Goodwill Donation Center — Attraction in San Francisco

Made another donation today. Friendly staff, quick and easy, appreciated the help.

However, when I called to see if they were open before visiting, I had a very rude experience.

I called the number listed on Google Maps to confirm that they were open, since it’s the holidays and not all businesses are open during this time of year. The person on the other end said “when you looked up the hours online, which you surely did before calling, what did it say?” I confirmed that yes, the hours do say that they are open. The person then said “well ok then, that means we are open then doesn’t it? Thank you for calling, goodbye.” The entire tone of the conversation was rude and condescending, as if I was wasting their time, and they quickly hung up at the end of the call.

It’s the holidays. Not all businesses are open right now. Last time I visited this donation center during the listed business hours, they were not open, so it was perfectly fair to check and see before visiting. A quick 15 second phone call is much better than wasting 15 minutes driving to a closed donation center and then driving 15 minutes back.

There is nothing wrong with calling to see if a business is open before arriving, and customers shouldn’t be treated rudely for doing so. This call made me doubt whether I should even donate the items I had prepared, items that would be much better off with someone else who needs them. If your employees are making people second guess a charitable donation, then you are doing an extremely poor job of promoting those donations and actively hurting a community that benefits from receiving these items.

Don’t treat your customers poorly for trying to...

Today was the LAST time I will donate to Goodwill. This was first time I went to the Donation Center on Wisconsin Street. 2 guys seem to be working hard but the 3rd guy was on his cell phone the entire time and only interrupted his conversation to be rude. First, when i asked where to drop off my donation, 1 guys pointed to the end of the parking lot, when I got there there was no recourse but to back and drive back the center of the parking lot (where I was when I asked) this is when the 3rd guy rudely told me to get in line behind another car that had just arrived. I was in line behind the car when the rude guy yelled "Well get out of your car and do it". I thought going to Goodwill was better than going to some 'for profit" thrift centers but at least they are not rude and at least offer you a receipt for your donation. Goodwill.....not so much good will was...

In past decades, I often donated to the now razed Goodwill Donation Center at the corner of Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue, but I wasn't sure where to make donations now. So, I was delighted to learn when a friend told me that there was a Goodwill Donation Center right in my Potrero Hill neighborhood. I've been there twice recently as part of a major decluttering project, arriving late in the morning, once on Sunday and once on Wednesday. There was no line or other delay on either occasion. The donation lot is organized very efficiently with bins for every category of donation they accept. Two attendants were present and they were helpful in unloading from my car several boxes of donated clothing and household goods and placing the items into the...