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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that cold callers should go away when told it's inconvienient?

38 replies

popperdoodles · 10/12/2008 14:32

Just had some man knock at the door trying to get me to change gas and electric supplier. I politely told him is was inconvienient to talk right now as I had a poorly child I must get back to (slight white lie) Anyway did he clear off? NO he continued to go on at me about how I was probably paying more than I needed to etc etc and despite several polite attempts to get rid of him I ended up having to say "no thanks" rather loudly and shut the door on him. Really annoys me. No wonder these poor old ladies sign up to things just to get them to leave!

OP posts:
theSuburbanDryad · 10/12/2008 14:35

I do think that if being polite and saying, "Now's not convenient," doesn't work then being rude and shutting the door in their face is totally justified.

mayorquimby · 10/12/2008 14:35

just say no thanks once and close the door

scrooged · 10/12/2008 14:36

The best way is to say "Ohh, I've just changed to you". They always smile and leave.

cheeseandsproutssarnie · 10/12/2008 14:36

we say we dont own house bye.failing that-bugger orf.

FabioTheLiterateCat · 10/12/2008 14:37

Look over his shoulder and shout 'OH SHIT! LOOK AT THAT! OH MY CHRIST!' and as he turns to look give him a whack on the head with his own clipbaord as you slam the door.

Seeline · 10/12/2008 14:38

I just say no thankyou and calmly shut the door on tehm - whether it's convenient or not. I do not like being attacked on my own doorstep about soemthing I have no interest in. If I want to change suppliers or whatever, I like to collect all the facts together - on paper - and consider them at my leisure. They can never give you anything in writing can they?

McDreamy · 10/12/2008 14:39

I always say "I'm sorry but isn't a decision I would make on my doorstep thankyou" shut the door.

theSuburbanDryad · 10/12/2008 14:39

FABIO!!!!! OMFG!

Where the fuck have you been??

No-one mentioned you were back on my "I've been off MN for 3 weeks update me now" thread. Hmph.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 10/12/2008 14:42

You have to have a baffling answer at the ready, then in the slight pause as they process the information, smile and shut the door, eg-

'Can I interest you in changing energy suppliers madam?'

'No thank you, I knit my own'.

alicet · 10/12/2008 14:42

This is my pet hate. I usually tell them that there is no way whatever they tell me I am signing up to anything without having a chance to research it myself and if they can leave me some information I will have a look and get back in touch if I am interested. They never have any information and spout crap like 'we're not allowed to leave information' so I just tell them I am not interested then.

My pet hate is cold callers as I see it as an intrusion of my privacy. I do see they are only doing their job and therefore try to be polite but agree completely that if they don't get it when you are polite being rude is totally acceptable.

One of the best responses I heard was in repsonse to being asked 'so when is a good time to call back madam?' This person said 'How about you give me your address and I will come round when you have had a long day at work and are trying to feed your children and we can discuss it on your doorstep then?'

Original poster
popperdoodles · 10/12/2008 14:45

Glad shutting the door on him is an acceptable thing to do. i can sympathise that he is under pressure to sign people up but I refuse to be bullied into making a decision on the door step and to not leave when requested to is just rude on his part. grrrrr.

OP posts:
FabioTheLiterateCat · 10/12/2008 14:47

I skip in and out Dryad.
Not much time - am in training for m'polar expedition with sickly benfogle and Crackers and th'otherbloke.

OP - set your cat on them.
THey will oblige for a small fee.
Which reminds me, there's osome settling up to be done round here....

Indiechick · 10/12/2008 14:48

I had one earlier this year when I was breastfeeding dd, didn't answer his knock so he came up to the window and waved to get my attention. I waved my boob back at him and said, I'm a little busy. Funny but he never came back!

Dragonfly74 · 10/12/2008 14:53

I loathe cold callers, Last week I had both dc's poorly and got them to bed for 7.00pm after much coughing from both off them they fell asleep by 7.30 only to then be woken by a cold caller knocking loudly at the door

Original poster
popperdoodles · 10/12/2008 14:59

If it had been evening and he had woken up a dc..... well I would have been very rude from the start. We shall have the joys of people knocking on the door singing carols soon. Now proper singing and collecting for a worthy cause, fine. Teens with a rather feeble rendition of merry christmas collecting for themselves...err no, they can bog right off

OP posts:
ManIFeelLikeAWoman · 10/12/2008 15:01

I say - and I quote - "I am not in the slightest bit interested." Then I close the door. If it's by phone, I ask them never to call again.

I do the same to charity collectors in the street (as in professional kerrazy wavy-hand RADA drop out "can I stop you for five seconds?" type rather than the ones with the tin actually collecting for something they believe in.)

I don't see why I should flatter them or massage their egos by lying, and besides they have developed come-backs to most of the standard lies by now.

Jux · 10/12/2008 16:45

I tell all cold callers that the house is about to be demolished.

oldraver · 10/12/2008 22:44

I hate the cold callers from Southern Electricity who always inform me they have done a survey and have found my name has come up as being on the wrong tarrif

I say MY name but they usually quote my late (as of 8 years) hubby's name who never was on any bills and when asked try to fob me off as to where they got the name from. I know its from old electoral rolls but they will never admit this and this makes me even crosser. I did once throw a complete wobbly, snatch the clipboard off him and start scribbling out our names ripping the list in the process (have to say I wasnt proud of myself but was so incensed at time. Funnily enough they no longer call

TheSmallClanger · 10/12/2008 22:52

We don't get them much round here, as it's a bit out of the way, but DH has a knack of dealing with them. He looks them straight in the eye, and says "I'm sorry mate, but I don't smoke". In the brief confused pause in their sales patter, he then closes the door.
DH is very good at dealing with people who pester him.

Kitteh · 10/12/2008 23:08

You do realise that if they aren't persistant they get it severly in the neck by their boss? i used to work at a gas and electric company.. and we used to get so utterly wrong if we let a customer go.. so really it isnt the cold callers being rude or not listening to you.. its them having families like you and not wanting to lose their jobs.. its the companies who want to earn the money who are to blame for forcing them to be pushy.. x

ManIFeelLikeAWoman · 11/12/2008 00:09

Completely agree with Kitteh. I feel for these people. I, too, have a boss who sometimes asks me to do things I don't want to do. They are just doing their job.

Sadly for them, it is not MY job, or even my hobby, to listen to them.

Kitteh · 11/12/2008 00:15

Totally agree.. i dont like listening to them either.. and i never answer my door to canvassers.. cos i know how i felt when people used to be mean to me.. i would come home and cry.. lol.. once got told i was going to be shot in the head.. that was lovely.. the people who last in outbound sales are tough.. i sadly wasnt.. lol.. So you probs wont be offending them.. if they call.. tell them your tps.. and then they have to apologise and leave you to it..

blinks · 11/12/2008 00:19

feel left out as no-one has ever cold called me apart from mad gypsy woman.

beakysmum · 11/12/2008 00:19

tps?

Kitteh · 11/12/2008 00:28

its the telephone preference service.. it means no one can legally cold call you after they know you are tps.. so for example if you got a call from british gas.. you told them you were tps.. then you kept getting calls from them.. you could seriously complain.. if you want it.. ring up your phone provider.. i just lie and say i have it cos they dont check.. they just take you off their lists..