If a neighborhood kid takes the time to go door to door selling ANYTHING (raffle tickets, popcorn, cookies, candy, discount cards), I buy it. I don’t care if I don’t want or need the product. It takes a lot to go door to door and practice your persuasive speaking, even if it’s your own neighborhood. My rule is that I only buy once. So the first kid gets my $25. The next one gets a “thanks, but I bought one yesterday, good luck!” There must be a lot like me because one year I was pre-sold the football discount card. This HS senior went door to door before they even got the cards - sold them and then delivered the cards when the team received their sales packet. I thought that was brilliant! I could have been distrustful, and waited, but I rarely remember to use the card anyway, so I thought I’d just see what happened. Sure enough, about a week later, I got the discount card and a note of thanks.
I generally do not engage adults selling things - college kids getting pledges, yes; free roof inspection for hail damage, estimate for windows, etc, no. My husband has more of a soft spot as his job involves sales (not door to door, but he still has to sell within his industry). I think we have our current pest control company because he engaged with a door to door salesman - and we’ve been very happy with their (much less expensive) service.
It’s funny… My older sister had friends (back in the day), that would sell pots and pans door to door. They actually did very well and sold a ton. Can’t even imagine this happening today.
I usually open the door because it’s normally a neighbor or one of their kids - we don’t get a ton of solicitations in my area. W is a lot more cautious though and I don’t blame her. I always buy something from the pre-teens since they’re the neighborhood kids.
The funniest solicitor was some teen wanting me to buy something to pay for his trip to Europe. I literally laughed out loud and said, “Dude, I’m saving for my own trip to Europe, not yours!” Door slam.
Another funny one was right after D was born. She was crying up a storm and I was severely sleep-described (colicky baby) when I opened the door to some teen wanting to sell me something. I said, “Now’s not a good time”. His reply, “When would be a good time for me to come back?” Me: “In 20 years!” Door slam.
Just a thought (not a firm opinion) - what % of door to door canvassing is “effective” because of people answering the door feeling pressured or unable to say no? I think there are a lot of people who fall in this camp.
Door to door stuff is a big problem in our neighborhood and some of the teen-young adult canvassers have been investigated by police and are NOT legit. Often the ones who show up and have “one last candle” to sell - often saying it’s for a local school sports team (proven inaccurate) or inner city church (also proven inaccurate).
I am not going to buy or talk windows, eaves, awnings or foundation work at the front door. I’ll call a company if I want info. We live in an area with older homes so these type of door to door is common.
I do often answer because I want them to not think no one is home (another ploy that has been used in our neighborhood to break in - yes, a nice middle class neighborhood) and I want them to receive my polite but firm “no” so they don’t return.
I am especially not ok when people are knocking after the sun has gone down.
We have a neighborhood FB page and people frequently post if someone suspicious or a suspicious cause is at the door.
Story:
The last two summers we had two kids in the neighborhood who were literally going door to door with a cupcake pan of basic frosted cupcakes. Like the cupcakes still in the muffin pan. They would say they were selling them for their mom. Not covered,not in bags or anything. Mom would be no where in sight. It was quite frequent. The kids did not seem happy about doing it. People were starting to wonder if they were being forced to do this. Some started asking questions and/or noting where the kids were coming from (did a car drop them off?). It was pretty weird. Last I remember someone saw them getting picked up at a neutral spot in the neighborhood (by the local pizza place) by a car. Some neighbors got pretty involved in investigating this situation - haven’t heard they have been back this year.
I will also add that I am ok when people stop by with a LOCAL candidates info or ask me to sign a petition for someone local or in the neighborhood to run for office.
Overall though, I’m just pretty uncomfortable talking to strangers at my front door.
Well, I’m thankful a homeowner opened the door for me in Austin recently. He had a big smile as he said hello. What a concept, being friendly to a stranger! I told him I lived in that house when I was young, and he and his wife gave me a 30-minute tour of the house and yard. I miss Austin.
^^ us too! We live in the town where H grew up. My kids NEVER saw my childhood home until a couple of years ago. We were standing around loitering (looking at stuff) when a teen drove up with BF. I told her when I had lived there, and she invited us in to tour the house as well. It meant a lot to me, especially since they took great care of it for all of these years.
We have had a couple of people knock on our house who had lived there previously. We welcome them with open arms. We love learning about the history of the place. In 109 years, there’s been a lot!
Almost all of the people who solicit for services, lawn, roof, windows, painting, etc… just leave door hangers. An amusing situation did occur once when I was out cutting the grass. Now 90% of my neighborhood probably uses a lawn service, but I find cutting the grass therapeutic, so I could understand the following situation. A car pulled up and a couple got out and asked me if I knew if the owners had someone who did their windows. I replied, yes, I think so, but I am sure they wouldn’t mind if you left a door hanger.
We are suckers for kids selling stuff for their teams if we know them. I know the drill because of my kids, although I ended up just writing a check to my kids’ team. The team then gets 100% of my money vs enriching the company that makes the crappy cookie dough. I had raised different ideas for fundraising at various booster club meetings that involved the kids working for their money, like raking leaves in the fall, or working with local golf clubs to offer walking caddie services . Those were all shot down for reasons that belong in another thread about helicopter/lawn mower parents and entitlements.
We have a Ring doorbell, which allows us to pick and choose when we open the door. Most of the time we do not open for strangers.
This discussion is interesting because I am a member of a neighborhood group working to preserve a small wilderness park nearby. The young members of our group are very big on personal outreach, they advocate we go door to door to build support for our group. I dread the thought of knocking on doors, knowing how most people feel about solicitors.
Showing up at my door would have the opposite effect of garnering support. But there have been neighborhood initiatives I’ve supported after people left notes in the door/mailbox or sent an email to the neighborhood. Especially if the message included a description of the issue, contact information or an invitation to a meeting to discuss the issue. Some of our neighbors also use Facebook or Nextdoor to keep in touch, so those might be ways to reach neighbors without showing up at their door.
We had a guy stop by our cabin on a holiday weekend to ask us to sign a petition allowing UTV’s on the roads. I discussed it with him but since we had intentionally purchased a home on a “no wake” lake to really get some peace and quiet, I had to decline signing his petition but also told him I wouldn’t fight it. He seemed puzzled that anyone would not want UTV’s screaming down their road. Other than the occasional JW ( and my SIL is one so I appreciate their sincerety) we get our village animal control stopping by to remind us when our $5 license has expired. Thats quaint.
Apparently I’m the Last of the Softies. We don’t get a lot of solicitors, but we do seem get a decent number of Jehovah’s Witnesses and LDS missionaries. When they knock on my door I always listen to them and then politely tell them that I already have a church that I attend and a religion with which I am affiliated. Then I tell them I admire them for their witness (which I do, even though their customs are not my own).
My father, who is an atheist, used to love to argue with the JW who came to our door. I think our address was on a special JW list - because they were ALWAYS at our house!
They always seem appreciative and polite. I have had several thank me for not slamming the door in their face.
I was a firm believer in social media outreach, and our group has built a following with our FB group and on Nextdoor. However I have been surprised at the number of people who don’t use any social media to interact and network. Many of the postings on Nextdoor, mostly lost pets, are on behalf of someone’s neighbor who doesn’t use the platform. We have a lot of elderly neighbors and they seem more welcoming of the “knock on the door and chat” mode of communication. In the old days you could count on catching people outside while they walked or worked in their yard. These days only the dog walkers all know each other.
I tell religious canvassers, if they catch me, the truth: I think it’s a private matter and won’t be discussing it but I wish them well. That’s usually met courteously, but one time when I was waiting for the bus with then-kindergartener DS2, a pair of ladies just wouldn’t let up. Until I looked them dead in the eye and told them they were taking my time and attention away from the child God gave me. I am so glad I didn’t have to bring out “Shame on you!”
Other times, with political and cause-related activists, I’ll send them along to their next stop because I’m already strongly in agreement with them. Their efforts are best spent contacting those undecided who are receptive to being approached.
When I was in middle school my father picked up a call on behalf of a senate candidate he supported. His response was an avuncular “Now, don’t you worry about Mr. So-and-so. He’s gonna win.” I could hear the person on the other end of the phone cracking up.
We have glass sidelights on our front door and, while our bell doesn’t ring often, I’ll generally go see who it is. If it’s a kid selling something, I’m generally a softie. But we live up in the hills and our front door really isn’t visible by anyone. I’m petite and could be overpowered easily. I would never open my door for a stranger because it’s a safety issue for me. If it’s a solicitor, I tell them they’re welcome to leave their materials on my doorstep and I’ll look at them later.
Having said that, we recently got a ring doorbell. I’ve yet to really use the app but I keep meaning to set it up and answer the door that way. Dh has taken to it more quickly than I.
I had two religious people approach me while I was running in our neighborhood. They couldn’t understand that I didn’t want to stop to talk to them. I yelled, “I’m training for a race!” and kept going.
I have done lots of canvassing for political candidates and will be doing it again this fall and next year. As @garland said, canvassing is an effective tool to meet with voters one on one. Our local newspapers have been downsized so much that local candidates don’t get much press, not to mention that many, many people don’t get or read the newspapers. Mailers are expensive and IMHO, are so slanted that I take them with a grain of salt. People don’t answer their phone if it’s an unknown number. In my area in the Spring primary we had about a 20% turn out to vote and what I heard was people didn’t know who to vote for, didn’t think it was important so didn’t vote. That 20% is good compared to the nearby small city where turn out was 7%. So what are we politically active people to do??
I let two friends running for office into my home last election round…because I knew them. We live in a very small town. Long story short, they presented their opinions…and also wanted me to sign a petition about one issue. I politely told them I didn’t agree…and believe it or not…one of them slammed MY door in my face as they were leaving.
Our small town politicians have lots of places where they set up tables, or hold meetings, or whatever.
In the primaries here, we have 50% of registered voters for local elections typically…and over 80% for presidential primaries.
Frankly, I’m done with opening my door to politicians because of these rude ones.