Should charities use chuggers?

Former_MSE_Archna

Poll Title: Poll Started 13 June 2006: Should charities use chuggers? Walk down most high streets and some, mostly student types, in a bib ask if you'd like to set up a Direct Debit for a charity. These are chuggers, usually employed by commercial companies to sell charity donations to the public. It's suggested sometimes the whole first years payments goes in commission to the chugging company. Which of these is nearest your view?

A. Good stuff. It encourages charity donations, so it's fine.
B. Not on. Charities shouldn't encourage moral hassling by commission hungry staff.
C. No better way. I don't like it but people wouldn't give otherwise.

Click reply to discuss or vote here.

Coveredinbees!!!!

I either walk round them, ignore them or if they are really pushy I tell them to F off. If I want to give money to charity I will give it but to be honest it doesn't happen very often.

Fifer

Only if we're allowed to use cattle prods.

Poppycat

If I see them in town I either look else where when I am in there direction or quickly make a detour around them.

I give to charity most weeks (not including voluntary work I do which is every week) but I do it on my terms and when I can afford too, and not on theirs.

dancingfairy

I don't mind people collecting with the tins though as most of the time they are volunteers. Also in this day and age we are told not to give our bank details out and giving them out on the street is not a good plan as you never know who could be using your information.

Poppycat

Thats a good point dancingfairy regarding giving personnel details out. You dont no if these people have been vetted or that someone may over hear a conversation regarding your personnel details.

Murphy_The_Cat

Nope, I don't think that they should.

The tactics that they use (which I'll be honest I don't have a lot of experience of) is only one step up from aggressive begging.

MTC

lswwong

I fail to see the charitable element in putting pressure on people to give money to a charity. I disagree with chugging entirely because the chuggers are not working for the good of the cause but rather, they are there primary to make a commission.

I have only ever had one very determined chugger bothering me. There is a stretch of pavement outside 131 Finsbury Pavement in London EC2 that is literally policed by these people. Unfortunately, I worked in that building and could not go another way to avoid these people!! It made me a bit angry. I would tell chuggers that one's preferred way of giving is direct to the charity, not on the street via chuggers who take a commission.

If a particular chugger annoys me enough, I would write to the charity concerned to ask them to stop using this method of fundraising.

pavlovs_dog

what i dont understand is how it is illegal for charity collectors to rattle their collection tin at you, yet it is ok for these chuggers to use methods which are often very aggresivve, intimidating and verging on harrassment.

we seem to have lost our right to go about our business in public undisturbed

chugalug

Can I just put a different point of view. My daughter is a 'chugger'. She was desperate to find a job where she felt she could make a difference and actually believes in what she's doing. Yes, they do have training on how to talk to people and they have targets to meet but that's the way of the world now. I worked for a major charity in advice and I had strenuous targets to meet as these depended on funding. She is adamant that nobody is allowed to harrass people in the street but they do have to be a bit persistent!! Anyway, her biggest moan is that people are sooooo rude!! They could just say 'no thank you' and walk away but no, she gets all kinds of abuse. You have to develop a thick skin to be a chugger but the bottom line is, they believe in what they do (they wouldnt get the job if they didn't, theres a very tough selection process) and most of them are just youngsters trying to make a difference. Be Kind!!

Murphy_The_Cat

chugalug wrote:

Can I just put a different point of view. My daughter is a 'chugger'. She was desperate to find a job where she felt she could make a difference and actually believes in what she's doing. Yes, they do have training on how to talk to people and they have targets to meet but that's the way of the world now. I worked for a major charity in advice and I had strenuous targets to meet as these depended on funding. She is adamant that nobody is allowed to harrass people in the street but they do have to be a bit persistent!! Anyway, her biggest moan is that people are sooooo rude!! They could just say 'no thank you' and walk away but no, she gets all kinds of abuse. You have to develop a thick skin to be a chugger but the bottom line is, they believe in what they do (they wouldnt get the job if they didn't, theres a very tough selection process) and most of them are just youngsters trying to make a difference. Be Kind!!

Chugalug, I'm sorry but I'm going to post something that you may not like.

I'm sure that your daughter is a nice person, but IMHO, doing the job that she does, she deserves all the verbal stick that she gets.

Be kind !!

I would offer 1 x no thank you, and if she took no notice, then after that she would be entirely responsible for any verbals that she got from me.

Why doesn't she get a real job that does not involve harassing people ?

MTC