For me, today, what ever happened to salespeople and the like coming to your door, and if you don't answer, taking it to mean you don't want what they are selling and moving on? Yeah, we are obviously home, but we aren't answering because we don't actually need anything. I can assure you holding down the doorbell while pounding on the door is not going to make me think, yes! such a nice guy, I should buy his junk!
I feel like there is this common rudeness taking over. I seem to see it most in sales, like on the phone where you say no thank you and they just keep on trying. It is like if you annoy the person enough they will give up and do what you want. That is toddler behavior! There is a reason so many questions here are how to break my child of this behavior. So why as adults do people think this rudeness is appropriate if you are selling something?
Heck you see it here. My husband won't help clean the house, how can I get him to help? He has a low dillymajigger, I have a supplement that will help, or a drink, or Tupperware!
This started out in my mind as a just for fun where you would have looked back at the old days and how you wish.....sorry my mind wandered.
Can you tell some idiot was pounding on my door this morning while I was still in my PJs?
JB, try to convert them to Catholicism, they never come back.
2kid, we have not a stitch of carpeting in our house and they still try to sell us vacuums. How can anyone look at hard floors and with a straight face say you need a 2,000 dollar Rainbow?
Canuck! you are so right, how rude of me! I should have let breakfast burn, ran to my bedroom to get dressed, and welcomed someone with the nerve to show up early Saturday morning into my home. I have no idea what I was thinking.
My sister in law has a sign on her door that says "Unless you are selling Thin Mints, go away!"
Love it.
Last time I had someone holding down my doorbell, my neighbors house was on fire.
Post a NO SOLICITING sign...
Sorry!! Don't have a better answer for you.
Sorry, I'm with Canuck and Swim Sally. I answer the door, Pjs and morning breath and all. I give a polite, but firm, "Thank you, but no thank you. I don't do door-to-door sales as I don't appreciate solicitations at my home. Good luck. Goodbye."
Never had anyone argue or be pissy after that
I can't imagine being home and not answering the door. That seems rude to me. In the old days we answered the door if someone knocked on it. If it someone was selling something we didn't want then we said "No thank you."
ETA: I did not mean any offence. I honestly just cannot imagine not answering the door. I answer the door in my pj's or robe all the time. It would not occur to me I had to get dressed to open the door. I have also gone to the door while cooking. If it is a salesperson I say "Sorry, can't talk. I'm cooking. Bye." If it is someone I know I would just invite them in and excuse myself to the kitchen. I have a very busy household with friends, neighbours and family dropping by all the time. I guess things are just done differently here.
Actually, I'm with Canuck. But neither of us live in the US, and I think it might be common not to answer the door there - a cultural thing if you will. I have no problem answering the door in my pjs. I'm pretty sure my husband would do it naked if I let him.
Hmm...yes, they seem to live in another reality. Yesterday I received a call from someone representing a group I *might* have donated to, but the fellow did himself in. When I told him I needed to talk to my husband before I made a donation (we actually talk about these things) he still asked, "so, can I get a confirmation for your pledge for Xdollars?"
If someone came to my door early on a Saturday, I might be polite and answer the door. And then I would have been impolite for giving them an earful for being so *rude* as to trouble me before reasonable receiving hours.
and yes, the inclusion of the "oh, I have something to help you with that" just reminds me of the patent medicine hucksters.("Step right up! It will grow hair on a billiard ball! It will give you the strength of a Brahma bull!") I think if a person on this site really has a health problem, they need to be seen by their own doctor, naturopath or other trained and studied practitioner before taking any sort of supplement. To do otherwise is rather ill-advised.I've had people offer me various interesting medical and natural substances in my life-- and I was smart enough not to just be reassured by anecdotal advice, so I didn't take them!
That would have really made me angry. Pounding? I would have answered the door, and given that jack hole a piece of my mind AND I would call the police.
Our town requires door to door salesmen to get a permit. That's my first question, "You have a permit? If not, I'm calling the police." "If you do, I'm not interested."
Now, if it's kids selling something for school, I'm completely different.
They are trained to do this---never take the first 'no' or even the second or third. Many work on commission only and if they take no they make no money that day.
Salespeople are also trained to keep knocking when they see a 'no solicitors' sign. In their training they are told these signs mean this customer can't say no if they hear your pitch. If they persist they will get a sale.
If it's a stranger you could always yell through the door that your hubby tied you up with rope and he's rather too busy to answer the door so would they please go away, they're really starting to undermine your happy place....
Where we use to live was door to door salesman mecca.
You name it and they've tried to sell it.
The most unusual item was mystery meat from some guys trunk.
Another time a tractor trail came down the street trying to sell furniture - sofas and chairs off the truck.
Sometimes the doorbell would be ringing every 15 minutes.
In the spring they'd bring in a few bus loads of college students who'd sell stuff door to door to earn money for some trip somewhere.
If it wasn't actual selling it was estimates.
Do I want an estimate for lawn care, replacement windows/roof, insurance, etc.
And then we'd get Jehovah's witnesses
(Have you heard the good news? - Yes - yes I have - Now go away.)
and door to door local politicians who want to shake hands.
My neighbor use to hand them a rake and tell them talk if you want to but you've got to help me while I'm doling my yard work.
No solicitation signs didn't work - we would have had to print them in about 5 different languages.
One neighbor with a big dog put up a sign
"Salesmen welcome - Dog food is expensive".
We moved away in 2007 and now live way out in the country in the middle of a soybean field.
It's bliss!
I barely know what my doorbell sounds like anymore!
I won't answer the door either, but I can respect Canuck's opinion.
In my neighborhood, signs are posted for no handbills/no solicitation and that stops no one... BUT.... the Police Dept requires anyone selling door to door or handbills to have a permit to do so or they can be ticketed.
I usually ask whoever is at my door if they have a permit and tell them that the police comes through often to check. If they are really rude, I call the non emergency line and report solicitors in the neighborhood.
NO, I do not want to buy magazines and have someone steal my identity and never get a magazine!! As for the Jehovah's Witness's they don't stop by that often but I don't discuss anything with them.
I have a "No Soliciting" tile by my front door. I made it myself with a single tile and a paint pen.
If I do not know the person knocking I ignore it.
Unless it looks like a person in need.
it's so rare that anyone does that, maybe cuz we're in the sticks and they assume that guns and big dogs abound!
i'd be pretty pissed if anyone were that aggressive about it, and i would not be loath to let 'em know it.
ETA while i don't answer the phone if it looks like a solicitor, i always answer the door, and often in my PJs. it might be different if we lived somewhere more urban, but if someone's knocking out here it's far more likely that there's a good reason for it. but if there's not, and they're rude? open season!
khairete
S.
I agree about the levels of rudeness...it's like people don't even know how to communicate anymore.
On another note, I'm shocked that companies still have salespeople go door-to-door - it's so (potentially) unsafe for everyone!
The last solicitation at my door was for lawn service. He asked me what I usually did about weeds. I'm in Wisconsin, it was late April, and winter had just made one last ditch effort. I waved my hand at the ground and said, "I cover it with snow." Then I told him the truth - I like dandelions and the only thing I bother to remove are thistles.
I do answer the door 99% of the time. I'd have answered the door in my pajamas just long enough to say I was busy cooking breakfast and was not interested.
@kid2mama - You just described a typical Kirby sales-script. Dyson does not sell door-to-door. :-)
As much as I loathe door to door sales people, I can at least understand the practice. What I don't understand are the door to door religious people. Has any ever decided to join a religion because someone came to your door in the middle of the day? I have to ladies who make the rounds a few times a year. They seem to always come when I'm working from home on a conference call, ringing and ringing and ringing the bell. The dog barks and I have to put the phone on mute and answer the door. Every time they come here I say "we're Catholic and Jewish, we've got enough religion, please don't come back" and close the door. They were just here this week!
My experience is that if I do NOT open the door and firmly say "No Thanks!" then they will pencil in a little code on the door frame.
For instance:
N/H - not home
N/A - no answer
H/A - home, no answer
so they track your responses....and yes I have "No Solicitor" sign.
So I have learned to be assertive and firm. But I also have a barking dog. And from the horrid news reports, I'm starting to think that the UPS guy is in a stolen uniform and probably has an axe behind him....I digress.
I have been known to shout "NO" through the closed door too.
ha! My husband let the Dyson vacuum salesman in. It was a young man and woman and they gave him their pitch. We both said, no thanks, we are not interested in buying a vacuum AND we are not interested in spending that much. Definitely not. The guy practically begged my husband to give a quick demonstration and my husband said yes. I went about doing my own thing...I was cooking and getting ready for some friends to come over for dinner, so I ignored the whole thing. His partner went out to their van which was sitting in our driveway and never came back in. He spend something like 30 minutes with my husband. We both told him 10 times, we are totally not interested. Nothing would make us interested. He just kept begging to finish bc he needed the practice. My husband felt sorry for him and just listed to the whole thing. Then at the end he gets on his phone to call his boss. Well, what WOULD you pay for one of these? My husband said, um, ZERO. Then he proceeded to argue with his "boss" talking him down in front of us...it was so obvious he was just calling his sales partner outside. He kept calling his boss "boss". I mean, who does that? It was so cheesy. Does he think the people he is trying to sell to are idiots? We just stood there staring at him making a fool out of himself and then showed him the door and said goodbye. My husband is such a sucker - never let these people in!
Oh yes, I completely understand. I do answer the door and say "no thank you" and then close the door. I don't wait for an answer or anything.
The Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons can be annoying.
When I tried to disconnect our dish a few years ago, the guy argued with me for 20 minutes. I finally just hung up. We've only had dish or cable for 3 out of the last 13 years. It isn't our thing, and he couldn't believe I just didn't want service.
Every summer I get these European girls at my door selling kids books. I hate it!
Lol this reminds me of the time a dude knocked on my door while I was having a contraction. I was breathing heavy and in obvious pain...worked like a charm ;)
I had a guy come about an alarm system. My contract was just about up with the company I'm with and I wanted some additional sensors so I invited him in. First, he told me they would not put in additional sensors and that the cost of monitoring was going to be $5 more than I was currently paying. I told him I was not interested in changing since he couldn't offer me additional sensors and I saw no reason to pay more for the same service I current had. He kept on and on. I told him THREE TIMES that we were done and he should leave. I finally told him I was going to get the dog and if he were still in my living room when I got back, he would be very sorry. He was up and gone in seconds!
I also note that the parents don't obey even basic traffic laws when they drop off and pick up from school. I always wonder how these parents go about telling their kids to mind the rules, when they themselves don't!
Try the dog thing - it works wonders.
I don't blame you. I won't answer the door for a salesman or someone who I know is proselitizing. If the guy you are talking about had continued pounding on the door, I might have let him have it in my pj's.
We have a "no soliciting" sign on our door. They ring the bell anyway. Or try to be sneaky & just leave a flyer.
When I am home, I will open the door, point to the sign and say that they need to learn to follow directions. Often they have rung the bell and started walking down our drive before I can open the door, I make them come back up the drive to get whatever flyer they left.
If I am not home & arrive to see flyers, I call the company and explain why I will never use their services, because if they cannot be bothered to hire salespeople who can read and follow directions, I could not have faith in their ability to provide a reputable product or service.
T. =-)
They're trained to keep knocking for a while. There are times I do go to the door because I was expecting someone else, or my kids are outside. So when I do answer the door to them I know that they're supposed to try to convince me why I'm wrong that I'm not interested. I end up telling them, "Look, to save us both some time, I really will not be buying anything because I'm broke. We were both out of work for quite some time and are catching up on bills and our mortgage. I don't think you'd want any checks to bounce."
That usually takes care of it.
I don't open the door. I have a way to peek out and see if it's a friend or stranger. I hate phone ringing all day from solicitors. In both cases I feel bad for the sales people that they are trying to make a living in such an unpleasant way. The movie Glengarry Glen Ross always comes to mind and my heart sort of breaks. I wish those industries would disappear. I don't think anyone likes to be pitched sales at home. Think of how many times those people are cussed out, hung up on, and doors slammed in their face. They keep trying because their boss is breathing down their neck, they're coached "The sale starts at 'no'." and they need commissions to live.
A "no trespassing" sign is really the way to go. They are not legally allowed on your property. I highly recommend it!
I hear ya! There was this one sales guy trying to sell some kind of cleaning product and wanted to do some kind of demo (I think it was for cars). My hubby told him sorry, not interested and the guy stormed off all mad and cursing to himself. I'm like, geez, you would think he would be happy he told him no right away so he didn't have to waste more time on his pitch and demo! After that we put a no soliciting sign with a long list of no ............ Sometimes people still knock and sometimes they'll walk up to the door and turn right around. I think I need to get that sign excempting thin mint sales, I always have to track those ones down in front of Walgreens, lol.
