December 2023 by Lucky Lau
A Very Unpleasant Donation Experience at British Red Cross (Morningside Road)On Monday, 27th November 2023, at 4:10 pm, I parked my car just outside the shop to make a donation. I was met by a parking attendant who insisted on my swift departure. Despite explaining my intention to quickly drop off two bags of donations, he urged me to expedite the process while lingering near my vehicle. This initial encounter set an unfortunate tone for the subsequent events inside the store.As I approached the cashier, I saw two ladies being served, with an elegant lady with silver-white hair manning the till. Knowing it's impolite to jump the queue, I approached her with my bags. Before I could say anything, she told me to give her five minutes. Here is the subsequent exchange:Me: Someone is writing up a ticket for my car parked outside; can I just leave these two bags and go?Red Cross Lady: We are not taking any electrical appliances! (referring to the mesh bag)Me: Okay, no problem. Can I just leave this bag with you? (referring to the translucent bag with clothes and shoes)She then took a hard look at me, and though I can't be sure, I felt like she was eyeing me from top to bottom.Red Cross Lady: I am not taking anything from that bag; take it to Bethany next door.She coldly turned back to the cashier.In that moment, I couldn't comprehend what she had just said. The words sat in, and I felt outrageous and humiliated. The expressions on the other two lady customers indicated they couldn't believe what they heard.I should have said something on the spot, but I'm not sure if it was the worry about the parking ticket or my reluctance to confront people. I left the store and went to Bethany. The staff there took everything I had to offer, including the vacuum cleaner, and gave me a warm smile and a simple thank you.Since Monday, I have been upset over the incident and felt the need to let others know what happened. I cannot understand why the lady behind the counter treated me that way. Whether it was the way I speak, dress, or look, I am not sure. What I am sure of is that no one should be treated with that attitude.I am a frequent donor to charity shops in Morningside, including previous donations to the same Red Cross. Staff at these charities are usually very welcoming, even when they're too busy for small talk. They will at least show you where to put the bag of items you want to donate.Over the years, I have made over £10,000 worth of donations, either in cash or belongings, to British Red Cross, with most of them supporting your Ukraine initiatives. I can now say for sure that I will not be making any donations to British Red Cross in the future.
November 2022 by Dot Tritschler
Quite a nice selection of clothes handed in by the public, including myself. However, the female manager is obnoxious and ignorant. When I handed my partner my bag toenable me to fix my scarf which had come loose, even although was in the middle of serving a customer she rushed over from the till and stared at us accusingly as though we were shoplifting!!I?ve handed hundreds of pounds worth of clothes and shoes into this shop- particularly since the crisis in a Ukraine- but the attitude of the female manager is do dreadful she has out me off. Even when my partner and I have handed in donations, you?d think she was doing us a favour!!My partner was a volunteer in Oxfam book shop for years, and I also volunteered in Save The Children in Stockbridge for years, where all the staff (including the managers) were courteous to all of our valued customers. The older female manager in this shop clearly needs training in how to deal with the public!!
