Would you like to round up to £1? No I fucking wouldnt.

[DavAtTheCampaignForMoreBankHolidays]

I cant be the only one who is getting increasingly pissed off at being asked to donate 20p everytine I pay for something?

The recent one in a charity shop was being asked to round up to the nearest pound AND then being asked to donate 25p. In fact, it wasnt even asked, it was "shall I round it up?" and "press green to say yes".

I always end up feeling really tight but apart from the fact that it would cost a fortune if I gave a donation every time I was asked, I really resent that businesses get tax relief for this whilst also bragging that they donated £x to charity.

I bought a cauli on the market, 99p. Handed over £1, he said you don't want the penny do you. I said, well I do actually.
It's the assumption I object to. If he wants a pound price it at a pound.

Or the surly waiter when handing me the card machine and me paying the basic bill. "No tip"? Me, "Nope, no tip." I'm not tipping when he'd slammed a bowl of spaghetti down and walked off. He wants a tip, work for it.

@TalkToTheHand123

He might not have thought that. I presume No (though I give the customer the chance to take the round-up option if they actually want to) but it's not because I think people are tight (and personally, I don't see anything wrong with being tight, anyway.) I just think that a lot of people probably just want to do their shopping without being bothered about donating any extra, which I perfectly understand.

He did ask me if I was tight though.

Yeah, it never seems to work the other way, does it?

If you end up spending £9.04, I doubt they'd respond kindly if you suggested that they may like to round it down.

As you say - and I personally feel the same with expected tips at restaurants and other places - if you want a specific amount of money in exchange for goods or services, that's the price you put on the tag/shelf; how are you in business if you don't even understand that?!

It's possibly not relevant to a market stall that's run by the proprietor, but one reason for the 99p prices in big stores was always stated as seeking to avoid theft by dishonest staff, back when most people paid with cash - so that they'd have to put it through the till to get your 1p change instead of just pocketing your tenner for themselves.

I agree that they can't have it both ways: they can't display silly 99p prices in the hope that their goods 'feel' considerably cheaper to potential customers, but then still take the full pound too!

That's disgusting. I'd have put in a complaint about that - and cited a lot of the reasons given by people on this thread as to why bullying and insulting customers is nasty.

I think he was flirting.

Even if he was just trying (badly) to be light-hearted and jokey, it's a really weird and inappropriate thing to say to a customer.

The young man behind the counter of a railway station coffee-shop once suggested that I toss for my penny change! I agreed, and guessed wrong, so my penny went into the charity tin on the counter.

It was cheeky, but I didn't mind at all. It was just a bit of fun.

Fair enough that you didn't mind, and I get that it was only a penny; but I still find that an over-reach.

That penny was your property. I wonder how he would have reacted if you'd randomly suggested tossing a coin to decide 50/50 whether he could keep his own coat or if it would be given to a charity shop or a homeless person?!

Imagine how much simpler it would be if the company just used sensible prices, instead of ending them in 99p, and then routinely gave a penny per drink sold to charity! In fact, maybe they could 'round it up' and add another 25p from their profits each time to go to charity!!

There was a charity shop by me that sold lottery tickets. I wont name it. They had a woman with learning difficulties and visible disabilities trying to sell them. Call me cynical but I think it was a conscious choice. She wasnt able to pick up social clues and would literally follow people around repeatedly asking them. I saw lots of people buying them either to make her go away or because they felt bad saying no.

Maybe she loved that role and asked to do it or maybe I only went in when it was her turn etc. etc. but it always felt a bit exploitative to me, mainly of her but also customers.

My mum (who finds it difficult to say no) stopped shopping there because of this woman.

That sounds really annoying for the customers; I know I wouldn't want a member of staff following me asking me the same question. Not trying to have a go at this lady in question, as with her learning difficulties, it's not her fault. But I question whether it was appropriate to have her in such a customer-facing role, at least without a partner/buddy who could assist and help her with social cues.

Had my first experience at a pub with this yesterday. I wasn't expecting it as I totally forgot. Pressed no but it made me feel quite guilty.

@TalkToTheHand123

I know it's quite hard for many people not to feel guilty, but honestly, you've no reason to. Your money is yours to do with as you please. Not rounding up doesn't make you a bad or uncaring person.

There is no shame in not donating or rounding up. 😊

You sound like a fun dining companion

That's what this whole enterprise heavily relies on: people feeling shame and guilt at saying No to 'charity'.

Even more so if an assistant verbally asks you if you'd like to give, so it's not even 'just' quietly pressing a button.

It makes so much more sense foe those who want to give to charity to take time to decide which of the millions of causes they personally want to support and then do so - and gift aid their donations if they're taxpayers.

Unfortunately, the deliberately anticipated feelings of "Am I a baddie to decline?" kick in, you're put on the spot, and then loads of people end up giving when, if they'd had time to consider it, and none of the pressure, I reckon very few of them would have actively chosen to give then to that particular charity.

After all, if it were a charity that you'd actively chosen to support, most people would want to give considerably more than 25p, wouldn't they?

Why should somebody expect a tip - which is usually understood as gratitude for going above and beyond in your service - when they haven't even bothered to deliver the minimum acceptable service?

I agree. Was steeling myself to say 'no, I'm not rounding up' in the cancer research charity shop yesterday as I felt the items were if anything overpriced anyway.

They didn't ask - usually they do.

To contribute to a general spirit of conviviality on a meal out? Are your principles worth ruining the atmosphere?

Won't the poor service have ruined the atmosphere?

I wouldn't let one grumpy waiter ruin a meal out with friends, no

If you keep giving tips for poor service, the service won't improve.

Why would it make a difference to you or to your friends and your combined enjoyment whether a grumpy waiter is given some extra money or not?

Because they don't deserve it and annoyed with him for poor service and spoiling the atmosphere?

I tried to quote chompingatthebeat when I left my comment, but either I made an error or it glitched - so it looked like I was saying the opposite of what I was!

To contribute to a general spirit of conviviality on a meal out? Are your principles worth ruining the atmosphere?

I completely agree with you that the waiter didn't deserve a tip; but I didn't understand how specifically not tipping him, after his poor service, would spoil the atmosphere for the group?!

I think you're missing the point though. The "rounding up" request is not meant to be your sole contribution to charity. The point is, you possibly wouldn't miss that small bit of change but to the charity, hundreds of such donations add up to a significant amount. By the same token, why would you feel guilty for not giving a few pennies away? The charity won't miss it.
To me, rounding up is just the modern equivalent of putting change in a tin. When I was young, they sometimes had novelty collecting tins that did something (made a noise or moved) when you put money in, and we would always pester Mum to have some change to give. 2p here or there made no difference to her - but presumably to the charities added up to something worthwhile.
I think anyone feeling guilt over this needs to examine their attitude to money in general.