Charity Muggers...do they harm the reputation of charities?

[scott_forester]

i just dont understand why these rude people(granted they are only rude when you refuse to listen to their patter/pitch) are still out there trying to guilt trip members of the public into signing direct debit orders.

Maybe I just look grumpy but none of these people have ever been rude to me, I just say I have a list of charities I subscribe to and that's it. The only ones that really piss me off are the fuckers who knock on my door and ask.

 

[pogofish]

I feel sorry for them - I mean only the gullable and desperate must end up doing this job?.....

Once again, think students.

After bar/hospitality work & call centres, chugging is one of the most popular with our lot. Mainly as short-term vacation work tho & popular because it can pay quite a bit better than the alternatives, especially if they are good at it. Few if any of them have any illusions about what they are there for - to get money & even then, not for the charity.

Had one try to engage me tonight, she didn't take a polite "no thanks" for an answer & by the time I'd said "no" the fourth time, she had tried to block my path. Not a good idea! Also, last Saturday, I watched another group of chuggers doing their best to muscle-in on the crowd at a local environmental protest/petition display in the town centre. Frankly, they were making a complete pest of themselves.

 

[chegrimandi]

whatever happened to people with a collecting tin rather than these kids trying to pretend they're your mates?

jesus christ - are you being serious?

 

[chegrimandi]

I don't really know what people expect charities to do - do you expect them all to be run out of a portacabin by people doing it for the love of it,

.

basically yes.



then when the charities been run in to the ground, services can't afford to be run, the clients are fucked and the accountants had off with the tins of pennies they can all stick their fingers in their mouths and go oooo how did that happen then.

fucking idiots.

 

[chegrimandi]

I just don't think they should be bothering the public but going for companies, there's no point being sarcastic, and yes companies are ungiving organisations but there's public pressure, where would companies be if they're workers fucked off and went on strike? and sarcasm is the lowest form of wit so lay off

Edit I did the london triathlon trying to raise money for my local hospital and i felt bloody guilty asking poor people for money which I know they couldn't really afford to lose. So in some ways I don't think charity oragnisations should be asking the financially disadvantaged public for anything seeing as the powerful multinationals have so much money just a peanut from them could solve a lot of cash crises in a lot of charity organisations.
With a more focused effort at targeting private companies who are, yes, tight but with enough pressure and enough public support for the sake of image i think there's potential for charities to be supported that way

earth to cmlk: here is a huge hint - charities already raise a huge amount from corporates.

 

[Louloubelle]

I got stopped by an incredibly rude man in Camden a while back, he wouldn't take a polite 'no' for an answer and actually blocked my way, demanding to know if I didn't care about the poor people in the world.

When I asked him to get out of my way he said something like 'so you can't just spare 5 minutes of your time for the poorest people inthe world? What kind of person are you?'

He was so agressive I was really gobsmacked.

I told him that I encountered 10 people like him each time I walk down camden high street and that I'd said no and I meant it.

He then proceeded to follow me down the road loudly proclaiming 'oh you poor woman, what a horrible life you must lead, stopped by all these people all the time asking for money for the poor!'

I was really upset by the whole thing.

Anyay, a couple of weeks ago I was in Covent Garden and went to buy a copy of the big issue but didn't have any coin, neither did the seller, so I went to buy a sandwich to get change.

When I got back this same chugger was standing right in front of the big issue seller and accosting people. He looked so scarty that people were giving him a wide berth, thus putting them off buying from the BI seller.

The next thing the BI guy says 'look mate this is my pitch, can you please stand somewhere else as you're putting my customers off', then the chugger starts shouting at him saying 'I'll stand wherever I want to it's the public highway and I can do what I want' in a very intimidating way.

So I blast the chugger and tell him that he obviously doesn't care for people worse off then himself as he's ruining the livelyhood of a homeless man. The another couple of the BI seller's regular customers turned up and had a go at him and he wandered off looking rahter sheepish. Bastard can dish it out be he couldn't take it.

 

[Paul Russell]

I don't mind people asking for money but what really annoys me is the chuggers who try to be really zany, like they're auditioning for stage school or Big Brother.

Bouncing up and down, waving at people, bounding up to you like a rabbit -- that sort of thing.

I'm sure it winds up 80% of people. I heard one shouting at people who were ignoring him -- "Ohh you meany, you big meany".

Well out of order.

 

[chegrimandi]

I got stopped by an incredibly rude man in Camden a while back, he wouldn't take a polite 'no' for an answer and actually blocked my way, demanding to know if I didn't care about the poor people in the world.

When I asked him to get out of my way he said something like 'so you can't just spare 5 minutes of your time for the poorest people inthe world? What kind of person are you?'

He was so agressive I was really gobsmacked.

I told him that I encountered 10 people like him each time I walk down camden high street and that I'd said no and I meant it.

He then proceeded to follow me down the road loudly proclaiming 'oh you poor woman, what a horrible life you must lead, stopped by all these people all the time asking for money for the poor!'

I was really upset by the whole thing.

Anyay, a couple of weeks ago I was in Covent Garden and went to buy a copy of the big issue but didn't have any coin, neither did the seller, so I went to buy a sandwich to get change.

When I got back this same chugger was standing right in front of the big issue seller and accosting people. He looked so scarty that people were giving him a wide berth, thus putting them off buying from the BI seller.

The next thing the BI guy says 'look mate this is my pitch, can you please stand somewhere else as you're putting my customers off', then the chugger starts shouting at him saying 'I'll stand wherever I want to it's the public highway and I can do what I want' in a very intimidating way.

So I blast the chugger and tell him that he obviously doesn't care for people worse off then himself as he's ruining the livelyhood of a homeless man. The another couple of the BI seller's regular customers turned up and had a go at him and he wandered off looking rahter sheepish. Bastard can dish it out be he couldn't take it.

I'm extremelly sceptical anyone was 'chugging' in Covent garden loulou - they don't like tourists because they don't have a UK bank account.

 

[chegrimandi]

I don't mind people asking for money but what really annoys me is the chuggers who try to be really zany, like they're auditioning for stage school or Big Brother.

Bouncing up and down, waving at people, bounding up to you like a rabbit -- that sort of thing.

I'm sure it winds up 80% of people. I heard one shouting at people who were ignoring him -- "Ohh you meany, you big meany".

Well out of order.

yes because I'm sure if they just stood there and didn''t do anything everyone would stop and chat to them.

 

[BEARBOT]

i have no problem with charities fund raising..

i started this thread because
of aggressive tactics used by SOME charity muggers..not taking a polite no, following you down the road, being annoying,blocking yr path,and especially making nasty comments to you after they are given a polite no/excuse etc etc..

im wondering this fund raising method has had its day with most people so fewer members of the public will engage with the chuggers so they are "forced" into becoming more and more "assertive" in order to reach their sales quotas?

a side issue is that some of the most caring people i know who can least afford to give to charity(people on benefits,in debt students)get "guilt tripped" into signing multiple DD orders..

these fund raising methods do damage the repuation of the charities involved IMHO..as i stated in my orginal post Greenpeace no longer use chuggers due to getting so many compliants from their long term supporters about the METHODS used by the chuggers..

this is not an attack on charities or people who work for them BTW,its an attack on the METHODS used for fundraising.

everyones experience will be different..im not saying everyone will have a negative experience with chuggers, there is a range of opinion on this thread.

im just wondering if there is much of a backlash from the public,regarding the methods used by SOME chuggers?
will some charities be joining join Greenpeace in not using this fundraising method?

 

[chegrimandi]

i have no problem with charities fund raising..

i started this thread because
of aggressive tactics used by SOME charity muggers..not taking a polite no, following you down the road, being annoying,blocking yr path,and especially making nasty comments to you after they are given a polite no/excuse etc etc..

im wondering this fund raising method has had its day with most people so fewer members of the public will engage with the chuggers so they are "forced" into becoming more and more "assertive" in order to reach their sales quotas?

a side issue is that some of the most caring people i know who can least afford to give to charity(people on benefits,in debt students)get "guilt tripped" into signing multiple DD orders..

these fund raising methods do damage the repuation of the charities involved IMHO..as i stated in my orginal post Greenpeace no longer use chuggers due to getting so many compliants from their long term supporters about the METHODS used by the chuggers..

this is not an attack on charities or people who work for them BTW,its an attack on the METHODS used for fundraising.

everyones experience will be different..im not saying everyone will have a negative experience with chuggers, there is a range of opinion on this thread.

im just wondering if there is much of a backlash from the public,regarding the methods used by SOME chuggers?
will some charities be joining join Greenpeace in not using this fundraising method?

no - it is still the best method of recruiting young donors to a charitable cause. I know because I work in the profession. I'm glad to have alayed your fears.



If you've got any bright ideas about how charities should and could engage with young people in a cost effective manner though I'm all ears. Please enlighten me.

 

[Paul Russell]

It's not a question of "just standing there". Try reading what I wrote (viz. "I don't mind people asking for money").

The ones that say "Excuse me, do you have time to talk about..." -- that's fine, as far as I'm concerned.

The ones that jump up and down, waving and generally being a "bonkers" student put off most people in my opinion. They definitely put me off.

yes because I'm sure if they just stood there and didn''t do anything everyone would stop and chat to them.

 

[chegrimandi]

It's not a question of "just standing there". Try reading what I wrote (viz. "I don't mind people asking for money").

The ones that say "Excuse me, do you have time to talk about..." -- that's fine, as far as I'm concerned.

The ones that jump up and down, waving and generally being a "bonkers" student put off most people in my opinion. They definitely put me off.

do you stand on the street and do it for a living? No thought not - so you'd have next to no idea what works best would you.

 

[Paul Russell]

If you've tried both methods -- polite vs bonkers/zany, and bonkers/zany makes you more money, you must be right then.

You're not getting any money off of me though.

do you stand on the street and do it for a living? No thought not - so you'd have next to no idea what works best would you.

 

[chegrimandi]

If you've tried both methods -- polite vs bonkers/zany, and bonkers/zany makes you more money, you must be right then.

You're not getting any money off of me though.

I don't do it - I work for a charity that does. I assume that the people that do do it know what works best though....

 

[beeboo]

yes because I'm sure if they just stood there and didn''t do anything everyone would stop and chat to them.

exactly!

I get the impression people just don't want to have to interact with other people.

Obviously I agree that chuggers shouldn't be rude or overly persistant. I'm sure there are some who do this and that is bang out of order but all the ones I've come across have been nothing but charming in what isn't exactly the most fun job - I'm sure you get told to fuck off hundreds of times a day, so good on them for continuing to do it with a smile on their face.

And yeah I know they've just been taught a 'sales patter' but when you stop and talk to them I've found they're usually armed with plenty of facts and info about the charities rather than just trying to give you a guilt trip.

Jeez, is it so hard to just smile and say 'no, sorry' and walk on?

 

[tbaldwin]

I may have mentioned this, but you really are a tedious cunt.

Great arguement chooch...Quite inspiring...

 

[tarannau]

Great arguement chooch...Quite inspiring...

Aye. And it's a far more convincing argument than you've managed on this thread too.

 

[Louloubelle]

I'm extremelly sceptical anyone was 'chugging' in Covent garden loulou - they don't like tourists because they don't have a UK bank account.

I dunno, maybe he was just a psycho disguised as a chugger.

If you don't believe me you could go and ask the guy who sells the big issue outside the shop that sells tea and arty stuff from china, just round the corner from M&S. I'm sure he'll remember the horrible man as the chugger was so arrogant and aggressive.

The chugger also rather sneeringly told the big issue seller to report him to his supervisor if he didn't like it and when the BI guy asked who his supervisor was he said that he was at 7 dials, presumably chugging too, so there was more than one of them at covent garden that day. Perhaps they're really stupid as well as agressive and arrogant?

 

[beeboo]

I dunno, maybe he was just a psycho disguised as a chugger.

If you don't believe me you could go and ask the guy who sells the big issue outside the shop that sells tea and arty stuff from china, just round the corner from M&S. I'm sure he'll remember the horrible man as the chugger was so arrogant and aggressive.

I've seen 'genuine' chuggers in their charity fluro vests many times in Cov Gdn.

 

[dolly's gal]

yeh i work for shelter and we send teams out to cov gdn.

maybe you're missing a trick chegrimandi!

 

[Louloubelle]

yeh i work for shelter and we send teams out to cov gdn.

maybe you're missing a trick chegrimandi!

Thanks for that, that's really interesting

The rude and aggressive chugger in covent garden had a shelter vest on, red with white letters on it yes?

The irony that a chugger collecting for a homeless charity should bully a homeless perrson selling the big issue wasn't lost on me at the time.

Perhaps you could have a word with your chuggers about big issue sellers?

edited to add, I'm not having a go at your of course dolly's gal

This chugger was really horrible though and he looked like he was angling to get physical until the homeless man's regular customers turned up. he wasn't a great ambassador for Shelter and that's for sure

 

[Louloubelle]

I'm sure it winds up 80% of people. I heard one shouting at people who were ignoring him -- "Ohh you meany, you big meany".

Well out of order.

I think this must be the same man. Extremely aggressive and gets off on humiliating people. Tall lanky white guy with an attitude problem.

 

[dolly's gal]

Thanks for that, that's really interesting

The rude and aggressive chugger in covent garden had a shelter vest on, red with white letters on it yes?

The irony that a chugger collecting for a homeless charity should bully a homeless perrson selling the big issue wasn't lost on me at the time.

Perhaps you could have a word with your chuggers about big issue sellers?

edited to add, I'm not having a go at your of course dolly's gal

This chugger was really horrible though and he looked like he was angling to get physical until the homeless man's regular customers turned up. he wasn't a great ambassador for Shelter and that's for sure

lol! set myself up for that one really!

i used to deal with the face-to-face complaints at shelter and i can assure you they are taken very seriously. thankfully this is no longer part of my job but i would urge you to call our supporter helpdesk and log the complaint. the number is 0845 458 4590. the incident will be investigated fully and you will be informed of the course of action. there are sometimes quite serious repercussions for the fundraiser involved - this is because it discourages other fundraisers from behaving in a similar way.

since we have taken a lot of our f2f work in house, incidents of this nature have gone down. this is because agency fundraisers are paid shitly, have unrealistic targets and are not valued as staff. i would bet quite a lot of money that this guy worked for an agency and was not one of our in-house guys, but of course to the general public this doesn't matter.

anyway, make the complaint! they’ll ask for date, exact time, what the guy looked like, etc., etc.

p.s. the word chugger is really disrespectful and nasty. These people are doing a really valuable job, and the vast majority of them are lovely people

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

One woman ran after me in the street, calling after me (millions of others she could have picked on around that she would not have had to run to). I kept walking and said no thanks I don't sign up to anything in the street but she continued to walk beside me and talk to me about other stuff for a really long time.

 

[dolly's gal]

I kept walking and said no thanks I don't sign up to anything in the street but she continued to walk beside me and talk to me about other stuff for a really long time.

maybe she fancied you

 

[ChrisFilter]

Jeez, is it so hard to just smile and say 'no, sorry' and walk on?

It can be, sometimes... I make a real effort to be polite and smiley to everyone I encounter.. but when you get hassle off chuggers every step of an already irritating walk through swathes of people it does test your patience. Every fucking lunchtime.

I honestly prefer the dealers around Brixton tube... you say no, they accept it and move on.

 

[tbaldwin]

Aye. And it's a far more convincing argument than you've managed on this thread too.

Yeah course it is tarannau....You really do love to jump in when you have nothing to say...My replies have been about charities and what a load of wank most of them are and where they invest their money etc...Got people actually discussing where they have shares and yours........Well as usual Infantile shit that could be posted up by a 9 year old...

 

[Iam]

me me me me me

Proud?



I can't really be bothered getting into a discussion with you, but other people have already answered your "points" anyway. You'd be amazed the audited budget processes necessary to get anything done here. A couple of pence not rigourously accounted for can lead to all manner of problems.

But it's fine by me. I think its perfectly allowable to not wish to support a particular charity, or even charities in general on the grounds of how they go about their business...

As long as you then don't expect to have any access to their services at times of need.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

maybe she fancied you

What a lovey thought. No, I don't get people fancying me.


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