What is your experience of charity shop workers?

[Posey]

Some are lovely but some are so holier than thou, think they're really a cut above.
Today a man who works in the local Cancer Research shop was so rude to me and ds, then slagged us off to the next customer, that I left the shop in tears (after telling him I would never set foot in his shop again). I've found them like this before in there. An old lady came in with a bag of stuff to donate and was told to put it in the back room, no please or thankyou or let me take that for you.

Really puts me off.

Will stick to lovely Oxfam in Dalston!

posey thats a shame. you should write a letter of complaint

dishonest, unhygenice good for nothings that are merely trying to get out of the cold

ummm, i've dropped stuff in oxfam and not had a thank you - due to another conversation going on - v. rude i think

however i have worked in one once and sometimes people do drop off a load of old rubbish and it goes straight out the back into the bin (we always said thanks though!)!!

Musty smelling, old, look at you like you're going to steal their tat....

some are nice though! I would complain too! Making you cry they should get rid of him!

Almost all of the staff in these shops are unpaid volunteers, and the shops tend to take whatever help is on offer.

You should complain though, as this man will continue to treat people in this way until stopped.

And another thing!! They always go 'oh thats pfffpfpfpfpfpf pence please' 'pardon!?' 'PFPFPFFFFFPPPPFPFF pence please'

lol every time!

Normally I wouldn't get upset, just a bit angry, but a bit pre-menstrual and had had a bit of a morning. But still, he was totally out of order and totally unprofessional.

complain complain complain! Definately, they should be extra nice and encouraging as much custom as possible in this world of Ebaydom

there is a children's charity shop on my highstreet and the old biddies there are always tutting at the children to 'put that toy away' and 'don't touch that, you'll break it' etc etc
but it depends on who is there on the day, I avoid going in on Mondays because there is a cantankerous old soul there that always puts me and the dds in a bad mood!

do you remembe the old bags in the League of Gentlemen charity shop?

It shouldn't matter if they're paid or voluntary...manners cost nowt (as my Gran would say). Surely they have some sort of training/induction when they start work there and that should cover "customer relations" even if its as basic as "say please and thank you to the customers/people making donations".
Miserable gits.

!

they're a bit snooty in our local Cancer Research shop too. they hate it if you go in with a pram for some reason. like you're going to stuff loads of flamable polyester garments and used mills and boons under the mattress.

but the old ladies in the other shops tend to fall over themselves to amuse ds

what did he say to you? and he def shouldn't have slagged you off to the other customers... ingoramous!

suzywong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't mind them not being trained in customer service, it's them not being trained to use the till/new Pin number thingies that gets me. Takes HOURS while puzzled ladies of a certain age stand around looking bewildered ('it's all this 'new money' you know, wouldn't have had this problem if we'd stuck to shillings') and wait for Vera to wander across to help - never occurs to them to actually ask Vera to come and remind them how to work the damn till.

They are always very sweet to ds though.

I can't say I've ever stuck around long enough to notice. I go in on my lunch 'hour', which is never an hour b/c part of it is always spent running errands, either find something or not and then leave.

Yes Suzywong - was just thinking about the League of Gentlemen - 'Do you want a BAG dear??'

It's true they are mostly volunteer old ladies. Most are ok, some are rude and condescending, ALL of them are totally flummoxed by the till. Their overheard conversations are total gems though - I'm often in hysterics!

It's like this: there are rude people in the world, and there are pleasant people. You will find a mix of both in all places - restaurants, shops, schools, even on the road driving.

It happens.

For a better life, try not to let it get to you so much.

What happened was, ds who's just 3 was peeping over the counter and the man asked him what he was frowning at in a gruff sort of way. Anyway I paid for my stuff and the man said to ds "be useful and carry the bag" to which ds replied "no". So the man said "you rude boy. What terrible behaviour" and tutted so much I thought his dentures would fall out. So I said "its very easy to judge isn't it?" to which he turned to the next customer and said how rude I was and what an awful boy ds was. Now I am having a few issues with ds and his tantrums just now so having some busybody telling me how bad he is just upsets me.
Anyway I walked out declaring to anyone who'd listen that I would never set foot in that shop again.
Overpriced anyway...

A relative of mine volunteers in a charity shop and yes she is polite
It's amazing the pressure that charity shop workers are under to be honest, they have massive targets to hit just like any other business because of huge overheads which, considering most of their staff volunteer is unbelievable. Most charity shops are pretty grotty places to work in as well - they are usually the cheapest properties the charities can lease. A lot of the clothing that comes in is dirty - imagine handling other peoples dirty clothes and worse still dirty donated underwear!!! yuk people actually donate their underwear LOL It's not a job I'd want to do and I certainly wouldn't do it out of the goodness of my heart.

They are lovely in my local Cancer Research shop, always chatty and friendly, very pleased to receive donations. That goes for them all, and there are lots of volunteers. It's always very busy in there too.