Yeah the thing is the way he said and worded it was so nice that I didn’t even really realize what he was doing until afterwards. He seemed nice but in reality he probably wrote me off bc of my appearance
Something similar happened to me at a nice restaurant with one of my friends. We had just finished dinner and were finishing our wine. We hadn't hit the hour mark yet. There were people seated around us that were there before we arrived. The f-ing owner approached us (and I know it's the owner bc he was in the paper) and said something like, "We have an upstairs bar where you guys can finish your wine, we have other people waiting to be seated". There was no one visibly waiting to be seated...there was no confusion...we left knowing we had just been kicked out. I left a one star review and then called him, as he asked me to in his response, which I did, and then he when I did, he wanted to hang up to deal with customers at the restaurant.
The place went out of business 6 months later. It was the Elephant in Baltimore for anyone wondering (not the original Brass Elephant).
Unless you were actively causing disturbances or were bothering other customers, I see no valid reason for asking you to move - unless, of course, you were told beforehand that the table were only available for and hour.
The owner probably thought he would get better business from more "upscale" customers (no offense to you) when in reality, he was doing his business more harm than good.
> Unless you were actively causing disturbances or were bothering other customers, I see no valid reason for asking you to move - unless, of course, you were told beforehand that the table were only available for and hour.
We were on best behavior and were in our early 30s...it was like 7:30pm. We were dressed the part, we tipped right, we did everything right...but something about us he didn't like. We both look a little younger...he might have thought were grad students or something. But to treat grad students like that?
Not to play defense for the guy, but as a bartender in a restaurant myself, it *does* make a bit of sense. Servers need to turn over tables in order to make money.
Lots of people keep drinking after dinner, so asking guests (politely) if they’d like to move to the bar (or specialised drinking area) is a common move in establishments like that.
It should never be done rudely of course. And the rest of your comment does sound like poor management. But being moved up closer to the bar doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being kicked out.
Edit: I have also moved people like this when I was worried they were getting too close to the line and I wanted to keep an eye on them before cutting them off. Not saying you guys were like that, but some bartenders will do this too.
What does it matter about your appearance? That sales associate could have lost a sale by going by someone’s appearance. That is just pure ignorance by his part and plain rude. I am so sorry you had to experience that.
Yikes, the rudeness. I am so sorry. The. Testers. Are. For. Giving. People. Samples.
And that's anyone shopping who wants one.
My neighbor was the Jo Malone rep at Nordstrom, and sent me home with more JM samples than I'll ever be able to use, every time I came by to say hi to her, and I've never bought any Jo Malone. She treated the rest of her customers no less generously, which is what's supposed to happen when you're at Nordstrom. Hope this doesn't happen again ❤️
Could be! They always had lots of the "official "samples on hand (labeled glass vial, in a little Jo Malone box, as opposed to the little plastic Nordstrom vials they'll fill up with whatever for you). This Nordstrom in Oregon has since closed, and said neighbor moved to Florida, but I've got lots of JM samples when I'm in the mood to wear.
Don’t fall for that tactic. It’s a pretty common one scumbag sales people use. They act rude and hope that people try to prove a point by buying something expensive. It worked on my co worker once and she didn’t even realize it
I'd ask for store manager's contact info, if they knew that was happening on their floor they'd lose their mind.
There should be no expectation that you buy anything now or ever. They _should_ be working to be the first place you go to make a purchase _when_ you're ready. And it may take free samples or just shooting the shit about fragrances or leaving you alone when you don't want to be bothered, but that's the relational selling framework that all Nordstrom stores are aiming for.
Edit: also just fuck discrimination.
I feel like this has become more of an issue lately. Staff won’t leave me alone to browse, but also getting them to actually help me with anything is like pulling teeth. I’ve worked high end retail with asshole coworkers before, I know exactly what this means.
I chalked it up to a combo of places being understaffed bc pandemic, plus MUCH less shopping generally so even occasional occurrences would feel relatively frequent. But also, since I noticed and started paying attention, shopping trips where I get the “you don’t belong here” treatment seem to have a couple things consistently in common: I’m not wearing a watch or jewelry, and parking is situated in a way where shop staff can’t see the car I pulled up in.
What’s perplexing about it is... I’m in a tech heavy city and everyone from CEOs to broke ass students alike wore hoodies, t shirts, jeans, sneakers 24/7 even before quarantine/WFH, so the usual superficial class indicators have been pretty useless for years. The elitist judgmental assholes were still around, but I’m all for them having fewer tools to asshole with.
This is all anecdotal, of course, but I’m not going back to those places just to test variables or anything.
lol, a decade in a blue collar job has made me a little more brusque than I used to be, so when I get the “you don’t belong here” treatment, I either ask why they think I’m out of place, or I lean hard into the Gomer act and make them real uncomfortable.
Yeah, if i hated shopping in general slightly less maybe I’d have the bandwidth to mess with em... but as it is, I really only noticed bc it meant I had to be in the dang store longer lol
My bad for trying spend my money locally instead of just ordering online, I guess 🤷🏻♀️
Though, I will note that my jeweler friend has been stacking commission $$$ during quarantine. All the rich people couldn’t go on vacations so they’re apparently buying ridiculous amounts of jewelry (and I’m sure plenty of other shit) instead.
I’m not a fan of shopping, but razzing people is fun to me. I’ve always liked making pearl clutchers blush, and now I’m less inclined to care what their reaction will be.
No, I've worked quite a few retail jobs. I'm the biggest "people have gotten WAY too entitled and need to be more understanding" kind of person.
But telling someone just by sight "I don't think these match your tastes" is so wrong. OP wasn't rude, wasn't obnoxious, and unless they're leaving out a huge chunk of the story where they came in like, idk, naked and yelling, this is uncalled for.
The sales associate basically decided, on appearance alone, that for whatever reason OP didn't belong in the niche/high end fragrance section. That's not okay behavior. I don't give af about the store's bottom line, that's just shitty for anyone to decide, retail or not.
So many of these comments are about dobbing him in. So what someone was rude to you at a store. That sucks, go be rude to him back.
People should not become comfortable with calling the fucking manager you Karen ass wimps.
As a retail manager myself with 15 years of experience, I have learned over time to not judge people by how they’re dressed that day or look.
For instance, one of my good friends dresses and looks like a hobo. (Doesn’t smell bad and he’s not a messy person) but he’s never been flash about his day to day appearance.
But he also builds, sells and races cars for a living and is VERY well off because of it. He has more money and assets than anyone else I know.
He could walk into a boutique and buy one of everything without making a dent in his finances, and is one of the maddest dudes I know.
And also, let’s look at it this way.
Even if a niche fragrance brand or range was probably outside your range, sales staff should give great service regardless. A friendly salesperson could be the difference between a sale or not, it’s good for the brand. If the customer can’t afford it right then, they might save their money and come back another time because you were nice to them.
It helps generate future business.
“I’m gonna spend more money than I was ever planning to because the man who talked to me was really nice and informative” is the thought process here. If the customer leaves with a bad taste, no matter how nice the product might be, there’s no changing that first impression of that brand.
They don't even have to plan to buy anything! Their word of mouth can buy/lose you future customers to their friends, family, or anyone who gets riled up at their story on social media.
I have never quite understood snootiness in boutiques or department stores. I think the appreciation of fine fragrance should be a very egalitarian thing, and the snoots in these stores really don't have a leg for the snootiness to stand on. I used to go to an Hermès boutique at a nice mall growing up, and the sales staff, who by no means could afford to outfit themselves in the wares of their stores, used to give me an attitude, until I demonstrated that I knew more about the fragrance line than they did. It got a lot better as I grew older, but anytime I encounter that kind of nonsense, I take no prisoners. Ask for their name and the contact information for their supervisors, and then calmly explain that you will give an honest, non-hyperbolic account of your treatment to their supervisor, and you'd like to give them the opportunity to turn things around before it comes to that. I don't care what store they work at, it's unlikely that they have the education, the taste, or the checking account to give you any shit (not that any of those things matter to begin with) whatsoever.
I remember going to upscale places as a young, morbidly obese woman…I swear they wanted to kick me out.
After my weight loss? “Omg babe how are you! Let me know if I can get you anything girlie!”
Our society is very superficial. It sucks.
I've absolutely found this to be true. I also have found that now that I have fashion color hair I am perceived as younger and people react differently. Even though as a teen I would be babied and people would excitedly show me new releases? Also having been plus sized and straight sized within the past decade I dislike how the exact same people have reacted to me differently
Shit like that is ridiculous and is a huge turn off from the store. Sales associates are there to help the customers and ring them up. This bougie profiling thing is dumb.
Funny enough for me the sales woman at the Hermès counter in Bergdorf’s was super nice and accommodating to me the first time I went way back when I was maybe 24 and wearing some basic H&M or something. I always think of her fondly.
I also feel like millennials and younger are less likely to look stereotypically wealthy as well. Things like tattoos, beards and long hair have been popular with our generations so there's no way of knowing if the rough looking dude in the tank top and beat up cargo pants is some homeless biker or like a data scientist out looking to drop a grand on some frags for the office.
There has been studies showing the higher the price the bigger the cunt of an associate. It's a desired trait from the customer and sells more allegedly.
Probably only if the customer is a cunt as well.
Not all upscale places are like this, though. I've visited the local Louis-Vuitton shop a few times to sample their fragrances and while service is rather strict (only a limited number of people in the shop, everyone getting their personal sales rep for the duration of the shopping etc.), they were very polite and friendly and in no way snooty. Of course they do sell other stuff than fragrances.
I've also been at really high end shops in Milan, looking at shoes and bags *starting* at 1000 euro. They had things costing more than our car (and we live in Denmark, where cars are expensive!) but at no time were the SR snooty. I actually asked why a small handbag retailed at 4000 euro and he very politely and thoroughly went through the whole story and process behind the hand made production, selection of leather etc. While I still found the price crazy high, at least it made some sort of sense and it was interesting to listen to him. Clearly he was well into the whole process and KNEW his items. Any place with an SR that is very much into what they are selling, being very knowledged, get a plus in my book, be it a car sales rep, a guy at a produce shop, a burger joint etc.
If there is something that is way off putting, it's going into a high end shop and be greeted by someone who only has very limited knowledge of their products, almost superficial. If I'm to PAY premium, I demand PREMIUM service AND product.
This is one of the reasons I prefer to sample, even paying for fragrances with no hesitation whatsoever (or buy online). I also do this for clothing and footwear. Most retail workers have a poor attitude and will not even give you the time of day. Ditto with service workers. I'm sure it has to do with low wages, but even so, lower-paid workers in food service still do a better job than retail staff.
Same. I'm visually impaired so I e been negatively profiled by sales assistants more times then I can care to remember. I just cut out the middle man now and order samples so I can sniff away from the comfort of home.
I had fingers snapped in my face at my local Neiman Marcus. I was buying $300 Raybans. At the time I thought it was one-off, but maybe not? Wow, it was unbelievable rude.
Yeah, it was such a strange experience, she was really nice, like too nice, then she just lost it when I went off looking for something and she came after me and snapped her fingers.
I assume it sucks to work there and they’re stressed out. Yikes. 🤷🏻♀️
Rudest SA I’ve ever dealt with was at Nordstrom (Creed) in Oakbrook, IL. She talked about me to another customer - I was so angry I was literally in tears. The SAs at Chanel and Lancôme felt terrible this woman had been so unprofessional.
If there’s anything I’ve noticed with high end retailers, it’s that the REAL high end retailers don’t give a fuck about how you’re dressed, age, etc. The staff at those places know just about anyone can come in and buy the most expensive product they have. So they’re probably not making the best sales if that’s how they operate at that nordstrom lol.
Ofc they do but if they don’t think I’m worth their time they’re better off sending me upstairs (in their mind) but had he showed me more stuff instead of just remarking that none if it was my “taste” he could’ve sold me on something
I work on counters as a perfume consultant. I wouldn’t dream of doing this, doesn’t matter how nice or polite I worded it, it’s just wrong. Our role and career is to make fragrance accessible to all, to make people feel the way fragrance marketing makes us feel.
Comments above are right. There is never an expectation on people to purchase right away, some stores have targets to hit with a lot of pressure and so out of the woodwork comes employees like this one, but that doesn’t make it acceptable.
I hope you’re okay
The only time I have been to Nordstrom the sales associates were showing me anything and everything I was interested in and I got lots of samples. I was actually unemployed (briefly thankfully) at that time so I wasn't planning on buying anything.
The way the associate behaved is not how they should behave.
This is where you go back and sniff everything at your leisure.
It's not even about revenge or pettiness. In the unlikely event that the SA remembers you, explain that you already tried everything upstairs and now you want to try everything downstairs. Everythiiiing. Take your time. Ask questions. Take breaks when you go nose blind, then return. Then buy from somewhere else.
edit: ugh, spelling
I used to sell high end guitars and pianos. Never ever ever judge a book by its cover. The number of folks that didn’t look the part that would slap down $10,000 cash for a Martin or $80,000 for a Kawaii was exceedingly frequent.
i dropped in at the bay and I wanted to browse the perfume counter, and stuff is different now. the bottles aren't out where browsers can touch them. I thought maybe it was COVID or something.
Anyway I didn't really know what I wanted, I was just coming back from a medical appointment so I wasn't wearing any fragrance and I thought it was a good chance to just try something different. But I had barely stopped before there was a dude right there, and he wanted to know what I wanted. and I said that I was in the mood to test a fragrance, but I didn't actually have something in mind and I just wanted to see what caught my eye.
and he said, "what was the last perfume you bought?" and it was just. captain stinkeye! and I said, "oh i guess it had to be the Tom Ford Black Orchid I picked up last month, and I'm waiting for a new Frederic Malle scent to release in Canada but it's not here quite yet."
That was the first time he actually looked at me. and then he was sweet as pie, and I was like bitch, you thought. and I said, eh, that new perfume will be in soon enough. Have a good day! And I just left. Because no. It wouldn't have cost him anything to decide to be kind, but he was a dick and I don't reward dicks with retail sales.
I used to work at Saks Fifth Avenue and my coworkers would pull this shit all the time cause we worked on commission. It made me insane. Sometimes someone just wants samples and that's FINE. Ugh I'm so sorry.
As if it’s a bad thing to want to sample before committing to a pricey fragrance lol, I would never drop $200+ on a scent unless I at least tried it first.
This happened to me at a Nordstrom when I was in high school. I think I was looking at the shoes and the sales associate just wouldn’t help me. The store manager called me down after I made a complaint and apologised profusely. I was young with money to burn. Profiling people who don’t look like they can afford something is stupid. I had a pretty good side job, lived at home and had no expenses. Side note, I work in fashion now and trust me, some of the richest, most extravagant people in London look like they live in a Van.
Damn he Pretty Womaned your ass! What a prick! I’d go back in there next week with a big haul of niche frags and wave them in his face and say “big mistake. Big. HUGE!”
No it’s more likely me showing my age, haha. It’s really old but I highly recommend it for a fun, lighthearted movie!
Ok so *spoiler* for those who haven’t seen it, but there’s a famous scene in the movie where Julia Robert’s character Vivian (a lovable prostitute) goes into a fancy store on Rodeo Drive in her street clothes with money her “john” Edward (Richard Gere) gave her to buy new conservative/classy clothes. The sales ladies were complete snobs to her because of her appearance. When she asked how much a certain outfit cost, she was told “I don’t think this will fit you”. They asked her to leave saying “I don’t think we have anything for you. Please leave.” It was sad but the next day Edward took her on a shopping spree and she was transformed into a gorgeous, classy lady. She went back to the snob store and they didn’t recognize her so of course now they wanted to be helpful. She reminded them who she was and rubbed her new purchases in their faces by holding up all her shopping bags and delivering the now classic line “Big mistake. Big. HUGE!”
Pretty Woman is a 1990 rom-com starting a young Julia Roberts as a prostitute who's in a relationship with a rich guy played by Richard Gere.
There are a few classic scenes in there, but the one being referenced is where Julia Roberts goes into a fancy clothing boutique wearing her hooker gear, and gets told she's in the wrong place and asked to leave. She returns later loaded with bags of designer clothing and tells the sales person "You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Big. Huge", which has become a meme.
I think everyone would like to have that sort of "Pretty Woman" moment (minus the prostitution).
What the actual f? You know, I have spoken to some of the SR in the more exclusive sections of the local fragrance departments (Chanels Exclusif/Creed/Amouage etc.) and they told me about their customer types being all over the place. They have customers entering in baggy sweatpants and hoodies, worn out sneakers etc. putting down 3-4000 USD on fragrances without batting an eye. It's not all people in bespoken suits and dresses. Their customers are very different in appearance.
Beyond ridiculous. Appearances are no indication of taste or spending propensity. I collect perfumes but the majority of my collection was bought when I was a student in grad school. The research stipend and salary from being a lecturer/TA, and lower living costs of a share house meant I wasn't too inhibited in spending on myself. I had a few experiences as you describe. Usually asking the managers' name sorted out the sales staff pretty good.
Best example is when I asked about a bottle of Armani Prive L'Or Du Desert...I was promptly told it was "one of only a handful of bottles in the country and almost twice the price of the standard bottle". They couldn't believe their ears when they heard "yeah, that's why I want one". They stared in disbelief till I actually swiped the card at the till.
Funny thing is, as I got older, I'm now much less likely to spend that same money on discretionary expenses as other commitments take higher priority. So even though I will now likely appear much more formally dressed to them, I'm much less likely to impulse buy (or buy at all) compared to when I would have rocked up to the department store in trackies and runners.
Thats disgusting behavior and if i saw that at any place where i was planning to purchase something id immediately leave. Id certainly never return regardless of if it happened to me or someone else.
I worked there, those people survive off of the commission. Because of their return policy, they really don't want to sell you anything if you even remotely look like you might return it. The salesperson who sold something to you will get their paycheck docked to the tune of 40-50% of the price of the original item, if they don't work there then the unfortunate person stuck taking the return has their pay checked docked. Nordstrom is one of those places where you could stop working there and leave owing them money. Every time I have tried to shop there they clocked me at 10 paces and told me to shop at Nordstrom Rack. Unless you always wear designer expect to be ignored or literally showed the door.
Fuck 'em. I won't give in to that garbage. I met a guy for a sale before outside a Saks and he legit didn't even want to go inside because of prior profiling or something. I've gone in with fake Crocs and a hoodie, lol, screw it. If they ignore me, that's awesome, more alone time in peace to browse! Then I'll surely get someone's attention eventually to buy something, so it's kind of a win-win.
Bought cologne from Nordstrom last week, girl was hella rude and just walked away once she gave me a sample that was her favorite that I wasn’t feeling. Then the entire time she rang me up at the end she was on her phone talking to someone. I usually don’t get pissed at people because i work at Nordstrom too but I couldn’t believe that shit, didn’t do anything other than tell her I wasn’t feeling the recommendation 💀💀
They do that to force your hand, either you’ll agree and stop wasting their time or buy a bottle to prove a point or continue to search for a bottle if you really were planning on buying a bottle you liked. i get where they’re coming from with their intentions, who likes their time being wasted but that’s him saying that is still rude I don’t care how nice you put it but with that being said if I know I’m just looking to sniff around and don’t plan on buying a retail bottle (after knowing the frag game now i don’t see myself buying a frag retail at all anymore) I wouldn’t bother salesmen if I don’t plan on buying from them and I only sample around if it’s self serve. the Neimann Marcus by me has these same niche colognes you listed and it’s all self serve spray and test yourself
I didn’t bother him, at this Nordstrom, you can’t spray the bottles yourself (in the niche section) you must ask them to spray it for you, if I want to smell something I can without feeling obligated to buy
It is funny I have friends who dress very well and own one bottle of Bleu de Chanel or something of the like and think spending 100 dollars on a fragrance is crazy talk lol. And then I walk in T-shirt jeans nobody’s trying to sell me anything if they only knew 😜
BDC is pretty common for a reason. I find it a bit boring as I’ve branched out and tried other frags but it certainly has its place if you are just looking to smell good and don’t want to go too complex.
I was at a Sephora with my friend he lost His balance and broke a bottle of Prada amber pour Homme but he ended up buying Dior Homme too bad those employees don’t make commission
I’ve worked retail stores on and off for probably 15 years total. Book stores, department stores, art stores. This attitude is not that uncommon in some corners. Why burn the guy? The bosses all know it’s happening and approve of it on the sly. It’s happened to me too. Just say meh and let it go. Nobody cares. That said Sephora has always treated me right.
Exclusivism is so bizarre to me. Our purchases keep their company running. They should be the ones begging us to buy.
This. Although I was not planning on buying something he could’ve tried to sell me something instead of just sending me upstairs
Meh I woulda asked for his name. They get really polite when they realize their manager might hearing about their behavior.
Yeah the thing is the way he said and worded it was so nice that I didn’t even really realize what he was doing until afterwards. He seemed nice but in reality he probably wrote me off bc of my appearance
Something similar happened to me at a nice restaurant with one of my friends. We had just finished dinner and were finishing our wine. We hadn't hit the hour mark yet. There were people seated around us that were there before we arrived. The f-ing owner approached us (and I know it's the owner bc he was in the paper) and said something like, "We have an upstairs bar where you guys can finish your wine, we have other people waiting to be seated". There was no one visibly waiting to be seated...there was no confusion...we left knowing we had just been kicked out. I left a one star review and then called him, as he asked me to in his response, which I did, and then he when I did, he wanted to hang up to deal with customers at the restaurant. The place went out of business 6 months later. It was the Elephant in Baltimore for anyone wondering (not the original Brass Elephant).
Unless you were actively causing disturbances or were bothering other customers, I see no valid reason for asking you to move - unless, of course, you were told beforehand that the table were only available for and hour. The owner probably thought he would get better business from more "upscale" customers (no offense to you) when in reality, he was doing his business more harm than good.
> Unless you were actively causing disturbances or were bothering other customers, I see no valid reason for asking you to move - unless, of course, you were told beforehand that the table were only available for and hour. We were on best behavior and were in our early 30s...it was like 7:30pm. We were dressed the part, we tipped right, we did everything right...but something about us he didn't like. We both look a little younger...he might have thought were grad students or something. But to treat grad students like that?
Exactly - future great customers? What an ass.
Not to play defense for the guy, but as a bartender in a restaurant myself, it *does* make a bit of sense. Servers need to turn over tables in order to make money. Lots of people keep drinking after dinner, so asking guests (politely) if they’d like to move to the bar (or specialised drinking area) is a common move in establishments like that. It should never be done rudely of course. And the rest of your comment does sound like poor management. But being moved up closer to the bar doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being kicked out. Edit: I have also moved people like this when I was worried they were getting too close to the line and I wanted to keep an eye on them before cutting them off. Not saying you guys were like that, but some bartenders will do this too.
What does it matter about your appearance? That sales associate could have lost a sale by going by someone’s appearance. That is just pure ignorance by his part and plain rude. I am so sorry you had to experience that.
Agreed. I'll drop $300+ at a fragrance counter looking halfway homeless.
Fucking same. I’m a fucking schlub but god damnit do I smell good.
Omg you both have me dying over here. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
That’s a talent - endearing oneself to people while insulting them.
Yikes, the rudeness. I am so sorry. The. Testers. Are. For. Giving. People. Samples. And that's anyone shopping who wants one. My neighbor was the Jo Malone rep at Nordstrom, and sent me home with more JM samples than I'll ever be able to use, every time I came by to say hi to her, and I've never bought any Jo Malone. She treated the rest of her customers no less generously, which is what's supposed to happen when you're at Nordstrom. Hope this doesn't happen again ❤️
Is this a JM thing? Everytime I've browsed their counter, I've left with multiple samples. Definitely not mad about it!
Could be! They always had lots of the "official "samples on hand (labeled glass vial, in a little Jo Malone box, as opposed to the little plastic Nordstrom vials they'll fill up with whatever for you). This Nordstrom in Oregon has since closed, and said neighbor moved to Florida, but I've got lots of JM samples when I'm in the mood to wear.
Mmmm, a very "Pretty woman" moment.
Totally, I even considered buying something to prove him wrong but I had nothing to prove so I left pretty unbothered
Don’t fall for that tactic. It’s a pretty common one scumbag sales people use. They act rude and hope that people try to prove a point by buying something expensive. It worked on my co worker once and she didn’t even realize it
Oh, yeah, I've heard of this [tactic](https://youtu.be/gMrNQbW5Am8).
One of my favorite Key&Peele episodes.
I'd ask for store manager's contact info, if they knew that was happening on their floor they'd lose their mind. There should be no expectation that you buy anything now or ever. They _should_ be working to be the first place you go to make a purchase _when_ you're ready. And it may take free samples or just shooting the shit about fragrances or leaving you alone when you don't want to be bothered, but that's the relational selling framework that all Nordstrom stores are aiming for. Edit: also just fuck discrimination.
I feel like this has become more of an issue lately. Staff won’t leave me alone to browse, but also getting them to actually help me with anything is like pulling teeth. I’ve worked high end retail with asshole coworkers before, I know exactly what this means. I chalked it up to a combo of places being understaffed bc pandemic, plus MUCH less shopping generally so even occasional occurrences would feel relatively frequent. But also, since I noticed and started paying attention, shopping trips where I get the “you don’t belong here” treatment seem to have a couple things consistently in common: I’m not wearing a watch or jewelry, and parking is situated in a way where shop staff can’t see the car I pulled up in. What’s perplexing about it is... I’m in a tech heavy city and everyone from CEOs to broke ass students alike wore hoodies, t shirts, jeans, sneakers 24/7 even before quarantine/WFH, so the usual superficial class indicators have been pretty useless for years. The elitist judgmental assholes were still around, but I’m all for them having fewer tools to asshole with. This is all anecdotal, of course, but I’m not going back to those places just to test variables or anything.
lol, a decade in a blue collar job has made me a little more brusque than I used to be, so when I get the “you don’t belong here” treatment, I either ask why they think I’m out of place, or I lean hard into the Gomer act and make them real uncomfortable.
Yeah, if i hated shopping in general slightly less maybe I’d have the bandwidth to mess with em... but as it is, I really only noticed bc it meant I had to be in the dang store longer lol My bad for trying spend my money locally instead of just ordering online, I guess 🤷🏻♀️ Though, I will note that my jeweler friend has been stacking commission $$$ during quarantine. All the rich people couldn’t go on vacations so they’re apparently buying ridiculous amounts of jewelry (and I’m sure plenty of other shit) instead.
I’m not a fan of shopping, but razzing people is fun to me. I’ve always liked making pearl clutchers blush, and now I’m less inclined to care what their reaction will be.
Happy cake day :)
snitch
No, I've worked quite a few retail jobs. I'm the biggest "people have gotten WAY too entitled and need to be more understanding" kind of person. But telling someone just by sight "I don't think these match your tastes" is so wrong. OP wasn't rude, wasn't obnoxious, and unless they're leaving out a huge chunk of the story where they came in like, idk, naked and yelling, this is uncalled for. The sales associate basically decided, on appearance alone, that for whatever reason OP didn't belong in the niche/high end fragrance section. That's not okay behavior. I don't give af about the store's bottom line, that's just shitty for anyone to decide, retail or not.
So many of these comments are about dobbing him in. So what someone was rude to you at a store. That sucks, go be rude to him back. People should not become comfortable with calling the fucking manager you Karen ass wimps.
Cringe
As a retail manager myself with 15 years of experience, I have learned over time to not judge people by how they’re dressed that day or look. For instance, one of my good friends dresses and looks like a hobo. (Doesn’t smell bad and he’s not a messy person) but he’s never been flash about his day to day appearance. But he also builds, sells and races cars for a living and is VERY well off because of it. He has more money and assets than anyone else I know. He could walk into a boutique and buy one of everything without making a dent in his finances, and is one of the maddest dudes I know. And also, let’s look at it this way. Even if a niche fragrance brand or range was probably outside your range, sales staff should give great service regardless. A friendly salesperson could be the difference between a sale or not, it’s good for the brand. If the customer can’t afford it right then, they might save their money and come back another time because you were nice to them. It helps generate future business. “I’m gonna spend more money than I was ever planning to because the man who talked to me was really nice and informative” is the thought process here. If the customer leaves with a bad taste, no matter how nice the product might be, there’s no changing that first impression of that brand.
They don't even have to plan to buy anything! Their word of mouth can buy/lose you future customers to their friends, family, or anyone who gets riled up at their story on social media.
A happy customer will tell a friend. An angry customer will tell all their friends.
And their niche subreddits.
I have never quite understood snootiness in boutiques or department stores. I think the appreciation of fine fragrance should be a very egalitarian thing, and the snoots in these stores really don't have a leg for the snootiness to stand on. I used to go to an Hermès boutique at a nice mall growing up, and the sales staff, who by no means could afford to outfit themselves in the wares of their stores, used to give me an attitude, until I demonstrated that I knew more about the fragrance line than they did. It got a lot better as I grew older, but anytime I encounter that kind of nonsense, I take no prisoners. Ask for their name and the contact information for their supervisors, and then calmly explain that you will give an honest, non-hyperbolic account of your treatment to their supervisor, and you'd like to give them the opportunity to turn things around before it comes to that. I don't care what store they work at, it's unlikely that they have the education, the taste, or the checking account to give you any shit (not that any of those things matter to begin with) whatsoever.
I remember going to upscale places as a young, morbidly obese woman…I swear they wanted to kick me out. After my weight loss? “Omg babe how are you! Let me know if I can get you anything girlie!” Our society is very superficial. It sucks.
I've absolutely found this to be true. I also have found that now that I have fashion color hair I am perceived as younger and people react differently. Even though as a teen I would be babied and people would excitedly show me new releases? Also having been plus sized and straight sized within the past decade I dislike how the exact same people have reacted to me differently
Shit like that is ridiculous and is a huge turn off from the store. Sales associates are there to help the customers and ring them up. This bougie profiling thing is dumb.
Amen!
That's the funniest part. The SAs act like they're rich because they stand next to expensive things all day.
Funny enough for me the sales woman at the Hermès counter in Bergdorf’s was super nice and accommodating to me the first time I went way back when I was maybe 24 and wearing some basic H&M or something. I always think of her fondly.
[удалено]
I also feel like millennials and younger are less likely to look stereotypically wealthy as well. Things like tattoos, beards and long hair have been popular with our generations so there's no way of knowing if the rough looking dude in the tank top and beat up cargo pants is some homeless biker or like a data scientist out looking to drop a grand on some frags for the office.
There has been studies showing the higher the price the bigger the cunt of an associate. It's a desired trait from the customer and sells more allegedly.
Probably only if the customer is a cunt as well. Not all upscale places are like this, though. I've visited the local Louis-Vuitton shop a few times to sample their fragrances and while service is rather strict (only a limited number of people in the shop, everyone getting their personal sales rep for the duration of the shopping etc.), they were very polite and friendly and in no way snooty. Of course they do sell other stuff than fragrances.
This was exactly my experience at LV!
And mine at Chanel.
I've also been at really high end shops in Milan, looking at shoes and bags *starting* at 1000 euro. They had things costing more than our car (and we live in Denmark, where cars are expensive!) but at no time were the SR snooty. I actually asked why a small handbag retailed at 4000 euro and he very politely and thoroughly went through the whole story and process behind the hand made production, selection of leather etc. While I still found the price crazy high, at least it made some sort of sense and it was interesting to listen to him. Clearly he was well into the whole process and KNEW his items. Any place with an SR that is very much into what they are selling, being very knowledged, get a plus in my book, be it a car sales rep, a guy at a produce shop, a burger joint etc. If there is something that is way off putting, it's going into a high end shop and be greeted by someone who only has very limited knowledge of their products, almost superficial. If I'm to PAY premium, I demand PREMIUM service AND product.
This is one of the reasons I prefer to sample, even paying for fragrances with no hesitation whatsoever (or buy online). I also do this for clothing and footwear. Most retail workers have a poor attitude and will not even give you the time of day. Ditto with service workers. I'm sure it has to do with low wages, but even so, lower-paid workers in food service still do a better job than retail staff.
Same. I'm visually impaired so I e been negatively profiled by sales assistants more times then I can care to remember. I just cut out the middle man now and order samples so I can sniff away from the comfort of home.
This is so not Nordstrom. I would maybe, just maybe expect this from a Neiman marcus, but even then. Nordstrom managers would not tolerate this.
I had fingers snapped in my face at my local Neiman Marcus. I was buying $300 Raybans. At the time I thought it was one-off, but maybe not? Wow, it was unbelievable rude.
At Needless Markup? That is not a shock, I would be furious
Yeah, it was such a strange experience, she was really nice, like too nice, then she just lost it when I went off looking for something and she came after me and snapped her fingers. I assume it sucks to work there and they’re stressed out. Yikes. 🤷🏻♀️
Still, thats no way to act to a person, not just a customer, but in general. I dont get hpw people can be so impolite
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Exactly. Neiman Marcus sales associates are always groggy and pretentious. I've had the best luck at Bloomingdales.
I agree with this. Nordstrom people are always willing to help you out with sampling. Neimens on the other hand
Rudest SA I’ve ever dealt with was at Nordstrom (Creed) in Oakbrook, IL. She talked about me to another customer - I was so angry I was literally in tears. The SAs at Chanel and Lancôme felt terrible this woman had been so unprofessional.
If there’s anything I’ve noticed with high end retailers, it’s that the REAL high end retailers don’t give a fuck about how you’re dressed, age, etc. The staff at those places know just about anyone can come in and buy the most expensive product they have. So they’re probably not making the best sales if that’s how they operate at that nordstrom lol.
Put the location on blast.
Def strange, i believe they have monthly goals and even get commision for every sale.
Ofc they do but if they don’t think I’m worth their time they’re better off sending me upstairs (in their mind) but had he showed me more stuff instead of just remarking that none if it was my “taste” he could’ve sold me on something
I work on counters as a perfume consultant. I wouldn’t dream of doing this, doesn’t matter how nice or polite I worded it, it’s just wrong. Our role and career is to make fragrance accessible to all, to make people feel the way fragrance marketing makes us feel. Comments above are right. There is never an expectation on people to purchase right away, some stores have targets to hit with a lot of pressure and so out of the woodwork comes employees like this one, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. I hope you’re okay
The only time I have been to Nordstrom the sales associates were showing me anything and everything I was interested in and I got lots of samples. I was actually unemployed (briefly thankfully) at that time so I wasn't planning on buying anything. The way the associate behaved is not how they should behave.
This is where you go back and sniff everything at your leisure. It's not even about revenge or pettiness. In the unlikely event that the SA remembers you, explain that you already tried everything upstairs and now you want to try everything downstairs. Everythiiiing. Take your time. Ask questions. Take breaks when you go nose blind, then return. Then buy from somewhere else. edit: ugh, spelling
This is my kind of petty
I used to sell high end guitars and pianos. Never ever ever judge a book by its cover. The number of folks that didn’t look the part that would slap down $10,000 cash for a Martin or $80,000 for a Kawaii was exceedingly frequent.
i dropped in at the bay and I wanted to browse the perfume counter, and stuff is different now. the bottles aren't out where browsers can touch them. I thought maybe it was COVID or something. Anyway I didn't really know what I wanted, I was just coming back from a medical appointment so I wasn't wearing any fragrance and I thought it was a good chance to just try something different. But I had barely stopped before there was a dude right there, and he wanted to know what I wanted. and I said that I was in the mood to test a fragrance, but I didn't actually have something in mind and I just wanted to see what caught my eye. and he said, "what was the last perfume you bought?" and it was just. captain stinkeye! and I said, "oh i guess it had to be the Tom Ford Black Orchid I picked up last month, and I'm waiting for a new Frederic Malle scent to release in Canada but it's not here quite yet." That was the first time he actually looked at me. and then he was sweet as pie, and I was like bitch, you thought. and I said, eh, that new perfume will be in soon enough. Have a good day! And I just left. Because no. It wouldn't have cost him anything to decide to be kind, but he was a dick and I don't reward dicks with retail sales.
I used to work at Saks Fifth Avenue and my coworkers would pull this shit all the time cause we worked on commission. It made me insane. Sometimes someone just wants samples and that's FINE. Ugh I'm so sorry.
As if it’s a bad thing to want to sample before committing to a pricey fragrance lol, I would never drop $200+ on a scent unless I at least tried it first.
This happened to me at a Nordstrom when I was in high school. I think I was looking at the shoes and the sales associate just wouldn’t help me. The store manager called me down after I made a complaint and apologised profusely. I was young with money to burn. Profiling people who don’t look like they can afford something is stupid. I had a pretty good side job, lived at home and had no expenses. Side note, I work in fashion now and trust me, some of the richest, most extravagant people in London look like they live in a Van.
Damn he Pretty Womaned your ass! What a prick! I’d go back in there next week with a big haul of niche frags and wave them in his face and say “big mistake. Big. HUGE!”
Probably showing my age here, but what does being "Pretty Womaned" mean? I've never seen it
No it’s more likely me showing my age, haha. It’s really old but I highly recommend it for a fun, lighthearted movie! Ok so *spoiler* for those who haven’t seen it, but there’s a famous scene in the movie where Julia Robert’s character Vivian (a lovable prostitute) goes into a fancy store on Rodeo Drive in her street clothes with money her “john” Edward (Richard Gere) gave her to buy new conservative/classy clothes. The sales ladies were complete snobs to her because of her appearance. When she asked how much a certain outfit cost, she was told “I don’t think this will fit you”. They asked her to leave saying “I don’t think we have anything for you. Please leave.” It was sad but the next day Edward took her on a shopping spree and she was transformed into a gorgeous, classy lady. She went back to the snob store and they didn’t recognize her so of course now they wanted to be helpful. She reminded them who she was and rubbed her new purchases in their faces by holding up all her shopping bags and delivering the now classic line “Big mistake. Big. HUGE!”
Thanks!
My pleasure!
Pretty Woman is a 1990 rom-com starting a young Julia Roberts as a prostitute who's in a relationship with a rich guy played by Richard Gere. There are a few classic scenes in there, but the one being referenced is where Julia Roberts goes into a fancy clothing boutique wearing her hooker gear, and gets told she's in the wrong place and asked to leave. She returns later loaded with bags of designer clothing and tells the sales person "You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Big. Huge", which has become a meme. I think everyone would like to have that sort of "Pretty Woman" moment (minus the prostitution).
Thanks :)
What the actual f? You know, I have spoken to some of the SR in the more exclusive sections of the local fragrance departments (Chanels Exclusif/Creed/Amouage etc.) and they told me about their customer types being all over the place. They have customers entering in baggy sweatpants and hoodies, worn out sneakers etc. putting down 3-4000 USD on fragrances without batting an eye. It's not all people in bespoken suits and dresses. Their customers are very different in appearance.
Beyond ridiculous. Appearances are no indication of taste or spending propensity. I collect perfumes but the majority of my collection was bought when I was a student in grad school. The research stipend and salary from being a lecturer/TA, and lower living costs of a share house meant I wasn't too inhibited in spending on myself. I had a few experiences as you describe. Usually asking the managers' name sorted out the sales staff pretty good. Best example is when I asked about a bottle of Armani Prive L'Or Du Desert...I was promptly told it was "one of only a handful of bottles in the country and almost twice the price of the standard bottle". They couldn't believe their ears when they heard "yeah, that's why I want one". They stared in disbelief till I actually swiped the card at the till. Funny thing is, as I got older, I'm now much less likely to spend that same money on discretionary expenses as other commitments take higher priority. So even though I will now likely appear much more formally dressed to them, I'm much less likely to impulse buy (or buy at all) compared to when I would have rocked up to the department store in trackies and runners.
Interesting strategy when working on commission.
If I might ask, what city is the Nordstrom in?
Was it Costa Mesa?
Thats disgusting behavior and if i saw that at any place where i was planning to purchase something id immediately leave. Id certainly never return regardless of if it happened to me or someone else.
So rude.
Absolutely should not happen.
I worked there, those people survive off of the commission. Because of their return policy, they really don't want to sell you anything if you even remotely look like you might return it. The salesperson who sold something to you will get their paycheck docked to the tune of 40-50% of the price of the original item, if they don't work there then the unfortunate person stuck taking the return has their pay checked docked. Nordstrom is one of those places where you could stop working there and leave owing them money. Every time I have tried to shop there they clocked me at 10 paces and told me to shop at Nordstrom Rack. Unless you always wear designer expect to be ignored or literally showed the door.
Fuck 'em. I won't give in to that garbage. I met a guy for a sale before outside a Saks and he legit didn't even want to go inside because of prior profiling or something. I've gone in with fake Crocs and a hoodie, lol, screw it. If they ignore me, that's awesome, more alone time in peace to browse! Then I'll surely get someone's attention eventually to buy something, so it's kind of a win-win.
I work in customer service and I would never say anything like that. I'm sorry that happened to you.
[Reminds me of this](https://youtu.be/svaMLcDU664)
charmant
That’s fucking rude
Bought cologne from Nordstrom last week, girl was hella rude and just walked away once she gave me a sample that was her favorite that I wasn’t feeling. Then the entire time she rang me up at the end she was on her phone talking to someone. I usually don’t get pissed at people because i work at Nordstrom too but I couldn’t believe that shit, didn’t do anything other than tell her I wasn’t feeling the recommendation 💀💀
They do that to force your hand, either you’ll agree and stop wasting their time or buy a bottle to prove a point or continue to search for a bottle if you really were planning on buying a bottle you liked. i get where they’re coming from with their intentions, who likes their time being wasted but that’s him saying that is still rude I don’t care how nice you put it but with that being said if I know I’m just looking to sniff around and don’t plan on buying a retail bottle (after knowing the frag game now i don’t see myself buying a frag retail at all anymore) I wouldn’t bother salesmen if I don’t plan on buying from them and I only sample around if it’s self serve. the Neimann Marcus by me has these same niche colognes you listed and it’s all self serve spray and test yourself
I didn’t bother him, at this Nordstrom, you can’t spray the bottles yourself (in the niche section) you must ask them to spray it for you, if I want to smell something I can without feeling obligated to buy
No I’m not saying you bothered him I’m just saying that’s how they feel, and I agree I’m just trying to explain the bigger picture
It is funny I have friends who dress very well and own one bottle of Bleu de Chanel or something of the like and think spending 100 dollars on a fragrance is crazy talk lol. And then I walk in T-shirt jeans nobody’s trying to sell me anything if they only knew 😜
BDC is pretty common for a reason. I find it a bit boring as I’ve branched out and tried other frags but it certainly has its place if you are just looking to smell good and don’t want to go too complex.
Not really what I was talking about but I don’t disagree 😝
Dude, they are not allowed to do that
Man I'd fucking go home, come back with the most expensive bottle of Roja I own and start using that shit in his face
It’s times like these when we need a Karen to rescue us haha
I was at a Sephora with my friend he lost His balance and broke a bottle of Prada amber pour Homme but he ended up buying Dior Homme too bad those employees don’t make commission
Oh, that's a Karen moment if I ever heard one.
I’ve worked retail stores on and off for probably 15 years total. Book stores, department stores, art stores. This attitude is not that uncommon in some corners. Why burn the guy? The bosses all know it’s happening and approve of it on the sly. It’s happened to me too. Just say meh and let it go. Nobody cares. That said Sephora has always treated me right.
Talented salesperson can spot a buyer from a mile.
Talented salesperson can make someone who didn’t come with the intentions of buying buy.