No Representatives Seen Without An Appointment

There is a notice on the entrance door to the building: “NO REPRESENTATIVES SEEN WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT”. This often is the source of nonsense. Here is a typical scenario...

My boss: “Is that someone at the door?”

Me: “Yes it is.”

My boss: “Who is it?”

Me: “I don’t know.”

My boss: “I’m not expecting any visitors, who is it?” <My boss goes to the door to investigate>.

My boss: “Yes?”

Person at the door: “Oh, hello. I’m from such and such a company and I wondered if I could have a word with the owner.”

My boss: “I am the owner.”

Person at the door: “Oh great, good to meet you. We’re in the area at the moment and I wonder if I could interest you in such and such a product?”

My boss <pointing to the notice on the door>: “We don’t see representatives without an appointment!”

Person at the door: “Oh yes, I see. Could I make an appointment to see you then?”

My boss: “You’d have to phone up.”

Person at the door: “Could I have the phone number then please?”

My boss: “I’m not giving you the phone number; I don’t know who you are.”

Person at the door: “I just introduced myself before.”

My boss: “Well I don’t want you to phone here; I get enough phone calls from people trying to sell me things I don’t want.”

Person at the door: “Why didn’t you just say you weren’t interested?”

My boss: “Look, we don’t see representatives without an appointment – I haven’t got time for all this. I’m far too busy.”

<Person is no longer at the door>

My boss: “I’m sick of people wasting my time. Can’t they read? We don’t see people without an appointment. It’s terrible!”

Me: “Hmm, yes, it’s terrible.”