To have complained that the level of customer service I receive should not depend on what Im wearing?

[Humansatnav]

Garden centre close to my work with fab food hall. Usually pop in on my lunch hour ( professional job, smart office wear), and get some "naice" stuff for nibbles on a Monday.
With it being a bank holiday tomorrow dh & I decided to pop in just now & get the usual (organic wine, cheeses, olives etc). We'd been walking the dogs & I was still in my jeans/ trainers / fleecey jacket.
Staff have always been lovely before, but was served by a different man, he was fine with the lady before me, but very " off" with me, ie kept repeating the prices of the deli products to me several times, huffing and refused to give me a bag until I demanded one. It doesn't look much written down, but was very embarrassing.
I spoke to the supervisor immediately and she apologised. WIBU ?

A family friend always told the story of two young ladies walking into her expensive underwear shop in the nice bit of town in jeans.

This is a long time ago, before designer jeans etc. when it wasn't the norm to wear jeans to town.

Anyway they spent a fortune, explaining to DF that since the boutique up the road had been rude to them, silk underwear seemed a much nicer idea than a new dress.

DH and l went out early on a Sunday morning last year to go grocery shopping and took DD2's Corsa as we were going to fill it up with petrol for her.
We popped into a BMW garage on the way home as DH was looking to buy a new car and had test driven a certain model the previous week. The salesman took one look at the car, then me in my ripped jeans and told us he couldn't possibly show us the interior of the boot (think dog crate) as the keys were in the safe. I asked if he could not access the keys he just shrugged his shoulders.
When we got home l wrote an email to BMW head office about their "sales prevention team" and promptly forgot about it.
The next day BMW headquarters in London (i think) phoned to apologise and to get the complete story. they wanted to know the description of the salesman involved which l duely gave. Later that day the sales manager from the garage phone again to apologise- said the the salesman had form for this behaviour and invited us back to meet with him to discuss our "new vehicle". Too late we told him.
The previous afternoon we had gone to an Audi garage and bought a suitable new car (fitted said dog crate ).

I don't understand your hostility to me treaclesoda. I've said that if someone is rude to you, you should address it.

The fact remains that retail workers are treated like shit by their employers and their customers.

CharlieBoo, I often pop into Booths in my muck boots, or all sweaty after PT. I have never been treated any differently however I'm dressed.

This could be because I'm in there daily as it's my nearest shop though.

Well then I apologise limited because I misunderstood your post. I thought you were referring to my original post, about the car salesman, and I though that what you were saying was that people like my father were chippy and rude because they didn't like being talked down to. And then your response to me when I tried to explain felt quite hostile so I was defensive.

I'm sorry, I got the wrong end of the stick.

I bought a "diamond" necklace in Thailand. Absolutely beautiful thing on fake silver for about £10. I couldn't believe the service I got in John Lewis and similar outlets when wearing it! Many helpful assistants commented upon it, presuming it to be the real thing. It was an absultely encrusted heart shape and if real diamonds would be in the hundreds of thousands. Can't say I ever had the same service without it though so it does happen!

Can't say I've had this happen to me.

I do get treated nicer and people are friendlier when I dress up a bit. But I haven't gotten poor treatment when wearing pajama pants and a baggy T-shirt to a store, actually they seem to be a friendly icebreaker because my pj pants are pretty awesome.

You sure it was your outfit?

It could have just been as simple as the woman ahead of you smiled and was friendlier than you.

I went into Mac the other day, fresh out of work, in uniform and a bit tear-stained and dishevelled.

I just wanted an eye shadow to cheer myself up a bit. Whoever the lovely assistant was, I just want to say thank you. She made a beeline past the very groomed customers, asked if she could help and that I looked like I'd had a bit of a hard day. She sat me down, gave me a lovely light handed makeover and made me look human again.

I worked in retail and restaurants when I was a student, some people will go out of their way to make you feel small, some will make your day with a smile and a thank you. I now judge people very much on how they treat retail and waiting staff.

I have been spoken to rudely and it isn't pleasant. Granted, the member of staff may just be having an off day after a day of being sniped at, or has been under pressure from management. If it happens more than twice I just shop somewhere else. Some days I have taken such an emotional battering at work it's enough to tip me over the edge if I get glowered at or ignored. My lovely early menopause doesn't help that though.

(Thank you kind lass at Mac, you made my day xx)

Dh had this in John Lewis once, he was in work gear and trying to buy my Xmas present, the woman kept ignoring him and serving other people and stuff.

It does happen, unfortunately. Sales people are human and some judge on appearances.

That's nothing OP. Last time I went to a garden centre in a fleece and jeans (and wellies - mid garden project) I had 3 people assuming I worked there. I was roundly lambasted by one bloke for having moved the bamboo canes

I never get this problem after I've spoken to ask for something. I can't dress down my accent alas. But yes, if have been out hiking or similar, find that initial service isn't the best.

CominThroughTheWry I love Mac too. I'm going in this week- the London Harvey Nichols one - because my make up needs updating and I feel a bit drab. I want a summer day look that I can make a bit heavier for the night. Also I have six containers to exchange for a free lipstick - yay!

They've always been nice but it's probably better to go in on weekday mornings because they're not so pushed.

I've bought things from their Selfridge's concession and their Covent Garden shop too. But it's a madhouse on Saturdays.

treaclesoda Thanks for the apology but I shouldn't have asked for it. I get the wrong end of the stick all the time too

I don't like it when people trash shop workers who are just trying to do their jobs, but I realise that wasn't your intention.

Happened to Oprah Winfrey when trying yo look at a handbag in Switzerland. Apparently, she was too black to be able to afford it. Shameful.

I get odd looks from the tweedy lunching ladies when I nip to the garden centre in muddy jeans & boots as I'm in the middle of gardening. I would never go to a garden centre just to go to the cafe

I remember being followed around a department store jewellery department while wearing a scruffy leather biker jacket. The previous week I'd been in a smart skirt & blouse - I commented on it to the following shop assistant that I was no more likely to pinch anything than I had been the week before. She went a bit pink.

Fishandjam, that happens to me a lot at my local garden centre, especially if wearing my gardening body warmer. I try to stay well clear of elderly ladies as they're always being asked where stuff is.

Woah, lots of opinions.
To Princess, I am ALWAYS polite to people serving in shops, manly because my parents owned their own shop and I worked in it hols and weekends untill I moved away from home, so I do understand how chippy some customers can be !

Fishandjam, that happen to my ds, hes got a weekend job at Argos, popped into Boots on his way home and a customer berated him for the lengh of the queue at the pharmacy counter

I've had shop assistants tell me that the thing I have requested is much more expensive than an alternative either available there or in another shop. I don't think that this is because they are judging my ability to pay, but because they think that the item I have asked for is a complete rip-off in their shop.