Please stay where you are…I live in Florida..not quite as hatefull…I’ll pray for you…
I am glad you live in Florida JD and I hope you stay there. Esspecially if you can’t respect someones home and time. Thanks for the prayer.
I actually own a door to door sales crew..i think i’ll send them to torment your community….ha ha
I pretty much feel the same way the others feel regarding door to door salesmen. It’s bothersome and a nuisance. To tell you the truth, we don’t particularly like our friends stopping by without them calling first, so why would we want a pushy salesman dropping by to sell me something I don’t want and more than likely don’t need anyway?
I did a search online and couldn’t find any business that will come to your home and sell you gasoline so I’m not sure where you came up with that one. There are plenty of natural gas deliveries for your home heating supply, but not automotive fuel for residential delivery.
Sorry JD but it appears that the odds are stacked against you on this particular argument.
It would be interesting to know what the numbers are in regards to D2D sales. ie: how many people out of a hundred say no thanks as opposed to how many say yes please. I’m willing to bet even JD would tell us that the majority say no. What do you say JD, care to share your personal statistics with the class?
I’m going to guess 75% say no.
This line of work has to be tough these days. It probably takes a strong person to be able to handle a job like this and deal with rejection all day long especially these days with the state our economy is in. Interesting topic.
Hello Guest…`I would wager to say the % of NO is more like 90%…From my own personal experience I can say that on a daily basis i can find 10 people to buy something. Doesnt matter what it is so long as the price can be made to work for the customer. I sold meat boxxes for 7 years off the back of a pick-up the cost was $179.00 i would average 10 cases per day..some days 8 some 12 cases. I also sold cleaner 20 years ago @ $25 a quart, $60 a gallon..i averaged 10 Quarts a day..I sold knock off perfume scents same average 10 sales a day. usually it would take as many as 100 stops to get these 10. not that easy..no one said it was easy money..But i will say this selling meat from the bed of my pick-up earned me $80,000 to $110,000 a year.so it didnt matter if you had to talk to 100 people a day..i had a good days wages for my effort. i can honestly say i have come home with no sales only one time in 20 years. Try and see if Burger King would pay you like that. I didnt like the way a shovel or broom fit my hand..the kithcen is to hot and pays poorly(unless you own it) So in conclusion D2D sales worked for me i do think it is a great way for young people to gain good experiance. Especially if they have no college degree. Look up who makes the money in this country. Sales is #1 Doctors and lawer are # 2 So hate me if you like but i’m the one laughing….ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK..
The company I’m working for is actually kicking up some dust by encouraging our dealer base to get out there and sell door to door…you’d be surprised at how effective it really is. We’ve had success with it from the security side with a few of the guys that actually got out there making $100,000+ over the summer months from commissions from the security company – that’s a commission on the sale, not the install!
I’m too much of a wuss to get into something like door to door sales, but if you have the spirit and personality for it, you can definitely excel.
You can definitely make good money in the sales field, but it’s very erratic. You’ll be making well over 6 figures for a year or two and than drop down to 30k a year for 5 years. The sales field flucuates with the economy. If you’re a good bullshitter you can make a decent living at it, but you’ll be hard pressed to find many door to door salespeople making 6 figures a year. I’ve been in sales most of my life and I can tell you D2D salespeople are on the lowest rung of the ladder. Which is why you usually find high school and college kids doing that kind of work. It’s grunt work for crappy pay and a ton of legwork. If you get into a niche market like JD did selling meat, it’s possible to make good money. But like anything else, it’s not going to provide you with a steady 6 figure salary year in and year out.
And don’t be so condesending JD. Usually those people that like to brag about making 6 figures a year to complete strangers rarely are.
I was trying to figure out why you’re comparing working at Burger King to D2D sales and then you answered my question, no education.
As for solicitors: I honestly can’t remember the last time we had any come by our house. It must be at least a couple of years. A simple no thanks has always worked for us though.
I’ll tell you who probably has a 98% approval rating selling door to door. Girl Scouts during cookie season!
Hello Apocolypto….I was starting to think idaho had no sales people..I’m the one who is being bullied here…lol..Actually I have been a produce broker now for almost 10 years..so no more doors to knock on in neighborhoods..People, are i think a little nicer to young D2D salespeople. I’m not to old to do it but would rather not..lol..though it was good to me..In the meat industry i did maintain a good steady income. And as far as door are conserned..cold calling is the same as D2D..in my opinion. The biggest thing is the seller needs to believe in what he is selling if he doesnt..he more then likely wont be very productive. When working for commission that wont pay the bill..if ya know what i mean. I love what i do know so i cant complain.I just think there are way to many people who think negatively about the proffesion. It’s the hardest easy job out there..will power and determination and a desire to be successfull. You dont have to be a rocket scientist to do the job. I was in management for awhile before i burnt out on D2D I have hired and trained many a salesperson and the odds are about the same as sales..1 in 40-50 will actually make it. but if you dont try you will never know.All the negative comments about SLAMMING THE DOOR in hopes of discouraging these people is just not right. We live in the best nation in the world but we treat our people crappy. Your home is your castle yes, build a moat and a fortress fence so you can isolate yourself and maybe nobody will bother you.(this is meant for all the negative post not you)
Don’t sweat it JD. I don’t think anyone here meant any ill-will to you personally. For the most part the folks in our neck of the woods are much more friendly than other parts of the country. But it is something I’ve noticed over the years regarding D2D in this area. People really are antsy about that subject and I suppose they just like their privacy.
And like you said, sales isn’t for everyone but those people that are good at it will never go hungry. There will always be sales positions available whether it be selling cars or selling computers and the mark up on most retail items is so high, John Q Public doesn’t realize how much he’s over paying for just about everything in the retail world. (which of course is good for our commission)
I imagine this is why so many people love Wal-Mart. Low everyday prices so they feel like their getting a bargin.
You made a good point and I think it’s true for everyone no matter what line of work you’re in. As long as you “love what you do” and enjoy going to work each day, that makes all the difference in the world. And that truly is really all that matters.
Take care
JD…..I am glad that you have such an good attitude of door to door salespeople. My grandfather made his living doing it back in the 50’s. I can only assume by your comments though that you haven’t had a bad experience with them. I used to share your attitude when I let a guy in my house a few years ago selling a vacuum. I felt like I could give a few minutes of my time to help keep someone employed in these tough times. He got a bit weird and we told him we weren’t interested and he left. Months later I spotted him on a list of violent sexual predators on the Idaho database. Like so many others have said…if I want something I will go looking for it.
After rude sales people and religious people, some actually placing their foot in the door so I couldn’t close it, my “friendliness” toward these people ran out years ago.
Being a business owner, I really do understand the need to make your own way, but at what cost? I’d be very interested to know, and I’m sure I never will, how many of the claimed “high percentage of sales” were due to bullying and high pressure.
I would bet the percentage of people who, if they were honest, would say they wouldn’t have purchased if they hadn’t been made uncomfortable, would be quite high.
Not much different to me than bullies demanding lunch money.
Can I have some of your lunch money?
For sure, there are salesmen and then there are salesmen. I’ll listen to one briefly, and I’m not unpolite at first. But I can get that way when my polite “Thanks, I’m not interested.” doesn’t end things.
JD’s comments are certainly true. I have purchased some excellent fruit from D2D folks. It’s very easy to tell the difference between a sales person who believes in their product and those who are on the hustle.
The lastest door-to-door salesman who came to my door was very good. He was about 10, and is a neighborhood kid.
His pitch was: “My Mom is trying to put a little extra money together for Christmas, and made some tamales to sell. They’re very good tamales… my Mom is the best cook ever. Would you like some?”
They were 2 for $5.00, very fresh, still warm from the oven, very large, and veeery tasty. And I got the last two.
I hope to see them both again around Christmastime!
Boomer, does your neighborhood salesman take orders. They sound delicious. He sounds polite, sincere and exactly the opposite of the ones I have run into in the past. Hmmm, must be is age and motive.
A couple things…
JD – if you were making SO MUCH money selling meat like that, why did you quit? You never do mention why. I’ve run into sales people throughout the last 20 years that always talk about how much more money they made in X city, but they NEVER say WHY they left. The grass is always greener on the other side, I guess.
As for the D2D sales people…I worked in Pocatello and had TONS come by. Found out they were all vanned up from Salt Lake City. Those D2D people LOVE to talk and it wasn’t hard finding that out from several of them over the course of a few years. They sold different things from odds n ends to cleaning supplies to cook books. They were all kids that had dollar signs planted in their eyes by unethical managers that promised them instant riches.
And the magazine sales people – BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT before you buy from them. Make sure they are LOCAL. I ran into a group of kids that had been brought into the state from down south to sell subscriptions. I stayed above them in a motel. They would pack these kids into a double room 4 or MORE at a time. When one of the kids – under 18 – decided that he wanted to go home the manager KICKED HIM OUT of his room and wouldn’t give him his pay. The motel manager put the kid in an empty room – this was in the early spring when it was still really cold at night – and the next day the Salvation Army bought the kid a bus ticket home. It wasn’t but a day or two later the magazine crew packed up and left. They made the news not long after because someone had found some filled out order forms in their garbage can but the money was gone. OH! And in the mornings they would get the kids up about 7am and get them out in the parking lot to SCREAM out how many sales they’d made the day before and how many sales they were going to make that day. The low man on the totem pole was ostracized for not performing “up to standard”.
Basically, if they hem and haw about where they are from or can’t / won’t give you a local phone number, don’t do business with them.
Those magazine pushers are the ones we usually see in my neighborhood. They hit town in those big vans packed full of homeless looking teenagers, sell as many fake subscriptions as they can and then skip town before the cops catch up to them.
Ok, I have to admit, we’re suckers for the tiny D2D tamale salesmen….
And no Marcus, you can’t have my lunch money LOL.
D2D tamales?? That’s a new one. I think I’d have to break out the wallet for those folks.
I had one of those girls come to my house selling magazines last week. She was all friendly at first and asked me to get her a glass of water so I did. She supposedly was selling magazines to earn points for a senior trip or something like that. I told her that I really didn’t want any magazines but if there was another way I could donate I would. In the back of my mind I remembered someone telling me that some magazine sales are scams. She kept pressuring me but I never led her to believe I would buy any magazines. After a few minutes I said with a friendly chuckle that I really didn’t want to buy any magazines. She immediately told me that the body language of laughing while I was talking meant I was lying and she abruptly walked away cursing at me. I was dumbfounded. I am ashamed to say that I called her the B word as she walked away. Then she started walking up to my next door neighbor’s house to try her luck there. I told her that I hoped they did answer the door because I was going to tell them what she had said to me. So she left that house to proceed down my street. I told her I thought maybe it was a good time for me to go walk my dog and follow her down the street while warning my friends and neighbors about her. She said that if I did she would call the cops. I told her to please do so because it’s a free country and I can walk down my street if I want. She ended up leaving the neighborhood. At that point I was thinking that even though I don’t get many D2D solicitors I should get a No Soliciting sign. Ironically less than an hour later two little girls and an adult came by to collect for Primary Children’s Hospital. They were respectful and friendly and I happily gave them a donation.
Their not all a scam. The guys that came to my house showed me their id’s and showed me the information they had from their school. (which was local and why I supported them.) They even gave me the phone numbers to the teacher in charge and encouraged me to contact her to make sure they were legit. I also received an invoice/reciept for my order. They told me the magazine I ordered would arrive within 4-6 weeks. After about 5 weeks it arrived and it’s been arriving on time every month after that.
Some of them may be scams, but not all of them are.
Yeah, this person never told me what school they went to or gave their teacher’s name or showed ID or anything like that. But they did want to write down my name and address before they even told me what they were selling. That was weird. I had to trust my instinct which told me not to buy any magazines. It seems like somebody in the past, maybe even on this site, has talked about buying magazines that were overpriced, misrepresented, had long subscription terms or they had a hard time cancelling. I’m glad your experience was better CR67. Frankly I would have been happy to help a student earn a trip but it didn’t feel right this time. However I do think that the friendliness of the Primary Children’s people who came by later reminded me that I can’t judge all D2D salespeople by one bad experience.
I hang up on telemareters.
I never buy from door to door.
I keep pepper spray by the front door.
And your children are NOT allowed to play in my flower bed.
I don’t care if you think I’m rude.
Sorry….I didn’t mean to let my dog do his business in your flower bed. just think of it as natural fertilizer.
You should punch the sales people in the gut or the jewels of the family. Take my advice and follow my instructions.
you know since i moved house i really havent had any problem with door to door salespeople, selling cleaning items.
…though i do find it worse some certain religious cults coming around trying to convert me.
i dont like the hard sell of the mormon missionaries.
Between them and the Jehovahs Witness, watch out!
Every day when I get home from school there they are in their black suits with their little backpacks on. As soon as you make eye contact they think thats their cue to come talk to you. I learned my lesson once and now act like I don’t see them just so I wont get harrassed.
LOL
I’ve got nothing against the missionaries, and will talk to them when they approach me, but I usually end up speaking to them about my views and initiating a Q&A session. I’d go into detail, but this is not the place for religion.
I answered the door one day to a young man selling magazines. He claimed he went to the local high school and was trying to save up for a trip for the Broadcast Club. I work for this school district and asked him to tell me his student number. All students know them. He didn’t know. I told him to wait while I called his school. I called the school to ask about the Broadcast Club. It didn’t exist. By the time I returned to the porch, the kid didn’t exist either. I called the police.
To the person who asked me if i made so much money selling meat why did i quit….First I really did make the money i claim, but i never said it was easy money..lol.. you do have to work hard to achieve that level of sales. I always looked at it like going fishing..and if i didnt catch anything my family would go hungry tonite, so whether it took me 2 hours or 10, i worked till i was done. In sales most people have both highs and lows..or get what most call burn’t out..this happend to me after 7-8 years of this business. Plus i never mentioned these meat products are not the best quality, They are just packaged very pretty to the eye..in addition to the math…most of these cases contain a variety fo different cuts of poor grade meat products pumped full of a water solution/ tenderizer including hamburger,or very thin pork chops..average case weight was 18-23 pounds for aprox $150.00- 180.00 per case…so $9-11 dollars per pond…you can do much better at the butchershop..In otherword i got tired of screwing people and being happy about just for the money..unlike most of your career car salespeople or politicians…lol
Wow, you just backed my whole “no salesmen” argument in one comment.
Thanks!
I’ve been selling door to door for the past 12 years and I can understand people being upset about a stranger knocking on their door.
I don’t sell to the people who are upset at me when they answer the door, I smile really big when someone answers the door and if I can’t get them to smile back or be nice in the first few seconds. I just say sorry to bother you and leave. Believe it or not their are plenty of people who are okay with you knocking on their door.
It is the hardest and easiest job. I work less than 15 hrs a week on average. I don’t and never have sold a bad product I only work with the best companies. Such as directv, dish network, att, adt, etc.
I don’t make alot of money, but I do make alot per hour of work. I make between 40,000 to 50,000 a year. I could make more if I wanted to work longer hours.
Yeah, this job sucks if I think about it in the wrong light. However; when I start to look at all the jobs the other jobs that pay about the same. I realize that those people doing those jobs are working much harder and probably putting up with a boss that is putting everything they do under a microscope.
How many leaders and successful business people started off selling door to door? The list will surprise you.
I don’t work for a boss in the traditional sense of having a boss. All I do is call in my sales and pick up a paycheck thats it. I don’t have any surpervision and I love it that way.
Every year for at least the last 10 we have had the big econo-line van drop off two colored men in our nicer middle class SLC neighborhood. They each work doors on opposite sides of the street with cleaning spray in hand, cleaning rags trailing from rear pockets. I used to listen to their pitch and, early on, bought the bottle of concentrated cleaning spray for $30 or $40. In tthe past I’ve invited them to sit on my front porch furniture and offered them a drink. But, today it was cold and rainy and my newly rescued indoor dogs were barking like crazy.
It took me a few years to use all the cleaner, initially. Then, I found something I liked just as well from the dollar store. I was always nice to the salesmen, but without a sale they have taken my time and not returned my kindness.
The last two years I’ve wanted to know if what they are doing is legal, and if I have any recourse to their rudeness.
Tonight, for example, this same outfit returned. My two dogs barked wildly when at 5:15pm the doorbell rang. I left the kitchen to see through the small front door window a man with a spray bottle and cleaning rags. I shook my head no, and waved him away saying, “No thanks, don’t want any.”
He said, “It’s because I’m black isn’t it?” I hollored through the door, “It’s not your color, I just don’t want any.” He called me a racist as I was opening the door so that he could hear me. I moved my dogs back with my foot and through the screen door explained again that it had nothing to do with color, that I had bought the product before and didn’t want any. I told him that our city had an ordinance against D2D solicitors and asked if he had a license. Filled with pep he anwered, “I have a license, I have a license.” After I asked to see it, he asked if I would hear him out if he showed it to me. I told him that I bought the product before and I didn’t want to buy anymore. With that I closed the door, saying I wasn’t interested. He then started spouting stuff off about Mormons and religious people; and I was left thinking, “Where did that come from?”
Where are my rights as a homeowner and resident to say, “No thank you” and peacefully close the door without being rudely harassed? Aren’t they supposed to show you their ID and license?
I felt bothered by his tactics, so I called the City. City offices were closed. So, I called the police. Dispatch asked if I wanted a unit to check him out, I said that I just wanted to talk to someone to see what my rights are. A desk officer phoned me back, heard me out, and suggested I have dispatch send a unit to check him out, which I did.
I went out (in the rain) to walk my dogs in the opposite direction of the police officer looking over the permits of the salesmen and the van driver (who stopped to pick them up.) I talked to a few neighbors who were out, then the officer stopped to say that they checked out without problem. That theirs is a hard job and they don’t make much money. The way I see it, if they didn’t make money they wouldn’t be doing it. My DH thought I shouldn’t have made a fuss, but I didn’t like how rude the man was. My hubby thought that they might target their vengence on us.
I felt upset and bewildered. So I googled to see if anyone else had concerns and found this thread. I was bothered by his accusations of racism and religion. From the way he talked he was the racist using his color as a weapon against me and vocalizing hostility toward religion. There was no call for it. He had no business being on my property calling me names when I refused to listen to his sales pitch. At what point should a person file charges? Has anyone had similar run-ins with this particular group? Is there any reason to fear their revenge?
These guys hit HUNDREDS of houses a day. I don’t think you have much to worry about.
You can get a jerk in any profession. It is extremely hard to keep a good attitude doing door to door, but that guy was out of line and using his race as a “sales tactic”, he just wanted you to feel guilty so you would buy his product. I’m not sure about his product, but it doesn’t sound that great. Maybe his company should get a better product.
This is coming from a 12 years door to door sales veteran. I have found that if I’m rude to people it just hurts me. When someone is rude to me I just leave asap and apologize and leave and save a quick prayer for that person and move on.
I’m with you g-j, I think the stuff they are selling is the same stuff that they have at the dollar store.
I wrote the original post, so I won’t go into detail again. I will say, though, that since I wrote that post, my no soliciting sign is still ignored.
I figure that if I cut to the chase and tell all sales people that I am not interested, nicely, before they have a chance to start their speech I am saving my time and theirs.
Evidently they see anything but “yes, please tell me more and let me shower you with money” as rude.
I worked in the sales group for a while. Some (mag crews) are there to take your money while others (cleaning crews) are not.I ran into people like most of you on here everyday with your negative hatefull attitudes and you know what? i laugh. people like you are what is wrong with the world today. Always complaining always negative ALWAYS WHINING !! I just wish i knew where you all were at cause i would bring my crew there and we would run your neighborhood into the ground. Only small town people like yourselves say things like the post on here. so keep crying and being sad cause your lives are full of empty promises and you have nothing to look forward to but dying.
thank you. nice sharing
spamtastic
Alright, this is where I have to step in.
You see, I work nights. There’s nothing more inconvenient than getting off of a ten plus hour shift and finally managing to wind down, knowing that I have to be back on the grind in twelve hours, and just as soon as I finally hit that blissful sleep?
*dingdingdingdingding*
Believe me when I say that when you interrupt my sleep, you can rest assured you’re going to feel the sting. Now I’m generally a peaceful guy, but if you interrupt my sleep I’m going to strike out hard.
Likewise when people interrupt my family and I during a lovely dinner and conversation, or a great game of Scrabble…let’s face it.
I mean I understand this is the way that people make their bread and butter, and I respect that, but at the same time, if I tell you to beat feet, then you’d better start running. I mean I can understand the official type things (i.e. the United States Census) but if you think that you’re going to sucker me outside to demonstrate your little four dollar bottle of water with food coloring?
Think again.
True story: I was in my kitchen, making dinner. A damn good chicken parmesan casserole, I might add with grilled veggies and a nice tomato al fresco sauce. While I’m cutting the veggies, I hear the familiar tone. *dingdingding* Two guys clad in street clothes wearing lanyards from a group called “Providence Security” are there waiting for me.
“Sir, can you come outside?”
Me, naturally, I’m assuming the worst because the last time I got called outside my niece had taken a nasty spill that ended up with her in stitches. At this point, they try spraying some of the “cleaner” on my driveway. Now I know this is bad and I immediately start to walk away. I had my father and mother over for dinner that night, and my father had followed because he knows I’m about two seconds from clocking this idiot in the head. “We’ve been fleeced before…”
Needless to say, slammed doors and cursing ensued, followed by my brother and said niece offering to go beat the stuffing out of them.
I’m totally with you. These people are not doing their thing in public, this is my home. I have every right to not have people shoving their garbage in my face in my own home and yard.
Seems like there should be a sign you could erect that would make it known to salesman that they are not welcome, maybe like the ‘do not call’ list.
Oh… wait, the do not call list doesn’t work, and they can still call as well.
So much for my privacy.
Oh, and btw, don’t bother with a ‘no soliciting’ sign, evidently they aren’t taught what that means.
Yeah. What you guys said. There need to be boundaries at your own home and if I wanted something I would go buy it. Nova Striker, that chicken parmesan casserole sounds killer. Wanna share the recipe?