To be shocked at salespersons attitude and view?

[Nothinglefttochoose]

I went to buy a wetsuit today. I am an ocean swimmer and have an event coming up in 2 weeks.

Now I am not a small person but I’m not huge (size 14/16). The assistant asked me if I was training for an triathlon, I said no, that it was an ocean swim.

She then proceeded to ask me what distance and what event. I told her (it’s 5km). She seemed shocked and said “umm have you done it before? , it’s quite a big swim”.

I replied that I had. She then asked me how long it too me and told her I completed the swim in 1hr 25 minutes.

She nearly fell over and said “but that’s faster than I swim it!!!”

I’m assuming she was shocked that:
A. A person who isn’t stick thin can be sporty
B. a person in their 40’s could our swim someone her age (20’s).

I was a bit pissed off and asked her why she was so surprised? Then she went bright red and mumbled that I didn’t look like a typical swimmer and then continued on with the sale.

I think it’s a pretty shitty attitude and am considering complaining about her lack of professionalism. AIBU?

No chance of you swanning back in after the swim waving your medal and doing a Julia Roberts/Pretty Woman comeback?

TBH I think she'd have been mortified enough by being so dim and bigoted already, I don't think she needs further reprimanding.
I would hope that she's learnt her lesson and won't judge people by their looks in future, but will behave with far more circumspection and professionalism.

Of course, if you go back and there's a repeat, by all means complain!

Op is a short 14/16 so will probably be overweight but muscular as well

I can't spot an mention of her height in the OP posts but I would agree that anyone who can swim 5k in 1hr 25 is going to be reasonably well muscled.

No, but is it worth the effort of complaining? You’ve already won because you a) are twice her age, b) a better and more experienced swimmer.

Put her crass attitude down to her youth. As a 20 something she probably thought you were half in your grave as you are SO OLD!!

No chance of you swanning back in after the swim waving your medal and doing a Julia Roberts/Pretty Woman comeback?
Why,unecessarily mean
Nobody said they didnt believe. Ops time is brilliant. It took me 2.5 hours to do 5k

bruffin sorry, joke alert failure. My bad.

Did you buy the wetsuit though?

Definitely rude and unprofessional.
I would complain.

I think it is just a stealth boast. So bloody dull. Whŷ do people rise to this shit?

The word "unprofessional" is over used on MN

"Acted with care when she was incredulous about my swimming ability and told a paying customer she “didn’t look like a swimmer” ?? Are you serious. Hardly a customer service win!"

You should have looked her straight in the eye and, deadpan, said

"Your right! I shouldn't buy it, should I?"

Then put your card back in your purse, and (having tried it in the shop) bought the same thing elsewhere on-line.

“I wouldn't expect manager to do much with the information if you complained.”

If I overheard one of my staff talking to a customer like that I would have a clear word about not making sssumptions about people and minding professional boundaries in conversation.

Though I would assume she had learned her lesson in tne comeback. So I would follow up just to check that that was the case. Maybe “we’ll that will teach you to stereotype swimmers who aren’t a carbon copy of you”.

Nah deafly if you’re going to do that then you buy it on Amazon on front of them.

(Not that I’ve ever done that to a really rude assistant in Curry’s, oh no)

"Tbf you're obese. Most obese people aren't incredible swimmers. Leave her alone"

Stupid post.

"@Teateaandmoretea someone who is a size 16 is obese. I'm sorry if you find that offensive but it is generally true."

@PrismGuile, I see no mention of OP's height, but I have a close friend who is 1.75 metres tall, a full size 16, and is far from obese!

Stupid comments.

"Nah deafly if you’re going to do that then you buy it on Amazon on front of them."

Brilliant idea, @Zwischenwasser! Must remember that!

@PrismGuille

Do you have personal insight into the OP's height and muscle density? Or are just just talking bullshit for the fun of it?

Muscle density/muscle size affect weight and shape. Or do you imagine the musculature needed to do 5km in less than 1.5hrs is made of candyfloss?

You might just as well say that anyone of a size 6-8 is underweight. Dress size alone means absolutely nothing.

I think this whole conversation is the equivalent of the ‘Mumsnet Look’ - where an innocuous look or chat gets completely blown out of proportion in one person’s head, and they decided they’ve been greatly slighted by (usually) some poor worker who couldn’t give a shite what’s going on in your life

Amen to that.

Wow what a bunch of arseholes some of you are. I did not come onto this site to be called “chunky, obese, fat” and told to get over it. Worst site I’ve ever been on. See you haters....

Jeezo sometimes I think people would argue black was white on here! Regardless of whatever justifications people are trying to dream up the shop worker was bloody rude to a (potential) customer

"Surprised at the number of people who are minimising "

But it is minimal and trivial.

Some people love a good complaint. with sad face and an expectation of some sort of freebie

After that last post by the OP, I now have total sympathy for the sales assistant.

Yup!

So what If a customer (any customer) is obese, is it OK for a sales assistant to make any comment that doubts their ability to do anything?

The age-ism and slim-ism of MN may be showing on tnis thread.

+Questioning an obese person's ability to swim a long distance over several hours seems eminently sensible.*

Since when is that the place of shop staff?

Further, where did the OP say she was “obese”?