With the advent of Caller ID, I believe Door-to-Door
salesman has replaced Telemarketer as THE most annoying type of
salesperson. Granted, Telemarketers have
the advantage of numbers and the persistence of rabid dogs to garner some first
place votes, but they can be fairly easily avoided. However, nothing chaps my ass more than
someone banging on my door trying to sell me something. The very activity is counter to the shopping
experience. What should happen is a
consumer develops a need for a product and then GOES OUT to research and to
find a solution. What is sold as
“customer convenience” is really intrusive and uncomfortable. Door-to-door sales calls are like prostate
exams.
When I want or need to buy something, I will shop for it at
a store of my choosing and at a time convenient for me. I’m denied both when a salesman comes a-calling. The person has no idea if I’m tying one on, sleeping
one off, or rubbing one out. The fact I
might be doing any combination of the three should make door-to-door salespeople
uncomfortable enough to stop the practice.
This is how I would rank the worst sales person jobs as a
customer, from most to least annoying:
1.) Door-to-Door
2.) Telemarketing
3.) Mall
Kiosk
4.) Used
Car
5.) Time
Share
I know of what I speak.
For an entire week, I was a D2D salesperson, selling punch cards for a
restaurant in the surrounding suburbs of Massachusetts. I was on the job for five days, but have
memories that will last me a lifetime.
I was just out of college and was looking at the end of a
temp job my aunt found for me in Boston.
I scoured the Want Ads and found an ad for a company looking for people
to sell in a “fun, fast paced environment” and offered to train the “right
individual” on a “fast track to management.”
I believe the ad mentioned a sports theme as an added hook. There wasn’t an address to send a resume as
interested applicants were encouraged to call.
I did, and set-up an interview for later that week.
The interview went well as I completed some paperwork and
met with the location manager, an odd, mousy guy who would shake hands without
allowing his elbow to leave his side, forcing the other person to come to
him. I think this was an intentional
tactic. He asked me to return early on
the following Monday to meet some of the other people in the office. I was excited, but a little perplexed as he stressed
that I should wear comfortable shoes.
