Have you ever encountered such startling levels of stupidity as to make you want to wring your hands in sheer frustration and despair - or even the necks of po-faced, petty perpetrators of moronic madness on a massively-monumental scale? (Yes, I know "massively" is redundant in that sentence, but I'm waxing lyrical.) Here is such a tale.
So, I'm walking past a charity shop in the main shopping centre of my town when I see a teddy bear through the glass frontage and decide to buy it for someone I know. I ask inside and am told it's not for sale - it's a display item only. At the back of the shop are various other teddies of diverse shapes and sizes sitting on a low shelf, which are for sale. "Can't you sell me the teddy I want and replace it with one of the others?" I enquire. In short, "No!"
"Why not?" I ask politely. "Because it's for display only, not for sale!" comes the reply. The shop's most expensive teddy is only £3, so I offer them a tenner for the one I want. "It's not for sale!" I'm told again. "But can't you use one of the other bears for display?" I again venture. "No!" I'm told.
I'll give you the abridged version of events, otherwise we'll be here all week. In short, over the course of several days, I speak to assistant managers, managers, supervisors at head office, blah, blah, blah, and ask why it's so bloody difficult to purchase a teddy from them and swell their coffers by a tenner - more than three times the amount they're asking for one of Ted's even bigger-sized pals. This is what I'm told:
1) "Our staff aren't trained to rearrange the displays." (Can you believe this cr*p? Not trained to take one ted from a shelf at the back of the shop and swap it for one near the front? Gimme a break.)
2) "We want our displays to look their very best to entice people into the shop." (Fine, but what's the point of enticing them in if you're then going to refuse to sell them the very item that caught their attention and which they want to buy? Isn't the raison d'etre of the charity to raise money?)
3) "Our staff are too busy to accommodate individual customer requests." (I pass this shop practically every day. It's in a remote corner of the shopping centre and as quiet as the tomb. I don't think I've ever seen more than two customers in the place since it opened last year, and the staff sit around looking bored for most of the time.)
4) "It's our policy. If we make an exception for you, we'd have to do it for everyone." (Well, then it wouldn't be an exception, would it? But we'll let that loopy lapse in logic pass.) I thought it was their policy to raise money for charity, by selling items that people donate for that very purpose - not to try and win the 'window display of the year' award and deter folks from spending cash by refusing to take it from them in exchange for that which they wish to purchase.)
I'm on my soapbox now, but consider the absurdity of the situation. They're turning money away, instead of grabbing it and saying: "Thanks very much, do call again!" Their mission should be to sell everything they've got as quickly as possible, and then replenish their displays from fresh donations - not say "I can't sell you the item you want because it'll mess up our display and we'll have to start again." No, we can't have them inconvenienced, can we? That would never do. Not even when some cold, hard cash is at stake.
Charities are run (so I've always thought) to benefit the recipients of said charities, not the organisers, and the best way to facilitate that is to (in the words of the song) "keep the customer satisfied", not alienate them by implementing and enforcing ludicrous diktats. They're there to make money for the less fortunate, not refuse it on the grounds that moving one soft toy into the position of another is "against policy'" or is beyond the abilities (or inclination) of the staff.
In the end, I got Ted, who now sits proudly in the living room of the person for whom he was purchased. I also bought the other one (which likewise went to a good home), thereby adding £13 to the charity's funds. Cash I had to practically force on them by kicking up a fuss and reminding them that such places exist to help others less fortunate, not to fulfill the ambitions of those who want to rule over their own private fiefdoms inma self-indulgent attempt to satisfy their feelings of self-importance.
Rant over.
In the end, I got Ted, who now sits proudly in the living room of the person for whom he was purchased. I also bought the other one (which likewise went to a good home), thereby adding £13 to the charity's funds. Cash I had to practically force on them by kicking up a fuss and reminding them that such places exist to help others less fortunate, not to fulfill the ambitions of those who want to rule over their own private fiefdoms inma self-indulgent attempt to satisfy their feelings of self-importance.
Rant over.
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(Incidentally, I should perhaps add that I had previously seen items in the window with 'sold' signs on them, and I subsequently discovered that display items could be sold, but had to remain in the window display until it was changed, which was usually every fortnight. The shop still operates this way today, so why I was never told that I could pay for Ted and collect him later at the end of his service remains a mystery.)
I've had a similar experience, a charity shop would not sell me the item in the window because the high street was having a best dressed window competition on at the time and they didn't want to "ruin" their display!!
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience in an East Kilbride charity shop as well but in my case sensibility prevailed. I was in looking for a wee side cabinet for my bedroom (EK does get some amazing modern furniture in its charity shops - never got one though) anyway in their window they had a really nice modern type sculpture (very different) that when I asked how much it was they replied "sorry its not for sale its a display piece" to be fair in this case I kinda got that as it was very much a designer piece and it did attract me into the shop. However when I said "oh thats a pity its a nice item" the lady in the shop said what you are saying ie " well the shops here to make money for charity" and sold it to me for £5 (like you I gave her £10 as it was at least worth that and for a worthy cause) - I can see that some pieces are there to set the scenes and to attract people in (like my item - I would have totally understood if they refused to sell it) after all they are a "business" as well and need folk in the door BUT a teddy should be sold (what if a wee kid saw it as opposed t a wee big "kid" lol) ) some folk cant make a decision to save their lives (and no decision was really needed in your case a total jobsworth decisons)
ReplyDeleteMadness, AJ. Charity shops shouldn't involve themselves in such competitions at the expense of making money.
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Back around 1988, I wanted to buy an old Christmas tree in the window of an Oxfam shop and made enquiries. It wasn't for sale because it WAS part of their Christmas display, but I offered to buy them a brand-new one from Woolworths in exchange - AND give them a cash donation as well. The volunteer refused, but I went back later and asked the manageress, whose response was much the same as in your case, McScotty - "Well, we're here to make money." So I got the tree, but you should've seen the look on the volunteer's face.
This isn't to do with charity but "we can't make an exception for you" reminds me of when my father wanted a book that he'd seen advertised and he looked for it in WH Smith's but they didn't have it so he asked if he could order it only to be told "we can't order things just for you, you know" - what great customer service !! As for charities - it's amazing how much doesn't go to the people it's supposed to help but instead to large salaries and flash cars for the charity directors. A few years back it was revealed that Terry Wogan was paid £16,000 for hosting the few hours of Children In Need - I've read that he's worth at least £15 million so he could have done it for nothing as he hardly needs the money, the greedy old git.
ReplyDeleteA ridiculous attitude, CJ. No wonder some WHS's have been closed if they're not serving the customers' wants. I remember the Terry Wogan story, although £9,000 was the sum that I read, although it probably ran higher by the time all his 'perks' were counted up. (Those hair weaves cost quite a bit, I hear.)
ReplyDeleteCan I believe this? Yes. Does it surprise me? No. Is madness like this confined to just charity shops? No. Two years ago my Mother passed away and everyone at work chipped in for flowers. After the funeral there was about £130 left over which I decided I would double and donate to the local hospice - they run a shop in the high street where I live. I walk into the shop with £260 in my hand and try to give it away - 20 minutes later I walk out utterly flabergasted after being told "We can't take the money unless we give you a receipt and we can't find the recipt book, can you come back another day?" No, I bloody well can't come back another day. Cue phone calls to higher-ups and much running around by the two volunteers manning the shop while I stand there felling just a little bit annoyed. In the end (after 20 minutes) I actually did manage to get them to take the money. It truly was a surreal and very disappointing experience. Mind you, after complaining to the hospice management I did get a grovelling apology.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, condolences on the death of your mother, SD. Staggering that what should have been a touching moment in commemorating your mother's life by making a donation was ruined by the sheer ineptitude of the people manning that particular shop. Not to be unkind to ALL volunteers, but many of them have personal issues which they try to resolve by doing things such as helping out in charity shops. (In fact, many of them have pressure put on them to do so by the Job Centre.)
ReplyDeleteEssentially, what I'm saying is that a lot of them are there as some kind of therapy in order to help themselves, and assisting customers isn't their main priority. Harsh but true, I'm afraid. (Of course, that doesn't apply to all of them.)
Condolences on your loss Steven, its an awful time for anyone to go through without that happening - ...surreal but well done for sticking with it and getting the money out there where it is very much needed - take care
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