Don’t Girl Scouts go door to door anymore for selling cookies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a shame for the girls to lose out on the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone, put themselves out there, practice their communication and etiquette skills, learn some sales skills, and have the responsibility for completing paperwork and handling money. It’s empowering for them to do those things.

However, the world has changed. In addition to a pandemic having limited contact with others in the recent past and technological advances, society is more risk averse with children, there are no longer a ton of SAHMs who can accompany their daughters on two rounds to houses (to make sales and then deliver the cookies), people aren’t as likely to answer their doors for strangers anymore, and consumers don’t want to deal with cash.

Virtually every single actual girl scout parent here said their girls DO still sell door to door.
I'm a leader, and I thikn about 75% of my girls went door to door this year.
We went over safety rules as a troop and did some role playing for door knocking and booth sales (including how to respectfully ask people walking into and out of grocery stores and how to say "thanks! have a great day!" to anyone who doesn't want cookies.)

Things were definitely wonky the last two years though - figuring out COVID and managing everyone's comfort level was a challenge. We're in Central Maryland, not nations Capital, so our coookies sales just ended for this year. It was SO nice to be back to a normal year and not have to worry about socially distanced booths and stuff!

Thanks to all who support our Girl Scouts!

[Anonymous]

This is a little off-topic, but I’m starting to get a little resentful about the shrinking amount of cookies in each box every year. Last year I opened up my dosi does end there were so few cookies in there I felt cheated, which I am sure is not what the Girl Scouts are going for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They mostly have their mom post a go fund me type message on social media for them. The girls don’t seem to do any work.

I won’t buy from links because that’s the mom selling, not the girl. The one time I did, it was because the Girl Scout had a couple of very effective video sales pitches.

I have a Brownie and I don't like online sales either. The organization encourages online sales by offering badges specifically for that (making a video, emailing, social media) but of course most are too young to have email and social media. Mine writes her own video script; I distribute the link because she can't but I assure my friends they don't need to buy.

I love Girl Scouts, and fundraising is necessary to make it happen. We definitely appreciate those who buy cookies, regardless of how or where.

The way around that is to just enter all the in-person sales from your spreadsheet onto the website as a single order to yourself. We do online sales for out of town friends and relatives but door to door for everything else and DD still gets the personalized electronic sales badge most every year.

Or buy a patch from snappy logos and just don't worry about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish they (and all the other groups) weren’t outside the grocery stores. I hate being accosted as I’m going in and out of the store.

So being asked “would you like to buy some cookies?” by a 10 year old is being accosted? Lady you need to unclench and get out more. A quick no thank you is the response you need to learn.

Or call the police since you were accosted

In fairness, the kids in our unit (Cub Scouts), have a swarm mentality and need parents to really reign that in. We actually moved to limiting booth sales to no more then 3 kids and are continually reminding the kids that only one person should approach a person at a time and that they have already spoken to that person. It is not a one time conversation with the kids but a reminder every 10-15 minutes and it is not just the younger kids. The Webelos (9-11 years old) have the same issue. I can fully see where it can be overwhelming to parents. Our first couple of years in the Pack there was not a limit on the number of kids at storefronts and you would have 5-6 kids approaching one person. Yes we work on it and we remind the kids but it requires that the adults are paying attention to what is happening. I can see that there might be units that the Adults are not paying as much attention and where it can be overwhelming.

[Anonymous]

We do go door to door but it’s pretty discouraging because it’s really hard to find people at home or they just don’t answer the door. We’ve been doing this for years and now my daughter will generally only go to houses where she knows people like the cookies. I did convince her to try a new neighbor that just moved in this year. Door sales ended Sunday otherwise I’d tell you to post on your neighborhood listserve to ask someone to come by. Booth sales will be in feb and March — you can check GSCNC.org to search online for where to find a booth.

As far as accosting, all GS should know that they follow the GS law in sales — which includes being friendly and helpful, honest and fair, considerate and caring, respectful, etc. I’ve really never seen girls who weren’t, but if you have an issue, please just remind the girls and the adults with them of the GS Law. Sometimes kids get carried away and forget their better selves. My girls are enthusiastic sellers but know that if someone says no, their response is “thank you. Have a great day.” (If you say something like “I don’t have cash” they may say “we take credit!” And if you say “I don’t eat gluten” they may say “we have a gluten free cookie” etc/. So if you really don’t want them, just say no thank you)

[Anonymous]

I only got links from parents, which I hate. Of course I bought them, but I guess I'm a fuddy-duddy on this point: the kids themselves should be going door-to-door; it's good for their social development to learn to talk to adults. (And yes, my mom and dad forced me to do that when I was a kid; they refused to take my sheet to their offices).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish they (and all the other groups) weren’t outside the grocery stores. I hate being accosted as I’m going in and out of the store.

So being asked “would you like to buy some cookies?” by a 10 year old is being accosted? Lady you need to unclench and get out more. A quick no thank you is the response you need to learn.

Or call the police since you were accosted

In fairness, the kids in our unit (Cub Scouts), have a swarm mentality and need parents to really reign that in. We actually moved to limiting booth sales to no more then 3 kids and are continually reminding the kids that only one person should approach a person at a time and that they have already spoken to that person. It is not a one time conversation with the kids but a reminder every 10-15 minutes and it is not just the younger kids. The Webelos (9-11 years old) have the same issue. I can fully see where it can be overwhelming to parents. Our first couple of years in the Pack there was not a limit on the number of kids at storefronts and you would have 5-6 kids approaching one person.[i] Yes we work on it and we remind the kids but it requires that the adults are paying attention to what is happening. I can see that there might be units that the Adults are not paying as much attention and where it can be overwhelming.

Oh I learned that lesson really quickly my first year as a leader! We had four girls at each booth and it was a HUGE challenge. Now we generally limit it to 2 girls at a booth, although sometimes we'll have 3 depending on the girls and the booth circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a little off-topic, but I’m starting to get a little resentful about the shrinking amount of cookies in each box every year. Last year I opened up my dosi does end there were so few cookies in there I felt cheated, which I am sure is not what the Girl Scouts are going for.

I think they are really hesitant to raise the price, so the effect of inflation is fewer cookies in each box. The same thing that chips and cereal sellers do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a little off-topic, but I’m starting to get a little resentful about the shrinking amount of cookies in each box every year. Last year I opened up my dosi does end there were so few cookies in there I felt cheated, which I am sure is not what the Girl Scouts are going for.

I think they are really hesitant to raise the price, so the effect of inflation is fewer cookies in each box. The same thing that chips and cereal sellers do.

I hate it too. It’s happening in grocery stores as PP mentioned. Even restaurants in some I’ve started noticing smaller portions for the same price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a little off-topic, but I’m starting to get a little resentful about the shrinking amount of cookies in each box every year. Last year I opened up my dosi does end there were so few cookies in there I felt cheated, which I am sure is not what the Girl Scouts are going for.

Shrinkflation comes for us all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a little off-topic, but I’m starting to get a little resentful about the shrinking amount of cookies in each box every year. Last year I opened up my dosi does end there were so few cookies in there I felt cheated, which I am sure is not what the Girl Scouts are going for.

I think they are really hesitant to raise the price, so the effect of inflation is fewer cookies in each box. The same thing that chips and cereal sellers do.

I hate it too. It’s happening in grocery stores as PP mentioned. Even restaurants in some I’ve started noticing smaller portions for the same price.

and bars of soap, and cartons of ice cream, and boxes of cereal, and bottles of detergent, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a little off-topic, but I’m starting to get a little resentful about the shrinking amount of cookies in each box every year. Last year I opened up my dosi does end there were so few cookies in there I felt cheated, which I am sure is not what the Girl Scouts are going for.

I think they are really hesitant to raise the price, so the effect of inflation is fewer cookies in each box. The same thing that chips and cereal sellers do.

This started before Covid but I agree that shrinkflation is coming for us all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I only got links from parents, which I hate. Of course I bought them, but I guess I'm a fuddy-duddy on this point: the kids themselves should be going door-to-door; it's good for their social development to learn to talk to adults. (And yes, my mom and dad forced me to do that when I was a kid; they refused to take my sheet to their offices).

Girl Scouts really encourages the digital sales (and as a cookie manager they make my job WAY easier with less potential for coming up short at the end of the sale). For my daughter, I have her use the tools on the website (the audio and video recording) to record a pitch that at least explains what they're going to do with the money and why she likes being a Girl Scout, which I think helps with her getting something out of it (more than me just putting a sheet out in the office kitchen, at least). I also think pretty much every troop does booth sales, which give the girls lots of chances to talk to adults, handle money, etc. and I really feel like I see the girls growing when they do the booths.

[Anonymous]

We had a few cadets come by yesterday and our brownie is working on her pitch now.

[Anonymous]

We don’t bother to go door to door anymore because most people don’t answer the door. For the number of sales we get it’s just not worth the time.