Collecting at the Door

bearcub

I don't particularly like charities collecting at the door but, in these difficult financial times, it's the only way some charities can survive. On the other hand, if their collectors ignore a sign on the door saying that collectors aren't wanted, then they're opening themselves to verbal abuse, because they ought to have more manners. If they want respect, then they have to treat people they're calling on with respect, too.

As for charity shop managers being paid a bonus, they're paid, therefore they can be paid a bonus, and they're greatly in the minority. The vast majority of charity shop workers are volunteers and most, despite what others have said on here, don't stand around doing nothing, or ignore rotas. Most are there because they want to be. If they wanted to do nothing, they'd stay at home! And, no, charity shops don't have to pay business rates, but they DO have to pay rent and, on the high street, that can be pretty high.

As for prices, it may well be that staff have little idea of how much a certain item costs new in a particular shop. I'd have no more idea of how much an item of clothing costs in Primark than I would the cost of a similar item from Next, since I've never shopped in either. If you think the price is too high, then tell them politely, and I'm sure they'd be grateful for the advice.

Catherine_Johnson_2

Bruciebonus wrote: »

..........it is without doubt the most cost effective and lasting way of raising funds for people less fortunate than ourselves............

Oh oh. It's bad enough when we get the emotional blackmail from people in the high street and at our front doors, but not on here too please!

ikati5

Charity shop manager is not a difficult job, the job is mainly key holder and till reconciliation at the end of each shift, banking t the end of each week, pretty much everything else is predetermined, there are posters sent from head office with prices on it eg Primark item good condition 3.99 then you up it by pound for better condition, drop it by a pound for worse condition, Next M&S, Wallis etc would be 5.99 or 6.99 upping by a pound for better condition etc. Drivers are employed to collect donations which are delivered each week, hundreds of plastic bags or stock in the shop but not sold after 3 weeks in another store is sometimes transferred. Volunteers prepare stock for the shop but managers and assistant mangers price stock just incase there is a Ming vase... jewellery, record and book and bric a brac specialists are employed to go through stock and value before it goes on the shop floor and anything of any value is sold at auction or ebay. What is difficult?

fashionlover10

ikati5 wrote: »

Charity shop manager is not a difficult job, the job is mainly key holder and till reconciliation at the end of each shift, banking t the end of each week, pretty much everything else is predetermined, there are posters sent from head office with prices on it eg Primark item good condition 3.99 then you up it by pound for better condition, drop it by a pound for worse condition, Next M&S, Wallis etc would be 5.99 or 6.99 upping by a pound for better condition etc. Drivers are employed to collect donations which are delivered each week, hundreds of plastic bags or stock in the shop but not sold after 3 weeks in another store is sometimes transferred. Volunteers prepare stock for the shop but managers and assistant mangers price stock just incase there is a Ming vase... jewellery, record and book and bric a brac specialists are employed to go through stock and value before it goes on the shop floor and anything of any value is sold at auction or ebay. What is difficult?

Sorry but where did you get this information from?
My mum was an assistant manager at a charity shop so I know from having to listen to her rants, at work as well as at home, that it was not as rosy a picture as you paint it.
For one we did not have any price lists at all! We had to go on our own judgement. And believe me, picking through peoples dirty underwear is enough to make anyone want to walk out (especially if they're a volunteer like I was)
Who on earth are these specialists you speak of? Regardless of whether it was a Primark skirt, a best selling hardback or a relatively expensive piece of jewellery I priced it! And if I wasn't sure I would ask my mum for advice.
Working in a charity shop is a hard job for anyone, regardless of position. You are on your feet for 8 or 9 hours a day, often longer. You tend to get around 20 minutes to rush to the shop and wolf down your lunch because you're so understaffed you can't afford to take more time. You have to deal with some unpleasant customers who can vary from rude and obnoxious to outright aggressive and abusive (hence our need for a silent alarm behind the till!) Our shop had people on probation doing their community service who could sometimes be as bad as those customers I already spoke of. And to top it off I would have to carry large sums of money in my handbag to the bank on most evenings, in a not so nice or well lit part of town, as we didn't have the luxury of a G4S man turning up in a reasonably secure van to do it for us!
Cushy job? I think not.

ikati5

I have worked for 2 of the major highs street charity shops, as deputy manager, and manager, so I have first hand knowledge of how the large charities run their successful shops as businesses with all the support a regular high street business would have.

It may be a difficult job if resources are not provided, some of the smaller charities do rely on volunteers for more varied tasks but this shows in the revenue collected, the big guys are taking the money.

And compared to other high street retail, for me, charity is the cushiest management position I've had.

fashionlover10

ikati5 wrote: »

I have worked for 2 of the major highs street charity shops, as deputy manager, and manager, so I have first hand knowledge of how the large charities run their successful shops as businesses with all the support a regular high street business would have.

It may be a difficult job if resources are not provided, some of the smaller charities do rely on volunteers for more varied tasks but this shows in the revenue collected, the big guys are taking the money.

And compared to other high street retail, for me, charity is the cushiest management position I've had.

I don't think it does reflect on an individual shops revenue at all. We were one of the lesser known charities but were definitely a lot busier, with customers not just browsers, than any of the other charity shops.
I'd much rather work with volunteers who are there because they want to be than paid staff who just think it's the cushiest position around.

ikati5

fashionlover10 wrote: »

I don't think it does reflect on an individual shops revenue at all. We were one of the lesser known charities but were definitely a lot busier, with customers not just browsers, than any of the other charity shops.
I'd much rather work with volunteers who are there because they want to be than paid staff who just think it's the cushiest position around.

I'd rather work for companies that are blatant about retail greed but pay their workforce rather than charity shops that use volunteers and rely on donations but in reality do so little for the actual charity that their only purpose is to get the name on the high street. Which is why, despite the high salary, I don't work for charities anymore.

emmamed

ikati5 wrote: »

I'd rather work for companies that are blatant about retail greed but pay their workforce rather than charity shops that use volunteers and rely on donations but in reality do so little for the actual charity that their only purpose is to get the name on the high street. Which is why, despite the high salary, I don't work for charities anymore.

too true, its a shame though.

pineapple

emmamed wrote: »

hubby saw an advert for a charity shop manager, and the wages stated "with bonus" hth can a charity pay people a bonus.

The days are long gone when charities were run by a few well meaning volunteers. There are some big operations and they require people with the skills to match. That said they are not well paid below senior manager level. Maybe the bonus was to supplement the meagre pay?