- Telephone solicitations from vendors are disrupting the normal flow of work.
- Receiving products on approval or for evaluation and then having to return them entails considerable hassle.
- Some solicitors’ return policies generate sufficient hassle to encourage recipients to accept and pay for products.
The following policy is established to prevent the receipt of unwanted, unneeded or duplicated products.
- Only unit managers are authorized to accept products via telephone solicitations.
- Staff members may not accept products for evaluation.
- Staff members should not engage in lengthy conversations with telephone solicitors.
- OIT will not accept financial responsibility for any product received by a staff member who has not adhered to this policy.
- OIT suggests the following response to telephone solicitations:
“OIT’s policy is to not accept products offered via telephone solicitations.
However, I would be glad to evaluate any free, non-returnable brochures or samples you would like to send me.” - OIT staff should not directly refer unsolicited sales calls to other staff members.
- One alternative is to obtain and send the caller’s contact information to other OIT staff.