Wherein I fear I was the sucky customer (I tried not to be)

[kansasgal]

I had to go to our local Dillons store today for some food, and as I walked in there was a fundraising booth set up (our Dillons has a foyer with carts and ads, then you walk into the store). The booth was set up out of the way and was selling candy for a local children's choir to make a trip to Branson. Unfortunately, the adults were at the booth and the children (looked to be in the 8-10 age range) were all over the foyer, blocking the entrance, blocking the carts, playing games with each other and generally getting in everyone's way. I got my cart and got past the kids after several attempts, did my shopping and came back out. The mom at the booth asked if I wanted to buy something, and I told her that I would, but that I would be more inclined to spend money helping them if the kids were not actually blocking the door and the carts.

Mom told me to mind my own business, that those kids were having fun and this was a plus for them, they are underprivileged. I walked out without buying anything because she ticked me off so much.

I don't mind the fundraiser, the girl scouts do it all the time, as do other groups, but they stay back and don't block the doors or other areas, so I am more inclined to help them.

[Redbeard]

No, I don't see you as sucky.
I REALLY dislike how people toss "underprivileged" as a valid reason for kids to act all nuts in public and get away with it. I've coralled underprivileged kids at the haunt I used to work at, and they were always on their best behavior when they didn't have parents around enable their suckage

[bainsidhe]

I probably would've complained to the store as well. Besides an annoyance, those kids are a hazard by blocking doors and getting underfoot like that. Let the store promote other worthwhile charities where the kids are actually involved doing the fundraising.

[Taurus52]

Underprivileged is their situation. Under disciplined is not related to it, her allowing it to happen does not help them or their cause.

[bhskittykatt]

Underprivileged is their situation. Under disciplined is not related to it, her allowing it to happen does not help them or their cause.

Ditto.

I believe that part of fundraising is teaching kids marketing skills. (I was a Girl Scout...technically, I still am, and will be forever...and I know that's one of the goals of the cookie program.) This means that you don't annoy your potential customer base! Stay out of the flow of traffic, but still have a visible and attractive display, be friendly and professional, and look as cute as you can (easy for little kids, a lot harder once you get into high school...) The parents need to be teaching the kids discipline, and also teaching them how to sell, not doing all the work for them while they just run rampant.

I don't think you were sucky. You expressed your concerns as tactfully as possible. If the parent blew me off like that, I'd have walked away, too.

[raudf]

Not only marketing skills, but how to handle themselves in public and larger crowds to boot. Safety, manners, etc.

The woman had her head on totally wrong. The underprivileged kids are the ones who need good role models the most and she's failing at it. Plus it sounds like she (or her group) didn't plan on keeping them occupied when they weren't making the pitch.

We had an area behind our table (out of the way) that the boys could sit and play with quiet toys or low mess crafts. Having too many kids in front of the booth proved a traffic issue so we'd have two (younger boy paired with an older boy) working the crowd and swap them out every 15 minutes. The kids would win 'em with the cute and manners and each boy got a chance to shine.

[Pixilated]

I agree with posters so far. The kids were their own worst enemies ... or perhaps the adults who were supposed to be monitoring and mentoring them were. I wouldn't have bought anything under those circumstances either. Would be interesting to know how many other people walked past them without buying for the same reason.

[MoonCat]

Ohh, that would have made me nuts! And it's dangerous...kids running around where people are trying to come out with loaded carts? Someone's bound to not see them and hit one. Imagine the uproar. Frankly, I don't see any reason for the kids to even be there if they're not going to help with the fundraising.

Unless it's a charity to help kids who are injured in supermarket accidents.

[Kheldarson]

Think the only thing that could've made you sucky would've been the tone of your voice, but we can't judge that, can we?

But you should've mentioned something to the store. If they get enough complaints they could tell the group to leave.

[PepperElf]

I don't think you were sucky at all. It's a store - not a playground. And in my opinion it's not too much to ask for someone to behave, especially if they're asking for donations for a field trip.


I'm betting you're not the only one who was turned off from donating.

[morgana]

I have to echo PepperElf. The sucky here was them, not you.

[kansasgal]

Thanks for the comments guys. I did tell management, but they did nothing about the problem because as soon as they were seen walking up, the parents would shoo the kids into a group away from the door.

As to my voice, I was quiet and spoke calmly, did not have an attitude but wanted the parents to know that the behavior of the kids was out of line. They actually yelled at me for complaining.

[PepperElf]

The parents asking you for money YELLED at you? For not ignoring how wild their kids were acting?


This is a perfect reason to call up the choir director to let him/her know how the kids were behaving. Assuming the director wasn't one of the parents who was giving you the "entitlement attitude".

Because that's what it seems like... the parents sound like they think they're entitled to this. And that the kids don't have to do anything to earn it.

And if this is how they're going to act while asking for handouts, how will these kids act on the trip?