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?

It was a Range Rover when I was told that story. I was offered coffee in Burberry one day when I went in for a lipstick. No idea why.

The version I heard was a Jag 😝

I deliberately go shopping in decorating clothes to avoid the bs

The way you speak I expect has an impact as well.

Now I'm old I've found that I tend to be ignored at the Charlotte Tilbury counter. Their loss.

I think there are a whole bunch of things that make a difference to how you're treated in shops. There's profiling on the basis of how well off, you're age, sex, etc. but also things like whether you look confident and easy to talk to.

You think you looked like you were in need of professional help, but shop assistants aren't makeover specialists, to them you probably looked harder to sell to and, maybe, like you didn't really want anyone to talk to you. Whereas a confident woman who looked like she'd wear anything we'll probably looked easier to sell to and ready to engage.

I hope you get your mojo back OP. Having a baby is hard work physically and emotionally, give it some time and cut yourself some slack. And maybe look for some actual professional help if things drag on. Shop assistants deserve respect and treating well but don't lionize them and expect them to be able to be fashion experts, therapists, physical trainers and miracle sleep givers.

Totally their loss. CT make up is mediocre and overpriced.

I doubt there’s a uniform way retail assistants think. Some will base what they do on their training, which may have been to target customers who look wealthy, or fashionable; others may be remembering a pattern of customers of a particular demographic who appreciated being helped and another demographic who didn’t; others will just be greeting customers at random and that might not be you today but could be you tomorrow; others may be feeling a bit out of sorts and go for a customer who looks kind and “safe” over one they think might snap at them because they don’t want help. They’re just human beings with the same foibles as anyone else, working in what can often be a rubbish job. Sometimes it’s far less about you than you presume it is.

Yes. Now I’m nearly 50, fat and cba with much makeup etc I get ignored quite a lot compared to when I was younger, slimmer and made more of an effort with my appearance

Lancome counter in Boots refused to let me buy foundation a few years ago, I had been wfh and dashed out late so wasn’t particularly groomed looking. I asked if they could help me choose one and she said she didn’t think she had anything and gave me a sample of cleanser. I bought some Estée Lauder instead!

I've found that it's started to happen to me at make up counters and more so in London than anywhere else.

Once I was patiently waiting while the person at the counter was serving another customer, when she was finished, she walked passed me and went straight to a very well dressed woman who promptly told her she was being very rude and should see me first. I walked away and spent (quite a lot of money) somewhere else.