At work we're collecting donations for the Starlight, Starbright foundation. It's a charity that brings all different sorts of entertainment packages to terminally ill children who are too sick to leave the hospital. To raise funds, we simply ask customers if they'd like to donate anything.
This has never seemed to be a problem to anyone before today, when I asked a woman and she stopped and stared at me like I'd requested she light her hair on fire. Then she said, "No, I've never heard of that before." Fair enough, I thought to myself, and I never press anyone to donate so I just started ringing her up.
"Now you are making the customers give you more money, eh?" She continued, and before I could mask my immediate disdain, she continued, "How would you feel if I asked you for charity?"
I have a very good repuation for treating customers with greatest respect, even if they've screamed at me for something I had no control over or if they ask me questions so dumb that I wonder how they managed to find their pants in the morning, much less the store. But for the first time ever, my patience was tried (and so quickly, her tone with me was fucking unbelievable).
"Are you terminally ill?" I shot back, and with raised eyebrows she said, "No, I'm terminally broke."
Good, I thought, if you're broke you won't be able to rent anytime soon.
Really, if someone asks you to donate to charity and you don't want to, just say no! You don't need to get sarcastic or offended unless they're grilling you for it, and you really don't need to imply that cheering up dying children during the holidays isn't a worthy cause.
This has never seemed to be a problem to anyone before today, when I asked a woman and she stopped and stared at me like I'd requested she light her hair on fire. Then she said, "No, I've never heard of that before." Fair enough, I thought to myself, and I never press anyone to donate so I just started ringing her up.
"Now you are making the customers give you more money, eh?" She continued, and before I could mask my immediate disdain, she continued, "How would you feel if I asked you for charity?"
I have a very good repuation for treating customers with greatest respect, even if they've screamed at me for something I had no control over or if they ask me questions so dumb that I wonder how they managed to find their pants in the morning, much less the store. But for the first time ever, my patience was tried (and so quickly, her tone with me was fucking unbelievable).
"Are you terminally ill?" I shot back, and with raised eyebrows she said, "No, I'm terminally broke."
Good, I thought, if you're broke you won't be able to rent anytime soon.
Really, if someone asks you to donate to charity and you don't want to, just say no! You don't need to get sarcastic or offended unless they're grilling you for it, and you really don't need to imply that cheering up dying children during the holidays isn't a worthy cause.