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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

WIBU to this door to door sales person?

75 replies

valkilly · 19/04/2012 23:48

DH thinks I was rude, I disagree - need the MN jury to reassure me I am right deliver a verdict.

I was pulling into the driveway, coming home from work when I noticed a young man with clipboard calling to the neighbours'. He saw me pull up in the driveway, take 2 DCs out of the car and hurry into the house as it was raining again.
Obviously not an ideal time to cold call to someone's house but undeterred, 2 seconds after I closed the front door, the doorbell rang.

I answered against my better judgement as I knew he knew I was home. I still had my coat on and was holding 8mo DD. This is how the conversation went:

Me: "Hello?"
Him: "Good evening Madame, how are you today?"
Me: "it's not really a good time to be honest."
Him: " Ok well this will only take 2 mins of your time."
Me: "I don't have 2 minutes, sorry."
Him: "Well can I just ask who your current Electricity provider is?"
Me: (clearly able to see his company's logo on his jacket) "Look, we were with your company and we switched so I am not interested"
Him: "Oh you switched away from us? Can I ask who to?"
Me: " I don't want to go into it. Bye now".

DH was home before me so he was inside and heard the full exchange. He said I was very abrupt and rude (he was slightly envious though as he always gets stuck at the door with these people). I think I wasn't overly rude and if I was a bit abrupt, it was the sales person's fault for calling to the door at that time!

So over to you - AIBU in thinking its ok to deal with cold callers in this way?

OP posts:
hairypotter · 19/04/2012 23:54

Not rude at all. You made it clear that it wasn't a good time and he carried on.

somedayma · 19/04/2012 23:54

yeh you were rude

BornToShopForcedToWork · 19/04/2012 23:54

Def not U. I hate them. Woke me up once at 9:30pm.

Belmo · 19/04/2012 23:56

YANBU at all - best and only way to deal with these fuckers people is to tell them to fuck of as kindly and politely as you can. Bloody bane of my mat leave.

KurriKurri · 19/04/2012 23:56

I don't think it's rude at all, - you started by being polite when you told him it wasn't a good time, but he persisted.

I am always pretty abrupt to cold callers because I once had a really horrible one, who pushed his way into my house and intimidated me when I was vulnerable.

You didn't ask him round, you are fully entitled to tell him to go away.

Empusa · 19/04/2012 23:58

YANBU, once you'd said you were sorry you didn't have time he should have given up. I hate pushy sales people, especially when they are uninvited!

PowderPuffAndCurlyWhiskers · 19/04/2012 23:58

I don't think it's okay if I'm honest. It must be soul destroying having doors slammed in your face and people speaking to you like this on a daily basis. They're just trying to do their job, and they do work on commission. I usually just tell them I'm in the middle of doing something and will look into online later, and off they go.

DH is always rude to them and leaflet people and I hate it. Takes no time at all to be polite.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 20/04/2012 00:00

You said no 3 times before you shut the door. Not like you called him a cunt or anything.

iloveACK · 20/04/2012 00:01

I don't think you were rude - you told him it wasn't a good time & yet he persisted. Not sure what else you could have done. You also did the right thing by not telling him your current supplier as energy companies are notoriously bad for switching you without your consent as all they need is your address & your current supplier.

LaurieFairyCake · 20/04/2012 00:03

I think saying 'I don't have the time' and then shutting the door is not rude. All you are doing is stating no and that's your valid choice.

Unfortunately you carried on talking to him and then you had to be more abrupt to get away.

WhereYouLeftIt · 20/04/2012 00:08

It must have been obvious to the salesperson that you were not lying when you said it was not a good time for you, yet he persisted. And he lied, it would have taken considerably longer than 2 minutes if he had been successful in getting your business.

And since when do you have to tell a complete stranger the answer to their question? If you had responded "None of your business who my energy provider is sonny, now bog off", THAT would have been rude! You were a model of politeness IMO.

5madthings · 20/04/2012 00:12

not rude, i always just say 'i am not interested sorry, goodbye' and shut the door, i dont even get into a conversation with them same with all the ones that phone up!

Monty27 · 20/04/2012 00:13

YANBU no! He/she was encroaching on your time when you clearly needed to get coats off etc. Fgs. Where is their training!

Original poster
valkilly · 20/04/2012 00:14

Hmm mixed opinions then. I do understand that it can't be a nice job and I previously worked in cold calling over the phone so I know how horrible it is when people are rude so I try not to be too rude. I think it was the fact that he persisted in calling at what was obviously a busy time, and then tried to continue with his sales pitch even though I said I didn't have time to talk. Surely he should have known to just leave it!

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 20/04/2012 00:16

I am pretty much the same as you, but there are times when they push and push and I point the VERY LARGE sign in the window that says "No Cold Callers" that they all ignore!

If we get window sales people (our front door does need replacing but the windows are newish) then I say we rent!

Original poster
valkilly · 20/04/2012 00:18

Oops cross posted with a few people there (typing on phone in bed is never the wisest when replying to MN threads!)

Thanks for making me feel a bit better. I was starting to get a guilty conscience Blush

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 20/04/2012 00:20

energy companies are notoriously bad for switching you without your consent as all they need is your address & your current supplier.

I can vouch for that, as can several people in our village who all got swapped without knowledge.

Fedupnagging · 20/04/2012 00:23

You had just just arrived home with 2 young dc's, how receptive did he think you were going to be? No, ywnbu IMO. I get really pissed off fed up,with cold callers but try to be nice but firm when telling them to go away as they are only trying to do their job.

ratspeaker · 20/04/2012 00:25

YANBU
I loathe door to door sales
especially energy companies

One tried to change us , without our consent a couple of years ago.
The guys had come to the door, it was an inconvenient time ( baking cake for MIL birthday )
I told them so
They were a bit sarky -"something in oven " snigger
Next thing we get sorry you are leaving from our current energy provider
took ages to sort out
we had to prove our meter was not the meter they claimed
national grid involved etc etc

so last week an guy comes to the door from the lot that came round door to door before
poor soul got me in full rant
he ended by saying, please, close the door I'm walking away and not doing anything
... please

LRDtheFeministDragon · 20/04/2012 00:28

I think you were fine. It sounds as if you gave him quite a lot of information, really.

Original poster
valkilly · 20/04/2012 00:29

Thanks iloveACK and Bogeyface, I didn't realise that.

Was going to make a mental note to tell DH too but last time he answered the door to one of these callers, he told them that he doesn't know who our current supplier is, as I'm "always switching" (er, once in the last 2 yrs actually but I can see how that would be confusing Hmm)

OP posts:
Empusa · 20/04/2012 00:29

Tbh you were far more polite than he deserved!

NarkedPuffin · 20/04/2012 00:31

You weren't rude at all.

Cold calling is incredibly rude.

fuckwittery · 20/04/2012 00:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sparkle12mar08 · 20/04/2012 07:27

He wouldn't have got line two in if it were me frankly! My conversations go like this:
Them: Hello, I'm from blah blah blah
Me: I'm sorry I don't do business at the door

Rule number one - don't engage. Don't shout or anything but simply do not engage.