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Comment by MisterBastahrd | Hacker News Reader

There's a reason that people still employ door to door salesmen: most people don't like to reject people in person. It's why you normally buy your new roof from a guy you just met and have so much trouble firing employees who used to be good but have fallen off the wagon.

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On one hand, you're absolutely right that we hate to reject people in person. I mean, heck, I avoid entering small gift shops in tourist towns if I don't have cash on me, as I hate letting them down in their expectation of sale!

At the same time, I've learned to never ever ever engage salespeople in person; I've been conditioned to assume they're 100% scam. The friendliest most honest face offering to clean my ducts or redo my driveway, the smiley nerdy guy offering discounts on internet from local Bell, the supremely trust worthy kids asking for your support of charity... or to your point the guy who's "in the neighbourhood, and can give me a discount on the roof since machinery is already here" -- literally every one of them I would read in the news few weeks later as the latest local fraud scheme.

With heavy heart, I reject all cold calls & cold visits. I may ask for their website and details to check if they're legit, and possibly maybe reach back at a stable phone or email address. But, I'm said to say, I've been thoroughly conditioned by the environment to reject cold-calls :<

My partner worked as a waitress and had to kick out sales people all the time. It's amazing how many people want to sell stuff to restaurants and show up to "talk to the boss". Of course the boss had work to do and didn't want to see any salespeople...

Yeah "talk to the boss" is how spam worked before email

Thanks but no thanks

When we were office based, I had a few encounters with salesmen,who managed to negotiate entry into restricted areas of the building,etc. Once, I was walking past the CEO's office and suddenly this guy appears out of nowhere looking to speak to someone. I walked him out, but I always wondered who the hell buys from them when they just pop in like nothing.

It doesn't have to work every time, or even the majority of the time. If it works 1 time out of 10, they'll keep doing it.

Ooo, that was their first mistake. Rules for selling to restaurants: (1) go 3 hours before they open on a non busy weekday (eg Tuesday-Thursday) and knock on the back door (or just walk in!). If a breakfast place, buy a coffee just after the morning rush (9:30), then proceed to step (2).

(2) say to the first person you see, “are you the owner/manager?”

(3) either get directed to them immediately or get their phone number

(4) have a 1-2 minute pitch , either deliver directly or on the phone.

(5) if they really do seem to have time and interest keep selling. Otherwise schedule a followup for more info if they are interested

If (4) fails, try again in 1-2 months.

I would escort you off the property with extreme prejudice.

This is slimy. Don't do this.

I came home on Friday to a fake postal slip indicating I had missed a delivery I was not expecting. I called the provided number and provided the “code” to be offered an ADT sales pitch.

THAT is slimy.

Asking to speak with folks the old fashioned way seems quaint to the point that I genuinely am appalled by your harshness here…

EDIT: I asked my wife, a restaurant manager of some 15 years and former chef… this is exactly how folks both make sales pitches and seek work if they do not have an “in” already. This is not slimy, it’s normal course of business.

>Asking to speak with folks the old fashioned way seems quaint to the point that I genuinely am appalled by your harshness here…

I think it was the "just slip through the back door!" part which is more than fair. I turn around with a sharp blade and your dumb ass is standing there and now both our lives are over.

Yeah right like he was saying to sneak up behind the chef quietly lol

I think he meant 'knock on the back door (or just walk in through the main entrance)' and not to just walk in through the back door

That makes a lot more sense.

For reference, yeah it was the "walk in the back door" part that is slimy.

Walk in the _front_ door, that's where the public entrance is, and you are a member of the public. Not to mention that having someone unauthorized walking around in the back-of-house is a security risk.

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