We have had two experiences with this location, one very positive, one awful.
The first experience was on a week night with a very nice dark-haired man. We called ahead to make sure they would be open and he was very friendly. When we got there, he came out to our car before I could open the door, and was ready to help unload.
He was very attentive about handling things carefully, and got a computer tablet out to take all our info and process our e-receipt for the donation. He asked us carefully which charity we wanted to donate to, and various other questions (since it was our first time). From now on our info is stored in their system and they can easily look us up for future donations.
The second time was on a weekend during the day. They had about 4 cars there (kind of a lot, but not really too difficult to manage). People were unloading mostly bags of clothes and a teenage/young 20s girl was just standing there basically shouting to people, telling them to throw things in rolling carts which were stationed between where the cars pull up??? She had no computer tablet, and was telling people if they wanted a receipt that it would "be a while..." in such a way as to deter any desire for a receipt.
Unlike the other donors, I had breakable housewares, including china items and a glass framed signed photo of a Knicks player (yes, not 6ers, but worth decent money just the same). I got the girl's attention and explained I couldn't really chuck things into a bin where pounds of clothes in trash bags would break and ruin my entire donation, but she very rudely told me I "had" to put the stuff in there.
Sadly, I gently placed my large box of breakables in the bin, which I am sure all got destroyed by the next bag of flying clothes.
I went away regretting trying to make the donation with them, and feeling like Goodwill in Boothwyn would have been a LOT more careful and gracious. It was a 180-degree difference from my prior experience.
I realize they may get a lot of clothes, but the dump-it-in-a-bin procedure DOES NOT WORK for housewares, and they are shooting themselves in the foot to miss out on valuable donations by getting them destroyed that way.
If that young girl was overwhelmed, they really should have more people on staff. That type of unappreciative, rude interaction in a donation atmosphere (where people are going out of their way to spend time and gas to go there to GIVE and HELP) is completely unacceptable. It totally turned us off and made us not want to return.
The gentleman who helped us the first time was WAY more professional, and truly showed us they appreciate their donations.
We drove 28 miles roundtrip to get to this place because we wanted to go somewhere where we felt the items would be most useful. The first trip let us know we were doing what we hoped to do, the second trip was basically a waste of our time and gas money because I am sure all the items we tried to give them ended up shattered. That is the most ungrateful way you can treat someone trying to donate to you. read more