We have a no-lone-worker policy, which means I can’t open the shop until I have a second person with me. My morning cashier is off sick, so I’ve delayed opening and put a sign on the door explaining why we’re closed and what time we’ll open. Nonetheless, customers still ring the doorbell to ask why we’re closed.

This is the fourth person to ring it in an hour. They keep rattling the locked door as I come to open it.

Customer: “Are you open?”

Me: “No, I don’t have any volunteers in yet.”

Customer: “What time are you opening?”

I tap the sign on the door.

Me: “One o’clock.”

The customer looks at the sign, which is on the door they’ve been rattling furiously.

Customer: “Oh. But I need to give you a donation!”

Me: “Well, I’m not supposed to take donations while we’re closed, but I will this one time.”

The customer reverently handed me a small plastic bag before dashing off. I got back to the stockroom, wondering why the customer hadn’t just given it to the other charity shop next door. I opened the bag to find… two packs of out-of-date coffee. I died a little inside.

I work in a small charity shop selling clothes and other goods. We all work hard to make it look nice, but it’s pretty obvious everything is second-hand. A customer comes in and browses for a while, and then comes to the counter with a child’s ride-on toy with the usual marks from use.

Customer: “This is a bit dirty.”

Me: “Yes, we’ve cleaned it up but those marks wouldn’t come off.”

Customer: “The wheels are all marked up, too.”

Me: “Yes, it’s been used, so they will be.”

Customer: “Oh, this has been used? Can I get one from the back?”

Me: “Sorry, this is the only one; we don’t have stock or anything.”

Customer: “Well, when are you getting more in? I’m not buying a used one.”

Me: *Pause* “You do realise this is a charity shop?”

Customer: “Well, of course, I do. It says on the front.”

Me: “Everything here is donated; it’s all second-hand.”

Customer: “It’s… what? What do you mean?”

She looks around, confused.

Customer: “You’re selling for charity.”

Me: “People donate things to us. Sometimes we’re lucky and get things that are pretty new-looking, but everything here is used.”

Customer: “So… you don’t sell anything new?”

Me: “Er. No. Sorry.”

Customer: “Oh, right. Sorry, then. I don’t want this… I didn’t know how this all worked.”

She left the toy on the counter and walked out, still looking a bit confused. Seriously, even if you’ve never been in a charity shop before, it’s pretty obvious that nothing is brand new!

Related:
Not Very Charitable Expectations

Due to the current health situation, charity shops have to quarantine bags of donated goods for two days before they can unpack them, and since the shop where I volunteer is very small, we fill our quota of donations for the day very quickly. We always put signs outside the shop informing people that we can’t accept any more donations, but this doesn’t stop people from asking whether we’re still taking donations — usually while they’re standing right next to the signs.

After a shift where I have had this situation happen more than a dozen times, I head home feeling a bit tired and discouraged… until I walk past another charity shop which has a large sign board outside saying, “NO MORE DONATIONS TODAY”.

The shop manager comes outside to take the board indoors, we greet each other, and this happens.

Me: “I have a silly question for you. Do you ever get people standing right next to that board and asking you whether you’re taking donations?”

Manager: “All the time. People round here can’t read.”

Made me smile just knowing it happened to other people, as well!

I’m an assistant manager at a charity shop that I volunteer at. Since returning from lockdown, anybody working on the shop floor has to also keep a track of how many people are in — our limit is four — and also make sure they’re wearing masks.

I’ve just finished putting more stock on the rails and I’m taking a breather behind the counter when a lady comes in.

Me: “Excuse me, madam, sorry, but we already have four people inside. Could you wait outside, please?”

Customer: “The sign outside says that four customers is preferred.”

Me: “Um, madam, that sign says that card payments are preferred and that our customer limit is four. It shouldn’t be long before you can come in; please wait outside, and you’ll need to wear a mask too.”

The customer suddenly sees that another customer is a friend.

Customer: “Oh, hi!” *Starts chatting away*

Me: “Excuse me, madam, but you need to wait outside, please.”

Customer: “Yeah, yeah, sure. In a minute.” *Keeps chatting*

Me: “No, not in a minute. You need to go outside now.”

At this point, she and her friend ignore me, so I repeat myself, raising my voice each time. After I’ve done this a few times, she walks over to the plexiglass and taps the sign.

Customer: “This sign says four customers preferred!”

Me: *Pointing at each word* “Card payments preferred. There isn’t even a four on this sign.”

She looks at me, and her gaze goes down to the charity-branded mask that I’m wearing.

Customer: “You really shouldn’t be wearing that; it’s going to do you no good.”

Me: “Okay, that’s enough. You do not come into my place of work and tell me to not wear a mask. It is the law to wear a mask. I wear a mask to protect other people. If I get sick, more than likely my mum will catch it from me, and at her age, she will die. I’ve asked you politely to wait outside, but now I just want you to leave. Get out.”

Customer: *Mouth drops open* “You can’t ask me to leave!”

Me: “Yes, I can. I’m the assistant manager here, and this is private property. Get out!”

Customer: “Hmph! Well, I’ll leave, but only because you’re clearly getting so distressed.”

Me: “Get out!”

She finally left the shop, and I shouted upstairs for the manager so that I could go and take a breather, as I was agitated and shaking. I’m lucky enough to work with a great manager who doesn’t take any nonsense from customers, which gave me the confidence to deal with this customer, but this was the first time I’ve had to actually kick someone out, so it was very stressful.

I’m working as a volunteer in a charity shop that sells donated furniture at a fraction of what it would cost brand new. A woman comes in and spends a long time inspecting a sofa. It’s in very good condition. After a while, she approaches me, so I naturally assume she’s interested in buying. Instead, the following exchange takes place.

Woman: “Is this new?”

Me: “No, madam, all of our sofas are donated. However, as you can see, this one is in excel—”

Woman: “Ugh. No way I’m buying second-hand.”

Without another word, she flounced out of the door. As she was leaving, I was unable to stifle a laugh, though I don’t know if she heard me. I was thinking, “Good luck finding anything of that quality new for less than four times our price!”