Have I Just Been Discriminated Against ???

[emmms]

I am a single 30 yr old girl and just bought my own house. Iam in the process of bying a kitchen ,and booked an appointment at a well known store , to seek advice with the chance of purchasing a brand new kitchen there and then. i turned up at the store to see the salesman, i introduced myself ,but he did seem to be a bit uninterested. i knew the kitchen i wanted and asked for further advice on units, he said i would have to be quick,as he had to make a phone call. i began to talk ,and again he said can we be quick with this. i told him that i felt as though i was puttinghim out , he didnt respond to anything , i said maybe i should leave it , he said yes probably then. I left the shop totally distressed and distraught. Iam 100% sure that if i was male, he would not have acted in the same manner,..have i just been discriminated against ???

[slinky.kate]

that is disgraceful,i would be in touch with the store and complain..

[rockyracoon]

I doubt it, he just sounds like an unprofessional twit. I'd make a complaint about the fact that my time was wasted after I'd made an appointment, you didn't turn up unexpected.

[beso]

Go to another shop.

[sara3]

totally distressed and distraught?

he was just an arse who has lost your kitchen's worth of commission. go back and complain, or go somewhere else.

it's not life-changing stuff, so keep it in proportion.

[excelsior-1]

i concur

complain in writing about the fact that he was not interested in your custom, despite the fact that he is paid to give you his time

add also that you are now going to spend your money elsewhere

good luck to you

[SeaJayPea]

You don't really know whether he would have been just as bad with a bloke. He could just be a pig-ignorant git. Write to the store manager, very strongly, explaining what went on, suggesting that you feel it was discrimination, and tell him or her that you'll be writing to head office if you don't get satisfaction.

I'd be looking for a substantial discount if I were you.

[woofgang]

I would be going back in there and telling the little twit that he has just lost a sale. Many fools think that only couples buy stuff so would have been equally dismissive of a man alone!!

[bazwillrun]

As has already been written, just a total rsole.
hardly discrimination....but then people do try and find it wherever they can these days

[pixie373]

I agree with the others, there is no way of knowing why he behaved that way. Sounds a bit of an idiot and i don't expect his bosses will be impressed with your treatment. Tell them you're spending your money somewhere else. (unless they offer hefty discount. Lol)

[boxtops]

It's not discrimination, of course it's not - stop looking for trouble where there isn't any. You just encountered a bloody poor salesman - telling someone you've got to be quick is just a no-no, bother his phone call. I would complain to the store about your treatment, but not because you are female - don't even mention that otherwise it sounds pathetic - just say you went in ready to spend £xxxx and the salesman wouldn't even give you the time of day, even though you had a pre-booked appointment, you weren't just a chance customer. Phone the store manager tomorrow, don't be fobbed off, find out his or her name and ring them first thing.

[ladyalex]

I know how you feel, emmms. It's not a good feeling, but, as others have said, there's just no point in getting hung up on 'discrimination'. He might or might not have been better at his job if you had been male or a couple, but you'll never know that.
I'd certainly complain about him , though. Especially as you had booked an appointment.
Not sure I would spend my money in that store, though, even if they did offer a
discount.

[New Judge]

I'm inclined to agree with boxtops, a few others and particularly with sara3. This is not something to get distressed and distraught over. Life's too short.

The so-called "salesman" is obviously a complete plonker and does not deserve your custom. But move on, take your money elsewhere and look forward to getting your new kitchen. If you feel like it write a snotty note to someone high up in the organisation where you were so badly treated, but don't waste too much time and energy on it

[FredPuli43]

I sometimes think the reverse. A woman is likely to be generous when buying a kitchen , whereas a man on his own is wondering why he needs one and is inclined to pay the least possible for the most basic one. A proper salesman knows that; it's one step better than a married couple coming in,and several steps better than a solo man. You just found an idiot.

[woofgang]

Fred, its the cancellation thing...if a couple are a couple and have both been to the shop, idiot sales folk think that they are less likely to cancel than if one partner goes to the shop alone.

[Old_Geezer]

I think it easy to assume an unfortunate experience is because of your favoured explanation. Without proof to the contrary it bolsters one's bias that it all down to the same thing.

No salesperson worth their commission is going to pass up a sale. Whatever was wrong with the salesman it is unlikely to be your gender. They'd get nowhere in their job if they took that attitude. Whatever the reason for their disinterest in selling and reluctance to help, just ignore it, take your custom to somewhere that seems to deserve it.

[emmms]

Thank you all for your answers. I reported this to the store manager, he says the salesman in question has no right to treat any customer as he did, he was embarrased by this mans actions and couldnt apologise enough . He said that he wouldnt deter me from taking it further, and that he would be having a good talk to salesman involved. The manager asked me to come back to see if we can do a deal over the kitchen that i wanted, of course not with the same idiot. I have as yet received no response or apology from the salesman involved. . Thank you all again.for your replies.

[SeaJayPea]

Don't expect anything from the salesman - he's going to be a bit embarrassed, to say the least. But take the manager up on his offer. You never know, you may save a few hundred quid as a result of all this. Why not tell the manager that you'd like to see him at a time when the other oaf is on a day off and see if you can't do a deal? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Good luck with it.