In the last six weeks, I have been targeted by extremely rude and aggressive solar power salesmen. They really want to put solar panels on my house.
First was at Home Depot. I had hired a helper with a truck and we has a large order to put together. I was buying siding and supplies for my project (almost done). We were very busy and time was a factor. This guy really bugged me and wouldn't take no for answer. He didn't seem to care that he was interfering with my business. When I walked out of the store he was screaming at me.
My doorbell rang a couple weeks later. I couldn't see who was out there (I was alone) and I opened the door. The sales pitch started immediately. "I'm not here to try to sell you something" and thirty seconds later he's trying to sell me solar power. As soon as he said "solar" I slammed the door in his face (he did lie to me just 30 seconds earlier) and he screamed at me through the door for about 30 seconds.
What gives? Is this what they teach salesman now? Do people actually buckle and sign up because some young prick screamed at them? I'm missing something here.
First was at Home Depot. I had hired a helper with a truck and we has a large order to put together. I was buying siding and supplies for my project (almost done). We were very busy and time was a factor. This guy really bugged me and wouldn't take no for answer. He didn't seem to care that he was interfering with my business. When I walked out of the store he was screaming at me.
My doorbell rang a couple weeks later. I couldn't see who was out there (I was alone) and I opened the door. The sales pitch started immediately. "I'm not here to try to sell you something" and thirty seconds later he's trying to sell me solar power. As soon as he said "solar" I slammed the door in his face (he did lie to me just 30 seconds earlier) and he screamed at me through the door for about 30 seconds.
What gives? Is this what they teach salesman now? Do people actually buckle and sign up because some young prick screamed at them? I'm missing something here.
Lots of predatory "sales" practices going on, but the actual victim here is often that sales person. They probably paid for training, materials etc and operate on 100% commission. They lost money. And they were actually the target of the sales campaign. Just like MLM scams. So they are now just venting their frustrations. It is not a legitimate sales model.
I always avoid the email receipt option with Home depot. Recently they allowed the point of sale terminals direct access to the internet by accident or laziness. Really there was some external card service or something. Something got hacked and data was spilled.
In my line of work I would be expected to offer my resignation with that sort of sloppiness. Also maybe buy my team doughnuts on my way out.
In my line of work I would be expected to offer my resignation with that sort of sloppiness. Also maybe buy my team doughnuts on my way out.
This isn't new. A few years ago, the local internet/cable provider was aggressively promoting "fibre" as the greatest thing since sliced bread. The young lads were really pushy, and were obviously working under contract, so really wanted everyone to switch providers. The last one to come buy was almost psychotic. 😱
jeff
At a store easy. Lie like they do. Whatever they are selling, I have it. Cable, yes already have yours, solar, have it, instant hot water, got it, AC, just replaced it, phone carrier X, yes I'm with you already. Works pretty well. Even your panel guy at your house, they are on the back of the house... Latest one was battery backup. I asked about capacity as I was actually somewhat interested. Crazy money for like 1KWH of capacity. I told them I have a generator capable of 3KW sustained, so the battery was too small.
It’s the solar panel sales a** holes that drove me to install a Ring doorbell. Now when they ring the doorbell, I tell them I’m not interested from my family room.
The wife and I have had 4 salemen come to the house to bid replacing a tub with a shower. Three had the high pressure sales with better prices if you make the decision that day. Finally had a good company come and give me reasonable bid that didn't start unbelievably high and come down $7k in 15 minutes. Actually had one call me back and said the manager had a chance to look at the bid and wanted to offer me a lower price. I told them that since they didn't offer me their best price at first, I didn't even want to hear what their price was and hung up.
I was looking for a new french drain/sump pump. We had maybe 4 companies come over for quotes.
One salesman gave such a shady vibe, I was positive he must have a microphone in the briefcase he left behind while he went outside to his truck, just to listen in on my wife and me.
But the worst was one salesman, and I'm not kidding here, said our INFANT SON COULD DIE if we didn't hire him right away.
One salesman gave such a shady vibe, I was positive he must have a microphone in the briefcase he left behind while he went outside to his truck, just to listen in on my wife and me.
But the worst was one salesman, and I'm not kidding here, said our INFANT SON COULD DIE if we didn't hire him right away.
My favourite was a woman who showed up at my house, bible under one arm, when I lived in the Seattle area. "I'm sure you have faith ..." I interrupted her right there. "No. As a matter of fact I don't and I'm just fine with that. So thank you for coming and have a nice day." I then closed the door. She wandered off.
More recently someone showed up when I was at Thanksgiving dinner at some friends' place. We had just gotten everybody sat down for dinner when the doorbell rang. Everybody let out a collective moan. I went to take care of it. "Sorry. Now is not a good time." Then I closed the door. I have no idea what she was selling or wanting donations for. My friends were quite impressed by my salesperson disposal skills. 🙂
I find that the key is to say hard no up front. I don't enjoy being rude. But I also don't enjoy being steamrolled by some aggressive salesperson.
Tom
More recently someone showed up when I was at Thanksgiving dinner at some friends' place. We had just gotten everybody sat down for dinner when the doorbell rang. Everybody let out a collective moan. I went to take care of it. "Sorry. Now is not a good time." Then I closed the door. I have no idea what she was selling or wanting donations for. My friends were quite impressed by my salesperson disposal skills. 🙂
I find that the key is to say hard no up front. I don't enjoy being rude. But I also don't enjoy being steamrolled by some aggressive salesperson.
Tom
Well I never thought about the salesman being a victim. I have always been so irritated by unsolicited sales pitches that I always thought they were grifters and people of generally low moral character. Now I have a little sympathy for them, although to be honest I'd rather sleep under the bridge than stoop so low as to pester people at the store or worse on their doorstep.
I tried to hire a contractor to do this job and man oh man was I turned off. They send a sales rep over and they don't listen to a word you say and they talk to you like you're an imbecile. They're condescending liars at best. And the prices they quote are ridiculous.
So I planned it myself, located the materials and hired local people to deliver them, and was hands on as much as possible. I actually explained to the workers how to install fiber cement plank siding, and it's almost done and my neighbor ( an actual house inspector he just moved next door to me) says it looks excellent! (I'm visually impaired and had an operation a year ago that kind of limits me physically.) And I saved about $20,000. I haven't even spent $3500 on the project and it's almost done. That includes about $500 on tools of the trade which I will give to the workers as a tip, since now they're very enthusiastic about installing fiber cement siding.
Every time I do stuff like this I get paid back in gratitude.
I tried to hire a contractor to do this job and man oh man was I turned off. They send a sales rep over and they don't listen to a word you say and they talk to you like you're an imbecile. They're condescending liars at best. And the prices they quote are ridiculous.
So I planned it myself, located the materials and hired local people to deliver them, and was hands on as much as possible. I actually explained to the workers how to install fiber cement plank siding, and it's almost done and my neighbor ( an actual house inspector he just moved next door to me) says it looks excellent! (I'm visually impaired and had an operation a year ago that kind of limits me physically.) And I saved about $20,000. I haven't even spent $3500 on the project and it's almost done. That includes about $500 on tools of the trade which I will give to the workers as a tip, since now they're very enthusiastic about installing fiber cement siding.
Every time I do stuff like this I get paid back in gratitude.
Many years ago I had a window salesman cold call me on the phone when I was about to switch off the TV off as we only had four channels to choose from in those days.
I tried telling him that the windows were new and still under warranty. A lie.
Next it was a porch extension. The front door opens directly onto the street. True.
Next it was a conservatory. I pretended to give in and allowed him to go on about all sorts of shades of tinted glass and trimmings for about half an hour taking him all the way to arranging a site survey.
It was only at that stage that I informed him that it was a slight technical problem with the site survey. It was a top floor flat without a garden of any kind.
He slammed the phone down hard.😀
I tried telling him that the windows were new and still under warranty. A lie.
Next it was a porch extension. The front door opens directly onto the street. True.
Next it was a conservatory. I pretended to give in and allowed him to go on about all sorts of shades of tinted glass and trimmings for about half an hour taking him all the way to arranging a site survey.
It was only at that stage that I informed him that it was a slight technical problem with the site survey. It was a top floor flat without a garden of any kind.
He slammed the phone down hard.😀
"Mold" The whole project started because of mold. Cheap vinyl windows were installed probably 20 years ago (still giving service) and the installers left a huge gap where water could get behind the siding (awful and probably 50 years old) and there was mold in the kitchen and basement. The mold spread to the dining room and then we figured out where it was coming from. I poured mold and mildew cleaner in the crack for years (way up on the ladder) and this year actually demolished that part of the exterior of the house with my buddy. After mold remediation, and new sheathing and housewrap, the siding is almost up. And I did it my way, with state of the art materials.
Salesman the victim?
Yes and no.
It's a sign of the times and the techniques and attendant behaviours likely harken back to vacuum cleaner salesmen from the 50's-70's.
It all comes down to Money.
If you don't have ir, or you can't make it, you lose it, or someone else is trying to part you from yours, it just brings out the worst in almost every human.
Yes and no.
It's a sign of the times and the techniques and attendant behaviours likely harken back to vacuum cleaner salesmen from the 50's-70's.
It all comes down to Money.
If you don't have ir, or you can't make it, you lose it, or someone else is trying to part you from yours, it just brings out the worst in almost every human.
My suburb is targeted by these solar scum every few months.
Tell them its a rental and shut the door 🙂
Or if I feel like a chat.
"Did my husband call you ?" (I'm male by the way 😀 )
Then just tell them some story, just keep talking about anything.
If they get a word in, interrupt them. constantly.
Tell them its a rental and shut the door 🙂
Or if I feel like a chat.
"Did my husband call you ?" (I'm male by the way 😀 )
Then just tell them some story, just keep talking about anything.
If they get a word in, interrupt them. constantly.
Yeah... If there's a disaster there'll be someone who's trying to profit from it. I remember when I was in grad school and 9/11 happened. A few weeks later some dude wandered around the dining hall collecting donations for the victims. Uh-huh... I'm sure that's where that money went. To the victims. Or to the guy's beer fund. Your guess is as good as mine.
Tom
Tom
I was targeted many years ago by the police fund scam. The guy called back several times a week and was very aggressive. He insinuated that the police wouldn't respond to my call if I didn't donate. What did I do? I called the police and told them. I don't know what they did, but he never called again. They were very angry about this type of scam.
Just for the record, the police here show up before you're off the phone with dispatch. Ditto fire dept and paramedics.
Just for the record, the police here show up before you're off the phone with dispatch. Ditto fire dept and paramedics.
I'm afraid my (very crude) default option these days is to either put the 'phone down without speaking at all in the case of callers there. If it's in person, 'Not interested pal. This conversation is over' and continue about my business. If they don't stop, state that you find their behaviour intimidating and you are prepared to defend yourself with physical force: their call.
I had a friend with a good answer for cold callers at the door. When they had finished their initial sales patter he would say " Do you realise you could easily
have an accident in your line of work. I'm an insurance salesman and I have a nice policy I can sell you. Hold on I'll go and get the details " Needless so say they
disappeared pronto.
have an accident in your line of work. I'm an insurance salesman and I have a nice policy I can sell you. Hold on I'll go and get the details " Needless so say they
disappeared pronto.
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