How to Deal with Solicitors at Your Door

Whether you work from home, stay home with your kids or both, you probably experience unwanted knocks at your door from time to time (or pretty regularly at my house). You might find someone standing outside trying to sell you meat from a freezer in the back of their truck (I’ve read about this; it really happens to people!) or members of local churches trying to get you to convert to their religion – no matter how many times you tell them you already have one – or any other solicitor.

No matter what they want, they’re distracting. They take you away from your work, interrupt your work calls, ring the bell in the middle of nursing your brand new baby or ring the bell two minutes after you get your sick toddler to fall asleep, causing the dog to go crazy and the baby to wake up. Unwanted visitors are just that; unwanted. Here’s how to deter them.

Use a Sign

This might deter some people from coming to your home and ringing your bell. Some solicitors will take your “Baby sleeping” or “Do not disturb” signs literally and walk away. Others might walk up, read it and leave their paperwork at your step. Either way, most people won’t bother knocking or ringing the bell and bothering your family.

Open the Door and Be Honest

Sometimes – in my case, anyway – signs aren’t always useful. Some people think that it applies to everyone but them and they’ll do what they want at your door regardless. In this instance, you have to open the door and be polite but firm. As a work-from-home mom with two little ones and twins on the way, I’ve been interrupted three to four times a week by the same religious group for months. I’ve left nice signs, nasty signs, mean signs, threatening signs – everything. Finally, I just opened the door and politely informed them that I have a religion, I’m very happy with it, theirs is not mine and that they are waking up my children and interrupting my work. I asked that they please not bother me again because it’s an unfair waste of everyone’s time and they’ve yet to return. It’s not so difficult.

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