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Original poster

Charity shop wwyd.

36 replies

amazonqueen · 23/08/2015 22:22

I was in a charity shop yesterday and the following occurred and got me wondering what i would have done in the same circumstances.
Before I start the story I will just say that I know this shop ,manager and staff well . Im in there a couple of times a week and usually there are no problems.

Anyway -the scenario.
A woman came in with huge bag full of shoes which was plonked on the counter. The normal practice is that donations are taken into the back room and gone through to make sure of the quality etc. This shop doesnt do the waiting period in case of wrong donations but does do quality/pocket checks and then pricing according to company policy.This bag had not got that far.

A customer peeked into the bag and asked how much a pair of shoes were. One of the 2 temporary staff members on duty said "Oh about 2 or 3 pounds" and opened the bag further for the customer to take a better look. All of the shoes were nearly new (some barely worn) Clarks/Next/Hotter. At that price she quickly identified several pairs of shoes she wanted to buy.

Just then 2 other customers appeared , attracted by the conversation. Both customers started taking shoes out of the bag and were each attended to by one of the 2 temps.

All was going well until both of the new customers decided they wanted to buy the same pair of shoes. Each had tried on one shoe and made their minds up at the same time.
They both wanted the shoes and neither were prepared to back down. Both were also buying other items.

Both temp staff members spoke up for 'their' customers as the first to say they wanted the shoes.

How would you solve this without losing customers or blood in the process?

OP posts:
TheOneWiththeNicestSmile · 23/08/2015 22:24

Tell them neither could have them & they would be stored in the back & priced for display later

jonicomelately · 23/08/2015 22:24

They both can't buy them and assuming they both decided to buy them at the same time I'd do short straws.

TheOneWiththeNicestSmile · 23/08/2015 22:25

& anyway £2-3 for good quality barely worn shoes is way too cheap Hmm

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BrendaandEddie · 23/08/2015 22:25

Tell them neither could have them & they would be stored in the back & priced for display later

Deadsouls · 23/08/2015 22:25

I would tell them that I was terribly sorry, I'd made a mistake and the shoes were not on sale at the moment, but to return at a later date.

TeaPleaseLouise · 23/08/2015 22:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RainbowRoses · 23/08/2015 22:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheOneWiththeNicestSmile · 23/08/2015 22:27

Oh Louise, that's a much better idea - a bidding war Grin

gaggiagirl · 23/08/2015 22:27

Toss a coin?

fastdaytears · 23/08/2015 22:28

This is frustrating to read! The charity has lost out by selling good quality shoes for £2. I'd have made up some convincing rubbish about pricing policies and said they couldn't be sold till the afternoon. If two crazy ladies are swinging handbags at each other then the shoes will sell at some point so no need to rush.

Original poster
amazonqueen · 23/08/2015 22:29

Coin tossing was mooted by the temp staff members.

OP posts:
Original poster
amazonqueen · 23/08/2015 22:30

One of the temp staff members tried to do a bidding war . But that didnt float.

OP posts:
JeanSeberg · 23/08/2015 22:31

I want to know where this shop is - would be a tenner for those in charity shops round here.

fastdaytears · 23/08/2015 22:32

Jean yes here too!

TheOneWiththeNicestSmile · 23/08/2015 22:32

Is there a manager?

It sounds really wasteful that a random member of staff can just sell at a giveaway price to whoever happens to be in the shop when stuff comes in

They need better procedures!

lifesalongsong · 23/08/2015 22:33

I'd go with telling them that as temp staff they couldn't decide who should have them so they'd have to keep them until the manager returns.

If I was the manager I'd ask the staff to take all bags of donations straight into the back to avoid this type of problem

Gooseberrycrumble2 · 23/08/2015 22:36

Flipped a coin

DrDreReturns · 23/08/2015 22:36

Tell the customers they have to fight for them! (bad joke)

Gooseberrycrumble2 · 23/08/2015 22:37

Or first come first serve

Original poster
amazonqueen · 23/08/2015 22:37

There is a manager.She was out for a break when the shoes came in and returned before the melee broke out. The temps had asked for a price for one pair of shoes and based pricing on that for the whole bag.

OP posts:
TeaPleaseLouise · 23/08/2015 22:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
amazonqueen · 23/08/2015 22:38

Both customers were declared to have been 'first' by their attending staff member.

OP posts:
Gooseberrycrumble2 · 23/08/2015 22:39

Or tell them that I knew the giver and she hated wearing socks and had athletes foot on her right foot, 20 veruccas on her left plus the strongest foot odour known to man

Gooseberrycrumble2 · 23/08/2015 22:40

Or you could have sold them each one shoe for £1

SilverBirchWithout · 23/08/2015 22:46

I'd advise people I know to choose another charity shop to donate items to, as that one does not have good processes in place to get the value of the items they gift to the charity.