sexist/racist/Homophobic customers

[Slave to the Phone]

When a woman (or a man, for that matter) comes into the store, I always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS assume that she knows what the hell she is talking about.

Thank you so much. You don't know how much I appreciate it when parts people treat me like I know how to use my brain. I'd drive a long way out of my way to visit your store!

"Don't ask me any questions, because I don't know anything about this-I'm just a girl"

On a semi-related topic, if you say a phrase like that to me, I'll probbly get pissed off at you. Being female does not make you inferior at automotive knowledge, nor is that an acceptable excuse for anything anymore, except for not being able to pee standing up and/or needing to wear a bra.

If I was there and heard some little twit say something like that to you, you probably would not get pissed. You'd be too busy laughing your butt off over my reaction. Girls like that are one of the main reasons its so hard for us real women to be taken seriously in parts departments.

Yep...I didn't graduate high school until 1978. YAY!!! We have a member older than I am.

ppppppppp!!!!

Get off my lawn, ya rotten brats!!!

[norrina]

I don't get it. I really don't. What could gender possibly have to do with career competency? For the record, I couldn't pick out the right jewelry for an outfit to save my life. People like you are why I can go out in public!

My boyfriend is an artist, albeit on an extended hiatus. I will wake him up when I am getting dressed for work in the mornings to ask for help choosing the right earrings or shoes or other accessories.

[purplecat41877]

Being female does not make you inferior at automotive knowledge.

Same thing goes for computerized equipment. I'm female and I'm the one who knows quite a bit about the computerized equipment that our store uses (aside from the office people).

[Jester]

Motorhead women....

My last girlfriend (still a good friend of mine) is a tiny thing, 5'4", 115 pounds or so.

And she rides a Harley. Actually owns TWO of them. The one she has in this state is the largest Harley they make, and weighs in at a whopping 775 pounds. And...she does NOT look at all lost on it.

And yes, I have ridden it. NOT driven it...she won't let me. I have RIDDEN it, as in ridden bitch BEHIND HER. Why would I do that to myself? Because, frankly, (A) it is her freakin' ride, and (B) she knows a hell of a lot more about motorcycles AND about riding motorcycles than I do.

That being said, when she was looking for a new truck, I played "secretary" for her as I called various dealerships on her behalf. Why? Well, because (A) my mom WAS a secretary, and a damn good one, for over 30 years, and I KNOW how to deal with people on the phone, and (B) she knows as well as I do that generally salesmen (and even sometimes women) are going to give men more respect. Keep in mind, I never once claimed the new truck was for me....I was "Ms. R.'s Assistant", as I identified myself, and "this is what I am looking for." She gave me all the specs of what she wanted, and what she wanted was VERY particular. (Her truck, like her bike, is NOT wimpy. Actually, my truck could almost FIT IN the bed of her truck!)


FOUR DAYS TILL VACATION!!!

[ShockQueen]

I got a does of "age-ism" in of all places.....a CHAT ROOM!

For the record, I graduated in 1985, so I fit right in with this discussion.

I don't remember most of the conversation, but we got into a discussion about Transformers, and I told this kid that I remember the original series and how great it was. When he said he was born in '85, I told him that's when I graduated high school.

He said......WOW, you're almost dead, aren't you?

Me:

I just couldn't believe that waste of flesh SAID that!

[One-Fang]

I'm a child of the 80s, graduated high school in 1990. At the work Christmas 'do' one year, there was a 60's theme. They played a lot of rock and roll. I'm grooving away, singing along, and my (10 years older) colleague says "How do YOU know this music? You're far too young to remember this stuff".

1. So the only music one knows is what one remembers being released? Nobody ever replays songs once their release year is gone. Yeah right.

2. You're 10 years older. Ten. You are a child of the 70s. YOU are too young to remember rock and roll too!

3. I like rock and roll, and at the time was in a rock and roll dance club.

He said......WOW, you're almost dead, aren't you?

Ha ha! Remember how old 30 seemed when you were 15?

It was very scary working at an education institution and seeing the birth year of the entrants every year. My god, they've got people going there that were born when I was in high school! And these little monsters who should still practically be in nappies are learning to teach others? Argh!!!

I'm stuck in 2000. I read Blas's birth year in the thread and in my head went "So that'd make you about 13". Ha. Whoops.

[Mango]

I once worked for a good friend of mine in a small retail store. This friend was the manager and also the buyer for the store. At the time, she was 25, but (very proudly, I might add) nearly ALWAYS got carded at the liquor store.

So one day a prospective vendor wanders in and asks the manager if he could speak to the manager. Now, easy mistake, so my friend just smiles, passes over her business card, and introduces herself.

The guy makes a face like and goes "YOU'RE the manager?!"

He didn't sell any product that day

[wagegoth]

Still too many 'isms and 'ists out there

Back 20-some years ago, I ran a yogurt/ice cream shop for my parents, who lived in another state. The crap I had to put up with from salesmen was ridiculous. Delivering way more than I ordered, pushing me to buy more, treating me like crap. The company that got my business was the one with the nice salesman who listened to me and helped me out.

For about a year I worked for a multi-level marketing company (the one that starts with Shak) in the fleet department. We would issue cars to high-level sales people, most of which were paid for based on their sales. About 20% of the sales people were Latino, in the States and Puerto Rico. At the end of the term, they could buy the cars or turn them in, kind of like a lease. The used car person handled that. When she went on vacation I had to handle it. OMG!

Things may be changing for women, but it's a lot slower with the Latinos. I would figure the purchase price of the car, notify the salesperson, then they would pay for it or turn it in. Lots of times they wanted a better price, and I had to clear that with my supervisor. The Latino men would argue, try to bully me, ignore me, makes demands, etc. One of them, after going back and forth with me for days, sent in a check for less than I had quoted (what he wanted to pay, not what he was supposed to pay). That was it. I called him, told him that I had made arrangements for the local auction company to pick up the vehicle and it needed to be ready for pick-up the following Monday. He begged me not to do that, and had a check for the rest of the payment to us within two days. I was so glad when the used car person got back from vacation.

Also, at that job, the sales people would call in with car problems, some of which we would pay for. I had to convince the men pretty often that I did know something about cars and what they needed to do and where to take it and what to say. I often had to tell them that my dad was a mechanic, my uncle owned a tire shop, and I regularly worked on cars with them.

I graduated high school in 1976. And I didn't get a job I really wanted because I was a girl, even though I had experience and the guys they hired didn't.

[tensaineko]

im 1 of 3 girls working at an arcade (one of the busiest of our chain<casino trafic dosnt hurt>) and i find it hilarious to see the look on peoples face when a new guy has to ask me for help, or when the tiny femal manager has to go fix somthing for them, or when its only us three girls and it is the ARCADE OF ESTROGEN!!!!

as for racism, back when i worked at burger king, i was in the english speaking minority (see: one of two who wasnt of hispanic decent) and there would be many a drunk man yelling back to the kitchen about learning to speak english, i would ask them to go away until their order was ready and then relay their order changes they drunkenly forgot (in the small amount of spanish i was couritious enough to pick up, it makes things alot easier than being a pompous unmoving jerk)

and for the age thing, i was born in 87 with two days till 88, but im used to being the baby of the group (one of my best female friends is 40 but most range from 19-35, i generally dont get along with teens (my parents love when i complain about stupid teenagers)) and keep the older guys out of trouble, with being the baby comes being the baby sitter

[Horsetuna]

Heh... I have grey hair at 25... Or at least, one STREAK of grey hair (EVERYone including the hair salon girls thinks its dyed). But I swear this streak of hair, just a sprout and nothing more, is real. All the rest of my hair is nice brown... but i still get questions about how old I am and suc. A bit tiring.

Some of my pit bosses though are younger than me - I think one is twenty... since you need Min. two years experience to be pit bos (By LAW) the minimum is 20 years to be a pit boss.


Some of the girls are so tiny though you'd think they were teens, if they didnt act like ladies (They have an aura of womanhood.)

[Acolyte]

im 1 of 3 girls working at an arcade (one of the busiest of our chain<casino trafic dosnt hurt>) and i find it hilarious to see the look on peoples face when a new guy has to ask me for help, or when the tiny femal manager has to go fix somthing for them, or when its only us three girls and it is the ARCADE OF ESTROGEN!!!!

Heh, that reminds me. There are two (very hot, IMO) women working at the local game store. While a lot of the clientel doesn't see this as weird or anything, there's a large group-all extremely geeky guys-who practically burst into flames at the sight of a woman working at a gaming store. It's funny to watch-they'll ALWAYS talk to the men, and won't even go near the counter if there's a woman working there.
And god forbid they make a comment to them on the choice of a comic book, or a gaming purchase. It's embarassing. The guys, I mean.

[Spiffy McMoron]

Thank you so much. You don't know how much I appreciate it when parts people treat me like I know how to use my brain. I'd drive a long way out of my way to visit your store!

While I'm not to sure where you live, I'll bet that it might be more practical to fly, not drive. Just trying to be helpful...

[friendofjimmyk]

A few years back, 2000, not the 1950s by any means, I was waiting tables at a nicer restaurant. It wasn't entirely upscale, we still got the occasionally undesirables, but it was nicer than most run-of-the-mill franchise type places.

The restaurant was full and on a waiting list. While picking up the payment from one of my tables (a 4-top - white family) a family of four African-American were being walked to their table by the hostess. The guy handing me my book with the payment looks at me and asks:

SC: Y'all serve them in here!

ME: Huh?

SC: Them! You serve blacks here!

ME:

Of all the things that ran through my mind at that particular moment...nothing came out. I was absolutely beside myself. Luckily, I didn't have to go back and deal with them again. While I was in the back relating this story to my fellow servers, two of them got REALLY PISSED! One went out there to confront him and came back in to confirm who they were. He asked me if it was the old, gray haired dude. I told him that it was a younger dude.

Boy was I glad he confirmed with me before he went off ranting....see, by the time he ran to my station...the table had left, been cleaned and re-sat. Some poor old man out to enjoy a nice meal would've gotten the wrong end of my co-workers stick!

[Cufflinks]

ZumZum, Yes.

Cufflinks, if I wasn't married, I would so date you! I love a man who is into fashion.

My hubby does like to shop with me, though. He wont wear plaid shorts though. Will you? I love them.

Not only would I wear plaid shorts, I own a pair, and wear them often.
Thank you for the wonderful compliment, alas, I too am married.

au revoir.

Cufflinks

[phoenix_rising]

OMG, this happens to me too. I'm a girl (duh) and my coworker who has been with us for about a month and a half is a guy. Every once in a while, some guy will come into the store and want to talk about internet stuff, or PDA's, or even just cellphones, and when I ask if I can help they will say something like "this is pretty complicated, I'll just ask him." I just smile, sit back, and wait for my coworker to ask me to help. Then I make sure to give the SC every possible technical detail, rapid fire, as though he is also an expert on the subject, and is sure to understand. I even make tech jokes, which of course they pretend to get. Sometimes they even buy something, but really that's secondary to rubbing in their faces the fact that girls can be good at techie stuff too.

That's awesome! Go techie girls! I always get a good laugh out of seeing the guys' faces at school when I tell them I'm into gaming and computers.