Wherein TPM Gets Stabbity

[trailerparkmedic]

I went to pick up a few things at the grocery store today, and they are doing one of their "donate money to random charity" things. Today the random charity is Local Children's Hospital X.

Cashier: (at the end of the transaction) Would you like to donate $1 to Local Children's Hospital X?
Me: No thanks. Not today.
Cashier: Are you sure?
Me: Not today, thank you. <twitch>
Cashier: But they do such good work! They save so many lives! When my niece was born she was there for months because they are the only hospital in the city that can handle preemies! You really ought to support LCHX!
Me: <snaps> Really? Because pretty much every hospital around here has a Level 2 NICU. And if you're referring to Level 3 NICUs, Local Children's Hospital Y ALSO has one. I happen to know this for a fact because I'm PAYING to work in 2 NICUs this summer, including LCHY's. Maybe you should stop guilt tripping customers because they just might be a nursing student, or a nurse, or a doctor who works at that hospital and doesn't feel obligated to return their paycheck to their employer and just wants some groceries.
Cashier: (silent for a minute, then) Your total is XX.XX


This is why I use the self-checkouts.

[Sleepwalker]

Urgh. Even when I was being a MarchoDimes ho, I wasn't that pushy. THat's just obnoxious.

[ArcticChicken]

Uurrgh. When I had to raise money at the store I always raised the most simply by asking every customer. Once. Very. Simple.

[Tithera]

Round here, cashiers are usually really good at only asking once. If someone says no, they continue on with life. I understand that charities are good, but it doesn't really help you when you push it on people. Then, they just get freaked or frustrated.
I'll try to help out when I can. I love the looks on some of the people's faces when I do have extra money to give and say, "Sure, why not?" I guess they don't get that many donations, but in this city, it doesn't really surprise me.

[wheeitsme]

I had a nice/smart person the other day. She asked if we wanted to donate (amount that would round up our order to the nearest dollar). Doing it that way, she might not get large amounts donated at a time, but I bet more people donate.

[jjc927]

I'm usually the only cashier that will even ask people if they'd like to donate when we do donations, let alone pushing it like that. I ask once and only once.

[lupo pazzesco]

Erm....which grocery store chain was this...? I get enough crazy on normal days, I'd like to avoid adding to the problems, I really would.

And geez, really? Someone says no... No means NO.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Anybody else think the preemie niece doesn't exist?

It's sad I even had to think of that.

[SpaceCore]

Wow. I could almost understand that kind of pushiness from a charity outside of a store, but from a cashier? Wouldn't they want to keep their lines moving?

[BrenDAnn]

I'd be in serious trouble for getting pushy like that. You ask the customer once, that's it. If they say no, accept it and move on. Simple as that. You also have to think, just about every place you go anymore is asking for a donation for one thing or another. It gets tiring to be asked so much!

[raine_naoe]

I had a nice/smart person the other day. She asked if we wanted to donate (amount that would round up our order to the nearest dollar). Doing it that way, she might not get large amounts donated at a time, but I bet more people donate.

This. I do this whenever I notice people paying with cash. More than half of the ones I've asked will do so, and sometimes that will be 90 something cents. I hate being told that I have to ask for them, and am so grateful that I'm not at the front registers.

[Spork4pedro]

My guess that the store has some sort of contest or very strict corp. overlords breathing down their necks for this donation push. Most stores (including ones I've worked for) will have a decent prize for these larger charities and I've seen employees literally push their CWs out of the way to win. Personally I'm a firm believer of the "ask only once" belief. I usually end up beating all those agressive peeps in the end cuz people still like me

[PepperElf]

Anybody else think the preemie niece doesn't exist?

It's sad I even had to think of that.

could be a possibility. upper mismanagement might be pushing to get $X donated to the charity

[trailerparkmedic]

Lupo, it was a Kroger in the Heights, so hopefully not somewhere you'll be stuck going anytime soon

I figure the possible scenarios (in order of likelihood) are
1) Cashier REALLY wanted to win a contest
2) Cashier had been threatened with reduced hours/no job for too few donations
3) Cashier really had a niece

But that's because I'm bitter and jaded.

[CaroPhoenix]

The Safeway Grocery Store I shop at, has the donation question on the credit card machine. You swipe (or punch in your phone #) your grocery card, to get the discounts, then the donate question comes up, and then the payment choices & finally you swipe your card. I like it a lot more than the cashier having to ask (and getting a story like TPM did).