Hope Gospel Mission

Bargain Center
Schedulers Handbook

Table of Contents:
Log in information ........................................................................................................................................ 2
When talking to donors ................................................................................................................................ 2
Email requests and Pickupmydonation.com ................................................................................................ 2
Cancellations ................................................................................................................................................ 2
Fees and unaccepted items list .................................................................................................................... 3
Building Hope driving schedule .................................................................................................................... 3
Bargain Center driving schedule .................................................................................................................. 3
Important contacts ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Scheduling projections ................................................................................................................................. 4
Pickup area limits ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Forwarding the phone .................................................................................................................................. 5
Transferring calls .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Listening to voicemails on the phone .......................................................................................................... 6
Listening to voicemails on the computer ..................................................................................................... 7
Using Google Calendar ................................................................................................................................. 8
Pickup order ............................................................................................................................................... 11
Communicating with the driver ................................................................................................................. 11
Mapping the route ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Residences with apartment or lot number ................................................................................................ 14
Donation FAQs ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Voucher Qualifications ............................................................................................................................... 17
Additional contact numbers ....................................................................................................................... 18

Log-in information:
Pandora: Username
Google: Username

Password
Password

When talking to donors:

Ask what city if unsure of area look up on google maps

Ask what kind of items determine if BH or BC pick up (refer to donation chart)
Where is it located (basement?) easy to get to? we PREFER NOT to pick up from basements, they need
to bring it up first. If they are unable to bring it up, it is up to the driver as to whether he thinks it is safe
for him to move
If items are in a walk out basement, ask if there is a clear pathway to get to where the truck would be
parked or if there is a hill. Ask if it would be possible to back the truck up to the basement door
What kind of condition is it in? Has it been sitting outside in the rain? If in bad condition we may not
take it, or will charge $20 to take it
BH no more small pickups (small items they can bring in themselves, unless they have a large quantity
of items), large items only!
Get as much information as possible about what we are picking up. If donor refuses to tell us what were
getting, or is vague, tell them we are unable to pick up unless we know exactly what were getting
Ask if willing to give a suggested donation of $25 to help cover the cost of picking up items
Initial any pickups that you schedule

Email Requests and PickUpMyDonation.com:

Occasionally donors will contact us about a pick up through the HGM website. They usually include a
phone number and the details of the pickup, in which case you will need to call them to set up the
appointment. If a phone number is not provided and email address should be listed for you to contact
them at
PickUpMyDonation.com is a third party source we use for advertising and as another avenue for donors
to reach us about scheduling a pickup. PickUpMyDonations.com will email you when a donor has
submitted the details about the pickup. The donors contact information will be included in the email

Cancellations:

If someone leaves a message about cancelling a pick up always call back to confirm the cancellation.
There is a cancellation page within the messages spread sheet to record these on
Keep a separate handwritten list of people who would like a call if there is a cancellation before their
scheduled pick up date if they are not on the schedule, make a note of that and write down the date
they would like their donation picked up by

Donation Fees

Unaccepted Items

BC
Hide-a-beds/

sleeper sofas - $30 we do not pick up

Items in unsaleable condition - $20
Fluorescent light bulbs - $0.50 - $1 each

Tube,

console, or projection tvs

Used mattress or box spring
Used Carpeting
Piano/organ
Baby cribs or car seats

Non-working

Used

Dorm

Used

BH
fridge or freezer - $20
size fridge - $10
Dehumidifiers $10
Fluorescent light bulbs - $0.50 - $1 each
Air conditioners - $10

carpeting
siding
Used insulation
Used brick/blocks
Damaged hollow core doors
Broken glass or mirrors
Trim/lumber with nails
Wood clad windows
Window sashes

Building Hope Driving Schedule:

Day
Monday
Wednesday

Driver
Stephen Poynter
Stephen Poynter

City/Area
Eau Claire/Altoona
Chippewa/Hallie

# of P/Us
6
6

Time of Day
9am 3pm
9am 3pm

Friday

Stephen Poynter

Eau Claire/Altoona

9am 3pm

*The general pick up window may vary, in which case the driver will notify the donor on that day*

Bargain Center Driving Schedule:

Day
Monday

Driver
David Santineau

City/Area
Eau Claire West/DT

Tuesday

David Santineau

Eau Claire North/DT

Wednesday
Thursday

David Santineau
David Santineau

Friday

David Santineau

Chippewa & Hallie

BH Run in the morning
Eau Claire South/DT
Eau Claire East, Altoona

# of P/Us
3 light / 5
heavy
3 light / 5
heavy
8 mix
4-5 mix

Time of Day
12pm 5pm*

3 light / 5
heavy

12pm 5pm*

12pm 5pm*
9am 5pm
12pm 5pm

*Lightweight pickups that only require one person may be done in the morning, but we dont guarantee that*

Important Contacts:
Extensions

Bargain Center Driver

1217 Building Hope

David Santineau

1132 Auto Sales

1101 Craig Pederson
1102 Richard
1103 Bud

Managers Cell Phones

Bud Drexel
Richard SullivanDave Mayo
Craig Pedersen
Craig Lester
Tom Harshman

Building Hope Drivers

Stephen Poynter

Scheduling Projections:
When customers or donors ask how long before we are able to pick up something refer to the following
information:
Calendar Months
March May
May October
October-December
December-March

Expected Wait Time

1 to 2 weeks
2 to 3 weeks
1 to 2 weeks
About a week

*Do not guarantee anything! These are general terms wait time could be shorter or longer. Check with
Scheduler for exact time frame.*
Pickup Area Limits:
Highway 12 towards Fall Creek - Markgraff and Schultz Road
Highway 37 towards Mondovi Hemlock Road
Highway 93 towards Eleva Highway HH (Township of Cleghorn)
West towards Carryville/Elk Lake Highway H
North of Chippewa County Highway B (Township of Tilden)
*These are general guidelines, do not make any guarantees! If residence of pickup is past any of these points,
request that donor send pictures before we consider doing the pickup*

Forwarding the phone:

If you are going to be out of the office you can forward the phone to the cordless by doing the following:
o Press FWD on your phone pin pad
o Dial 1150
o The phone should beep and the display screen read FWD ALL CALLS TO Cordless once it is
successfully forwarded
To take the phone off of forward do the following:
o Press FWD
o Pick up the receiver and hang up
o The display screen will say ANY CALL FORWARD CANCELED and the phone will beep

Transferring calls

If you need to transfer a call to another office you can do the following while on the phone:
o Press the Transfer button
o Dial the extension you wish to transfer the call to
o Listen for the transferred call to ring
o Hang up once you hear the call ringing on the other end

Listening to voicemails on the phone:

The message light (MSG) will blink red and the display screen will tell you how many messages you have

To retrieve messages, pick up the receiver and either press the MSG button, or dial your voicemail
(1113)
Enter the password for the voicemail (113#)
Follow the menu prompts to listen to messages
o Menu shortcuts while listening to messages:
1 = Rewind 3 seconds
3 = Fast forward 3 seconds
7 = Save Message
9 = Delete message
Messages from the phone are also sent to your email. If you accidentally delete a message from the
phone before listening to it, or you cant quite understand what someone is saying, you can play the
messages from your email by following the instructions on the next page.

Listening to voicemails on the computer:

Right click on media file (highlighted in blue in picture below)

Select Open (boxed in yellow in picture below)

Voicemail will open in windows media player. Once youve listened to file you can delete it OR move to
the cancellations file
To move voicemails from the Voicemail folder, click on the voicemail you want to move, and drag it to
the cancellations folder (boxed in yellow in picture below)

Using Google Calendar:

To schedule a new appointment make sure the Google Calendar is in Week view.

Click in an open time slot on the Google Calendar for the appropriate day (refer to the driving schedule
charts above for appropriate days and times) When you click in the time slot, a pop-up window will
appear, select Edit Event

*Note* Event times are automatically selected to be an hour long, however, you can manually change
the length of the appointment based on how much they have to donate. i.e:

Acceptable
hour
pickups

1-4 furniture items at ground level or in garage

1-2 furniture items and 1-20 boxes at ground level or in garage
1-2 furniture items not at ground level (in building with elevator)
1-30 boxes at ground level
1-15 boxes not at ground level (in building with elevator)

Adjust time allowed for pickups accordingly (be sure to factor in how many trips in an elevator it might
take, and if they have to drive further to get to the pickup).

Type the donors name and phone number as the event title

Type the address of pickup in the Where section

Use the description field to type notes about the pickup. Refer to the When Talking to Donors section
on Page 1 to see what should be included here

Select the appropriate calendar for the pickup we use Building Hope Driver (local) for BH and The
Bargain Center (local) (local) for BC.

If there is a special note in the appointment (i.e. its a delivery, they need to call back with more details,
or we need to call them back with a tighter time frame) change the color of the appointment to show
that there is something different about it we use yellow for deliveries, and orange for all other notes

Once all details are entered into the appropriate field, save the appointment

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Pickup Order:

Pickups should be mapped out and placed in the correct order on the schedule prior to the pickup day
(see Mapping the Route below)
When mapping and reordering the pickups make sure to take into account any time specifications given
by the donor, or weight restrictions corresponding to time of day (see BC Driving Schedule)
Once the pickup schedule has been mapped out, number each stop in Google Calendar by placing the
corresponding stop number in parenthesis before the name and phone number in the Event Title field
on Google Calendar
Drag each appointment to the corresponding time slot so that the numbers of the stops appear in the
correct order (i.e. (1) would go in the 9-10am slot, and (8) would go in the 4-5pm slot)

Communicating with the Driver:

Communication with the driver is vital. Throughout the day you may get calls from concerned donors
waiting to hear what time he will be there. It is important to stay in contact with the driver throughout
the day so that you can effectively answer donors when they ask Where is your truck? What time will
they be here
Although we cant give the donors an exact time, by staying in contact with the driver about his progress
throughout the day, you will be able to give them a better estimated time frame
The driver should check in with you every couple of hours to let you know which stops he has completed
so far. If you dont hear from him for a while, you should contact him to see where hes at with the
pickups
Keep a print out of the schedule for the day on your desk so you can cross off the completed stops as
the driver checks in with you throughout the day

Mapping the Route:

Open Microsoft Streets and Trips 2013

Select the car icon in the top menu bar to display the route planner

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Type in all addresses for the day, listing the Bargain Center as the first and last stops

Once all addresses are listed, choose the Optimize Stops button at the bottom left of the screen

If stops require a specific order other than what the software orders them in (some reoccurring stops
may be kept as first priority, deliveries may need to go before pickups, or other time constraints that
donors have may affect this), you can adjust the order of the stops by selecting the address you want to
move, then use the up and down arrow buttons on the side of the route planner pane move the
addresses to the desired order

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Resize and center the map so all stops can be seen

Use the snipping tool from the start menu to take a screen shot of the map and save it as the numerical
date of the pickup (08-31, for August 31) Print the screen shot of the map to include with the print out
from Google Calendar

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Residences with Apartment or Lot numbers:

We frequently pick up from apartment buildings, assisted living, or trailer parks, but the donor doesnt
always identify it as such.
Some apartment buildings have elevators, but not all elevators are big enough for certain items to fit in
(this is usually more of a problem with deliveries than pickups since the donor got the items through the
elevator at one point.)
It is helpful for the driver to know which specific apartment number or trailer lot he is picking up from.
Pickups where the apartments on the second floor or higher usually take longer because of the elevator
time if a large pick up is done at an apartment like this, extra time should be allotted for the pickup.

Senior Apartments/Assisted Living

Facility Name
Eastridge Apartments
Good Shepherd Senior Apartments
Grace Apartments
Grace Edgewood Apartments
Grace Willowbrook
Heatherwood Assisted Living
Heritage Assisted Living
Heritage Court
London Square Apartments
Meadows at Otter Creek
Milestone Senior Living
Mt Washington Residence
Oakwood Apartments
Oakwood Hills
Orchard Hills Assisted Living
St Francis Apartments
St Johns/Heritage Apartments
The Classic at Hillcrest Greens

Address
3504 Hoover Avenue
3304 14th Street
1105 South Barstow Street
2512 Spooner Avenue
4868 Otteson Lane
4510 Gateway Drive
3706 Damon Street
3515 E Hamilton Avenue
3300 London Road
4880 Otteson Lane
5512 Renee Drive
1930 Cleveland Street
3802 Damon Street
4316 Oakwood Hills Pkwy
1403 Truax Blvd
851 University Drive
815 Chapin Street
2455 Sawgrass Place

City
Altoona, WI 54720
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Altoona, WI 54720
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Altoona, WI 54720

Elevator Notes
Yes

Trailer/Mobile Home Parks

Facility Name
Bonnie Vale Mobile Home Park
Camino Park
Countryside Manor
Hillcrest Estates
London Aire Estates
Oak Ridge Village Mobile Home
Pine Edge
Terrace Hills
Villa Diann Mobile Home Village

Address
County Road F
4200 Robin Road
2950 N Elco Road
1000 Oak Drive
2412 Golf Road
1908 Crescent Avenue
W3940 Mitchell Road
3626 Seymour Road
4400 La Salle Street

City
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire, WI

Notes

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Yes
Yes

Yes

Yes

Large - no issues

Donation FAQs

How do we get our donation picked up?

o We pick up donations in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls/Lake Hallie, and Altoona. To schedule a
donation pick up you can either call our scheduling office at 715.839.9498 extension 1113 or
option 3 from the menu.

When can you pick up my items?

o Summer is a very busy season for us, so when you call or email to set up a pick up appointment
it could be anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks before we are able to pick up. The winter months are a
little slower for us; however, it could still be up to 1 to 2 weeks before we are available for pick
up.

What if I have items for both stores, do I have to make 2 separate appointments?
o We can generally get all of your items for both stores in one pick up; this does depend on the
quantity of large items for each store. Our scheduler will be able to clarify for you when you call
to make your appointment.

Can I bring my items in if it doesnt work with my schedule to arrange a pickup?

o Yes! We have drive-up donation centers at both of our stores! The donation center at HGM
Bargain Center is happy to take your donations Monday through Saturday between 9am and
8pm. The donation center at HGM Building Hope is happy to take your donations Monday
through Saturday between 8am and 5pm.
*Please note that after hour donations will not be accepted and are prohibited per fire
marshal.

Do you pick up on Saturdays?

o We do not regularly pick up on Saturdays. In the busier months we may pick up every other
Saturday depending on the demand for it.

Can you pick up today?

o Same day pick up is rare, and only under special circumstances.

How often and when do you pick up in my area?

o Eau Claire and Altoona: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
o Chippewa Falls/Lake Hallie: Wednesdays
*Pickup days may vary according to availability on the schedule.

What items do you accept or not accept?

o You can find a list of acceptable items by looking up What to Donate under the Mission
Businesses tab on the main page of our website. If something is not on the list that you have
question about, you can call our scheduler at 715.839.9498 extension 1113 or option 3 from the
menu.

Is there a cost for pickups?

o We do not have a required charge for pickups; however, we would appreciate it if you would
consider giving an option Love Gift of $25 to help cover the costs of picking up.

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Do I need to be home at the time of pickup?

o We cannot enter someones home unless they are there. If you know you will be gone on the
day of pick up, and the weather is nice*, you can leave the items outside and we can pick them
up at any time during the day. We are also able to pick up from unlocked porches or garages.
*If items are left outside and are damaged by the weather we will not take them.

What time of day do you pick up?

o Furniture pickups are in the afternoons between 12 pm and 5pm*. The driver calls when he is
on his way.
*If we are picking up furniture in Chippewa Falls, it could be in the morning or afternoon. The
driver will call when he is on his way.

What if I want to add items to my pickup? Do I need to call you?

o Yes. We are happy to pick up any additional items, but we do need to know what else and how
much else we are getting so that we can plan accordingly. Please call us as soon as you know
that you have additional items to be picked up. If it is not on our schedule we will not pick it up.

What if I need to reschedule or cancel my pickup?

o You may call or email the scheduler at any time to reschedule or cancel your pickup. The phone
number for the scheduler is 715.839.9498 extension 1113 or option 3 from the menu.

Will you call me before you pick up?

o Yes. The driver typically calls you when he is finishing at the stop previous to you. You will have
about 10-20 minutes of notice.

Will you pick up from my basement or second floor?

o No. We value the safety of our drivers and are unable to bring anything up or down a full flight
of stairs. There may be exceptions to this. Please contact our scheduler for more information at
715.839.9498 extension 1113 or option 3 from the menu.

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Clothing voucher qualifications:

Participants may speak with a cashier to receive a voucher, speaking with a manager is not necessary

Adult participants must present some form of identification (drivers license, birth certificate, medical
insurance card, social security card, etc.)

Child participants do not need to be present to receive the voucher, but the adult shopping for them
must provide a form of identification (birth certificate, medical insurance card, social security card, etc.)
for each child receiving a voucher

Clothing vouchers are good for $15 worth of used clothing or shoes, not applicable to any new
merchandise in the store

Clothing vouchers may only be used once a year they must wait a full 12 months since the last voucher
they used to get another one if a participant has had a voucher in the past and doesnt know how long
it has been they can always call and ask us to check

Each week we have a color tag that is on sale for 50% off, and one on sale for 25% off, these sales help
the vouchers stretch a little further. Mondays would be the best day for a participant to come in and use
a voucher since there is a color tag that is 80% off every Monday (the color that was 50% the previous
week goes to 80% off on Monday). These change every week and the participant can ask about the sales
when they receive the voucher.

Furniture voucher qualifications:

Participants may speak with a cashier to receive a voucher, speaking with a manager is not necessary

Furniture vouchers are allowed one per household per lifetime once a furniture voucher has been
received they cant get another

Participants must present some form of identification (drivers license, birth certificate, medical
insurance card, social security card, etc.)

Furniture vouchers only apply to our clearance corner of furniture these items do not have our normal
tags with the barcodes, but rather plain white stickers with dollar amounts of $3, $5, $10, or $20,
someone will show them where this section is located within the store

Furniture vouchers are good for up to 4 items we cant split the items between visits (if a participant
only finds one item from the clearance corner that they want at the time of their visit they cant come
back another day to get the other three items)

Participants must have a way to transport the items they are receiving, we do not hold anything and we
dont deliver

If a participant doesnt find anything to suit their needs they can come back a different day we get new
arrivals of furniture daily

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Additional Contact Numbers:

Our Store
Fax Number
Building Hope
Auto Sales
Ryan
Solomon Center
House of Hope
Ruth House
Craig Pedersen
Bud Drexel
Richard Sullivan
Dave Mayo
Pastor Bill
Kyle Skipton
Chris Hedlund
Jennifer Pedersen
Mike S.
Mickey Johnson
Michael
Ben Young
David Santineau
Morgan
Abigail
Emily
Barb
Michele
Rachel
Samantha
Mira
Deb
Scott
Deanne
Clinten
PC Tech
Bolton House
Sojourner House
DP Delivery

715-839-9498
715-839-9496
715-838-2084
715-830-0155
715-514-4291
715-552-5566
715-834-4000

2511 Moholt Dr.

2108 Western Ave.
Auto Sales
2110 Western Ave.
8 S. Farwell St.
Director of Business Operations
BC Store Manager
BC Production Supervisor
BH Store Manager
HR & Volunteer Coordinator
Program Director
Emergency
Furniture
House of Hope
Intake
Intake
BC Driver
Scheduling
Cashier
Cashier
Cashier
Cashier
Clothing/BAB/Scheduling
Cashier
Cashier
Clothing/BAB
Electronics
Ruth House
House of Hope

715-831-1600
715-834-0628
715-514-5556
715-828-9776

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