My store is NOT for you to advertise in!

[Lyger]

Seeing as how my store sells computers, printers and electronic doodads, we sometimes get reps from HP or Brother or Canon or whatever who come in. Not only do they bother us, they bother anyone who tries to buy some of these things.

It was only when one of the reps started costing us sales that the bossman told the rep to leave. Other than that, they just hang out in the store and don't shut up!

[Andara Bledin]

Gah, we get people like that all the time! Once the lot was covered with flyers that someone had left on cars, that the owners didn't want, and just threw on the ground. Yeah, I had to pick those up.

From what I understand, you can prosecute flyer-leavers for littering in cases like that. Not sure what your local laws say about it, however.

I heard that as well (from a chain e-mail, which is why I checked), Snopes says otherwise though.

Beat me to it.

Actually, the vast majority of the scarelore stories are pretty fanciful. But there are just enough real life happenings in there to make things scary.

That is probably not true, but I have found there is a very high correlation between flyers being placed in windshields and cars being broken into.

Now that would not surprise me. Because if you're putting up fliers, you have a visible excuse to be looking into every car in a parking lot, scoping for stuff to steal.

^-.-^

[Argabarga]

Because if you're putting up fliers, you have a visible excuse to be looking into every car in a parking lot, scoping for stuff to steal.

^-.-^

That, and seeing how long a flyer stays on a car before it gets removed is a pretty good indicator of who doesn't check on their cars regularly enough to likely catch you in the act of breaking in.

I always thought flyer-leaving was kinda rude.

[protege]

Seeing as how my store sells computers, printers and electronic doodads, we sometimes get reps from HP or Brother or Canon or whatever who come in. Not only do they bother us, they bother anyone who tries to buy some of these things.

We're constantly getting those idiots where I work. I could understand if we sold/repaired copiers or printers...but we don't. We simply use them until they wear out, then buy another one. In fact, last Friday...we got someone from Xerox, who came in and was wondering when we were going to replace our copier, since "it has just been discontinued" and how "we could save money on a new one."

Um, how about never? Why exactly, would we spend the money to replace a piece of equipment, that barely gets used, when it works just fine? How exactly, would we be saving money?



But, the cartridge suppliers are the best to mess with. About once or twice a month, they'll come in and sing the various praises of whatever company they work for. Since I order all the supplies (and know what that crap costs ), I've told my co-workers to let me handle it. Usually, they'll start by going on about how they can get us better deals than our preferred vendor can.

Remember, I know what we pay for stuff--I get all the invoices So, I tell them that we're happy with the service we already get. 9 times out of 10, they'll leave their sales brochures (which go into the recycle box), and leave. However, you get that 10th bastard, who is so desperate to make a sale...that he leaves himself wide-open to getting messed with Sorry folks, but if you say you can get us a deal, and can't get us...say below $90 for a toner, GTFO. Don't waste my time.


Edit: Forgot about this... One of the buildings I used to work in, had a strict no soliciting policy. Too many tech firms, or others that simply didn't want to get bothered. If we got the "great deal" people, I'd usually send them down to Suite 420. That was the building manager's suite. He'd not only ream them out, but he'd actually get them tossed from the building, and then call up their employer for wasting his time

[dalesys]

Have a lot of people leave different religious pamphlets and cards around, especally in the bathrooms. However, since management put up a "No Solicitation" sign on the entrance/exit door, we haven't gotten any new menus or coupons from food places down the street lately.

I can just see the headline:

Religious Group busted for Solicitation!

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I can just see the headline:

Religious Group busted for Solicitation!

They may try to claim some kind of exemption because they aren't actually advertising a business.

[Andara Bledin]

I used to field all of the copier/toner calls coming into the place I work for because I both answered the phones, and kept us in stock of toner.

The copier people are easy to get rid of; we buy all of our machines at bankruptcy auctions. We never buy new or refurbished, so your time would be best served by going to your next call.

The toner people are a little more pushy and desperate-sounding. But since they can't come close to matching our prices on eBay, they usually slink off once I give them the totals we usually pay.

One local company, however, has good quality compatibles for great prices, so they actually got our business. Being able to get it the same day has its advantages, too.

^-.-^

[protege]

They may try to claim some kind of exemption because they aren't actually advertising a business.

Uh, I don't think that's the type of solicitation dalesys was getting at...

[Samaliel]

Most small, privately-owned, local game stores around here have some kind of space for you to leave your leaflets for your concert / gaming event / whatever. They reserve the right to put the whole stack in the garbage bin if they find it's inappropriate.

However, with chain game stores, you have to go through the whole loop with corporate to advertise anything on their premises. Any attempt to circumvent this will get you banned if you're persistent enough...

[An Haddock]

We see solicitors around all the time. Sometimes they're selling perfume, sometimes tickets to local sports teams, sometimes the satchel full of junky crap.

There's a little Mexican place a block away I like to eat at once a week... I remember last summer a couple of solicitors went in and got a table, and then proceeded to try to sell their stuff to all the restaurant patrons. Needless to say, the owner was PISSED.

I'm pretty good friends with the guy and while he's a short, stocky dude who's usually pleasant or just weary, I've seem him in pissed-off mode and even though I stand almost a foot taller and have a hundred pounds on him, I wouldn't cross that tornado's path. He kicked them out and called the cops - I saw the cop corrall the solicitors across the street from our shop and the cop was basically yelling at them for twenty minutes straight.

We have a small No Solicitors sign on our door. If we ever do get one. I just silently point at it until they go away, staring at them the entire time like a serial killer.

Or if I'm in a really bad mood, I slowly place one of the samurai swords behind the counter on top of it while staring at my computer monitor the entire time. Typically, displaying hand to hand weaponry is enough to get people to leave.

[mharbourgirl]

We have a small No Solicitors sign on our door. If we ever do get one. I just silently point at it until they go away, staring at them the entire time like a serial killer.

Or if I'm in a really bad mood, I slowly place one of the samurai swords behind the counter on top of it while staring at my computer monitor the entire time. Typically, displaying hand to hand weaponry is enough to get people to leave.

Dude, I like your style. I'm going to keep that in mind for the next time I get suckered into covering Reception for more than a few minutes. We get some damned pushy salesdroids, and while I'm not at all bad at telling 'em to vamos, it's always nice to expand my repertoire of terror.

[draftermatt]

Or if I'm in a really bad mood, I slowly place one of the samurai swords behind the counter on top of it while staring at my computer monitor the entire time. Typically, displaying hand to hand weaponry is enough to get people to leave.

Not that I don't think it's funny, but someone could call the cops and say you threatened them with a deadly weapon.

Sure it may not stick but do you want that hassle?

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Not that I don't think it's funny, but someone could call the cops and say you threatened them with a deadly weapon.

Sure it may not stick but do you want that hassle?

I don't think simply having a weapon present would be considered a threat. It's the same as walking past a cop with a holstered gun. The weapon is a deterrent but simply having it present and visible is not a crime.

[otakuneko]

staring at them the entire time like a serial killer.

....Dexter.

That is all.

[Jester]

I deal with solicitors in so many different ways. The idiot telemarketers that call up asking for "the person in charge of your billing," the "person who makes decisions," or my favorite, "the owner." They get bonus points if they ask for our owner by name. The funny thing is, the owner, while he is involved in the establishment, does not live here, and does not actually work management shifts at The Bar. Anyone who knows him knows calling his cell is the way to get him. Anyone who knows The Bar knows we have a general manager who handles the day to day stuff. So asking for the owner is going to tell us you're trying to sell us something. Buh-bye. And asking for the Owner by name tells us that you are clueless. Buh-bye.

Then I get this one type I have dealt with for years, in many restaurants and bars. They come in with their boxes of jewelry or handmade flowers and a little card that says they are [pick your favorite disability] and are trying to raise money for [whatever]. However they want to paint their picture, they are still trying to sell stuff to our customers. Not. Gonna. Happen. YOU! OUT! SCRAM! I'm a tad more polite than that, of course, but I make it clear to them that that is not acceptable. The funniest was a guy that got told that twice, and came back twice. The third time, the manager told him in no uncertain terms that he was trespassing, and he would have no problem contacting the police about the guy.

And then there was Flyer Guy. Now, we will occasionally put up flyer for certain events (usually fundraisers or memorials), and we do have some promotional items from other companies, like a Key West map from a local snorkel company. No big deal. Well, this one douchebag comes by and asks for the manager, but as he was not there, he told the hostess about this service he was running, basically a tourist guide service. Whatever. He leaves a bunch of flyers with her asking her to put them up. A bit after he left, Boss Man came around, and the hostess showed him the stuff. At his instruction, she tossed it in the trash next to the hostess stand. Then he went into the bar, got a beer, and started playing video games, his management shift being over.

Well, a while later, Flyer Guy comes by, and sees that not only are his flyers not up, but they are in the trash. He starts berating the poor hostess, going on and on and on....and not noticing Boss Man approaching him from behind. Boss Man is not one to take shit from anyone, does not suffer fools gladly, and does not allow anyone to abuse his employees. So he snapped at the guy. "Hey! Stop harrassing her! I told her to put those flyers in the trash!" And the guy wheeled around on Boss Man and basically asks how dare he throw his flyers away? Boss Man had had enough. And he thundered down at Flyer Guy, "Look, pal, you left them here. Which means they are no longer your property, they are ours. We wanted no part of your business, so we were well within our rights to throw our property away. Now, you are going to get out of MY bar right now, or you WILL be answering to the police about trespassing and harrassment of my employees!" We never saw Flyer Guy again.