Telemarketing and Door To Door Salesmen

Today at work, a group of us were talking about telemarketers and door to door salesmen. The overall consensus is just how annoying they are. People just don't like things marketed to them in such an upfront manner.

Telemarketers are particularly annoying since they usually ring you at dinner time and try to sell things that you don't need. They are very persistent as well. So even when you say you don't want whatever they are selling, they still keep going. I know they are just doing a job, but it causes a lot of frustration and anger for the recipients as well. I remember one day when I was sick at home, I got 8, yes EIGHT, telemarketing calls in the space of one morning. It just got too much and I had to switch off the phone so I could get some rest.

We were all discussing our techniques for dealing with telemarketers. Some people were way too polite and actually kept listening. I used to be one of those people. I would hang on the line for ages and listen to their whole story before saying I didn't want it. Nowadays though, as soon as I sense its telemarketing, I just say "No thanks" and hang up without giving them a chance to say anything. That was most people's technique for dealing with telemarketers. But one work mate was a lot more blunt. He said "Why should I say thanks, they are ruining my dinner. So when telemarketers call, I just say, 'You better hang up now if you are offended by foul language'. If they don't hang up, I just say f**k you and ask them if they had recorded that, then hang up." That is so hilarious. Another time, he said that he just told the telemarketer to hang on the line for a second while he got something, in which time he went on with his work and left the line just hanging. Thirty minutes later when he came back, the line was dead.

The conversation then shifted to door to door salesmen, from peddling encyclopedias to religion. Everyone had their story about persistent salesmen that just wont go away. One work mate said some Jehovah's witnesses had come to his house. They told his wife she would get a free bible. So she said ok, just leave it and go since she didn't want to open the door for security reason. The Jehovah's witnesses wanted to personally hand the bible to her and tell her about themselves. After twenty mintues of arguing, they wouldn't just leave the bible so she shut the door on them.

Another story involving the same wife was when someone rang her house bell for ages. Thinking it was just another salesmen, she didn't open the door. When the ringing persisted, she had a look to find that it was the police. Even for the police, she wouldn't open the security door. When the cop tried to show her his badge, she said she couldn't see it properly through the door but still refused to open it. Finally, the cop got her statement through the security door.

All these types of in your face marketing is so annoying. I refused to open the door to salesmen anymore after being tricked one time. A salemen tricked me into thinking I was going to get free tagging of my electronic goods and records sent to police so that if they ever got stolen, the police would know it was mine. It turned into a two hour session with the guy, who was actually selling house and contents insurance and security alarms. The bloody guy had made me think he was from the police department but was in fact not related. The company was called Police Security or something. Hence, if any door to door people offer you something for free, be alert that they are probably trying to sell you something. So whenever you hear the words "How would you like to make phone calls for free" or "Want to reduce your gas bill by 50%" or "You have won $2000 worth of goods", slam the door or phone in their face and say "Piss Off". Or if you're more polite "Piss off, thanks".