Goodwill

Easy to drop off things, but not always as it is a very small location on a very very busy street!

I read all the reviews. Trust me I was so hesitant to go in. I sucked it up and said I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt. Literally I was so nervous walking in with my boxes and I made sure it was all organized. This lady came outside because she was helping someone else who was far from organized. She was so kind and helpful. She gave the other couple a bin and then said to me, «come on in let me help you with that.» As she’s looked through my stuff. I said, «um you know you have really bad reviews on Unilocal.» She looked at me and replied, «really!» I said to her it cannot be you that these reviews are referring to. She did mention that that got rid of an older lady due to being unprofessional. I told her well I’ll definitely write a great review for you. She wished me a Happy Holidays and continued to help the other couple. So all I’m saying give them one more chance.

Always friendly. Dislike that it is pouring rain and they lock the front door. That left me standing outside with my bags soaking and knocking for someones attention.

After coming here every two months for 3 years with donations, I’ve decided to go elsewhere. The new employees are just miserable people, unprofessional and surly. Half the time they aren’t even open when the sign says hey are open.

I come here once or twice a year and the past two times I had to deal with the rudest woman. She almost tries to talk you out of donating and gives the biggest attitude — almost like you’re inconveniencing her to do her job.

My visit here was on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 1PM.
The woman working at this location is the most unprofessional, lazy, rude person I’ve even encountered in my 59 years. There was no one else at the business, so I’m assuming I was keeping her from the TV or something, but she wanted no part of taking my donation.
First, I asked her for a dolley because I had several heavy boxes. She grunted and pointed at the big blue bucket on wheels she was pulling toward the door. I explained some of the heavier boxes might be hard to lift out of that kind of cart. She ignored me and kept coming. When I opened the car doors and she saw that the car was packed to the roof, she grimaced. This was going to take a few minutes. She wouldn’t help unload the car and said as I did I would have to tell her what each box contained so she could write it down. Ok. I started unloading. She noticed a rod iron plant holder that had a bit of dirt on the bottom — yes, my bad. I picked it up as I was loading the car and didn’t bother to wipe it off. It is an adorable and very salable stand in the shape of a watering jug, but it did have a bit of dirt from the garden on it. She said we can’t take this stuff. I looked at her, completely confused. What stuff? This, she waved her hands at the packed boxes in my car with no way of knowing what was in any of them. You can’t take any of it. No. They won’t accept it. She was shaking her head. I just stood there. I’ve been donating to Good Will for years. I only give items in good condition that someone would want to buy. They won’t accept any of these things, I confirmed pointing to the boxes in the car. No, or rather a grunt and her head going side to side. I retrieved the boxes I’d unpacked from the cart, put them back in the car and said I’d go someplace else. She went in, closed and locked the door behind her. I drove a couple of miles down Ventura to the Sherman Oaks location.
There I was met by a wonderful woman who was busy helping several people at once. She was courteous and professional. She found me a dolley and insisted on helping me unload the car. She said THANK YOU.
Do yourself a favor. Even though the Sherman Oaks parking lot combined with heavy traffic on Ventura Boulevard on Saturday afternoons can be a challenge, donate to this store. If the parking lot is full, cruise around the block a couple of times. You’ll eventually get in and you’ll be treated with courtesy and respect.
So today, Sherman Oaks Goodwill has several boxes of gently used housewares, movies, gifty things like candle holders and incense burners, picture frames (some never used), clothes (some never worn) and a couple of pair of nice shoes (never worn), a TV, a thing that makes wave sounds while you slumber, a food scale, a tea kettle, some copies of Writers Digest magazines, lots of other good stuff and a little rod iron plant holder with a smidge of dirt on the bottom.
And, Encino Goodwill has the worst possible person to be meeting people who donate to the Goodwill.
Seriously, Encino Goodwill, do better. This woman is a very bad representative of the good work you do.

Oh my… Go to any Goodwill location other than this one.
This location is VERY selective in what they will accept. They would not take clothes just because they weren’t in a bag. They also rejected a box of track lights in great condition. All with lots of attitude.
I drove east a few blocks to the location in Sherman Oaks — they gladly accepted everything.