...what it would be like to live in the Northeast. It rained 25 days in September. I didn't used to mind the rain, but now I realize that rain makes waiting for the bus/walking to school miserable and cold. I miss regular crisp, cool fall days where the sun is still out and I can look around appreciating the fall colors. This year fall is passing me by because I have to keep my head down so my face stays dry.
I, for one, am thrilled to see September end and am hoping for better weather-luck in October.
But I came here to post a question to other homeowners; I forgot what it's like to have a doorbell, and someone on the other side trying to sell you something. I have no problem with turning down regular salespeople, but I had my first experience with a child selling something for school. It was something I didn't want, so I politely said no thank you and closed the door. As soon as I closed the door, I felt horrible... mainly because the kid might live right next door to me so I feel like I shouldn't have turned him down. So: what is the etiquette here? Should I buy junk from the children just to be a friendly neighbor, or will that get me into a bad habit where I am expected to buy every time there's a kid doing a fundraiser?
2 comments:
Yikes, that's a tough one! I think you really have to consider your neighborhood and how you want to be perceived. For example, we've purchased fundraising items from kids at church not because we wanted the items but because it was worth it to us to take the hit and buy something we don't necessarily want in order to keep up our relationship with their parents. If you want to endear yourself to your neighbors, buy from their kids. But I also don't think there's anything wrong with just browsing through their catalog (or whatever they have) and then being honest--that you either don't want anything or can't afford it.
I know, I felt really bad for not even showing any interest in what he was selling. But in my defense, this kid didn't really try hard AT ALL. I wanted to give him some tips on being a good salesman; start with introducing yourself, say what school you go to, what the fundraiser is for, how much the product costs, how it would be useful to me - he did none of these. just "hi, do you want to buy an Entertainment book?" I should have given him a little advice and then someday when he's in college he can reflect back on what drove him to sales in the first place - his inspiring next door neighbor! (Who didn't buy the product...)
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