I work as a salesperson and I constantly feel judged by customers that come in. Usually this is in the form of what size they think they should have and then they ask me what size garment I am wearing and then they like to have an opinion of "Oh I thought you would be a..." and it is usually a size a lot bigger than I am. I also feel judged by people who think they are better than me because I work in retail. I have never done anything about this it just comes with the job.

On a more serious note I have never been discriminated by race or gender, I am certain that this would go on but I have never come across it. If it did happen I would go to management about it and if it happened on a regular basis by the same customer then I would possibly go higher than management...

Just my personal experience....

alice86: Don't be down on your job - ever. I worked retail for a total of 17 years for 2 different companies. It is often a very demanding job that draws on a lot of talents. Merchandising, promotional development, taking a proper inventory, daily balancing of cash drawers, the ability to deal with random people [and their attitudes - all day and everyday], and effective inside sales are not easy skills to come by. Be proud.

To answer the question of the day: Yes. I think this particular instance was based on 2 factors: 1) That I am female and (2) the way I was dressed.

Before I took up bicycling as a form of physical training and transportation, I stopped in at the area's premier bike shop. It was after a day of work and I was wearing a skirt, top, and heels. Mind you - I was shopping, comparing makes and models, and price points between several major area retailers. I had already decided that I wanted to start out with a mid-range bike and was trying to decide which fit was best for me: A Cannondale or Trek.

I walked into the bike shop with a list of features that I considered important. I had already done my research on both companies and the models offered. When I initially entered I noticed two male employees in the far corner. Both were engaged in balancing tires on a bike. I looked at them, gave a short wave, and they went back to work.

I started walking down 1 wall, looking for the bike that I had in mind. I eventually found it on my own and tried to remove it from the rack for further investigation. They had a lock system on the back tires of the bikes which made this impossible. I walked halfway across the floor of the store and asked the two employees if one of them could help me. The one closest to me seemed to ignore me completely. The other looked up for a second and said, "Ina minute." I walked out of the store.

The next day, after work - dressed in a similar fashion - I walked into another bike shop. I would say that this bike shop is the second most popular in the valley and offers a somewhat comparable selection. The salesperson there, also a male, was ready and willing to stop what he was doing and helped me make my selection, based on features that I considered important, fit, and durabilty of design. The bike I bought that day had a $500.00 sticker.

After 3 months of daily training I out-rode the range of gears on the bike and realized that I needed some advanced features for my type of riding. I was, in fact, training for a solo excursion that would encompass a total of 300 miles [150 each way]. I went back to Bike Shop #2 but they did not have a bike that answered my needs so I felt "forced" to revisit Bike Shop #1.

On this particular visit I was greeted by a woman as soon as I entered the store. I explained the issue to her and took her out to show her my current bike, explaining that I wanted to upgrade. She gave me fabulous customer service and, in the course of conversation, I told her about my plans for the big ride and my first experience at the shop. She was appalled that I was treated with such disregard and told me that this situation would be addressed immediately. I picked out a $1300.00 Cannondale that day and upgraded that with a custom set of pedals, handlebars, and brakes. During checkout the salesperson/manager discounted my purchase for the total price of all of the upgrades. She also told me a full report would be sent to the owner of the shop.

The owner called me the next day, apologized for his employees' behavior, and asked if I would stop in to say hello the next time I was in the neighborhood. I did just that a few weeks later and was invited to participate in a series of bicycle workshops, free of charge. With all of that good will put forth by the management, I couldn't help but become a regular customer and my next purchase was made at that shop.

Haze rides again!!!! You go, girl!

Alright, now I think it's clear I'm not your average woman by appearance, attitude or any other thing. I'm heavily tattoo'd, Red hair, a bit on the chunky side.. and I have a Wide array of clothing styles. I mention all of this to preface the following brief encounter.

I was dressed in casual runaround clothes for comfort and durability. Black straight leg jeans, tank boots (Think combat boots with buckles and about 2 inch heels, thick rubber soles and such.) that covered the jeans from mid-calf down, Black "No One Likes A Stalker" tank top with a zip front black hoodie over that. My hair was pulled back and I had light makeup on. My friend was a little flasier in dress, more "just came home from work" sort of thing. We went into Stein's department store to look around and see if they had anything of interest. We walked in and Not ONE salesperson approached us. Every one of them looked at us like we were there to steal something. Now, keep in mind I have an annual income of Minimun 250k, I have signs that.. to someone with class and taste and ANY sense of observation.. make it clear that I am not someone to be blown off when I go into a slightly pricy store. We walked around about 30 minutes before getting fed up with the looks and walked out. On the way out the cashier (The FIRST to look at us snottily) gave us that "We hope you return." comment. I shot back "Not on your life. I dislike being treated like trash because you don't like the way I look." to which her jaw dropped. My friend and I left without another look back and I refuse to even step foot in the door again.

P.S. The bummer is, those boots are dead now due to being worn SO much. I'm a sad witch.

All the time! First of, I am a woman. Secondly it is how I am dressed. Mechanics are the worst for me because I can either be myself and know what I am talking about and get crummy customer service or I can get all dolled up and get really good service but I have to act sort of dumb. If I go to resturants or shopping looking really nice and put together I get help all the time but if I throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt I get treated like crap. I NEVER go to the gym because last time I went, I had a lot of women giving me nasty looks (well I work hard for my body, hence why I was at the gym), if I go to buy a car, I get treated like a dummy. Most importantly, I have blonde hair, so that right there is a big issue apparently. I always get the comment, for a blonde your pretty smart, or at least you are intelligent unlike most blondes. I lost a bunch of weight at my last job and I was really happy, well the women in the office were talking about me non-stop and use to get all excited when I came to work sick. The BS is endless.