Energy Door Knockers

[Redbaron]

 

Hi guys,

Anyone else having problems with door knockers? Not boobs! Hawkers? Salespeoples? We down here have been innundated with the pests. I have emailed my electric/gas company (below) as well as a similar one to one of the knocking companies.

 

We get almost one a day on average, more on weekends. One Saturday we had 5 knock on our door. Yesterday while we were trying to get the little guy to sleep the loudest girl in the world turned up and got very aggressive when I asked her to speak sofltly as we had a baby in the house...

As I say in my emails, I am ready to get violent as I almost did with one guy who tried to get inside the house... to be honest, I'm looking forward to it! Any advice?

 

Here's my email:

 

Hi,

I am sorry but I try not to give out personal details whenever possible for privacy reasons - email response is fine, I have used my real name and email address.

We have been a customer for both gas and electricity for some time and are more than happy with the service.

 

Our conundrum:

We live in the xxxx area in Melbourne's suburbs and have been innundated with door-to-door people from companies such as "Energy Australia" (most recent), and many more companies (most with Victoria or Australia in the name) trying to see our bill and offer us a 10% discount.

 

We would like to know if any of these people are affiliated with you. I sincerely hope they are not. ALL of them are quite aggressive, and even call us liars when we say we are already getting a discount and are happy with that. Some have been unreasonably loud (we have a baby in the house) and when I have asked them to speak softly they tend to get even louder. Not many of them speak English well, and seem to think if they turn up the volume I will understand them better. The most we have had knock on our door in one day is 5 (yes, FIVE), and more than a dozen over the course of a week.

 

I am at a bit of a loss as to how to treat these pests, it seems to me the only way to get them to leave quickly would be to use force. Yes, that would make me feel a hell of a lot better but I like to avoid spending time at the local police station wherever possible, although I am sure if they are getting the same disturbances they would empathise fully.

 

I am guessing these hawkers have nothing to do with your company but I just thought I'd double check as well as seek any advice I can. If they ARE affiliated with you, could you please look at re-training them, as I am sure some of my neighbours are nowhere near as patient as I am, and will likely hurt one of them soon.

 

Stay well, thanks for any advice.

 

the mighty red baron

[zzzz]

Door to door sales people can be very annoying but an intercom system can help. In my house, I can answer the door from various places in the house via the intercom system. If you can afford it, this is much better than actually going to the door every time.

[Dexi]

From my experience door-door sales = scam/con artists... dont ever give them the time of day and never let them into your house...

[Flashermac]

Stick a "quarantine" sign on the door.

 

 

[shygye]

Energy or Energetic ?

[Redbaron]

Energy as in electricity and gas sales/change suppliers that kind of thing

[Hamokhamok]

I installed a camera, connected to the TV.

 

If someone comes to the door now I just have a look at the camera and if I don't like what I see I just ignore the bastards. I get bible thumpers and others trying to sell me shit.

 

If I do go to the door and the bible thumper or mormons starts off I simple say No Thanks. If they persist I ask what part of No Thanks do they not understand. They get the message very quickly. They tend not to call back too quickly - word gets around amongst the group that there is no point in calling to 'that' house.

 

The most important thing to do is NOT to answer any of their questions because that only leads onto yet more questions.

 

If they still persist give them the soldiers farewell - Good Bye, Good Luck and F...K You and close the gate on your way out (even if you don't have a gate).

 

Your immediate answer to those people is to say 'No I'm Not Interested' and close the door.

 

I find if you give them their head to bull shit they'll keep you at the door for ages and just won't go. Remember they have been trained to bull shit big time.

 

On the other hand if you're in the right frame of mind and you want to cheer yourself up you can of course play games with them. Give them bull shit answers to every question, twist every question they ask, or you ask them a question on a totally different subject which will totally throw them off the script they have learned off or start asking them questions about their personal situation on whatever they are trying to sell - get them so frustrated that when they start losing it you simple say - sorry now but I should have told you at the out set that I'm not interested but thanks for the conversation anyway.

 

Word will soon get around not to call to your house.

 

Similar situations exist here in Bangkok where you have these pricks who want to ask questions for a survey. Walk away (I know you can't walk away at home.) I saw one man standing outside Petchaburi MRT Station yesterday trying to talk to passers by. He seemed to be on his own. He was taking note of the number of people who stopped and those who didn't stop. So everytime someone didn't stop I saw him taking his pen out and putting a tick on a piece of paper. Needless to say he didn't get too many people stopping.