“Can I Have That Back…?”

Twice in recent years I’ve had a door-to-door salesperson come to my door and start off by handing me something free, something small.

The most recent occurrence was a couple of weeks ago, and the guy who came to the door handed me a small pack of tissues before launching into his sales pitch. (I forget what he was selling.) He gestured to a beaten-up car on the street and said his boss was in it and wanted to give me a demo of whatever it was. I said, no, I didn’t have time. He didn’t try to counter that, but he did ask if he could have the tissues back so he could offer them to someone else. I gave them back.

I find the tactic annoying, but I can see why they do it. Giving a householder something will make him or her feel obligated to listen to the spiel. But if the salesperson is going to use that tactic, they shouldn’t ask for the item back – they look petty and cheap when they do that. And the next time someone comes calling using that tactic, I’m reminded of how annoyed I was the last time someone used it and therefore I’m less likely to respond favorably.

I think the next time this happens, before I take the item I’ll say, “I’ll take that if you’re offering it, but I’m not giving it back. I’ll listen to a brief sales pitch, but I’m not giving this back. Still want me to give it to me?”