Tacky Tuesday!

I work at Walmart. Right now we are trying to raise money for Children's Miracle Network.

It's a good cause and I'm happy to ask customers if they would like to donate. I typically end each transaction by saying "Would you like to make a donation to Children's Miracle Network?" It is a simple yes or no question that you think would be quick and easy to deal with. "Yes I would like to" or "No, thank you" are the desired responses. I'm not upset or offended when people say they don't want to donate. I do get upset when people are rude about it. Walmart is paying me to ask for donations. I don't think anybody gets paid well enough to deal with daily barrages of verbal abuse. I used to work at a student loan call center so I know what it's like to deal with angry people who can't afford to pay their bills and are looking for someone to take it out on. That is totally different than getting upset with a cashier in a supermarket because you don't want to donate $1 to sick children. It is just plain uncalled for. I especially love it when people want to get angry and rude in front of their own kids. They are setting the example for the charity donators of tomorrow. I've seen so many rude children parrot the things that their rude, undereducated parents say. One parent said that he wouldn't donate because the world is over-populated and letting children get sick and die is how we control it...in front of his kid. He wasn't being sarcastic either. I have never been so appalled in my life. I think that he will feel differently if something horrible ever happens to his child. I don't wish that for him but I also hope his kid grows up to be less of a jerk. It is a vicious cycle and it hurts me to see it.

Some customers even go as far as saying that I can't ask them to donate and that they have a right to shop without being asked to donate to Walmart's bank account. Here is some education for the haters of big business asking to support a charity: 100% of the proceeds from our fundraiser are going to local families in need. Also, Walmart can try to sell you anything they want to while you're in Walmart. If they want to give you samples of food you hate, say "no, thank you" and deal with it. If they want to ask you to take coupons for a product that you don't want, say "no, thank you" and deal with it. If they want to ask you if you would like the opportunity to donate to sick children in your area and you don't want to, say "no, thank you" and deal with it! Your cashier is much less likely to bag your eggs in the bag with the 10 lb pickle jar if you aren't rude to them. I, of course, would never do that...I'm just saying! Beyond that, there are options. We live in a town of 12,000 people that has three grocery stores. We are a town that is close to bigger towns and cities that have even more options. If you don't like the way that Walmart does business, shop somewhere else. Beating up on the cashier just makes you look stupid. Cashiers have no power. We can't make any decisions for ourselves and have absolutely no control over anything. So yelling at me and telling me where I can stick it just doesn't make any sense at all. It makes a person look petty, rude, and disrespectful. There are a lot people who apparently don't mind looking like a jerk with no manners and I understand that I have to deal with that. But...I definitely think it's tacky.