Faux Pas To You, Too

There are times when I’ll come up with a response to a statement made by a salesman that kinda stops the conversation stone cold dead as the other party has no idea what to say. The times are infrequent, or I just don’t remember other occurrences, but there are two that stand out that have happened during the last couple of years.

Carpet tracks

A door-to-door salesman knocked on the door along with his sidekick to demonstrate a top of the line vacuum cleaner. As they entered the house, a huge sealed box was carried inside. It appeared that attachments were easy to install as they pulled out piece by piece.

The main gimmick was the offer to shampoo a couple of rooms and a well-worn path down a hallway. Although the carpet was frequently attended too, a filter on the new cleaner clearly showed there was much more dirt embedded in the thick pile than what was picked up by the contraption I had used maybe three to four years.

The lead salesman made the statement that a good vacuum cleaner will leave wheel tracks in its path. I didn’t quite understand why he made mention of this but I made a simple words that “The cleaner I have still leaves tracks…” The young man just stared back at me, not knowing what to say, apparently never having had a prospective buyer make such a statement. The silence was profound until I assured him I was impressed with the quality cleaning performed by his merchandise.

The cleaner sold itself. With metal parts and little plastic, it will surely keep on going when I’m gone.


Bugging the technician

After a year of living in my home, it was time to renew the annual contract with a pest control company – the same one that originally treated the perimeter for subterranean termites. As the technician made his way around the house, I happened to be on the porch as he was spraying around the soffit and kindly asked him what he was doing. When he said he was treating around the house for other insects, I made the comment that I do it on a monthly basis with Home Defense and have no problems.

He stared at me, not sure if how to respond to a service that I hadn’t requested and may not need. The silence was finally broken when I made the evaluation that his chemical treatment would last longer than a consumer product and that it was okay to continue the work.

Me Too

True, I’ve also stood dumbfounded at a response that someone has made to a statement of mine. I know what it feels like to be in that situation, but it’s more fun when the other party takes the brunt of my response to their statement.