Chuggers! >:( (by sarah)
Chuggers - mmmmm..... most of the time its fine but yesturday I was pounced by a chugger (charity mugger - you know the bods who stand on the street with the clip boards). I gave my standard reply 'You going to make me feel guility'. 'No I'm not he says' I was trying to be polite about the fact I wasnt going to sign up - but what I do want is charity connections - we have a scout group! I dont mind making them do fund raising stuff!
Anyway he asked if I knew about Age Concern and what was I doing about this problem of elderly people being left to suffer. I pointed out that I'd recently done a concert for Havering Age Concern (it might actually have been Help the Aged or something but I'm not good at remembering exactly but it was one of the old people charities). He was 'oh wow you sing blah blah blah' in a really sort of false I'M TRYING TO KEEP YOU TALKING voice. Then one to the heating thing - ie did I know x - amount of old people die of cold each yr as they cant afford the heating bills - I said I was awear of the problems facing old people as we live with my Husbands 73 yr old Aunt - the fact that she has more income than us isnt really the point - I was just annoyed he assuming people dont do anything for the elderly.
I understand that he was trying to make me feel guilty so I'd donate but it just annoys me - most of time when chuggers ask me what I've done for the children or Aids or what ever they then shake my hand when I tell them and are very nice about the whole not donating in the way they are selling. I get giving contact detials n stuff of the charity - this was what I was expecting when I said to the guy - 'Look before I waste anymore of your time me and my husband dont have the money for this at the moment but we have a scout group and are happy to do fun raisers' he just lost interest in me shock my hand coldly and walked away - no contacts for the Charity or anything and I was offering to do fund raising!
I was annoyed about this - I have become even more annoyed when Al said that he is probably commissioned based - FOR A CHARITY!!!!! Grrrr! Now I think that perhapse it is worth the charitys time and money employing students etc... but commission based? They are just cars sales people then - I think I must have always got the genuin 'do gooders' before rather than just an 'employee'.
It makes me sad that he reacted as if I'd burned him when I said I didnt have money to give at the moment 🙁 I only stopped as I thought I'd get contact detials of the charity - sigh.
Tue 17th Oct 2006 2:35 pm 
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By Charlee, Tue 17th Oct 2006 @ 4:23 pm
In fact the charities don't even directly employ them. The students/squatters whatever work for an overall agency, who do indeed pay them based upon commission mostly. The Charities then use said agencies to recruit "chuggers". I get frustrated because I'm more than happy to give my lose change, but not a Direct Debit (I can't afford it). Although I'll never understand how I raise money for RAG, cos I know I'm annoying!
By Florence, Wed 18th Oct 2006 @ 10:52 am
Yes, and they recently published figures saying that something crazy like 50% of the money is taken up in costs and commission!! That's why there are suddenly many fewer chuggers. Still. They keep trying.