Sexism at the LBS

[nuliajuk]

Wow, I encountered this sort of attitude back in the late 70s-early 80s, but I'm surprised to see it still going on in 2013. Definitely contact the shop owner. Tell him/her that this attitude is turning away a potential of 50% of the population from the shop. Money talks.

[Skippyak]

IME the people who work retail don't tend to be in it for the intellectual component. The thing here is to tell the clerk that you don't want or need help to choose your helmet? The trouble with working retail as an actual life job is that this poor guy is working retail as a life job. He probably can't afford to look at the helmets himself because at my LBS helmets seem to be $100 range.

[Irulan]

Instead of emailing, why not pick up the phone and call? Find out when the manager is in and go in, in person, and talk to them I find that if you have a polite conversation (instead of being a faceless email) with a real person - if they care about thier business - they will listen. They may not change anything, but it's more effective than sending an email that may or may not get read out into the ether.

I had a similar experience not too long ago at a shop that I frequent. I was looking for flat shoes like a 5-10 and flat pedals. The just under 30- young man was pretty insistent on "why do you want to get rid of your clips". I've probably been biking since he was in kindergarten. I took the manager aside and told them that I thought it was inappropriate for this young man to say this... especially when I am a known mtb rider in the area. Being one on one with the manager (and later, the owner) made me feel listened to, and hopefully they did something about it. Way better than faceless input, I'm sure.

[nuliajuk]

Is it possible that this guy was making a clueless and clumsy attempt to flirt with you? This thread brings back memories of similarly clueless men when I was young and single. Some men just didn't get it that women's humour is different than mens and we generally don't do the sort of banter that they do between themselves. They'll make insulting remarks in what they think is a joking manner and are puzzled when we don't find it appealing or funny.

[lph]

It sounded kind of like it to me. More dumb than appealing, but still just dumb. Maybe it usually works.

I once overheard a bike shop guy selling an orange jacket to a woman because it matched the colour of the flecks of her eyes. It worked. She went out the door with a happy smile on her face and a very expensive jacket in her hand.

Recently I was looking for (yet another) wool shirt, and was scanning the shelves for a colour I liked, when a shop guy came over and said in a jokey and conspiratorial tone "to be honest, the colour doesn't matter. Wool isn't sexy! Wool is just wool!" He was Italian and maybe playing up the stereotype, but still... I smiled and told him that I wasn't buying a wool shirt because I NEEDED one. I have eight. I was buying one because I wanted a new colour, and it was in his own best interests that I find one I liked.

[Koronin]

I would have been POed enough to have left without buying something at that point and told them loudly exactly why I wasn't buying anything. I might have returned at another time when that idiot wasn't working. One reason I like going to Preformance when we're in Raleigh. They are really good about asking if you need help and otherwise not bothering you. Also like my one LBS because the brothers that own it are also very good at not bothering you unless you ask for help. They make sure you know they around and can help if needed. Of course those of us who are in a lot they won't even ask us if we need help they let us ask them if there is something we are looking for and don't see, such as wide shoes for my husband (which in general do not seem to exist for cycling shoes). Although they were able to help him find a pair that actually fit ok for a wide foot that aren't specified as wide. (He is flat footed). They also carry insoles specifically for different arches for shoes in general.

[Jolt]

I'm thinking this was likely a (lame) attempt at humor rather than him seriously thinking that all "girls" care about is how the helmet looks and not how it fits. Still, probably wouldn't hurt to mention it to management if this sort of thing is a regular occurrence...not good for business and not good for encouraging more women to ride!