[Ian Gourlay]

Although I have been warning about this for three years, it has actually happened.

Door Knocking is to be banned by Trading Standards and Local Police in 140 areas of Britain.

In a debate on todays Today programme  The Head of Trading Standards did not deny when challenged by the Head of Avon, that this inititive does not carry the weight of the law as it was not a government backed inititive.

Strangely the Head of Trading Standards felt it would not stop Avon Ladies

The Direct Selling Association believes this inititive by the Police and Trading Standards is muddled and confusing, and although it has no basis in law it will stop legitimate Direct Sellars going about their Lawful Bussiness.

I understand from a previous post in another section it has already happened in Luton


Although the majority of you do not like cold calling, it is a way for new starters to get established quick, and to fill up quiet days.

Telephone canvassing is becoming harder  with more people joining The Telephone Prefrence Service, due to the advertising campain by BT featuring  Jeramy Clarkson.


The next step will be to ban leaflets.

So how would you get your new customers ?


.

[Neil Grainger]

Hi Ian

They wont ban leaflets because the big boys like Tesco's, Curry's and Sainsburys put a lot of junk through peoples doors.

Big business runs this country and anything that effects that wont happen.

Cold calling, who does that really effect, Double Glazing salesmen, Estate agents, and those people selling rubbish out of a duffle bag. All for banning this as we get hundreds of the pests in our area.

I feel that cold calling is not the right way to get business in this game, all it etracts is the custy who's looking for a bargin at the cheapest price.

[scott2bclean]

Ian

I am confused.

If there is no basis in law.

what legal authority does the trading standards claim to enforce this ban on door knocking?

Regards
John

[williamx]

Whats to stop you from knocking on someones door to see if they would like a leaflet on Carpet Cleaning.

[George-Reid]

Sorry Neil
But even these people have to eat

(Cold calling, who does that really effect, Double Glazing salesmen, Estate agents, and those people selling rubbish out of a duffle bag. All for banning this as we get hundreds of the pests in our area.)

It will affect us big time I have three people out today and will be out for the next twelve months as this is one of the best ways to build business.

I door knocked to start my carpet cleaning business 10 years ago and picked up some quality customers in those first six months some of which are still on the books of the guy who bought my business.

We have two to three affiliates starting every month, if they are not willing to door knock we have to consider not selling  them the package.

My canvassers probably earn more money than a lot of people on this forum.


Ian where can you get a list of the 140 areas.
Cheers

George

[Neil Grainger]

Sorry George, it was not ment to be a slight on all businesses. Carpet cleaning and bin cleaning are slightly different and i feel that door knocking for CC's is not the way to go to build a long term business.

Personal experience in Surrey and Hampshire tells me that people just dont like it here. They want something they can read  that is full of information or a consumer line to ring. I'm trying to get customers to spend £300-£500 once or twice a year on getting their carpets and upholstery cleaned and door knocking just does not get this for us.

Neil

[john smith]

from what i understand of this new legislation, is that it is against the law to sell services door to door, therefore using the words "market research" will still enable you to obtain leads, persoinally it will not put me off knocking on doors!

[Bill Robinson]

when this law was sugested jehovahs witnesses stoped chargeing for there literature to cover the cost
thats one way to get around it why dont you try it first carpet cleaned free lol

[Steve Weatherley]

Door knockers are a pain in the ar£e

[Derek]

Steve

I totally agree with you...I get sick and tired of answering the door to cold callers in the evenings. This is spite of a notice asking them NOT to call.

If I want a tradesperson then I look in the yellow pages usually for someone belonging to a Trade Association (that wasn't a plug for Associations simply a fact)

Derek                                     

[Ian Gourlay]

George,

I heard it on the today programme and have not had time to check out Council Web Sites.  It is an inititive by Police and Trading Standards, the fact that the Police our behind it makes it looks like it is against the law.

So it makes it hard to door knock in comfort

Its High Crime areas. But is likly to grow to all Home Watch areas.

Dereck as you may remember it was mentioned at the NCCA Trade Show in London.

I think what established NCCA  memembers forget in The Good Old Days it was the reccomended way to establish a Carpet Cleaning Company.

Ron Tilley certainly suggested this method, so did Lloyd Owen, and Ashbys were saying that was the fast  way to get customers 4 years ago in their manual.

And George has build several companies on door knocking.
True Robert Saunders and Joe Polish do not have it as one as their key statergies. However in The States they are into automated calling.

To be honest I only door knock occasionally to keep my hand in, but I feel that Trading Standards and The Police should have worked with The Direct Selling Association and other Trade bodies such as the NCCA??? that might be interested to establish a voluntary code of practice, which is what The Department of Trade and Industry are doing .

In this instance we do not have joined up Government.


Regards

Ian

[Derek]

Ian

Just sat down to my tea this evening and the doorbell rang.. Would you believe it ...a double glazing salesman AAGGHH!

The view I discussed in my last post was a personal one and having just been on the receiving end of doorknockers yet again...I stand by every single word

There are other ways to build businesses

Derek

[Ian Gourlay]

Derek,

Dont get me wrong I respect your point of view.


I do get a bit fed up with Gas and Electric Salesmen  but on the other hand I enjoy wasting their time while i tell them my tale of woe regarding switching

Perhaps there should be a system such as Telephone Prefrence Service which I heard had been given more teath yesterday on yet another Radio programme.

I do not think an outright ban would hurt many people on The Carpet Cleaning Forumns as most are very Rich   own six houses etc and can aford £500 a week spend on promoting their companies.

However it is the traditional way to build a Window Cleaning round and many Window Cleaners become Carpet Cleaners

[Customers4u]

Hi all, i run a window cleaning round building company called 'doorknockers'  our sales people are totally non pressure, have a pitch that is straight to the point, 'Hi, do you have a window cleaner at the present? if the answer is yes, we move on, if the answer is no we just say would you like one?

We are providing a service, and many thousands of people would not have a window cleaner right now as many of them say 'we can never find one' and in many cases have waited years for us to show up.

We are not asking for money or signatures, just if they would want a chap or chapess to come and clean their windows.

I would,nt have a problem in registering my company with the police, issuing all my staff with police backed i.d. cards to overcome the dodgy callers, as surely this is the best way of removing the unscrupulous callers, no i.d. badge? customer closes door!

If everyone knew to look for these i.d. cards surely it would go a long way to curing the problem.

By the way i cant stand double glazing salesmen either, they are too high pressure, and once they are in your house, they try and become your family!! 3 hour salespitch!

Paul   

[George-Reid]

Derek
We love those signs that say please dont call etc.
They are usally put up by the husband because the wife loves a bargain and cant stop her self signing up, we always ring the bell then if anything is said we simply apoligise and say we saw the sign but had allready rung the bell and it would have been rude to just wake away.

Our lads have street traders licences we collect £15 of an initial fee and have a direct debit signed on the door. No initial fee no clean wheelie bin.

We are not hard sell their are plenty folks out their want our service so we just move on.

Cheers
George

[Ian Gourlay]

Dont, want to Labour this one too much, but I thought it might be a thrat to copmanies such as Georges and Pauls

Plus my Local Milkman.

Going back to Double Glazing when I failed to sell The stuff  my month of Hell.

I was told off if I went home before two am and did not take my slippers

[kiral1404]

Hi, I'm a window cleaner living in Luton. I haven't seen anything in the local papers about some ban. Started heavily door knocking in the past 2 weeks.
Picked up about 20 customers doing upto 2 hours a night. 3 nights a week.
People almost embrace me saying they haven't seen one for years.

I say hi my name is x, i'm a window cleaner expanding my round do you have a window cleaner.

They mostly say " Yes we do but thanks anyway" or "no, but we want one"

Theres no hard sell just a simple question.

[Ian Gourlay]

I am glad you are still able to knock in Luton.

However about four weeks ago there was someone trying to start a Patio preasure wash business from Luton saying that it had been banned in Luton.

Perhaps he was going to the wrong areas.

[Eddie Conroy]

 Hi all,
I have applied to be an approved trader under the trading standards new scheme and the conditions  they want to impose are that I did not enter into 'any communication with customers' when leaflet dropping, as well as agreeing not to door knock.

However they have now have agreed that I can door knock to 'promote' my business after I explained that my new business derives almost equally from Yellow page customer (and referrals from them) as against cold called customers (and likewise referrals from them)
They appear to understand that as my business is new and the stream of recommendations (approximately 25%) will grow  so there will be a lesser need for door knocking in the future.
If a customer wishes to speak to me about business I should ask him to ring me at home so that we can take it further.

The provisions of the ‘Cancellation of business concluded away from Business Premises Regulations would still have apply.

Regards
Eddie

[kiral1404]

10 minutes after my post spoke to the missus who told me there were signs locally on street lamps about no cold calling areas. First i'd heard of it. I am also a pressure washing / window cleaning business started in july put out about 7,000 leaflets locally had no problems. Got fair bit of work from these too.

Until it becomes law i won't stop if it becomes law then new businesses will fold and the government rely on people like us. they may reform it to rid the cowboys but thats likely to be it.