Going To The Needy Not The Greedy

(Every year during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, the store I work at sets up donation bins so people can donate dry goods to a local food bank. Most people just put a bag of goods in the bin on their way out.

The way our store is set up, we have a set of doors on either side of the lobby, and then the main door into the store. We put the donation boxes in the lobby by the doors leading outside.

I’m in the lobby for security reasons while self-checkout is set up one morning, when a customer comes up to me.)

Customer: “Excuse me, but I have a complaint.”

Me: “Yes?”

Customer: “You need to tell your manager to move the donation boxes inside the store. For all you know, people could be stealing from them. There aren’t any cameras out here!”

Me: “There’s actually a set of cameras right there.” *points*

Customer: “That’s not good enough. People could take whatever they want from the donation bins and you can’t stop them. Tell your manager to move them inside the store.”

Me: “I will pass along your suggestion.”

(When I am allowed back inside, I do tell the customer service manager about this interaction.)

Customer Service Manager: “Uh, no. We aren’t moving them. I don’t know why anyone would want to steal from them, but if they’re desperate enough, we can’t really stop them. Besides, we get more than enough donations.”

(Sure enough, this year was one of our best years for collecting donations for the food bank!)