To find it hilarious that shop assistants in these stores look down their noses.

[bleakmidwintering]

I’m wandering about shopping in London. I’ve been into a couple of stores where the shop assistants have been off hand; one in Chanel, one in Occitaine. I certainly don’t look like I’ve got bags of money in my rain mac and trainers but I probably earn 4 times their salary. Are they trained to be off hand or is it purely their attitude? AIBU?

Me neither.

Reminds me of sex and the city and the Lucy liu handbag episode!!

It's like that Mitchell and Webb sketch about the "incredibly posh people who are still unaccountably waiters. * *

Love the bonkers idea that they all have millionaire husbands but just enjoy working in a shop so they can be rude to uppity women with the audacity to earn some money. 😂

But then again I don’t shop high end, maybe the staff in these places are just dicks (year round)

You don’t get this shizzle in TK Maxx- probably why all my perfectly serviceable handbags come from there

As much as I love L’occitane it’s like comparing Lidl with Waitrose mentioning them in the same breath as Chanel 😂

I am surprised you put it down to how wealthy you look and are focused on how much more money than these women you have. It is likely they just can’t be arsed, life isn’t a movie, pretty woman was fictional.

it really is more likely you got a couple of bored or not very good staff, or there was something remiss in your own attitude, expecting to be fawned over, particularly when coupled with how hilarious you found it, how much more you earn and your appearance.

if I get poor customer service I assume it’s due to either the desire or ability of the employee to do their job, or how I have interacted that day, we all have bad days, I’ve never once thought oh I don’t look wealthy and I earn so much more than them.

I’ve just googled it. It’s the original style Chanel handbag launched in February 1955 (hence 2.55).

Crikey, costs over £8k.

I think she means that shop assistants shouldn't assess people's wealth and treat them rudely if they assume you have no money.

I get this almost every time I buy my favourite perfume. They look disappointed, as if they don't want to be seen serving me in case I damage their brand. Silly, snobbish feckers.

Customer services is the worst job in the world this time of year

I think this may be about your own insecurities OP, than your perceived intentions of the grumpy sales staff.

I really don’t think any shop assistant is that invested. Honestly.

Always think of Ab Fab

😂

This is a really good point.

I'm not mega scruffy, but I don't dress in Chanel, and all my posh handbags are years (or decades!) old.

The fact that I have enough money to buy the high end stuff isn't the point. The point is that clearly I DON'T buy a lot of high end stuff. Otherwise I'd probably be wearing it! So I'm a less likely customer than someone who comes in wearing all the bells and whistles. The shop assistants are going to be very attuned to what people are wearing, and they're going to prioritise the customers who look most likely to buy.

Are you sure it’s not the other way round? Whenever I’ve heard of people complaining about poor service and then state they earn X multipliers of the assistants salary, I think to myself, you’re the problem.

I’ve never had any issue and I head into ultra high end in a ratty jumper, jeans and battered sneakers. My wife the same. I guess you lack confidence and can’t actually afford anything to you’re using this as an excuse?

I don’t understand, what do you mean?

That's not my experience of Occitane. I'm not at all glamourous and the woman working there (not a London branch) is Polish, maybe, and super efficient, both at being helpful and at selling up. So she's not snooty but not obsequious either - she knows the products inside out and is just very good at her job. So eg. she will get me to buy something I hadn't thought of by giving me a free sample. I'm sure she treats all the customers the same, and does well because of it.

DH and I are pretty comfortable but probably
do dress “poorer”. We went into an electrical shop a few years ago to buy a big old fridge freezer and while we were browsing a sales lady came over and rather than the usual “can I help you?” Or “are you looking for something in particular?” she went straight in with “We do offer credit”. Not even a hello first 🤣

We vowed to smarten up a bit in future.

I was eyeing up tweed jackets in a wollen mill on a Scottish island when the woman next to me (in a battered raincoat) said "Good Lord these are expensive aren't they". We discussed whether the price was justified and she pointed out some rather nice blankets, then I realised I was chatting with Princess Anne.

I’d agree except for tv license door salesmen and bailiffs.

Good point about profiling and targeting those already wearing all this paraphernalia.

I don’t know why people always say this? In the past I did a lot of stints as Xmas cover in high end shops/ dept stores. It was brilliant. Yes, incredibly busy but it’s better than standing around all day clock watching.
I met some really interesting people. Also I (as a grown ass adult) earned more in commission than I ever have since in a “proper” job.
It’s a real rush to sell thousands of pound worth of stuff in a day and mentally tot up your cut.

Glad I wasn't the only one rolling my eyes at that comment. How sad that some women would still see that as some sort of achievement over someone who earns their own good salary.

We were on a weekend in Paris a few years ago and were looking in one of the fashionable clothes shops and not far away someone else was looking at a dress.
The (tres elegant) assistant went over to her and said "Madame, we have nothing in your size in this shop!" then turned on her heel and walked away.

I’m imagining a Pretty Woman moment and that you actually have a hooker outfit on underneath your rain Mac