Shop local campaign: why are stores like this???

amother

cornflower

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 8:33 pm

Usually I get wonderful customer service when I walk into frum stores and if they see I'm serious about spending money. Sometimes I shop in a tichel or snood, if you don't like it you can lump it. Have I had an experience here or there that was yuck? Yes. So I walk out. You lost my business. I may not dress like a million bucks but I bh can afford to spend very generously. I do not continue to patronize stores that treat me poorly.

amother

White

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 8:35 pm

Awful. I wonder if it was the owner or just an employee. It happens in frum and non jewish upscale stores too. Sometimes. But there are plenty of really nice frum stores too, you just got to know which are which.

amother

Wheat

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 8:57 pm

I was shopping for Shabbos china in a local frum store and asked the saleslady how much a certain pattern was. She answered "very expensive". I guess it was a secret and I didn't know the password. Needless to say I left. My money is green and works very well elsewhere.

ra_mom

Tue, Nov 24 2020, 9:08 pm

amother [ Wheat ] wrote:

"How much is this Marie?
It's veeeery expensive."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu3x5SZrMHo

amother

Saddlebrown

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 12:26 am

amother [ Red ] wrote:

I hear.
I have had similar experiences as well.
I still think it’s an important message.
So many people in the community are struggling with parnassa, especially during these difficult times.

A little off-topic perhaps, but I wish the campaign would be more broad to include supporting all locally-owned businesses, frum professionals and service providers.

My husband works in a field which has a lot of online competition.
And it’s baffling why frum people, even friends and acquaintances, prefer to purchase online even if my husband can match the online prices, or if his price is a bit more expensive but he can offer service and advice which you can’t get online.
So many potential customers will only give my husband the business if he can “beat the internet prices”.
(He can’t as he works with very low profit margins).

It’s as though people have a strange aversion to support and help frum people earn parnassa.

(Sorry OP for going off on a tangent).

They do this because of the easy returns and automatic refunds.
You wouldn't want to get involved in these purchases. Believe me. They'll return and beg for refund and money will be lost.

PeanutMama

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 1:30 am

I had the saaame thing! But a racist one.
When I was single living in Flatbush I went to this tights store to get winter tights
Couldn’t find what I wanted and I asked the lady for help.
Sales lady looked at me up and down and said
“Are you jewish?”
“Yes.....”
“Just asking because you look like a Spanish girl dressed like a Jew.”
WELL EEEEEFF YOU TOO LADY!
Hate micro aggressions.

Another time once walked into another tight store to get socks for my son and one of the sales lady was following me with a distance, watching my move.
Then when I stood in line to pay she kept staring at me weird. Like I had three heads or something. You know, that strange look where they’re trying to figure out what species you are...
And when she threw the card at me I just walked out never been back.

Yes I notice when people give me looks
No I’m NOT imagining things.
Literally my husband can confirm this and my friends too.
No I’m not “insecure”
Yes I carry myself proudly.

Yes I am proud of my MEDIUM BROWN SKIN.

YES I AM NOT PASTY WHITE OR OLIVE TONED.

just nobody likes to be stared at like a monkey in the zoo. Try standing in India or China and see what I go through. Sheesh.

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 2:17 am

Hashem_n_Farfel wrote:

You could have answered her, "Oh, are YOU Jewish? Because the way you talk, you don't sound like one."

(A little mind-boggling how poorly many geirei tzedek and baalei teshuvah are treated.)

groovy1224

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 3:01 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I don't know her and I can't imagine she knows me.
I guess she missed my $750 handbag when she decided I can't afford their linen.

Just an FYI to anyone reading this..even people with $30 TJ Maxx handbags deserve to be treated nicely. Just putting that out there.

amother

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 8:45 am

groovy1224 wrote:

Just an FYI to anyone reading this..even people with $30 TJ Maxx handbags deserve to be treated nicely. Just putting that out there.

Exactly. I usually take only my carriage bag with me and just that day I decided to take my handbag, I don't know why.

amother

Plum

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 9:07 am

Reading only the first page already made me feel better. I've been treated with disrespect in frum stores and always assumed it was because I was obviously "not frum." (I am frum but not charedi, which to charedim means not frum.) It never occurred to me that they may have thought I couldn't afford their merchandise. I care little to nothing about fashion, have simple taste, am unimpressed by glitz, and don't like looking like someone worth pickpocketing. So I probably do look somewhat needy, but there's no excuse for treating a customer with disrespect.

Sometimes I fantasize that a customer who was treated with contempt comes back, buys the business for cash and burns it to the ground right in front of the erstwhile owner's eyes.

zaq

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 9:09 am

amother [ Wheat ] wrote:

I was shopping for Shabbos china in a local frum store and asked the saleslady how much a certain pattern was. She answered "very expensive". .

If you need to ask you can't afford it.

zaq

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 9:11 am

CatLady wrote:

I'm surprised nobody's posted the famous scene from Pretty Woman where a cleaned-up Julia Roberts goes back to the Beverly Hills boutique where she was snubbed by the salesladies. Here's the dialogue:
Shop assistant: “Hello, can I help you?”
Vivian: “I was in here yesterday, you wouldn’t wait on me.”
Shop assistant: “Oh.”
Vivian: “You people work on commission, right?”
Shop assistant: “Yeah.”
Vivian: “Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.”

Loved that scene!

Ema of 5

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 9:13 am

amother [ Salmon ] wrote:

They're like this because the saleslady wants you to respond with "How dare you! I can afford to buy this whole store!" and try to prove yourself by spending big bucks, earning her a huge commission. (Though it can backfire, because some customers don't fall for it and would rather go to a different store, spend big there, and come back to show the saleslady the bags and receipts.)

If this is true, it is a despicable sales tactic, and it would absolutely backfire. If someone treats me disgustingly in a store I would leave, not spend big bucks there just to prove them wrong.

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 9:54 am

amother [ Plum ] wrote:

https://youtu.be/2odn_xMxuXM

soap suds

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 10:00 am

amother [ Plum ] wrote:

After paying them cash? That’s not much of a revenge.