Chuggers now calling to the front door

Greyfox

billybigunz wrote: »

The charity industry? **** the lot of them if they use chuggers.

They use chuggers because they work better then other forms of fundraising and are a lot cheaper then advertising on TV. I hate chuggers myself and think their methoods are horrible but I also feel bad that someone in Africa dies every 5 seconds or something like that. The fact is the vast majority of people don't have the time to care about Africa anymore, the ad's no longer effect us as much and it's a case of use slightly aggressive methoods to get money or else save the lives of a lot less people.

They intrude on people all right but the end result is it saves more lives

prinz

Trashbat wrote: »

Any whats wrong with "Student Types" earning money. not everyone can afford to have daddy pay for their education. And working in a sector that requires you to learn about global issues if far more benificial than learning how to ask someone if they want fries with that.

Got a chip on your shoulder? I didn't have a daddy to pay for my education either but managed to fund myself without resorting to hassling people on the street, it's basically no different from someone begging of you looking for change. Giving them money just encourages the feckers. If they just stood at the street side with a bucket, I'd be inclined to donate. Trying to 'convince' or 'talk me into it' is counter productive. Like people who hand out flyers, if someone just holds them out I am likely to take it for a look, if someone keeps waving it in front of me telling me to take this I'd walk on by.

I don't think I am in a minority who feel it is an intrusion and is bordering on downright offensive, having had a couple of prats try to stand in my way to prevent me from passing them by.. them "Would you like to..." Me "No, thanks" them standing in my way moving from side to side to block the path "it's just two minutes surely you can spare that"...etc etc etc which has frequently been followed by smart arsed remarks, along the lines of 'it's well for me, close your eyes to the suffering'...

Not to mention that anytime I have tried to discuss issues that they are collecting for they are in general completely ignorant of it, bar a crash course they obviously got as a pep talk that morning.

Greyfox

billybigunz wrote: »

If you work in a job that causes so many people anxiety and distress then you are a scummy ****.

Well they cause this anxiety and distress for a very good reason!

billybigunz

Greyfox wrote: »

Well they cause this anxiety and distress for a very good reason!

I don't think it is a good reason. How presumptuous and bigoted of charities to think they are acting in the name of goodness.

Scarinae

My Granny has got alzheimer's. She lived at home by herself for a while after Grandpa died, and her five children had a system where one of them would go to stay with her every night, but sometimes she would be by herself for a while during the day.

One day my aunt arrived at the house, and while they were chatting Granny mentioned that a very nice young man had come to tea that morning. My aunt thought that maybe it had been one of my cousins who lives nearby, but Granny said his name and it wasn't any of our relatives. Slightly alarmed by this, my aunt asked her more questions, but Granny couldn't remember anything else and started getting upset (as she does when she realises she can't remember things)

It was several days before one of my uncles found a form that Granny had filled out, turned out she'd signed up to a charity. They rang the charity and explained, although I don't think they would have got any money anyway because Granny had put down details of a bank in Dun Laoghaire that closed down in the 60's

(also, in fairness to the chugger, he may not have realised that she had alzheimer's - at the time, if you didn't know her well, she was able to hold a conversation without people realising)

Trashbat

prinz wrote: »

Got a chip on your shoulder? I didn't have a daddy to pay for my education either but managed to fund myself without resorting to hassling people on the street,

No chip really. People make money. Some people make money more ethically than others. Thats life. Is a minor annoyance or intrusion less ethical than working for a company that uses child labour?

prinz wrote: »

it's basically no different from someone begging of you looking for change. Giving them money just encourages the feckers. If they just stood at the street side with a bucket, I'd be inclined to donate.

Well a beggar is collecting for themselves and themselves only. Thats very different.

prinz wrote: »

Trying to 'convince' or 'talk me into it' is counter productive.

But it isn't. It makes more money for them. Thats solid fact.

prinz wrote: »

having had a couple of prats try to stand in my way to prevent me from passing them by.. them "Would you like to..." Me "No, thanks" them standing in my way moving from side to side to block the path "it's just two minutes surely you can spare that"...etc etc etc which has frequently been followed by smart arsed remarks, along the lines of 'it's well for me, close your eyes to the suffering'...

And that would be in breech of the self regulating bodies code of conduct. People are often fired for this and less and rightly so. But have you ever reported someone for this? If not then, why not?

prinz wrote: »

Not to mention that anytime I have tried to discuss issues that they are collecting for they are in general completely ignorant of it, bar a crash course they obviously got as a pep talk that morning.

Thats a shame, and hopefully not universal. But how many times have you rung the phone company about your broadband and got someone who isn't as knowledgeable as you would like.

sdanseo

It is not immoral, les get that sorted out. They collect money to send to the poorest people in the world and in fairness, supporting at least one of them at €3-10 a month wouldn't break any of our backs unless we're in dire straits.

The way they go about it is not really immoral either, unless they start bullying tactics like the OP mentioned.

Shiny

I don't really care whether chugging is a viable, useful form of collection for a
charity or not.

What I DO care about is the fact that I now have to go up
Clarendon St. (parallel to Grafton St.) to avoid these intrusive
b*stards. Usually I just say "no thanks" but I don't enjoy saying no 4 times
going up the street another 4 times on the way back.

prinz

Trashbat wrote: »

No chip really. People make money. Some people make money more ethically than others. Thats life. Is a minor annoyance or intrusion less ethical than working for a company that uses child labour?

Is shooting someone in the knee less ethical than shooting someone in the head? Plus it's gone beyond a minor intrusion when there's someone doing it every 20 or so yards on the street for the same charity. It's irrelevant to me whether they are representing a charity or trying to drum up business for any business.

sdonn wrote: »

It is not immoral, les get that sorted out.

They also have a variety of lines to appear more causeworthy than they actually are like 'I don't get paid, I'm volunteering'..... which more often that not means 'I don't get a wage I get a commission' etc. Underhand.

Then there is the case like I mentioned earlier where you sign up for a set period as I did.... and then they unilaterally extend that period because of a fine print clause, on the original form of which I did not get a copy despite requesting one. They then spend weeks passing your queries from one sap to the next, and everyone of them tried the guilt trip approach etc. Again underhand immoral tactics.

Trashbat

prinz wrote: »

They also have a variety of lines to appear more causeworthy than they actually are like 'I don't get paid, I'm volunteering'..... which more often that not means 'I don't get a wage I get a commission' etc. Underhand.

This is absolutely agains any code of practice In house Charity fundraisers and Fundraising Agencies must adhere to.

Verbal declaration of the paid, professional status of the fundraiser is an absolute necessity.

If it doesnt happen, or if lies are told, then please use the below complaint form, otherwise nothing will ever be done.

IFFDR Complaint Form

prinz wrote: »

Then there is the case like I mentioned earlier where you sign up for a set period as I did.... and then they unilaterally extend that period because of a fine print clause, on the original form of which I did not get a copy despite requesting one. They then spend weeks passing your queries from one sap to the next, and everyone of them tried the guilt trip approach etc. Again underhand immoral tactics.

As far as i'm aware, little or no charities sign people up for a set period. All donations are ongoing, but you are free to decide to cancel if you should choose to. I would be very interested in hearing which charity were involved in this. I could guess that it was a certain organisation who use branches of a well known commission based marketing agency (who normally sell sunglasses and power tools door to door), but i do not want to mudsling.

If you were told different by the fundraiser in question, this is very serious, and must be reported through appropriate channels.


All your examples appear to be to do with staffing issues, rather than actual policy. If a bank misrepresented itself to you a complaint to the regulator would be a necessary step. This works the same. Problems are an inevitability in ALL professional sectors, but they cannot be resolved if you do not report them.

billybigunz

Will you give over with your self policed charity charter and best practice. We all know what the average chugger is like.

Greyfox

billybigunz wrote: »

I don't think it is a good reason. How presumptuous and bigoted of charities to think they are acting in the name of goodness.

Right so you see the ads on TV of how millions are likely to die of starvation and you think the western world should just sit and watch them die.

billybigunz

Greyfox wrote: »

Right so you see the ads on TV of how millions are likely to die of starvation and you think the western world should just sit and watch them die.[/QUOTe

sometimes charitable donations end up funding wars and cause more damage. Don't presume that everbody agrees that charity is the answer. You are nit doing the work of God.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Regards the pay they aren't paid commission but they get around 13-14 euro an hour/ They get fired if they can't sell two DDs a day

Greyfox

prinz wrote: »

If they just stood at the street side with a bucket, I'd be inclined to donate. Trying to 'convince' or 'talk me into it' is counter productive.
I don't think I am in a minority who feel it is an intrusion and is bordering on downright offensive, having had a couple of prats try to stand in my way to prevent me from passing them by..

As Trashbat pointed out all charities get more money by "engaging" with people rather then just standing their. All you really have to do anyway is don't make eye contact or else just say you've alredy signed up

Greyfox

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Regards the pay they aren't paid commission but they get around 13-14 euro an hour/ They get fired if they can't sell two DDs a day

They get nowhere near that much, their pay is crap. When they do get paid the money they get comes from money that's already been set aside for advertising and not from the donations he got that week.

billybigunz

I have seen a few ads stating a 13 per hour basic.

NuMarvel

Haven't had any calling to my door yet, but for the street chuggers, I find making eye contact and say "No thanks" always works for me. Admittedly, it's not as inventive or as radical as some of the suggestions on here (which I've yet to see actually happen when I'm out and about), but it works for me so why ruin a good thing. What I find annyoing though is having to wade through 3 or 4 of them on one street. I find it hard to be that pleasant for that long.

And as an EXCELLENT sales person in a former life, I'm well able to deal with anyone who does come to the door. Especially those combined insurance people!!

Bottle_of_Smoke

Greyfox wrote: »

They get nowhere near that much, their pay is crap. When they do get paid the money they get comes from money that's already been set aside for advertising and not from the donations he got that week.

Well they did last summer I knew someone working for concern. It has to be good if they're not on commission, otherwise no one would do it.

I'm aware they don't get paid from donations, I was just pointing out that they get fired if they don't sell a certain number of DDs.

Gary4279

I wonder if they have the option to make a donation from their pay.
Also, if they get E13.00 per hour they make more than me, so they can give me some frickin' money.

Trashbat

One Organisation does pay €13 per hour. As i Said, its based on a 35 hour week, where they actually work closer to 45, so its not that great pay, but you won't starve.

I find most pay a little less than that (€11.50 ish), and one i know of paid minimum with bonus (but not really a "per sale" commission structure).

None of these people are driving Mercs around at a charity's expense though

billybigunz

That is a suck amount of money to take from a charity. The average impoverished African family wouldn't earn that in a month.
Donate to charity where 15% might makes it's way to the target.

Trashbat

billybigunz wrote: »

That is a suck amount of money to take from a charity. The average impoverished African family wouldn't earn that in a month.
Donate to charity where 15% might makes it's way to the target.

Making up figures show the complete lack of understanding of how charity works.


Right I'm off to the pub, week is over. Have to Walk past Waterloo to get there though, and run the gauntlet of bloody chuggers!

Bottle_of_Smoke

billybigunz wrote: »

That is a suck amount of money to take from a charity. The average impoverished African family wouldn't earn that in a month.
Donate to charity where 15% might makes it's way to the target.

To be fair I think they advertise for companies who in return pay the wage bill. Which allows all of jo public's donation go to the black babies.

Gladiator.

OP , you should get all your family friends and relations to dress up as chuggers and the next time they knock at your door ,you all surround the chugger in a chain circle holding hands with a synthetic smile on your face , but not speaking a word just listen to everything the chugger has to say and keep on smiling at them until they get freaked out and have nothing left to say, even if they start screaming crying dont brake the chain of synthetic smiling chuggerness until they eventually faint ,then roll them across your garden into dog poo and watch them wake up and scarper off to never return again.

Tail Wagger

SIX PACK wrote: »

Door to Door sales might work well in Australia but not so much Ireland... Fairly embarrasing job doh if 1 has any pride in themselves

Oh so where are you the M.D of?.. Pride will never feed a hungry family my friend.

billybigunz

Yeah it will. Social welfare?

mikom

Tail Wagger wrote: »

Pride will never feed a hungry family my friend.

Irish pride will though.
Bit of butter and you're away.

Tail Wagger

daithimac wrote: »

First your operating on the assumption that I have never worked in sales. Correct...

Second your operating under the assumption that I have not studied Sales at third level. Correct..or any level!

Third your operating under the assumption that anything you posted refers in any way to good sales technique and is anything other than counter productive. Wrong, I just know where I'll make a sale, anyone with an attitude I can handle face to face.

Also you fail to notice one of the first rules of sales in the above post. You forget that no one gives a sh!t about you. they do not care if you are on a high or you think that you are a sales master. Wrong again.. I'm just putting across a few pointers just to let people know that we do a good job and earn good money.
they care about themselves and there own comfort and if they are tired and don't want to talk to you then allow that because trying some hard sell bs. It Works?
or playing childish pranks just kills any future opportunity that you ever would have had for a sale. Wrong again.. this is only done if someone calls to a house and they can see the people in the house, and the people in the house just ignore the caller. The caller realise's that s/he is not getting a reply,

Here's another pro-tip. If you are dumb enough to be going around door to door rather than to retail outlets where people actually want to buy then instead of taping the doorbell and making a git of yourself, try putting a card in the letter box. Pro tip, Wrong again If I drop off a card I might not be selling the same product next time round?
you never know people might actually be interested in what you have to offer and call of there own accord without your sales mastery.

Oh but they are, they are interested...

kelle

prinz wrote: »

Back when I was young and naive I got stung by the same set up as you mention above, €10 a month for six months. Funnily enough when the six months ended, the debit kept occuring, contacted charity, took about a further 6 months to stop it completely and they refused to refund those. Basically there was fine print on the form that within 10 days after signing if you didn't confirm that you only wanted the first 6 months they had the right to extend your subscription indefinitely etc etc. B*stards. I would give to charity no problem, but not when they try to rob you.

Could you not just have gone to your bank and stopped the direct debit? I did after about 2 years of subscribing to one of those chuggers, I realised there was other charities I'd rather give to.
Maybe I'll hear from this charity in a few years time to say I owe them thousands :O