This year I'm doing the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk for breast cancer. Working at a gas station, I decided to put out a donation jar to reach my goal.
90% of the customers were cool and donated, some of them even donating every time they came in.
About 10% of the customers didn't want to donate, and just shook their head no, or said they couldn't at this time. Which is fine, too.
However, there was one jerk that just HAD to make a comment about the whole thing.
Me: Would you like to donate for the 3 day breast cancer walk?
Jerk Customer (out of nowhere): You know, I'm so sick and tired of hearing about breast cancer. Everywhere you go it's breast cancer this and breast cancer that. I have heart disease, nobody ever does anything for that!
Me (shocked that he would even say anything): Um, I'm sure the people that HAVE breast cancer are sick and tired of having it.
Jerk Customer: ...
And that was it. That brief interaction though, was enough to piss me off the whole day.
Why?
1. He could have said nothing, we don't get mad if people don't want to donate. Nobody forced him to.
2. He complained about having heart disease yet he was in there BUYING CIGARETTES.
3. He could have said nothing, because now we think he's a jerk.
I ended up walking away from him and he left. The next day he came in and wanted a 'truce', and ended up putting a dollar in the donation jar. I almost handed it back to him saying I didn't want his 'hate money', but then I realized that the donations were for a good cause, and not about me.
And thanks to the customers, I DID end up reaching my goal.
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Yay for reaching your goal! I think that was a good idea. At Penneys, we do a Round Up for Kids thing, which is donating your extra change to the local YMCA and after school programs. It's a good program, the company even matches the donations. However, I almost cringe every time I ask someone if they would like to "round up". You can almost tell the customers that are going to get annoyed, or disgusted with you.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on reaching your goal.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I think I would have said - um, yeah, I'm pretty sure that people DO in fact do things for heart disease, but I'll have check the American Heart Association website to be sure about that... (the a-hole in that sentence is silent)
People are such jerks sometime.
ReplyDeleteI used to work for Caribou and we had a month where we would raise money for Susan G. Komen. Last year, I had a woman call me to inform me she would no longer come to the store because we support Susan G. Komen, who supports ABORTION. Which is BS because Susan G. Komen supports planned parenthood. Anyway, she went off on me about it, like I personally went out and got myself an abortion, and then had the nerve to ask me what my thoughts were on abortion.
Needless to say I was SHAKING after that phone call.
Had I had the guts I totally would have told her I love aborting fetuses. But I'm sure that would have gotten our store blown up or something.
OUCH- it so sucks when some jerk can ruin your whole damn day by one crappy comment- there needs to be a pill for that! Followin now from Connect MEme Monday- stop by my place when you can! BTW- your site is darling.
ReplyDeleteWhat's that sound? Oh, it's the cancellation of my annual donation to the American Heart Association...
ReplyDeleteI don't know why people have to be such jerks about this kind of thing. You're doing something selfless and wonderful and anyone that has a problem with it should keep it to themselves.
You might be the angriest person I know.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, what an idiot. You should have told him that cigarettes weren't healthy for him and that he should use that money to donate to heart disease research. I can see the look on his face now, lol.
ReplyDeleteTiffany
http://liferequiresmorechocolate.blogspot.com
WOW! I can't believe how insensitive some people can be! I know there are a million charities that need money and you are just doing your part by trying to help one of them! If this customer has such an issue with it, why doesn't he try to raise money for his fund!
ReplyDeleteI really don't know how you are able to deal with people like this on a daily basis! I have so much respect for people who have to deal with the public. If I was in customer service, I'd probably be in jail for assaulting a customer! People are rude, inconsiderate, and angry.
I really enjoy reading this blog!! Keep up the good work!
Good for you. Wow what a freakin' idiot. I hate people some times, I really do :( I guess for all of those awesome people who donated, one jerk in the bunch isn't that bad, but still. Crap like that ruins my day - I'm hypersensitive.
ReplyDeleteJess S: Yes, I can always tell that too! That's why I don't ask everyone, only the ones I think I'd get a positive result from.
ReplyDeleteBaby Sweetness: I think the next day one of the cashiers asked him why he smoked then, when he was apologizing. He's like 'I know, I know.'
xoxoKrysten: Haha. Yeah, there's lots of things we'd all love to say, but are afraid to. Who knows what kind of reaction anything we say would get.
Aphrodite's Mortal Friend: Yeah, that's why the first customer of the day always seems to determine my mood. If I get someone shitty, that's how the rest of the day usually goes. :-)
Karen: I agree. Even though it's okay to not donate, I don't need to hear crappy comments from someone.
Redbonegirl: Maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. But it sure does make me think differently of him now when he comes in every morning.
Sara Fields: I agree with everything you said! People don't understand unless they've worked with the public.
Ally: Me too. Many times I've gone home upset because of what someone has said.
That's just awful, I'd want to slap him! I can't stand it when people act that way.
ReplyDeleteStopping by from Lady Bloggers.
I think that customer felt bad after he said it and think it's nice he came back the next day to try to make things right. He didn't have to that either. Sometimes we just speak before we think which is what probably happened here. Give the guy a break.
ReplyDeleteLauren: Me too!
ReplyDeleteKaren and Gerard: I do give people breaks. All the time. But when someone makes an insult like the one he did, I don't really care if he didn't mean to say it, he said it. You obviously haven't worked in retail. Thanks for reading and have a great day. :-)
You state the "jerk customer" comments "out of nowhere". This is not true. You started to conversation by soliciting a donation. Don't start none, won't be none hun!
ReplyDeleteThe modern "non profit" is a nice little scam. The executives of these things reap untold millions in salary off of the charity of others.
We now know that donating to that particular charity was also going to fund an organization that opposed Planned Parenthood. How do you feel now?