I have/had red hair....bloody grey. :-) Bit darker than this lady's. I loved being a red head. I love redheads and ordered a red haired daughter but we take some stick. Less now than when I was growing up.
I would have made sure I had an apology for a remark like that.
The comment might have been jaw-droppingly inappropriate, but I'm not sure that offering money, nor seeking the public flogging of the Customer Service Operative is quite the right way forwards...
I once went on holiday to Italy in July with a ginger. She spent the entire fortnight in the shade and came home as white as she went, but with 31 mozzy bites..........................
I yearned for dark skin at one time....Oh for a tan! Always been very pale. A friend did a skin age test on me not long ago. My skin is 45....I'm 62. So I suppose there was one benefit.
They aren't very effective when you work outside and sweat a lot. OH has a permanent t-shirt shirt mark (face/neck/arms) and just as it's fading the summer is back.