Tuesday, December 13, 2011

A TRIVIAL QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

Santa Barbara is an appealing seaside town that shows no signs of a financial downturn.  During our recent visit, we strolled the crowded downtown area, enjoying the Christmas decorations and the smiling, bustling crowds laden with packages, bags, coffee cups and ice cream cones (we participated in the ice cream).  A small band played Christmas carols in a pocket park; solo musicians played on street corners.  In side-by-side windows of the Saks store, two lovely, young ballerinas in stiff white tutus turned slowly on the tips of their toes and posed for photos.  The entire scene sparkled in the cool sunshine and we enjoyed being part of it in our small way (Odel bought two new cotton t-shirts).

Finished with our walk and shopping, we found an open bench in a large courtyard near a group of musicians and sat to enjoy music and people watching.  Nearby, a nicely dressed, middle-aged volunteer wrapped gifts in return for a charitable donation (I don’t know which charity set this up).  Shoppers brought their packages, dropped them off, then returned later to pick them up and make a donation. 

The longer we sat, the more interested I became in the wrapping.  Glancing over, I noticed that the paper she cut for the package she was wrapping was not sufficiently long to cover the box.  I figured I must be wrong, at the wrong angle to see what was really going on… but, no, after slapping tape on the paper and box, she cut off another strip to use as a patch, and covered the gap (again, plenty of tape going in all directions).  Then I got distracted by other sights…

Next thing I know, Odel elbowed me and pointed out that the wrapper was using a too-short piece of paper to wrap another gift!  (The paper was cut from large rolls, not pre-cut).  Now we both were interested in the process.  Again, she cut another short strip to patch the gap, using tape liberally.  Done with the patch, she flipped the wrapping down over the sides, slapped more tape on, and turned the box so the patch was on the bottom.  She selected a tiny, pre-made, adhesive-backed bow which she affixed to the upper corner of the large box, a tiny boat bobbing on a large ocean.  Corners wrinkled, ragged cut edges showing, tiny bow on the big box, she tossed it into a bag ready to be picked up.

Odel and I looked at each other, eyes wide.  Odel nudged me and pointed secretly to another wrapped package sitting on the table – we agreed that looked like it had been wrapped by a ten year old boy. If I am receiving a gift from a ten year old boy, I would love that look… but when/if I’m paying for gift wrapping, I’d expect it to have a bit more polish – quite a bit more!

As we walked back to our car, I wondered how shoppers reacted when they returned to pick up their wrapped gifts.  Did they make a small donation and walk away disappointed, rewrapping the gift at home?  Laugh, and say “You’re joking, right?” or “Am I on Candid Camera?”   Refuse to make a donation?  Ask the wrapper to remove the gift wrapping and decline to make a donation?  Pay enough to cover the cost of the materials, under protest?

I don’t know what the heck I would have done.  How about you?

20 comments:

  1. I fear a lot of people don't look at the package until after they have paid and gone. Not sure if I would have either just assuming it would look lovely. But had I, I probably would have "donated" significantly less and never returned. Having actually worked as a gift wrapper in one of my zillions of previous lives I know that it isn't difficult to make sure you have more than enough paper to cover the box. I would definitely like to have talked to the wrapper about who was her charity and how long had she been wrapping. Just curiosity given that she obviously doesn't give a fig about what she's doing. Maybe she got wrapped ahhh roped into it. :-)

    Sherry
    www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com

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  2. I guess I would have more questions...was it a legitimate charity or just someone who set up shop to make a few bucks off unsuspecting shoppers? Was it an old lady doing her best of someone just being sloppy because they didn't care? Were persons patronizing the wrappers looking for a cheap deal or were they genuinely trying to help a charity? SIGH!!

    If I had been picking up a package, I would look at it before making a donation and make my donation accordingly. Really, if it was a legitimate charity, they could have provided a bit of instruction on how to properly wrap a present so that it is "presentable"! Maybe I would have offered to do just that as what you have described is definitely NOT acceptable.

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  3. Too funny. I would never pay someone, even a charity, to wrap my own gifts even though my wrapping looks like a 10 year old did it! Besides which, we learned a long time ago to use gift bags. Reuseable, and much easier!

    Kevin

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  4. Based on my non-controntational personality I would not have said anything to the person. I may or may not have given them a dollar. I would have quietly left with my poorly wrapped parcel grumbling under my breath wondering why there has to be people in the world who feel it necessary to deliberately cheat other people in such a cheap and obvious manner. Not saying there is a right or wrong way to handle this. Just saying each individual has their own reasons and their own ways.

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  5. I probably would show her how to wrap packages with care telling her it would save time....of course, sometimes I am a but-in-ski!

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  6. I'm thinking I might inquire about where the "donation" went..If I was OK with the answer,I would just donate..no wrapping...just give a donation...I don't like to confront people, but I will donate to a good cause just because I want to.

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  7. Well , I'm pretty easy going so I think I would have just thanked the lady for a lovely job, donated a few dollars and been on my way. Now Cathy, that's a whole different story she takes gift wrapping very serious so I can picture her grabbing the Tape dispenser, leaping over the counter and beating the lady on the head with it to the tune of Jingle Bells until all her anger was gone, then donating a few dollars, wishing everybody a Merry Christmas and then go home to wrap it properly.

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  8. What a dilemma, I probably would have checked the wrapping and would sort of do a quiet laugh to myself and then donate 1.00. I would have checked on the charity first and many times I would just donate money if I liked the charity.

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  9. Given that the wrapping will just end up being ripped off and either stuck in the garbage or thrown in the fireplace I probably would have shook my head and carried on.

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  10. Knowing me Laurie, you can just know I would have said something. Hopefully, not too sarcastic. :)

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  11. Bad service is becoming a norm and until we begin speaking up, it will continue to get worse. We all have an obligation to help make it stop whatever way we can.

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  12. my brother-in-law wraps everything in newspaper at Christmas..maybe he has the right idea?

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  13. I tend to believe the best in people until proven otherwise. I'd think the wrapper was an ill-qualified, but well intentioned volunteer. I see the price as a donation to a charity, not a fee for services (it will get to someone in need regardless)! I may have tried saying that someone once explained to me that it wasn't wasteful and made for a cleaner wrapping just to use plenty of paper from the beginning, perhaps she'd like it if she tried it. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

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  14. Being very cautious, I would not have left my present with her in the first place. But, having done so and received the wrapped present in a bag, it would not have occurred to me to look in the bag to see what type of job she did. But, I would have rewrapped the present after I got home and discovered the mess.

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  15. Oh how I wish you would have waited to see how it ended :)

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  16. Just a thought. Is it possible the charity was a local sheltered workshop and the person doing the wrapping was doing her very best?

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  17. knowing me I probably would have taught her how to wrap in a nice fashion...maybe she was 'challenged'...heck I probably would have stayed there and helped her wrap...

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  18. While not likely to have someone in that kind of setting wrap my package (too much chance of gift being misplaced, "exchanged" for another package or something, and not discovered until it's opened,) I might have watched how packages were wrapped first. Checking on the charity would be next, and engaging the wrapper in a brief conversation to find out why they were there. A donation to a legit charity is good, but like car washes, cookie sales and such, you are not getting much more than enthusiasm, if that.

    I'd be tempted to give to any one who has a good line of patter, or makes me laugh, no matter if a con or not. Like buskers, they are "working" the crowd and it's entertainment.

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  19. Wellll, also being non-confrontational, I would have just paid. BUT, I would have gotten my money's worth telling to story to the gift recipient. AND I would have had a blog post on it.

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  20. Oh, I agree with Karen and Al, but she may have just worked into the night...it is a great story.

    Thanks for sharing..

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