The Business of Charity

OK guys, I've been working in a large pet store warehouse chain for nearly six months now. It's been fun. But recently at work, I've been asked to do something I really don't agree with. Given my past career as a journalist, I often question things as I see them so the public can make their own judgements.

The company I work for now sponsors many charities that offer solutions to our animal population. Some charities house lost pets, shelter abandoned animals and adopt them out to loving families. As you know charities need money. So every year my company does a charity drive to help out these organizations with their overhead.

My problem is this:

Since I am a cashier, it is my job to ask for donations. As customers are checking out I have to ask each one if they'd like to donate some money. That's fine, but I don't always ask each individual for a hand-out. Well, that got me into trouble..sort of. It seems there's a competition with each store in the district as to who can "sell" the most donations. That doesn't sit well with me AT ALL!

I mean people should donate money to something because they want to, not because there's a certain quota to fill inside the company. What's worse is that the "competiton" is also fueled from inside the store. Employees who get the most donations (read money) win something or other at the end of the drive.

I so want to rebel because one, I hate asking for something that should be given without guilt. And two, I know, as well as you do, that no matter how much money is made for this charity, most of it will go to line the corporations pockets.

I'm pandering for money that won't go fully to the charities, and I'll get into trouble if I don't because it's all a big competition anyway. I HATE IT!

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I have been formatted to fit this screen.

r66-The member who always asks WHY?

D'you know for sure that they skim off profit r3? They seem like they're going to declare shop-"takings", which would make it tricky. If each shop is taking the competition to heart, as it were, then they'll go for max donations possible. D'you reckon there's skimming being done on a shop level, or at the top once it's all gathered? (it'd be interesting to keep track of the shop-tallies and the final donation anyway )

The thing i always need to know b4 i give to a charity is: how efficient are they. They can be supporting the most beneficial and effective aims and strategies, but it's all undermined if 70% of the donations go on admin. D'you know how well these charities use the donations?

[incidently, talking of bizarre "marketing" strategies in pet stores - a small pet store near me recently opened with a bright yellow front, bearing a huge sign saying something like "STOP CAT AIDS NOW" - and then in smaller big letters, it has some hysterical pseudo-charity nonsense about all the vital services they can provide for your cat. Still, they chose the right area. This bit of london is so replete with domestic cats a fur-clothing-gang seems to have targeted it at one point - at least, that's what we've assumed ever since loads of ginger cats disappeared one weekend (and a neighbour found a skinned cat body in her waterbarrel around the same time). Where's the charity preventing that then? ]

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Virtual Reality chatter on a movie site? Got endless amounts of it here. Reviews over here

There are plenty of charities that do not do this...so no reason to "hate"...just to react.

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За родину, за победу, за веру.
Za rodeenu, za pobedu, za veru.

Oh god. I hate this. You're caught inside the nightmare of a retail store. I'm telling you, it's another world in these jobs. People are insane. People are not people! The sort of bickering and bantering that goes on in these places -- from the youngest to the oldest -- baffles me and blows my mind.

I totally agree with Reporter's POV because I work in a movie theatre, and while I don't have a charity thing going on, I'm pushed to upsize on drinks and popcorn (AGGRESSIVE! selling they say, to each customer). Now, I don't do things like that. I didn't ask a customer one time if they would like to get a large because you can refill it (and people who do refill their popcorns are the quirkiest people ever, I've noticed. I think they're only coming back for a glimpse of the Sexy Celebrity, in his bleached stained shirt.) Anyway, my operations manager asked me why I didn't try to upsize. THEY ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS! I hate how they train these managers. They treat associates like stupid little kids. Like I'm a son that can get fired. "Why didn't you try to upsize to that customer?" WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY?! "Because that customer should diet and doesn't need a large popcorn?"

I do try my best to be a good server when I'm fixing food. I always make sure to put in just a little bit of ice in drinks because I personally hate getting more ice than drinks (some people request LOTS of ice, though, some request none, which is fine). I was annoyed last night by a new girl who kept giving people tons of ice. I mean, every five seconds, I was filling up her ice, while my ice on the other end was full. I was ready to give her an ice cold bitchslap.

I also cringe when people ask for LOTS of butter on their popcorn, and they're old, look overweight, or just look generally unhealthy. Of course, I'll smile if I really hate a customer and he/she asks for lots of butter, which looks like a slip n' slide to a heart attack. But that hasn't happened yet.

And what about the prices?! $5.00 for a small popcorn! Only $6.50 for a large. They do this so people will give in and buy a large, so then THEY'LL GET A FREE REFIL!!!! Yayyyyy!! More butter! More fat! More cholesterol!

It's all such a tragedy. STOP THE INSANITY! as Susan Powter would say. You'll be better off buying the DVD instead of seeing the film at my movie theatre. Yesterday, we got a print of "Lost of Translation"... our manager said it was TERRIBLE! He said he was going to try and get another one. Apparently there were lines swimming across the screen.

Anyway, I gotta go.

Upsell! That's the word I'm looking for Sexy!

Yeah, it's a nightmare. Honestly, I do love my minimum wage job (scary I should admit that) but there are certain aspects of working at the lower end of a corporate chain that make you realize how much the public is being tricked by "good" customer service. I mean doesn't the Average Joe Consumer know that he/she is being manipulated by the nice guy behind the counter?

By the way, who can eat an entire giant-sized popcorn without feeling too sick to refill it?

With me working in "Cinemark Theater" for almost 5 years now, I hav witnessed pretty bad to absolutely great customers. By now obviously, many customers know who I am and just walk in and say "Hey Jason what's gping on?" . Or whatever. Depends on who it is.

I worked in concession when I began and sure, it was a little annoying. Customers were a pain and they pissed me off but putting up with them was the job. Customer Satifaction is the goal and that's what we strived for. There are contests and giveaways for the highest ratios of upselling and etc. As well as of course upselling is necessary like SC has told us. Oh yeah, ..............

"Why didn't you try to upsize to that customer?" WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY?! "Because that customer should diet and doesn't need a large popcorn?" is what he said. No, just upsell from then on. I know it sounds like I am like your manager but if you do what you have to....the manager will see and eventually place you in ahigher and better spot.

There are alot of new workers now and then. You have to just try and help 'em out if they make a mistake. That could help.

Finally.... Prices for popcorn and etc....they DO suck bigtime !!!

While were talking about customer service, I hate when young, fellow associates (everyone's an associate these days aren't they?), come up and ask me a question, or just start talking to me about their lives, right in the middle of a transaction I'm conducting.

And since your a manager jrs (I've been a manager too, way back before I went to college--maybe things have changed), I was wondering; here I am, a relatively new guy running a cash register with about 3 other people, each with their own register. These other cashiers don't know how to maximize their time and don't know when to take their breaks. Sometimes they eat or drink stuff at their station, which they aren't supposed to do--they're just not with it, if you get what I mean. Now, I'm not a manager, or a lead (my paycheck doesn't reflect that), but I'm compelled to tell them what to do, what not to do, when to do it, etc. But, I'm just a cashier like they are. If I were a manager, I would certainly feel as if I had the right to be a bit bossy, but as it stands I just come across as a pushy co-worker. Do managers these days put organized people on the schedule with inept employees because they know things will get done and they won't have to pay them any more than they already get?

In my case at the movie theatre, it's the customers who annoy me with their talking! Yesterday, I had a man who came in and he asked me a description of EACH movie. Then he left without buying a ticket! And the phone rang and I didn't get to pick it up! Then my supervisor came over and said "If that was Steve (our store manager), he'll have a cow that nobody picked up the phone." Well, I sort of didn't have time because I had that man and a long line of people. "No excuses!" croaked the supervisor, who isn't really a bad guy, but that "no excuses!" is ridiculous. I was always taught that the customer comes first. "People on the phone are customers!" Oh yeah? Well, the real customers are in the theatre RIGHT NOW! Screw the phone!

And I HATE it when customers act like I control everything. Like yesterday, there was a woman who bitchingly told me that the website was down -- as if I'm the webmaster! Or the number to our showtimes doesn't answer... thank god this one man told his wife "He doesn't know anything about that!" I swear to God, it's always the women who get nasty with me over something I have no power over. I thought women were supposed to be smart and intuitive. Not the ones I encounter.

Of course. Just the other day, I heard a manager on the phone with someone else, saying how she had no faith in one employee to do something. I was put in the box office yesterday because I didn't have much experience with unloading the truck. Then I goofed up on a $25 gift certificate, and now I'm afraid I'll never return there again. They are so terrible with training...

You said it my brother!

Training?! what training? They just stuck me at the register with the most minimal of knowledge about the position, so whenever I had a question I had to either call a manger or interrupt another cashier (which I hate)! The feeling of stress you feel when you screw up and the customer is standing there annoyed and you're not sure what to do is excruciating!

Have you run into the "credit card not approved customer" yet Jas'? You know the one who uses their ATM/credit card to pay, it's then declined, and they keep asking you to try it again because they know it should work!? This usually happens when there is a Loooooong line of people behind them. UUgh!

I am so glad that I work for myself.

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Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

Heheh, i just have to put up with foreign students complaining about english food - talking of which tho - there's been a big fuss over here recently about the role of this upsizing system in obesity. It does seem to reflect an obession in US n UK cultures for convenience and for defining food quality by perceived cheapness. And like you say r3 - who can eat all these size-ups and refills to themselves (it does feel so strange to complain about bigger portions - but they make diet salad cream a joke, get people to stoke up more than they need to, and are padded out with modified starch what-have-you-ness)

I've got to admit, i'm not a big fan of this grin-and-bear-it-as-you-swear-your-wares-are-angelic approach - especially when reinforced internally in very moronic and soul-destroying ways. Sure, there's the potential for "escape" to the next level [with its own orchestrations] if you're a good automaton (and don't do all the sweet humanistic/caring things SC does) - but i guess my unrealistic arty ways say: always be looking for a job which has aspects you enjoy, aspects of freedom of decision, and ideally, positive results. I don't mind the glass ceiling in my current profession coz i'm my own boss in many ways. And i don't have to con anyone.

Still, had some useful sanity-stop-valves at a market-research job me and half of north-london's arty-types often rely on. Don't like helping the cereal companies target kiddies etc (or phoning lists of dedicated double-glazing enthusiasts and encouraging them to tell me more about their passion, for that matter), so i'd happily let bored housewives relate what was on tv (and just turn on the shine when the echo told you your manager was on the line) or press the marvellous little button on the antiquated computers that often caused the whole system to crash. If the only way up is managing the creeping crap of telemarketting, or some such thing, i say get yourself a english-teaching certificate and go have a travelling fling

Still, when you are treading the get-a-meal treadmill, you just gotta grin and bear it eh? Or what d'you think y'all? When is it a farce, and soul-destroying, to grin to bring in extra profit for the stall-owner?