A company that offers TV, internet and telephone deals, and that frequently spams us through the physical letter box, has put a note on the stairs, cheerfully announcing that their representatives will soon grace the inhabitants of our building with a visit. I.e., somebody will ring the doorbell, most probably at a really bad time (since every time is a bad time for door-to-door sellers, if you ask me), and be chummy with us against our will, trying to coax us into signing a new telephone deal. I wonder if something can be done to make them pass us over (a lamb's blood on the door post?).
I've been thinking of putting a no-thanks-in-advance note on our door, but it's hard to word it without seeming unfriendly. It's not the person who rings the bell with a forced smile (probably a temporary hired student who doesn't know better) I mind, it's the principle; how doorstep sales work because people are more reluctant to refuse a suggestion from a flesh-and-blood person than a voice on the phone or a note in the mail. It's such a repugnantly manipulative method, and I hate that the people who will really be the ones disturbing my evening, the people who are actually responsible, are anonymous and out of reach.
Solution, partially suggested by a friend: succinctly worded note on the door with a bribe of candy attached. That must be the way ahead.
Here in Mpls. (and I imagine all over the US) you can buy printed signs that say "No solicitors." You don't have these in Sweden?
SvaraRaderaActually, I never get them at the door anyway--it's always on the phone, which I hate; but I'm always nice to the salesperson, figuring, like you, they are someone desperate for work.
I can't think of a worse job than sales.
But I have a friend of Lebanese descent who loves it--she attributes this to her Phoenician ancestors who sailed around the Mediterranean in canoes, pushing purple dyes.
Funny to think that in the past, before mail-order catalogs and e-commerce, traveling tradespeople were welcome visitors who brought helpful or luxury goods as well as news of other places--pots and pans, or glass beads, etc.
(Was it Laura Ingalls Wilder who wrote about getting to choose some pretty things--hair ribbons?-- from a peddler?)
Yep, times have changed!
SvaraRaderaMy dark secret is that I was a phone sales person for a month, during a really desperate time. I really hated myself for doing it - no Phoenician blood here, apparently! (My corresponding romantic ancestors fantasy is about being part Celtic, but I've never come up with some particular personality trait that I might attribute to this.)
I don't think we get those signs, I don't think I've ever seen them, anyway. We do have a service for people who don't want to be phoned by sales people, though! You register your phone number and they're not allowed to call. Great idea.