Unfriendly staff in charity shops

I think it simply is the luck of the draw.
One I visit has smily, chatty staff, another is strictly -business, another has a lady with a permanent air of disgruntlement!
However, they do sterling work, raising money for good causes, recycling goods that might otherwise end in landfill, and saving the thrifty money.
Recently, I have bought three new bedside cabinets from one such, and returned with my old ones: all were priced up and sold very promptly. Great work, charity shop volunteers.

Haha ‘op shop’ would translate in my mind to cop shop Nanna8

MarthaJolly that sounds like my charity shop I too have worked there 10 years last Christmas We all get on have such a laugh and know the regulars we have a great rapport with most (except the shop lifters)
We do occassionally have to stop the donations for a few hours as we get so many and people are cross but we literally can be falling over a mountain of black bags One lady brought a large very rusty step ladder the other day and the boss said I m so sorry but I can’t take that (our huge bin emptied twice a week was already overflowing) she was so cross she walked out and dumped it right in our entrance Another lady brought one piece of jigsaw in and said she found this after she donated some jigsaws last week and was really really annoyed because we couldn’t help her reunite it with her jigsaw!!!
Some of the donation contain dirty nappies, worn knickers
recently a half eaten pizza but we wash our hands and get on
Everyone is thanked for their donations of course that’s a basic
Please don’t judge us all the same

I like our op shops better than calling them charity shops! Op= opportunity, not so patronising.

You should come to my charity shop where I have been volunteering for nearly a decade and absolutely love it. All my colleagues and I go out of our way to be helpful and cheery. Giving them a welcome hello when they come in. On this weeks shift I helped a lady bring a number of bags in from her car. If a customer is looking for something in particular which is not on the shop floor, we always check in the back and sometimes find what they are looking for. That worked for another customer this week. And I always hold the door open of there is a child buggy or someone appears mobility challenged. It's a natural thing to do. Often a customer enjoys a little chat at the til. I always go home at the end of the day feeling happy

Some years ago I had good clothing and bedding to donate. Clean and nearly new. Bell tinkled as we went in, staff standing chatting through the back. They didn't even come out to acknowledge us! It wasn't until my husband arrived with the third bag, that a crabbitt woman appeared and barked at me ' What's this?' By this time I'd had enough and barked back ' Donations, but nobody appeared when we came in'. On that, I said to my husband ' Let's go, I've had quite enough' and we left. I've never been back. I'd like to add I volunteered in a charity shop for three years and the staff I worked with were truly lovely people. Never, ever would we ignore people or talk to them like that.

That's just mean when you are donating such personal stuff.

The comments here are a big surprise - I thought it was just me!

And no, I don't agree that shops can vary everywhere with staff and attitude. Charity shops must be different, they would have nothing to sell without donations and probably not enough staff to do a half decent job without the kindness and time of their volunteers.

We don't have such shops in France, more's the pity, but there are a few places to donate and it's always very much appreciated. Since an absence of greetings, please and thank you here in France is almost a criminal offence.....courtesy is always expected and shown.

I went with armfuls of good 'stuff' into a shop in the South of England a few years ago. Some almost new possessions of my late Mother. A beautiful, pristine Rollator/walker, pretty walking sticks and other bits and pieces. After being initially ignored, one of the staff interrupted her gossiping with a 'just leave it down there' before turning away and continuing to chat. What do you say? It's really difficult to be in combat mode when you're grieving.

Nobody should be allowed to do that work if they don't like people, if they resent giving their time and they can't even say thank you for the ability of the charity to profit from donations.

We read often of Gransnetters 'charity shop work', what hard work it can be, but we hear of the pride they show in their work and what they try to do for others. I actually wondered at the time what they would think if they could have seen what happened !

That's been my experience at a host of different charity shops.

I tend to use the same charity shop most of the time. The staff are very friendly, always say thank you for donations and go out of their way to be cheerful. A while ago there were two teenage girls trying on prom dresses and the staff were making a big fuss of them, making positive comments and admiring the way they looked in each dress.

The manager has an amazing memory and sometimes tells me about my donations. "That set of mugs you brought in, it went to a young couple who have just moved to XTown." She is fabulous and very popular. I'm sure it increases the income considerably.

The manager of one of our local charity shops was and maybe still is, is ‘Shirl’ from Gogglebox. Always a warm welcome.

I've generally had very nice responses, particularly from ones that are dedicated book shops, they're always pleased with what we've taken there.

Unfortunately I had the same when dropping off some of my dad’s clothes after he died. I found it very emotional packing up and letting go of his clothes and when I got a ‘you have left it a bit late in the day bring that lot in’ - it was three bags of his nicest M&M shirts, a few cashmere mix jumpers and pairs of brogues - I could of cried. I appreciate what a great job the volunteers do, but surely they realise that bereaved family often bring items in at a very sensitive time? I always shop and support our local charity shops but I’m afraid I have given that particular one the cold shoulder after that incident. I wish I had been in a stronger emotional place at the time to reply accordingly!

Same in our local food bank (where I used to volunteer!) dropped a few bags off, not even an acknowledgment never mind thanks. Set up a “this year’s charity” standing order, no thanks when it started or finished. All this from the paid staff …

I am writing this as I await my brothers funeral on Wednesday. He did charity work for a local hospice shop and they are the nicest people ever. Cards phone calls and texts and I’ve never met them. Just wanted to say not all folk are miserable.

I dropped a donation bag in recently to a charity shop and no acknowledgement
On my way out I said a thank you would be nice and woman on the till looked at me blank!
I did 25 years as a volunteer for well known charity and the first thing taught to us was to say thank you when someone donates

To the ones who don't say thank you I just dump the bag and loudly say"
You're very welcome " Makes me feel good anyway.

BlueBelle

Petra we also keep a little list of particular needs taped on the wall and I will ring the person if they come in I love our shop and so do most people

BlueBelle
Same as ours 🥰

There is no excuse for bad manners, and a smile and a ‘thank you’ is all it takes. I would suggest that you contact the charity’s head office to voice your dissatisfaction, confirming the date and time the goods were donated.

Petra we also keep a little list of particular needs taped on the wall and I will ring the person if they come in I love our shop and so do most people

Yes, that is rude. Can you go to another charity shop? Sometimes they are run by volunteers and some of them don’t actually seem to want to be there.

Nothing like our shop, everyone on the staff is very friendly and helpful in fact only yesterday a lady was desperate for a photo album, we didn’t have any in the shop, but I told her I had two new matching ones surplus to requirement at home and I only live 100 yds away from the shop if she wanted to hang around I would pop home and get them ( I would have donated them any way) I priced them at £2 each and she went out a very happy bunny and the charity had another £4
We have a lovely environment with good meaning staff and we are always grateful for donations even though we are often over run
Just like ordinary shops and life I suppose there are good and bad and many inbetween I wouldn’t use that one again if I was you Desdemona

I've given up taking stuff to the local big name charity shops, the staff are rude and obnoxious. I take it to a local hospice shop who are pleasant and polite or just drop it off at a local Salvation Army hopper bin thing.

Same here. I’d given this particular charity shop branch a wide berth for years, following an incident with MinL’s stuff.
I’ll not name the shop, but they have 2 frontages, side by side - separate doors to access either but connected behind the counters.
I lugged several bags of clothing into the clothing side and as I went to put them down was rudely informed that drop offs had to be made next door. Did as I was told, but they’ve lost this donor. I’ll continue to drive a bit further to support a different charity.

Desdemona
Sorry you had such a bad experience. Obviously charity shops and their volunteers vary but a simple word of thanks should be the least a donor can expect. You could contact their office.