OT: Treatment of Women In Hardware Stores (Yes, this is a Rant)

[Yanna]

Heh - I'm taking myself too seriously. Sorry.

It is interesting, though, to see how people's experience varies. I wonder if there's anything to the idea that there is regional variation in what's considered acceptable treatment of female customers. As I mentioned before, I had NO trouble in the Seattle area but since moving here, it's been the pits.

MissPrissy, I'm sorry that they try to pull that on you and glad that you have the gumption to take them to task!!!

 

[Yanna]

Quote:
Now THAT'S service!

 

[coffeelady3]

Quote:
I guess I have to go find my own personal drunk to get some attention!

(I'm SOOOO kididng! Man, am I full of something today!)

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:
I guess I have to go find my own personal drunk to get some attention!

(I'm SOOOO kididng! Man, am I full of something today!)

 

[Cara]

I had the same episode trying to get some wood cut at Home Depot, the week after they sold me a junior hacksaw when I asked what kind of saw i'd need to build a chicken coop

My husband/bf at the time found it entertaining anyway. It took me weeks to build that coop, then we moved.

But anyway, I needed some wood cutting and there was nobody around the cutting area, so I pressed the button located nearby to call an assistant. 15 minutes later nobody was there. I pressed it again, waited another 10 minutes, nothing. So I went to the Customer Service desk at the other side of the store, and asked them to send somebody. They told me they would; another 10 minutes later still nobody. I went back to the desk, pretty much in a rage by then, and finally they sent somebody to cut my wood. He was very pleasant, but I didn't think so much of him when I got home and unloaded the wood, to find my 3' lengths were all a variation on that theme. I had some 2.5', some 4'...so never let them help you load it LOL they've probably screwed it up and want you out of the store fast!

 

[cheeptrick]

Well...I did have the LUMBER GUY at my Home Depot completely redesign my COOP plans when I was there purchasing wood!! I kept telling him...I do NOT want it smaller!! LOL

DH came with me and the guy didn't question us at all then!

 

[s6bee]

I'm not going to read through everything but as much as I'd like to say it was a woman thing, I really don't think it was. My husband get's the same treatment, especially on weekend or night shifts. They put people who don't know what they are doing on many of those shifts. They also don't train many of the kids they hire. Pretty people get the jobs, not knowledgable ones.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

I know some people are probably thinking: If I weren't such a so-and-so, someone might have come and cut my lumber without any hassle. My reply to that is that I wouldn't be such a so-and-so if not for the fact that nearly every time I set foot into a car repair shop or a hardware store in my area, this is the type of service I get, which is a fairly new phenomenon for me, having moved here two years ago from an urban area on the west coast

Ok.... I'm not defending the hardware store guy, but I'm not taking your side either.

First of all, if your expecting customer service from any 20 something making minimum wage, your kidding yourself from the get go... they've got better things to do like plan which college party they are going to tonight, instead of doing what they are getting paid to do. And don't even get me started on the teenagers working the drive through window. Thats a whole nother nail appointment....

Second of all, it sounds like you expect it. If it happens at every store you go into, not just the hardware store or lumber store then maybe its not the employees. It can't POSSIBLY happen at every store you enter. If you expect that your going to get treated differently just because your a woman, thats probably why you DO get treated differently. You've got to assert yourself and let them know that just because your a woman, doesn't mean you don't know how to use a hammer and saw. Don't ask them to cut your lumber, TELL them to cut it. Your paying for it, and you know what you want, so make a demand (politely, but sternly.) "Can you cut my lumber for me" sounds a whole lot more insecure than "I need my 2x2's cut into 4 foot sections please..."

 

[flakey chick]

I've had generally poor service and sexist service. I think Yanna's experience was classic poor service for a small-time purchaser.

Last week DH & I went to Lowes to get the bulk of the stuff for our coop. I whipped up a couple sketches for how to cut the plywood. DH got someone to cut our plywood which he did cheerfully. When it came to a second cut, DH told him he thought it should be cut the other way. He looked at the sketch, listened to me and deffered to my wishes.

Home depot is terrible. Employees know so little. Even the ones doing demonstrations are surprised how the tool handles differently in opposite directions Ugh.

Mechanics are another issue. I had to take my folks car in while a male friend was visiting. I went to pick the car up and they kept talking to my friend who knows next to nothing. I would ask them questions and they would tell HIM the answer. Never mind that I was a grad student in mechanical engineering and did have some expericence with those types of contraptions.

 

[Yanna]

Second of all, it sounds like you expect it. If it happens at every store you go into, not just the hardware store or lumber store then maybe its not the employees. It can't POSSIBLY happen at every store you enter. If you expect that your going to get treated differently just because your a woman, thats probably why you DO get treated differently. You've got to assert yourself and let them know that just because your a woman, doesn't mean you don't know how to use a hammer and saw. Don't ask them to cut your lumber, TELL them to cut it. Your paying for it, and you know what you want, so make a demand (politely, but sternly.) "Can you cut my lumber for me" sounds a whole lot more insecure than "I need my 2x2's cut into 4 foot sections please..."

Point taken. I have had some good service here - what I've described isn't a universal phenomenon - but yes, it would be helpful to be more assertive.​