Selling Items at Work

magenta321 · #1 10-01-2003, 01:56 AM

Just curious how people feel about your coworkers bringing in catalogues for you to buy wrapping paper, candy, cookies, food, t-shirts, books, etc. etc. from.

What are your feelings on them?

My work place was getting overwhelmingly bogged down with them. Many people were buying things.

The catalogues are now missing.

Gone. : poof :

Those potential orders were lost.

Foul play is suspected. Or... they could be misplaced.

(Personally, I think someone felt pressured, and chucked them all, but, there is no evidence -- there is a history of stuff like that where I work tho... the phantom scrouge)

Anyway... how much do you love or hate the opportunity to buy stuff from coworkers or their kids?

This poll is the anonymous kind.

Edit -- to be clear, by employees, I'm thinking of Longaberger, Pampered Chef, Tupperware type stuff.

By their children, I'm thinking the wrapping paper/candy/girl scout cookies type sales.

**jgibson2**[$] · #2 10-01-2003, 07:07 AM

I don't mind supporting an occasional kid thing, but there are way too many of them, especially this time of year. The folks I work with are very reasonable about this. You put your order sheets in the staff lounge with your name on them and if someone wants to buy, they do. No pressure beyond the hope of reciprocation when they bring theirs in.

Some things are more welcome than others. We only have a couple of people selling Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout popcorn these days and people are excited to see those forms come in.

**lynnzop**[$] · #3 10-01-2003, 12:52 PM

It's outlawed at our work but it doesn't stop some people. One of my co-workers does Tastefully Simple in her spare time and she spends half of her work day on TS stuff.

I don't mind if someone brings in catalogs and leaves them discretely on their desk - kids stuff or adult stuff (Pampered Chef, Tupperware, etc.,) I personally feel uncomfortable soliciting my coworkers, and with a very few exceptions, have not done so.

A former secretary of mine once brought in a catalog of gifty stuff etc., that her kids were selling and I seriously didn't find anything I could even use, so told her I was sorry, and didn't order anything. I later found out that she blasted me (in public and private) for not supporting her kids.

**theworm**[$] · #4 10-01-2003, 12:56 PM

I've finally reached the age where I'm comfortable saying "no, thankyou". Sell what you want, just dont EXPECT me to buy just because we work together.

CurtisEdmonds · #5 10-01-2003, 01:38 PM

I'm not buying a damned thing anyone is selling, except for Samoas and Thin Mints. (What can I tell you, I'm addicted.)

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #6 10-01-2003, 02:17 PM

I hate those who come around and stand in my doorway saying "Would you like to buy a candy bar for my kids' school?" My lack of support would be evident to those around me and so I feel pressured into getting something.

I love those who post a sign saying "If you would like to buy a candy bar for my kids' school, come see me at my desk on the 3rd floor."

Mind you,if it's something I want I'd buy it anyway, but there've been a few too many times I've bought stuff I didn't really want because I felt I had to. And the next time I like the cause but not the product, I'll make a donation instead of ordering the cheesy gift wrap or whatever.

**amykhar** · #7 10-01-2003, 02:35 PM

I avoid it like the plague except that I am willing to work private deals with people that I know are stuck selling things for their kids too.

The schools here put pressure on the kids to sell, and it ticks me off to no end.

Amy

**lynnzop**[$] · #8 10-01-2003, 03:26 PM

Quote:

amykhar said

The schools here put pressure on the kids to sell, and it ticks me off to no end.

Amy

One of the dojos I considered joining turned me off completely when I visited and they were handing out flyers to the kids for a pie and cookie dough fundraiser. If I'm paying for a membership (and this was an expensive membership, none the less), I shouldn't have to raise money for you.

#9 10-01-2003, 04:31 PM

I mind those kinds of things entirely. Especially Girl Scout Cookies. Whatever happened to the kids actually trying to sell that stuff instead of the parents just passing around the signup sheets at work?

magenta321 · #10 10-01-2003, 06:33 PM

Groan.

So, I post this topic. Then I go to work.

I see the flier in the common room. Popcorn for the boy scouts

We still have boxes from last year. Their popcorn doesn't even taste good!

Anyway, I ignore it.

I walk down the hall.

"Hey Margaret, you eat popcorn, dontcha?"

"Actually, no... I don't. And I just bought from you last week."

She's lucky I didn't say what I was thinking "AND, I didn't want to buy from you then!"

Gah!

**theworm**[$] · #11 10-01-2003, 06:41 PM

Yeah, it's annoying, but if I had a kid I'm sure I'd do it too. Like someone else said, I'd probably just stick the box on the corner of my desk and hope that people buy rather than stalk them through the building.

Margaret - next time someone asks you that say, "yeah, I eat popcorn, but I don't want buy any. Thanks, anyway".
We have to get comfortble saying no to our friends and coworkers.

magenta321 · #12 10-01-2003, 06:47 PM

But, I *don't* eat popcorn any more

**theworm**[$] · #13 10-01-2003, 08:37 PM

Well, then you could say "no, I don't and I don't want to buy any of your kid's crap, but thanks for asking"

quasar · #14 10-03-2003, 10:47 AM

So am I the only person on the planet who didn't know boyscouts sell popcorn?

#15 10-03-2003, 11:29 AM

I didn't know that they sold popcorn, but I haven't bought anything from a Boy Scout. Ever.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #16 10-03-2003, 11:30 AM

I didn't know either.

quasar · #17 10-03-2003, 11:47 AM

I wonder if it's a fairly new thing. I grew up in a housing development with well over 100 houses. People sold everything door to door but not Boy Scout popcorn.

Janice

**slick4591**[$] · #18 10-04-2003, 12:23 AM

I sell barbecue at work.

magenta321 · #19 10-04-2003, 09:24 AM

But Dennis, that is your job!

**taurusmoon** · #20 10-04-2003, 09:32 AM

Count me among those who have never encountered Boy Scout Popcorn.

Unfortunately though, I'm well familiarized with Baseball Blow Pops.

Sara

**slick4591**[$] · #21 10-04-2003, 11:50 PM

Quote:

magenta321 said

But Dennis, that is your job!

Nope. That ain't no job. It's fun.

I have also been rumbled by more than one scout selling popcorn.

**theworm**[$] · #22 10-05-2003, 02:19 PM

You mean that they really do sell popcorn?

frazzledspice · #23 10-05-2003, 02:22 PM

When companies have policies that prohibit fundraising sales, it puts an awful lot of pressure on the kids.

The flip side--lots of school fundraisers state, "We don't want your children to sell door to door--just to "friends" and relatives."

So if the kids aren't selling door to door, many of your friends are also involved with the same fundraiser, and your relatives are 1,000 miles away (and we are in this situation) what are you supposed to do?

My favorite fundraiser is the discount card, because they pay for themselves over and over and are a simple sell.