Some people really can’t stand being asked to do the bare minimum for a good cause.

What would you do if a customer completely lost it over being asked to donate their spare change, and told you to give up your paycheck instead?

Would you stand your ground? Or would you just try to calm the situation and let someone else put them in their place?

In the following story, a dollar store employee encounters this exact situation and opts for the latter.

Here’s how it played out.

Customer refuses to donate to charity, demands I give up my pay for it

I live in a tiny rural town in Australia. Everyone knows each other, and the local **** addict kind of town.

It’s completely feral, and I have many a story for that, some other time.

I work in a popular dollar store in said small town. I have worked there for nearly a year now, but this store has been there since I was a kid.

Every year, they have a charity week, where all the employees collect donations, which are then sent off to a bigger charity that the store has sponsored at the end of the week.

It’s quite fun, and I got to dress up (I had to wear a Rainbow Dash-style wig, which all the kids loved).

When collecting donations, she had a specific system for asking.

I had a system when asking for donations to avoid it being awkward.

My feral aunt/boss doesn’t seem to understand the concept that people who pay with a card don’t often have spare change on them to give, and had a go at me for the way I did things, but hey, we still raised nearly $850 in that one week, so I must’ve done alright.

Anyway, anyone who paid with cash or had a purse or wallet on them, I would ask if they would like to donate and explain to them the charity we were raising for (I can’t remember the name, but it was for kids with heart diseases, which caused a lot of people to donate right off the bat).

As I was working one day, rainbow wig and all, this young girl came up to the counter, presumed mum following in tow, eyes on her phone.

I’m fine with parents being on their phones (I barely get off mine, so I can relate), but she just did not look up, not even as she was turning corners or anything.

The lady had cash, so she asked for a donation.

I walk over behind the counter and scan all the girl’s stuff. She was so excited, clearly having just gotten out of school, and had like a diary and some pens.

The mum sets her phone down, screen still on messages, then grabs her purse and fishes through it and pulls out a $20.

Because she’s paying with cash, I ask, “Would you like to donate to charity?” She looked at me like I was ******* Nightcrawler. This was the following exchange:

C: What?

Me: We have a donation box set up. Would you like to donate any loose change you have rattling around?

It was almost as if the lady was offended that she asked.

C: Why?

Me (a bit dumbfounded): Because it’s for children with heart conditions, to help them-

C (cutting me off): Why would I give my hard-earned cash to some random cashier?

Me: Uh, it’s fine, you don’t have to donate, I just ask everyone-

C (giving me a hard glare): Why don’t YOU donate???

Thankfully, a regular customer was in the line.

Me: I already have…? (We have the option to donate some of our pay to charity, which is just taken off the total when we sign. I gave like $50 with everyone else)

C: Really?? How much? If you really cared, you would give all your savings. But you’re just some dumb kid!

Thank God, I had a regular who was waiting in line. She shoved her basket forward onto my counter, pushing the woman out of the way, silently giving her the biggest **** you.

She just stormed off, and I put her $12 change in the donation box like I was instructed to do with everyone else.

The people in line all just dumped their change from their pockets into the box.

Wow! It was just a simple question.

Let’s check out what the readers over at Reddit think about customers like this.

For this reader, they’d rather donate directly rather than through a store.

Here’s an interesting thought.

According to this person, the cashiers are giving too much.

This reader works at a store and deals with this question.

What a toxic woman! A simple yes or no would’ve worked fine.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.