Snooty treatment while shopping yesterday!

[CindysGusGus]

Originally posted by Amberle3


In situations like the car salesman that wouldn't let the poster test drive the car without her husband, it's times like that when I ask for the manager. Again, keep a calm and reasonable tone - no one gives any credibility to an irate, hysterical person. Make your complaint, find out if it's company policy, and then say "I'm upset and unhappy at being treated this way, and I'd like to know what you're going to do about it."

I think this is in response to my post. I had to leave before I punched the arrogant young man. I calmed down and thats when I called the dealership. This dealership had my name and number due to a promo they were running. 10 minutes after the call to the General Manager (who was also the owner/small town dealership) the salesman was calling my house. My DH was in the emergancy room the night before with a Kidney Stone so really it was my DH who blasted the Salesman. I think it may have happened before and this was the last straw for the the owner. ITA with keeping your cool, it maintains a level of dignity and maturity and it tends to make the other person even madder.

 

[ilovepcot]

I LOVED this!!! Several years back, 2 minority women went into our local Ethan Allen store to browse furniture. My neighbor, the store accountant, saw and heard all that happened. He said after the ladies had walked around a bit without a salesperson offering to assist them, one of the ladies finally asked if someone could help them. A salesperson reluctantly sauntered over and explained in a tone appropriate for a young child that this furniture was "very fine quality and quite expensive". The ladies left and went immediately across the street to Havertys. They spent hours in there. They didn't buy one single item on the sales floor.......they special ordered an entire house full of furniture from the special order catalogs!!! Seems that one of these ladies had recently won the Florida State Lottery and needed all new things for her new custom built home. Love it, love it! By the way, it was the wife of the accountant who worked there and sold them all their new furniture. She said you'd never find sweeter, more humble people.

 

[Beth76]

What a fun thread! I love hearing all these stories.

About 5 years ago, my dad and I went to look at Pontiac Grand Ams---I was ready to buy a car and pretty much new what I wanted. They were running a special that ended in a few days, so I was prepared to buy a car "right now". Walked passed 4 salesmen who were chatting it up and NEVER once offered to help us---even as we walked passed them to leave. I bought one later that day from a different dealer.

Last year, my DH and I went to look at Infinitis (we're in our late 20s) and were helped right away and treated very nicely. We bought an Infiniti that day.

A few years ago, I went into Banana Republic to get some pants for my DH. This was a Wednesday morning and I had my son in the stroller. The sales guy was folding sweaters right by the door and looked up at me when I walked in. Right behind me, some nicely dressed man walked in and the same sales guy looked up at him, smiled and said, "how can I help you today sir?"
Yes, I'm a housewife. But, I'm a housewife who can afford NOT to work and still buy $80 pants for my husband.

Now for a positive story..... When I was a senior in HIGH SCHOOL, my boyfriend and I were at THE fancy mall (Neiman, Sax etc) in town, for some reason. For fun we decided to go into Bailey, Banks and Biddle and "look" at engagement rings. They were so nice to us and we were 18 looking at really expensive rings!!!! Maybe they were just bored.

 

[FroggyinArk]

we have stores like that here too. Stage is the worst, Dw and i are in home repair bizz so we are often paint splatterd and in work clothes. She needed a formal style dress for an event we had to attend and after work one day we were passing stage and she saw one she liked in the window, We stopped and after 30 min of being ignored we left the store. we ended up buying a dress that day from a small local store, and as a repayment, we dressed to the nines and went back into stage. first trip we were in work truck second we were in suburban custom, i was in tux and t ails, dw in a formal gown, we were bombarded by sales staff. we asked for the manageer and stoodf there and reported each sales person that had snubed us earlier we also had that at car dealers after my accident. i was heavily bandaged around my face, dw was trying to find a car she could take me to drs in, we decided we likesd the chevy blazer, gmc envoy style, we went to local gmc dealer they wouldnt show us one, they only wanted to show her the used full size suvs we left there drove across town and walked out with the paperwork on our blazer. wrote them a check later that day and drove it home. now we make a poin to drive slowly and wave at the gmc sales man who was trying to push her towards a larger more expensive truck.. even more after we added a third vehicle,, we bought me a 94 suburban and it sits in the yard waiting on me to get able to drive it

 

[Beauty]

Not that they could FIT into anything from Old Navy? I'm a big girl getting smaller but I've always been able to wear Old Navy T's.......thats a little offensive to overweight people. I think your post would have been very fair had you not disrespected large people in your original post.

 

[bpr2002]

My husband and I run into this all the time. We are both young professionals but we love to be in jeans on the weekends. After all, gee whiz, I have to wear suits to work EVERYDAY! But we'll get ignored even when dressed nice. I think it may be because of our age. It doesn't make me feel bad--it is just a pain when I
am excited about buying something or am on
a "shopping mission" !

But we have had good experience in some stores:

the Nordstrom's clerk was extremely nice.

the clerk in Bailey Banks and Biddle was extremely helpful when we went in to purchase my engagement ring and later our wedding rings.

Have a great day!

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by MeanLaureen
.

We went into Saks 5th Avenue and have never been looked upon as trash like that before! We weren't only looked down the nose by employees but even by customers.

- Reilly was wearing his usual apricot fur (yes, they allow dogs in this mall)

I absolutely can not imagine taking a dog in Saks...really. I'm sure that's why you got "looks". I also can't figure out WHY some people have to take their dogs everywhere they go ?

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by ilovepcot
I LOVED this!!! Several years back, 2 minority women went into our local Ethan Allen store to browse furniture. My neighbor, the store accountant, saw and heard all that happened. He said after the ladies had walked around a bit without a salesperson offering to assist them, one of the ladies finally asked if someone could help them. A salesperson reluctantly sauntered over and explained in a tone appropriate for a young child that this furniture was "very fine quality and quite expensive". The ladies left and went immediately across the street to Havertys. They spent hours in there. They didn't buy one single item on the sales floor.......they special ordered an entire house full of furniture from the special order catalogs!!! Seems that one of these ladies had recently won the Florida State Lottery and needed all new things for her new custom built home. Love it, love it! By the way, it was the wife of the accountant who worked there and sold them all their new furniture. She said you'd never find sweeter, more humble people.

A friend of mine (a black young male) went into an Ethan Allen once near where we grew up because he was interested in a very specific item (some sort of curio cabinet...i don't remember but he had wanted to get as a gift for his mother).

Anyway, they treated him like dirt. Ignored him and again pointed out how expensive everything was.

Needless to say, he left and went to Jordans furniture and found a different curio there.

I have no patience for people who treat their customers like that just because of their age or skin color. I was in a furniture store last week with my best friend (who happens to be a young, black woman) and we were looking around at stuff. The sales people were friendly and nice but the point was, she spent over $1000 in that store that day buying a living room set for her new house. The well dressed upper middle aged couple who walked in behind us didn't buy anything. Kudos to Bob's (the furniture place) for not treating me, my friend or the older couple any differently!

Something tells me Ethan Allen might not have gotten her $1000 worth of business. They sound awful.

 

[CookieGVB]

What part of "they allow dogs in this mall" did you miss?

 

[llebrekniT]

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[Shugardrawers]

A few years back I weighed 300+ pounds. My mother has always been very tiny. One day I went to an upscale petite size store to buy her an outfit she'd raved about for her birthday. Not 2 steps in the door a saleswoman shouted, SHOUTED, from across the room "Honey, the plus size store is next door!!!" I replied that I knew that and walked over to a rack. She again SHOUTED from across the room "There's nothing in this store that will fit you, I'm sorry". I told her I was aware of that but was shopping for someone else and since she chose to humiliate me publicly I'd just take my business elsewhere. I went to a different store and spent the $350 I had planned for that outfit on an even nicer one. WHY is it ok to be so rude and discriminatory to large size people? Even idiots who are predjudiced against people of color try to be a bit more subtle about it!

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by CookieGVB
What part of "they allow dogs in this mall" did you miss?

I know I'm a "Southern Hick" But -SERIOUSLY- I can't imagine going into an upscale department store with a dog.We have a saks that i visit in New Orleans at the end of Canal Street, it's vaarryy La-di-dah, and I enjoy browsing in it....but take a dog while I'm looking for clothes?

 

[Shugardrawers]

I don't doubt that they allow dogs but yeah, I'd find it awfully hard to shop with my poodle. He's a bit too frantic for me to take out in public much!

 

[ilovepcot]

Well, back in the early 60's, people were actually permitted to take small dogs in the grocery store with them! I know this for a fact! Okay, I'll admit I was a little kid, but I clearly remember Mom and me stopping to talk with shoppers about their cute dogs. Have no idea when health laws came into play that halted this practice.

 

[catsrule]

I bet if you had Simba with you they all would have come running over to help you.

 

[Planogirl]

The only places that allow dogs in our area are the big pet stores. Sometimes we come across a good dog fight when we go in.

But that aside, I don't run into much of this snootiness and believe me, I don't dress up! I think that people in our area tend to dress real casual regardless of income so that might explain it.

 

[NHAnn]

Originally posted by CookieGVB
Sounds like a scene out of Pretty Woman.
You should have gone back later LOADED with bags and ask the salesclerk if she worked on commission. "Big mistake - HUGE!" and sauntered off to keep shopping elsewhere.

That's exactly what I was thinking of reading the OP.
Love that Pretty Woman scene

I see nothing wrong with the dog if the Mall/store allows it...a well behaved dog is easier to shop with than a toddler sometimes .

Some people (whether salespeople or customers) are just plain ignorant....some are rude ...some are both.

 

[BrerMom]

Originally posted by DVC Kathy
This happenned over ten years ago. DH had a conference in Dallas. I decided to take a bus downtown and see what was there.

From the moment I walked into Neimann Marcus till the moment I walked out, I was followed. It was so distracting that I eventually just left, but not till the security person got some exercise.

I don't remember what I was wearing, but I'm sure it wasn't upscale.

Even if I had money to burn, I'd never buy anything there.

Art Van Furniture!!!! and of course they didn't get a sale. We ended up buying the furniture we needed at the store next door** where they asked if we needed help and then left us alone to think. Pressure me and I leave!

I had the "car" experience, too. A long time ago, we thought we were finally ready for a minivan. I was on an extended vacation at my parents' house and decided to stop in and visit the Ford dealership. I didn't ask for a test drive. I just wanted information. After asking where my husband was and would he be coming in with me the next time I visited, they denied! my request for a brochure! I chalked it up to a small town, but how obnoxious.

Same small town, the entire time I was growing up: the speciality shop for children's clothes. I made a point of going in after I was married and not buying anything. Kind of made up for watching how they treated my mom all those years when they were the only game in town.

** We started buying furniture from this little mom and pop store when we were first married. They treated us so nicely. On this last purchase, we actually paid a little more for a similar set here instead of buying from the stalkers.

 

[WhenUwishUponAstar]

Originally posted by monkeyboy
Sound like Pretty Woman scene

I was thinking the exact same thing!! lol

 

[chell]

Originally posted by monkeyboy
Sound like Pretty Woman scene

That was the first thing that came to mind for me.