Was I Wrong?

[happymomma]

I wanted to get an idea to see if I was wrong in what I did. I really hope I didn't cause a huge error on my part. My DD (6 years old) is selling Girl Scout Cookies. So I put out the form on my floor in my office. In addition, I also put it on another floor (our company has multiple floors). I would just put it in the lunch room with the sign up sheet and a post it saying that it was for my DD and she is a Daisy. I only put it on 2 floors. My floor and another floor but out office has 4 floors. The other floor that I put it on had no other signup sheets so I thought it would be fine to do. I work with a lot of the people on the other floors. Well today I get a call from a coworker who I would consider a friend. She asked that I remove the cookie form for my daughter and just have it on my floor because her daughter was selling cookies also. I was alittle taken aback by this because I don't think I would have asked someone to do that. But I was nice and told her that I would do it and that it wasn't an issue. But I was alittle shocked that she asked me to do that but at the same time I don't want our working relationship to be hurt by this. I hate confrontations and overall I think I dealt with it well. I told her that I would take it down asap and asked alittle about her daughter's troop. She said that she hadn't started selling but was bringing it in today. Is there a hard and fast rule about not putting up the sign up sheet?

[Mamabear4]

I would check with HR. our company doesn't let you put up any sign up sheets on the floor or outside of cubes. You have to use a special are in the break room or the employee classifieds section of our intranet.
ETA: I think your response was fine and wouldn't worry about it impacting your relationship with coworker.

[wellyes]

My company did not allow selling at all.

If selling is allowed, I honestly think it was fine of her to ask to have "rights" to her floor. She is just asking for exactly the same thing you have, a cookie sheet to put out to her most direct coworkers.

I think you did fine by agreeing. Everyone is happy in the end.

[ahisma]

I don't think that you were wrong, but don't think that she was wrong for asking either. Girl Scout cookie turfs are funny things - and I think it takes a lot of goodwill on everyone's part to avoid hurt feelings.

I think that she was just nicely giving you a heads up that her DD is selling cookies too and that she would like the opportunity to sell to people on her floor.

DH used to bring DD's list to his high school - he coordinated with other teachers who brought in sheets for their DD's to ensure that things went smoothly. At the end, there were 2 teachers in his department selling but none in Math - so he did Math instead.

[egoldber]

I would check with HR. our company doesn't let you put up any sign up sheets on the floor or outside of cubes.

:yeahthat:

We're not allowed to solicit sales. I do it, but only by word of mouth. More of an "FYI, if anyone wants cookies, my DD is selling them....". And technically even that is not allowed.

[megs4413]

I don't think that you were wrong, but don't think that she was wrong for asking either. Girl Scout cookie turfs are funny things - and I think it takes a lot of goodwill on everyone's part to avoid hurt feelings.


this, exactly!

[kbud]

I don't think you were wrong but back in my working days I hated when co-works sold things for their kids at work. Just my opinion that things like that should stay out of the office. It sounds like you did it without making any feel pressured though so that is good. I would check the HR policies though.

[happymomma]

Thanks! I feel better. It is okay for us to sell items in the lunchroom. I've seen people just put out the signup sheet so that it's not a hard sale. But I agree with some of you. Cookie selling is hard to navigate but am glad that I didn't completely alienate a coworker.

[BabyBearsMom]

I don't think you were wrong. But, I also don't think she should be asking you to move your sheet. She can put her sheet next to your sheet, it isn't a big deal. I think it is weird that she called you about it. I do think you did the right thing by not confronting her and just taking your sheet off of her floor. No point in fighting with someone at work over girl scout cookies.

[rin]

I don't think you were wrong. But, I also don't think she should be asking you to move your sheet. She can put her sheet next to your sheet, it isn't a big deal. I think it is weird that she called you about it. I do think you did the right thing by not confronting her and just taking your sheet off of her floor. No point in fighting with someone at work over girl scout cookies.

:yeahthat:

I personally always love it when people sell Girl Scout cookies! I hate pushy door-to-door selling, but in my office days I was thrilled when a coworker brought in a cookie sheet.

[psimpson3-5]

I don't think you were wrong but back in my working days I hated when co-works sold things for their kids at work. Just my opinion that things like that should stay out of the office. It sounds like you did it without making any feel pressured though so that is good. I would check the HR policies though.

I couldn't agree with you more. My father would NEVER sell anything on my behalf. He would be happy to accompany me on selling door to door (we knew our neighbors) or sitting in front of a convenience store or supermarket. He always said it was my job to sell the items, not his. DS is very young though, we'll see if my opinion changes when it's his turn to sell something..... :)

[Globetrotter]

This is why I hate fund raising sales!

I think it's okay that she asked, but I wouldn't have had the guts to do so in her position.

[YouAreTheFocus]

I don't think you did anything wrong. As long as your company allows it, you can put your sheet in whichever lunchrooms you please :) Just b/c your office is split over 4 floors doesn't make the other floors not your office anymore!

Honestly I do find it a bit strange that she would actually call you up and ask you to remove it. If it were me, I would notice your sheet and think "Oh rats, Sue beat me to it!" And maybe put mine out with yours, thinking people who were closer to me would choose mine anyway.

[wellyes]

I couldn't agree with you more. My father would NEVER sell anything on my behalf. He would be happy to accompany me on selling door to door (we knew our neighbors) or sitting in front of a convenience store or supermarket. He always said it was my job to sell the items, not his. DS is very young though, we'll see if my opinion changes when it's his turn to sell something..... :)

Past preschool age, I will not buy an item from a child unless it is the child selling to me.

[newnana]

Past preschool age, I will not buy an item from a child unless it is the child selling to me.

I like this theory. And most of the rest of the time I have no problem following this, but those dang thin mints get me.

[MamaMolly]

I don't think that you were wrong, but don't think that she was wrong for asking either. Girl Scout cookie turfs are funny things - and I think it takes a lot of goodwill on everyone's part to avoid hurt feelings.

I think that she was just nicely giving you a heads up that her DD is selling cookies too and that she would like the opportunity to sell to people on her floor.


:yeahthat: This is what I was thinking too.

[MamaMolly]

Thanks! I feel better. It is okay for us to sell items in the lunchroom. I've seen people just put out the signup sheet so that it's not a hard sale. But I agree with some of you. Cookie selling is hard to navigate but am glad that I didn't completely alienate a coworker.

I think you handled it really well! :)

[vonfirmath]

I couldn't agree with you more. My father would NEVER sell anything on my behalf. He would be happy to accompany me on selling door to door (we knew our neighbors) or sitting in front of a convenience store or supermarket. He always said it was my job to sell the items, not his. DS is very young though, we'll see if my opinion changes when it's his turn to sell something..... :)

This was my dad. We were not allowed to take the Girl Scout Cookie stuff to church and he wouldn't take it to work. We could go door to door or sell in front of stores.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I don't think you were wrong. But, I also don't think she should be asking you to move your sheet. She can put her sheet next to your sheet, it isn't a big deal. I think it is weird that she called you about it. I do think you did the right thing by not confronting her and just taking your sheet off of her floor. No point in fighting with someone at work over girl scout cookies.

this, exactly. i would have been annoyed by her request to remove your sheet on her floor. though i would have agreed..no sense in fighting over it.

in any case, you were not wrong at all, there is no way you could have known not to put your sheet there. i would have considered her request a little rude, IMO . she could have just put her sheet next to yours..i'm sure her friends/coworkers who knew her would have chosen her sheet anyway.

[AnnieW625]

I think what you did was fine. If I were the other parent I would not have said anything and honestly I think when people see two sheets they'll order from both people. That is what I did in my office when I had that option. Next year when my boss' daughter sells cookies I will be selling them as well for my DD (it will be her first year of Brownies) so I am hoping we can split it somehow.

We have to sell by word of mouth as well. We used to be able to leave sheets in the lunch room, but that changed a couple of years ago.

My dad sold cookies for me at work, but I had at least met his co workers once and I think I may have even delivered them on a day off of school.

Honestly though selling Girl Scout cookies at 7 yrs. old outside a supermarket once or twice was the first clue that I knew I was not bound to be in sales.

[twowhat?]

Is this reminding anyone of an Everybody Loves Raymond episode???

OP, I think what you did was fine. I'd be a little surprised by her request as well - but whatever.

[mackmama]

If selling is allowed, I honestly think it was fine of her to ask to have "rights" to her floor. She is just asking for exactly the same thing you have, a cookie sheet to put out to her most direct coworkers.

I think you did fine by agreeing. Everyone is happy in the end.

:yeahthat:

[s7714]

I don't think that you were wrong, but don't think that she was wrong for asking either. Girl Scout cookie turfs are funny things - and I think it takes a lot of goodwill on everyone's part to avoid hurt feelings.

I think that she was just nicely giving you a heads up that her DD is selling cookies too and that she would like the opportunity to sell to people on her floor.

:yeahthat:
I honestly would have asked you to remove the sign on my floor too. Although I would have had my sign up first thing that morning! ;)

[Corie]

I couldn't agree with you more. My father would NEVER sell anything on my behalf. He would be happy to accompany me on selling door to door (we knew our neighbors) or sitting in front of a convenience store or supermarket. He always said it was my job to sell the items, not his.


This is exactly how my husband and I feel too.

DH refuses to take the order form to work. He told our daughter that
the cookies are her fundraiser, not his. He is not going to do the work
for her.

So we go door-to-door selling with her.

[indigo99]

With all other fundraisers, I can understand everyone saying that the kids should do it themselves. However, I have a different view on GS cookies. I almost feel like someone is doing a service when they offer to sell them to me *lol* The more buying outlets I have, the better. Samoas... YUM!

OP, if you had only put one out on your own floor, and then SHE put one out on your floor as well later... how would you have felt? I know that isn't the same because you didn't know that anyone else was planning to do it when you put yours out, but I'm just wondering if you also feel like you have dibs on your own floor. I'm also wondering what that lady would do if someone else on her own floor tried to put one out after she does.

[PZMommy]

With all other fundraisers, I can understand everyone saying that the kids should do it themselves. However, I have a different view on GS cookies. I almost feel like someone is doing a service when they offer to sell them to me *lol* The more buying outlets I have, the better. Samoas... YUM!

.

I agree! One of my co workers used to bring the order form to sell cookies for her niece. Her niece is now too old girl scouts. As a result, I had to search for some one else to be my supplier. lol I can't resist girl scout cookies, and will buy them from several girl scouts if given the opportunity.

[kijip]

I don't think either you or your co-worker did anything wrong considering that sales are allowed at your workplace. That said, if I were her I would have just put the sheet on both floors as well.

That said, I never sold stuff for my sons at my work and tend to be on favor of prohibiting sales as an office policy. It's like a big circle of recycled money - if you sell, you buy. Seems inefficient!

[happymomma]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I definitely feel better after discussing with you guys. I even bought a couple of boxes of cookies from her daughter for goodwill. :)

[AshleyAnn]

Maybe its because I work in an smaller close office but several parents bring in cookie sheets and most people bought a box or two from each family. I'm sure our receptionist got the most buyers since she would harass us everytime we passed her but other parents went as far as bringing the kids into the office so they could go office to office selling. I dont even like cookies and I ended up with 4 boxes (2 of which I ended reselling after cookie season to coworkers LOL)

[LizLemon]

I don't think either you or your co-worker did anything wrong considering that sales are allowed at your workplace. That said, if I were her I would have just put the sheet on both floors as well.

That said, I never sold stuff for my sons at my work and tend to be on favor of prohibiting sales as an office policy. It's like a big circle of recycled money - if you sell, you buy. Seems inefficient!

I don't have any children old enough to have dealt with this scenario yet. My dad never sold for us at work. He thought it was inappropriate, as he was in a higher level position, and did not want to feel as is he was in any way influencing or pressuring his subordinates to buy cookies even just by bring the sheet in to work. (It would have really helped my sales totals, though!)

Now that I am in a similar position I get where he is coming from. I probably will not do it. A lot of the nurses and techs bring in things that their kids are selling, and it's almost all overpriced crap that I have no interest in. So I have never bought anything. If somebody would sell GS cookies, I'd be all over that! :heartbeat: (Likewise citrus fruits or high quality wrapping paper. Those may be expensive, but those are kid sale items I can get behind.)