Pretty Woman Moment

[JuliaRobHurts]

DH and I were at a homebuilding and renovation show yesterday as we're in the middle of an extension project. Specifically we 're on the hunt for a new front door and while looking around one of the vendors we had a "pretty women" moment.

We had a look at the various products on show before trying to get the attention of one of the representatives who appeared to be avoiding our gaze. Eventually she approached and I said 'hi, we're interested in bespoke front doors and quite like this one on show'.

Without asking our budget or any of our requirements she went into a spiel about how the doors were very expensive, how they were imported from Lithuania and the import charge was also expensive, all the while wincing as she was saying it. She then said we might be better off with a more mass manufactured door. I was absolutely stunned at her condescending tone. She hadn't asked a single question about what we were looking for.

I was so close to confronting her about her approach, but held back. DH calmly told her her sales pitch needs some work and we walked away, but I was fuming. We were both dressed smart/casually so the only thing I can think is she guaged our age (late thirties) and made an assumption we couldn't afford it (even though we can).

WWYD in that situation? I'm half inclined to email the company and provide feedback on our experience but I also don't know if it's worth the energy.

Would love to hear if anyone that's had a similar experience but DID confront the rude person as I'm still annoyed I didn't give her a piece of my mind.

Yep a few times.

back pre internet as a first time solo buyer I went into an estate agent with a few properties in the window within budget and what I was looking for. Nothing flash, just a two bed flat in a reasonable area.

i asked if I could view. No that one’s under offer. Oh ok, what about this one. Under offer. And that one? Under offer. What, everything on your books in my price range is under offer? Yes.

i do enjoy the reverse though- I recently walked into a car dealership looking like a middle aged hobo 🤣. Fresh from work and had thrown on very old sweats. In my own, no man. The suits all casually found something to be busy with, until this one teenage lad came over. He had a cash sale in 10 mins as I knew what I wanted already.

I've always presumed that some crap salespeople do this as a tactic. "And just to serve them right I bought everything!"

I remember reading an interview with Tracey Emin

She'd gone to a designer shop in somewhere like Sloane Street and was trying on shoes - the assistant who obviously didn't recognise her snootily asked if she'd won the Lottery

The saleswoman was British, but the company is originally Lithuanian, and I'm guessing has recently looked at avenues into the UK.

I was once told by an Estate Agent that I needed to ‘cut my cloth according to my coat’ after I gave her a list of things I was looking for in a property. She had no idea of my circumstances or budget it was based purely on my looks. I just walked away but it did grate on me somewhat.

We didn't get an exact figure. Roughly £3.5K, I think as she mentioned £500 for delivery. I didn't find it shockingly high as we had already been looking around the £2.5K mark from some of UK suppliers.

Your DH's response was perfect. I'd just try and forget about it now and buy elsewhere - at the end of the day, giving your business to a competitor is the best revenge.

My DH went to the Southampton Boat Show a couple of years ago specifically to buy a load of new Raymarine instruments for our boat. The salesmen on the Raymarine stand couldn't have been less interested so he walked to the Simrad stand and bought the lot from them. Huge mistake, Raymarine. Huge. 😂

Following an inheritance, I went to a CERTAIN well known Swedish vehicle sales garage. I currently have pink hair (thanks to son's Kpop Demon Hunters Obsession) and was wearing clean and neat but casual clothes (jeans, graphic t shirt). I am also in my early 30s and a woman which I think is quite key.
I had an appointment but waited and waited while various 60 year old blokes in suits were seen before me. Eventually 45 minutes after my appointment time, I located the sales associate who I was meant to be seeing (who was incidentally have a coffee and chatting with colleagues). I calmly but firmly informed him that I was leaving having been kept waiting for so long. He had the AUDACITY to roll his eyes and said 'oh ok then'. What followed was a perfect Pretty Woman moment where I asked if he worked on commission (yes) and told him that I'd been in wanting to test drive and purchase a new electric SUV with a starting price of £70k - cash.
Despite not getting the car, the look on his face made it one of the most satisfying moments of my life. 10/10 would recommend.

This has happened to me in the past when I was with my ex. He was rather well to do but generally wore old jeans and t shirts. He was looking at buying a new small boat and the salesman ignored us when we walked in. It was really pointed. We were sort of bewildered and sort of amused.

Another sale lost.

I would have turned to hubby and said, "She thinks you're Richard Gere"

Ha I can never make assumptions. Remember seeing a client in a horrible dingy council flat. If someone is in genuine need I can work pro bono. However had to go through his finances and he had literally hundreds of thousands sitting in the bank.

A friend who is a corporate lawyer was once given 50p by a lady when she was waiting outside a super market 🙈. Gave her a nudge to dress abit better!

Or there isnt enough profit in selling a single door, and the company are looking at selling to house builders wanting to buy multiple doors

Last weekend for DH 40th birthday I was shopping for a watch. DH and DD went for a milkshake so i was on my own in leggings, trainers, a jumper and with a large B&M bag. I stopped in the window and looked at some really nice ones, I noticed that some very smartly dressed salesmen were very eager with the people around me, yet no one would come near me. I did ask someone if they could help me and he said ill be over in a moment, although he wasn't actually with anyone. He didn't come over for 5 minutes so rather than stand there awkwardly I moved on.

After going to the jewelers opposite and one floor up (across a balcony so visible) the kind sales lady was very helpful and I bought a watch which was around 2k. (Special birthday, I wanted to get something he would remember)

I walked past the first jewelers with my luxury bag and smiled and said 'have a lovely weekend' at the salesmen who no longer had window shoppers to help and were stood around chatting. It felt good!

Nothing to do with being pretty!!!!!!

cut my cloth according to my coat

😄

We had that at a local jewellers shop, we'd dressed casually that day. They started showing us the more budget ranges without having asked what we were happy to spend, and DH had to say to the sales lady that we had a much bigger budget than that and she was losing herself a decent commission. She had judged us entirely on our appearance. Luckily the owner was in the store and took over otherwise we'd have walked out!

The client could've been my Dad. Lived in a very run down house (in a bad area) and always looked like he'd crawled out of skip. When he passed away I was very surprised to find he had hundreds of thousands in the bank.

Definitely email them!! That's awful.

I've experienced similar before and it really stings (in mint velvet!)

I meet (a lot of) Polish folk, they usually dress like its the 90s with sparkle and bling on everything. Their fashion is something else!!!

Many years ago I went to our local town with a friend to spend some birthday money (16) and went into a small branded designer type store. The sales woman said I couldnt try things on that I had no means to buy... I went home quite embarrassed.

My mum took me back a few days later. Same woman (probably owned the store) said she wanted to spend alot of money and could she help (flashed her card - meant nothing to me at the time) but think it was one where you needed a significant amount to hold the account.
She was like a fly round shit. Mum got her to ring it all through the till then told her she was rude to me earlier that week and she could shove her clothes..... went on a spree in Etam after 🤣

The shops still shut 20 odd years later. I get an odd satisfaction when I see it.

There was a wool shop near me where I had a similar experience. A couple of older (estimated age: 60+) ladies came in and the owner instantly gushed over them and was falling over herself to explain how the store was laid out and ask them what they were looking for whereas I (mid 20s at the time) was given a dirty look and the silent treatment.

I wasn't sorry when they went out of business. Never judge a book by its cover.

You’re evidently not familiar with the snooty shop assistant scene in ‘Pretty Woman’.
On a similar theme there was an excellent scene in one of the French/Saunders comedy TV progs. when Jennifer Saunders said to a snooty art gallery assistant, ‘No need for that attitude dear - you just work in a shop.’
Or words to that effect.

You say this door was on display. Is that the one you wanted or to order one like so?
Because if said door is the only available, this nasty woman wants it for herself. She had her eye on it and wanting to get it cheap. Either for herself or a friend or whatever.....
Or she is just plain stupid, what is likely too.
Laughat her OP, she cannot even do properly the simple job of getting the price, available sizes, colours and time of delivery for a door!

I had one with DP.

I wanted a new (to me) car. Went on spec to a garage (I think it was one of a chain) and asked to see 'one of the cars in the lot'. The assistant couldn't have been less helpful- just gestured us outside and said he'd be there shortly.

After waiting 15 minutes or so we decided to sack it off. As we left we saw the sales assistant very slowly walking to the door.

I looked up the kind of car I wanted, saw there was an independent garage not far away offering one for sale and went straight there. He couldn't have been lovelier so he made a sale of £20k then and there. Plus the after sales service was amazing.

"Oh, aren't you sending him to public school then?" should put her nicely in her place. (Only in the UK - doesn't work in the US!)