Is It March Yet?

[Ree]

Just a friendly mod reminder about FTSTS.

We did get a report from a member who had concerns that some of the replies crossed over into that area.

Things seem to have gone nicely back on track, though, and I think the general consensus is that the OP has a right to be frustrated by rude people when she is only doing something that her employer has asked her to do.

I don't feel there needs to be any more discussion about charities in general and/or how each of handles our own personal charitable contributions as a whole, since that's kind of irrelevant to the topic.
What is relevant is how we, as customers, react to cashiers when we are met with those inevitable charity requests.

BrenDAnn, I'm sorry you have to deal with such suckiness from your customers.

If I can't afford to give, or it's not on my list of preferred charities, I politely decline. The cashiers are fine with that.

I do recall one time last summer at the grocery store, when I was asked if I wanted to contribute to something related to the local schools.
I said, with a very straight face and serious voice, "No thanks. I don't believe in education."
The cashier just stopped for a second until she realized I was just being silly, and then she laughed. (Yeah, it's a small town so I can get away with that.)

[Jester]

Just a friendly mod reminder about FTSTS.

FTSTS? I missed something...

[TheCheerfulTreeRat]

FTSTS? I missed something...

Fail To See The Suck

[Jester]

Ohhhh..... okay.

I hope my suggestions about possible reasons for this or that were not considered as such. After all, I DID point out that, whatever their reasons for doing this or that, being rude was completely inexcusable. Because, you know, it pretty much is.

[Ree]

I hope my suggestions about possible reasons for this or that were not considered as such.

If they had been, you would have heard from me.

Also, I'm quite surprised you have never heard that term "FTSTS" before.
It's been in place since Sept, 2009. (I guess you don't visit fratching much, either, because it certainly gets a lot of discussion over there. )

Anyway, that's not what this thread is about.

[Mr Hero]

I'm guessing Jester just hasn't seen the term in acronym form.

[Jester]

If they had been, you would have heard from me.

Whew! Figured that, but I also figure that I can never be too paranoid.

Also, I'm quite surprised you have never heard that term "FTSTS" before.

The phrase, yes. The abbreviation, no. At least, not that I can recall. Not that my memory is all that good, admittedly.

It's been in place since Sept, 2009. (I guess you don't visit fratching much, either, because it certainly gets a lot of discussion over there. )

Not all that much, no.

Okay, back to the idiot customers, yes?

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Okay, back to the idiot customers, yes?

Unfortunately, yes...as always

[Evandril]

This one has me wondering how close I've come to being a SC, since I rarely see the point in having the poor person get through their full speil if I can't donate...Though I normally just shake my head as they start, and say something like 'Not today, sorry'. It *had* seemed 'nicer' to save the person from having to do the full sales pitch, was that incorrect?

Note, it doesn't sound like that applied to any of the idiots the OP had to deal with, just curious about my own behavior

[Bella_Vixen]

We were collecting for the March of Dimes this month. Fun times. I sold 433 before we sold out. Next closest total? 32. (Yes, I am bragging about this. Let me have my moment. )

We are supposed to ask every customer, which obviously not everyone does. Not even me. What gets me is the blatant lies from coworkers ("I already donated." No you didn't. We just started selling today, and I'm the only cashier on register.), and the people who give me their life story. A simple "No, thanks" is plenty.

[Ironclad Alibi]

We were collecting for the March of Dimes this month.

I remember the March of Dimes drives from back in elementary school (1950s). Each kid would get a cardboard folder like those used for coin collecting and was supposed to fill it with dimes.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

But I do seriously hate the interrupting ones. Sometimes my old manager would get mad if we stopped the spiel halfway through, even if the customer flat-out said they didn't care to hear the rest of it. You can't win either way!

I had a manager get on my ass about stopping my spiel. I shut him right up.

I asked "But you are always saying that the customer is *always* right...*no exceptions*. So if the customer is asking or telling me to stop my spiel then shouldn't I acknowledge the customer's right to not hear my spiel?"

He tried to say that my job is my job and that I must do it or else. I countered "So, what would happen to me if I were to keep on going when the customer (who is always right) tells me to stop and he or she gets annoyed and reports me to you?"

To which he replied "You would get a write-up and a disciplinary report in your file."

"And...if I obey the customer and stop giving my spiel?"

"You would get written up for not doing your job."

"So...if I obey the 'customer who is always right', I get into trouble and if I annoy the 'customer who is always right' by obeying you I get into trouble...What should I do to avoid getting into trouble?"

He did not have an answer for me. Luckily for me a few months later a friend told me of an opening where he worked and it was my entry into the computer business, thus allowing me to escape retail hell.