Sky Salesman being very pushy to get access to house to see TV set up

jack presley

It might be legit but it seemed a bit dodgy to me but I just had 2 Sky reps call to my house and they were quite insistent on getting access to my living room to see my TV set up. I'm in Castlecurragh by the way. I told them I was with UPC and quite happy with them but they wanted to give me a quote anyway but needed to come into the living room to do it.

I wasn't letting them in anyway so I didn't ask for ID (they did have the literature but they could get that anywhere I suppose) but has anyone else had this kind of pushy sales from Sky?

MarkR

Wouldn't let them in. That is very odd. If you feel comfortable, ask for ID and contact their employer. If not, just say no and close the door. Firmly.

Hootanany

Very dodgy you did right.

January

The guys were here two hours ago and neither were pushy. They came in and I got a quote. I.D. is legit.

jack presley

January wrote: »

The guys were here two hours ago and neither were pushy. They came in and I got a quote. I.D. is legit.

Fair enough but why do they need to see my set up to give me a quote? I told them at the door what package I had but they insisted on coming in to see it before giving me a quote.

aN.Droid

jack presley wrote: »

Fair enough but why do they need to see my set up to give me a quote? I told them at the door what package I had but they insisted on coming in to see it before giving me a quote.

If they are in your home then they have a higher chance of swaying you to buy there package as they can make themselves comfortable and get to talk to you for longer.

Nice Martyr

Worked for Sky for 3 weeks in Galway. They train you to be very, very pushy and almost force your way into a house. Thank god I left. Don't think there is anything to worry about.

leggo

I worked door-to-door selling Sky for two weeks. If you've read the stories in the work & jobs forum, you'll know the score with these so I won't expand. But yeah, part of the idea of the pitch is to get into the house asap, as a person is more likely to buy once you've let them that far. And, as there is a massive turnover in these jobs, you'll often encounter horrible, horrible salesperson.

So there was nothing suspicious about them, I'd say. Just poor sales skills.

KoolKid

Its a sales tactic. Years ago working for Horizon Multichannel we were also told get inside the door at the first opportunity. It was always based on , we need to see how the cabeling will work/where to locate the box etc...
Its much easier to get business inside & the customer is comfortable.

Thoie

KoolKid wrote: »

Its a sales tactic. Years ago working for Horizon Multichannel we were also told get inside the door at the first opportunity. It was always based on , we need to see how the cabeling will work/where to locate the box etc...
Its much easier to get business inside & the customer is comfortable.

Whereas I'm with the OP, and would be extremely uncomfortable with strangers in my house. I wouldn't let them in in the first place, and I'd get creeped out if they were pushing it.

KoolKid

Yeah, I understand but If done right you should be comfortable with it.
These guys have no paitence or sales experience its probobly a days training 7 be off with ya...;)

helen48

Last year a friend of a friend became a sky sales rep,he got my number and kept ringing and pestering me to get it,even do I had it he wanted me to cancel and sign up with him,anyway i was too polite and kept saying ill think about it until one night he rang me trying to convince me but I finally said no . 2seconds after getting off the phone to him he must have rediallled unknowingly and i answered to hear him mouthing "ill get around that b***h and call her housemate instead". I went ballistic phoned him back,and was not very polite!!

jackdock88

Do not let them into your house. They only want your money. If Op is happy with UPC he should not feel pressurized into letting these thugs into his house

KoolKid

helen48 wrote: »

Last year an ex friend of a friend became a sky sales rep,

FYP

athtrasna

I am a director in our development and no dishes are allowed. I had two Sky guys accost me in the car park (they even seemed to know what I was driving as they were waiting for me to pull up) to try and convince me to change the policy. They had been canvassing the development to try and get people to sign a petition :mad: I pointed out that it was in the planning permission for the development but they still pushed me on it for a good ten minutes, worse than the Chuggers on Grafton Street!

Thoie

athtrasna wrote: »

I am a director in our development and no dishes are allowed. I had two Sky guys accost me in the car park (they even seemed to know what I was driving as they were waiting for me to pull up) to try and convince me to change the policy. They had been canvassing the development to try and get people to sign a petition :mad: I pointed out that it was in the planning permission for the development but they still pushed me on it for a good ten minutes, worse than the Chuggers on Grafton Street!

Just for your own info, if everyone really does want Sky, the management company can discuss "Sky for apartments", where there's essentially a single dish (depending on the size/layout) of the building "hidden" on the roof (with planning regulations), and anyone who wants to sign up can be linked to that.

Our planning permission also states no dishes, but when we looked into it, it was allowed to have dishes hidden on the roof.

Regardless, I'd be irritated by being accosted like that on my way home as well, and would have told them in no uncertain terms to address their queries in writing to the management company for consideration at the next meeting.

athtrasna

Thoie wrote: »

Just for your own info, if everyone really does want Sky, the management company can discuss "Sky for apartments", where there's essentially a single dish (depending on the size/layout) of the building "hidden" on the roof (with planning regulations), and anyone who wants to sign up can be linked to that.

Our planning permission also states no dishes, but when we looked into it, it was allowed to have dishes hidden on the roof.

Regardless, I'd be irritated by being accosted like that on my way home as well, and would have told them in no uncertain terms to address their queries in writing to the management company for consideration at the next meeting.

Our AGM recently re-iterated our lease position, which in conjunction with legal advice, allows for the removal of two rogue dishes errected by tenants (who think they have the right to drill holes in external walls :eek: ). There certainly isn't a demand for Sky here.

Also we would need more like 12 dishes, and face a situation like in a neighbouring cluster where they got shared Sky and suddenly almost every non-Irish resident stuck up Lidl dishes stating that the dishes didn't provide programming for them - that has all gone legal now too. Sky knew all of this, we had contacted them after receiving repeated mailings on group dish schemes.

Hilly Bill

jack presley wrote: »

It might be legit but it seemed a bit dodgy to me but I just had 2 Sky reps call to my house and they were quite insistent on getting access to my living room to see my TV set up. I'm in Castlecurragh by the way. I told them I was with UPC and quite happy with them but they wanted to give me a quote anyway but needed to come into the living room to do it.

I wasn't letting them in anyway so I didn't ask for ID (they did have the literature but they could get that anywhere I suppose) but has anyone else had this kind of pushy sales from Sky?

Ive had them calling and saying that they want to check the telly to see if its compatible. I just tell them that ive no interest and they leave it at that. I never do the doorstep challenge so to speak .

Turbulent Bill

Hilly Bill wrote: »

I never do the doorstep challenge so to speak .

This is my attitude to any salesperson who shows up at my door - a polite "No thanks, I'm not interested" followed by closing the door. Even if I am interested in something, I'll always go to directly to the supplier or some recognised 3rd-party rather than buying off a stranger at my door, who probably knows little or nothing about the product.

Never understood why companies use these tactics, though they must work on enough people to make money. Personally I think Sky gives a much better, cheaper service than UPC (have it about a year), so there's no need for the hard sell. They have frequent offers (see Bargain Alerts forum) with Fatcheese etc. too.

Seen that lot hanging around at spar yesterday alright. Don't let them in it's a sales pitch but you can't blame the poor necessity driven people having to work at that poxy job.

Morag

Don't tell them who you are currently with, you are under no obligation to tell them that.
Tell them "No I am not telling you, I have no interested in changing, I have no interest in talking to you." They get told to push until they get told No 3 times. If they are still trying to persist and not going away, tell them to leave your property.

Trying to get inside the door is a new tactic, had sales reps for Sky and Eircom try the same thing and both got the 3 Nos and to told to leave.

dirtynosebeps

do not sign any contracts with these guys if already have a service with sky or upc until you've read your T&C's of your provider. in fact that would go for any change over from one provider to another. you may be liable to pay incur charges and fees with your own provider.
a few years back we got conned by a few sky reps. i had sky and they encouraged us to set up a new contract with the wife. they told us that i could cancel my account immediately with sky and the new account with my wife would be set up. not only did we have a new account but we had to give 30 days notice. be under no illusion. what these guys did to us and could do to you was and is illegal. these guys are on commission.
please dont be conned like we were.

Hilly Bill

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

This is my attitude to any salesperson who shows up at my door - a polite "No thanks, I'm not interested" followed by closing the door. Even if I am interested in something, I'll always go to directly to the supplier or some recognised 3rd-party rather than buying off a stranger at my door, who probably knows little or nothing about the product.

Never understood why companies use these tactics, though they must work on enough people to make money. Personally I think Sky gives a much better, cheaper service than UPC (have it about a year), so there's no need for the hard sell. They have frequent offers (see Bargain Alerts forum) with Fatcheese etc. too.

I told him that if i wanted sky i would ring sky themselves. He told me its cheaper if i go through him because they are local and not having to go through some office down the country. He even gave out about the other so called sky reps in different coloured jackets.
Ive had the "Can i check your telly to see if its compatible" routine before, i just reply that its a telly so its bound to be compatible and that im not watching sky sports on my toaster .
My attitude is the same for the charity callers as well as these also get paid to collect money for well know charities .

zef

Normally door callers really annoy me, but those lads called to me last week also. Told straight away i'm happy with upc, an yer man starts chatting about how great it is to have a job after x months on the dole.
Even offered me a 'shop-bought' cigarette (as opposed to filthy rollies).
Kinda felt sorry for him having to go round doors, but still i'm not going to change providers because i feel a bit sorry for him.