Chuggers!

[merryone]

They're like a live version of cold calling! I'm surprised it's still happening, these poor people trying to earn a crust by accosting people in the street trying to get them to sign up for a direct debit for whatever charity they're promoting at the time, in all winds and weather. I do actually feel a bit sorry for them, 'cause it must be a thankless task..Let's face it most people give them a wide berth, ignore them, tell them they're not interested, in a hurry etc, some will cross the road, some will even tell 'em to eff off! I must admit if you want to do any shopping during your lunch break in my local high street you literally have to run the gauntlet, put your head down and scurry along purposefully! A lot of them try and stop you in your tracks by jumping right in front of you...I find that annoying 'cause to me it's pretty damn obvious that someone is trying to avoid getting stopped. A lot of them will catch your eye and say..."Hey, are you having a nice day"...I'll usually say "Yes thanks" and scurry off on my way, but it all seems so pointless, and as I say totally soul destroying for them!
It must work, otherwise they wouldn't do it I guess but one wonders who actually allows themselves to be talked into giving their bank details to sign up for the charity of their choice, not yours. Don't get me wrong there's some worthy causes out there, but I think I'd rather put money in a bucket and maybe take a leaflet so I can make an informed decision at my own leisure as to whether I want to make a long term contribution to a charitable cause, and which charitable cause it is, if that makes sense!
Don't mind so much the ones who are set up with tables, leaflets and info that are more into the person approaching them, but I'm truly sick of being accosted when I'm walking down the street. Today I had to go and pick up a leaving card for a colleague and I had to dodge about 7 of them. Like I say I do feel sorry for most of them, but some are quite aggressive..I don't mean threatening..but really persistent and I hate to say...it drives me mad!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Who in their right mind would give a stranger their bank details in the street. I can’t understand why charities think that this is a sensible thing to ask potential donors.

I have now decided never to give to a charity who pay call centres /chuggers to sign me up. There are plenty looking for my money so I stick to those who don’t make me feel uncomfortable.

A while ago I saw a documentary (undercover) on those call centres and it was despicable what the big names got up to.

 

[donna255]

Sorry trying to earn a crust, but they are usually students and it was found out they and this is a good 5 or 6 years ago £10 per hour. Bet its more now.

I see Cats Protection some Saturdays but they have a tent like stand so you approach them. They wouldn't even take a donation from me when offered, no, you had to sign. Here in Belfast the Oxfam lot where the most aggressive and used to walk after you down the street. This was even after people said no thank you. I remember telling one when they bosses stopped driving round in the big brand new people carriers supplied by Oxfam I would give. He tried to argue with me. But it is really about the charity. One chugger starting walking towards me when I was heading home from the city centre with a load of shopping. He got the death stare and told, "Open your mouth and I will disembowel you!"

They have now started coming door to door trying to get people to sign up. As many cities have banned them from the city centres because of their tactics. If I see them across the street I know not to open the door. I did get caught by the Red Cross about some earthquake in China once. Told him straight the deserved it as they eat cats and dogs. Then shut the door. Oh and that was me being polite I have been known to tell them to F*ck Off And Die!

I have two charities I give to, I phoned them and told them if even once they try to phone up and ask if I can give more I will cut them off straight away. They never have. A woman in my park gave to a very well known cancer charity and nearly every week was getting phone calls asking if she could give more, then sent raffle tickets to sell for them. She just kept sending the raffle tickets back but every month got more despite asking them to stop.

 

[merryone]

An ex colleague of mine landed herself up in a job like that recently...she applied for a job for a "promotions" company, and whilst she did understand that street canvassing would be part of the job, what she didn't realise is that she wasn't going to be given a basic wage, and it would be completely and utterly commission based...I think she did a week and a half before she realised not only did she hate trying to stop people in the street who didn't want to get stopped let alone part with their bank details, it was cold and depressing. She was extremely lucky in that her mother spotted a job advertised in her local chemist shop looking for a full time assistant mon- friday 9-5, her mum picked up a good old fashioned paper application form, which my mate filled in returned to her mother to hand it...got called in for an interview and was offered the job on the spot!

 

[Akimbo]

My son got a a job offer with a chugger firm when he finished his masters, but I told him to stick with his part time job in a wine bar until he got a proper job. From the sound of the office premises where he had his interview it was a lucrative business for the company (less so for the employees on commission only). In my last job a charity came around to convince employees to sign up for a monthly contribution from their salary. It was uncomfortable as the "presentation" to a group of us was followed with pressure to sign up. There was a feeling of shaming those who declined. The charity knows that those guaranteed £5 a month mounts up nicely whereas a handful of change in a collection box doesn't.

My personal belief is that many charity-funded operations should be state funded from income tax. In what reality is it ok that the UK's famous children's hospital Great Ormond Street relies on voluntary contributions?

 

[merryone]

When my mate told me she'd "got the job" we were obviously thrilled for her, she's the wrong side of 50 (just!) and needed to get a job quickly 'cause she was having major problems at work (my workplace) and needed to get out fast. She told us she'd registered online with a jobseekers site and managed to bag an interview with this promotions firm in an office literally 3 mins away from where we work...Monday - Friday 9.30-5.30 no evenings or weekends, we pictured her coming into our shop in her lunchbreak all booted and suited! She had her interview (which was easy for her to arrange cause she was off sick from our place with stress), we met for coffee and she said she literally received a call a couple of hours after the interview to say they liked her and that she'd be given a second more informal interview and if that went well the job was hers! She soon told us she'd "got the job" and like I say we were all thrilled, however, her closest friend thought it sounded a little "too good to be true" and strongly suspected that the job was not going to be office based at all, that she'd be stuck out in the street, she'd only be earning commission, and found out that this company seems to have permanent vacancies and will give a job to anyone who wants one! Obviously she found this all out for herself very quickly, but I can't believe how lucky she was to get that pharmacy job...considering her age, lack of it skills for interview, cv etc and that all she had to do is fill in a good old fashioned paper application form and have a one to one interview in the shop, and then get offered the job on the spot - that's old school!!!