KL Smith
CGF II, Certified Grumble Framer Level 2
Here I go again... grumble, grumble grumble...
This seems to be donation season around here. For the last couple of weeks we are getting hit every couple of days to sponsor this, that and the other.
What's new this year is a tactic that really bugs me.
It goes like this:
They come in and give me the speech. We have placed and ad, donated, or otherwise shelled out to their organization in the past and they are here to pick up this year's donation. It is assumed that you will continue to give no matter that every business in town is hurting lately. Some even have the invoice printed out before they come in!
The kicker is, when I ask them when they have to know your decision by, it is always within 4 to 24 hours from now. In other words, they are putting you on the spot and I don't like being put on the spot like that.
Are you folks seeing the same thing?
Another real contentious issue with a lot of the business people here is the fact that the only time you ever see these people in your store is when they are looking for something from you. One guy even came in collecting for some cause and began by saying, "Well it must be April again, because I'm back collecting again." In other words, the only time he'll grace my doorstep is when he's collecting. Yeah, sign me up right away...
I've now taken to greeting them with, "Oh it's nice to see you again. I haven't seen you since you were in here collecting last year." That seems to fly right over their heads. Oh well.
Grumble, grumble, grumble...
This seems to be donation season around here. For the last couple of weeks we are getting hit every couple of days to sponsor this, that and the other.
What's new this year is a tactic that really bugs me.
It goes like this:
They come in and give me the speech. We have placed and ad, donated, or otherwise shelled out to their organization in the past and they are here to pick up this year's donation. It is assumed that you will continue to give no matter that every business in town is hurting lately. Some even have the invoice printed out before they come in!
The kicker is, when I ask them when they have to know your decision by, it is always within 4 to 24 hours from now. In other words, they are putting you on the spot and I don't like being put on the spot like that.
Are you folks seeing the same thing?
Another real contentious issue with a lot of the business people here is the fact that the only time you ever see these people in your store is when they are looking for something from you. One guy even came in collecting for some cause and began by saying, "Well it must be April again, because I'm back collecting again." In other words, the only time he'll grace my doorstep is when he's collecting. Yeah, sign me up right away...
I've now taken to greeting them with, "Oh it's nice to see you again. I haven't seen you since you were in here collecting last year." That seems to fly right over their heads. Oh well.
Grumble, grumble, grumble...