Does the way you look determine customer service

[Newmay]

I look a mess. I recently had a baby and I’m tired, hunched over, pale and exhausted and I feel invisible.

I was in Jigsaw today (baby free) looking for a leather jacket and some new summer stuff and was ignored by all staff. Very quiet store and lots of sales assistants around. There was a lovely older lady (tall, slim, well dressed and frankly rich looking) and she got a lot of attention (didn’t initiate it) even though if anyone screamed ‘I need professional help’ - it was me.

Got me thinking - if you look ‘ wealthy’ are people in customer service more helpful or is it the confidence you probably have if you know you look good?

Tbh I've never noticed any difference, no matter how well groomed (or not) I am.
I do remember the idiot / assistant who asked the other staff staff to 'watch her' as I'd gone in with a large empty bag. Only because I'd just taken a lot of goods to a charity shop! #rolls eyes

Probably. I hate being bothered in a shop though, so would have been happy.

I tend to get attention when I got somewhere upmarket because I'm fairly young and not particularly smart looking. Not the good attention though - the "can I help you" in a tone that suggests they're really saying "we've got our eye on you"

20-30 years ago I would have said yes, but these days a lot of staff seem to treat everyone with equal contempt.

Yes.

You might look in need of professional help but do you look like you have a gold-plated American Express card in your Hermes handbag? - that is the $64,000 question.

I do often feel like I'm inconveniencing shop assistants if I ask them for help when they're stood having a chat!

Oprah did a good on this years ago, it was hilarious but made the point. They make assumptions on who willm spend money based on what they look like I guess.

Nope not were I work!

@Butchyrestingface lol no - I have neither- it was jigsaw 😆

I dread to think what would happen if I tired to set foot in Hermes.

I worked in supermarket retail so it’s a different ball game but if I noticed someone looking a bit tired/poorly/stressed etc I’d go out of my way to give them really good customer service.
You can make or break someone’s day in retail so anyone who was struggling probably appreciated a warm smile and a wee chat more.

Pretty woman scenario

Yes... we've all seen Pretty Woman, I would think. Though DH has commented on it too.

@ColonelRhubarbBikini thats so kind!

Not saying you look Ike a hooker btw

I've never noticed this. I often look quite scruffy but find shop assistants annoyingly attentive. I'd rather be left alone to browse!

Reckon I'd settle for looking like a hooker if it also meant I could look like a 20 something Julia Roberts.

Yes - I remember being very young buying a bag in a very high end store. I wasn’t really taken on by any staff - once they realised I was serious about buying the bag it couldn’t have been any more different. Falling over themselves to assist - here’s some champagne - have you seen this Madame here’a a very exclusive piece to our store - here please take my card and contact me directly should you require anything else.

I had this is in a snooty hairdressers.
I live in a naice area and have a professional job.
Went to ask for an appointment in joggers.
Big mistake. Huge

Not noticed it in retail so much but I regularly go on long journeys with DD & a suitcase (we moved far from our hometown and travel back to see friends).

I put on a fair bit of weight due to a health issue. It also affected my energy levels and skin. When I was thin and pretty and dressed with more effort, I would regularly have strangers offer to help with my luggage, wrangle DD up the stairs if the lift was out of order, etc. Since putting on weight I became very much invisible. I tripped in the station a little while ago, fell and hurt my knee- my kid was quite worried about me- people just walked around us. The same station where I had strangers offer to carry my suitcase before!

@Toottooot That reminded me of my late husband telling me of an old chap who'd gone to an upmarket garage on his pushbike, enquiring about Rolls Royce cars. They didn't take him seriously & off he went to a rival garage & bought one. He was a farmer, in the days when landowners had a LOT of money!

I'm a retail worker and I don't base service on looks. We've had shoplifters in designer clothes and perfect hair and people who look like they don't have two pennies to rub together make massive purchases.

But I have experienced what you have OP, so I reckon there are a lot of retail workers who do. Lately I've noticed a lot of retail workers who can't be arsed with anyone, which I find weird because I find actually doing my job makes my shift go faster!

You’re spot on. More fool them.

Would suit me fine I like to look by myself.

Yep, has happened to me! Pretty much same situation, post baby, looked like a bag of shit, no acknowledgement at all from a team of retail staff.

I was mistaken for The Boss a few years ago because I was dressed smartly and professionally whereas The Boss always looked like a bag of washing.

On that basis I would say that how you dress does tend to project how people perceive you.

I might add that her dress sense was often embarrassing and really didn't do her any favours - ladders in tights, buttons missing, faded over washed garments. I could go on !