Supermarket Snobbery

Pollycat

I think it's less 'supermarket snobbery' and more poor customer service or poor staff training.

I've never shopped in Waitrose but if you can only partake of the free coffee after shopping, there should be very visible signs to say so.

Depending on how accurate this is:

baggins11 said:

a member of staff came up to me and virtually accused me of stealing the coffee! 

he would have got back a lot more than he gave. In a very loud voice.

baggins11 said:

 He was very rude and accusing and I felt very embarrassed. 

If he was, I would have hot-footed it to Customer Services and complained about his attitude, right there and then.

I'm not convinced that this is a case of how the OP was dressed.

evebeme said:

That put me in mind of when DD and I, on the spur of the moment, decided to drop in on a wedding shop.  DD was just getting things sorted for her wedding. She had just gone to the bank for dress money but we hadn't planned on looking til the next day.  We were wearing jeans.  The horror!  We waited several minutes before anyone approached us even though we were the only customers.  DD was !!!!!!, said she hoped she couldn't find anything she liked. Unfortunately, she fell in love with one dress. The clerk was hemming and fussing about 'maybe it didn't suit her' etc. Then I got in the act.  Told the little snot very sweetly to show us a dressing room.  It was a perfect fit.  We told her wrap it up.  Then kid reached into her jeans and pulled out the cash.  Suddenly, we became valued customers.  Would madam like to see mother of the bride outfits.  No madam wouldn't. Madam would much prefer to go to another store where they didn't judge a book by the cover.

I had a similar experience in a 'posh frock' shop, looking for a matron of honour dress for my sister's wedding.

I knew what style I wanted, I knew what colour I wanted.

Unfortunately (apparently), I was wearing acid yellow patent Doc Marts (going back to 1998 so waaaay before they were in fashion).

I could see both assistants look me up and down as I walked in.

Apparently I was wrong about what style I wanted.

Apparently I was wrong about what colour I wanted.

I told them I was only wrong because their stock was limited, frumpy and over-priced and they couldn't show me anything that remotely resembled either of my criteria (apricot colour, bias cut style).

baggins11

 

wondercollie

Got very similar treatment in a showhome when our youngest son was looking for his first home.  I was in normal clothes, clean and tidy.  Son in his usual attire, ripped jeans, tee shirt, full beard and a braid down to his waist.  Basic mountain man look, lol.  The unit was well within his budget, but the sales rep really didn’t want my boy in the building she was selling.  Joke was he wanted a corner unit and his brother was planning to buy in the build as well.   She treated us like something to scrape off a shoe,  my son was extremely polite almost meek.  She kept pointing  out the costs.  Finally, I snapped.  Pointed out that there was a 30% deposit, pre approved mortgage in place to be used and the potential purchaser was employed by the health service for our province.  Also told him to buy the smallest house in our development over her now interest.   He did, two weeks later.

The sales reps attitude cost the company over $900,000.  My two sons and one of their best friends had wanted units there.  Not one was purchased.
 I learnt a long time ago not to judge a book by its cover.  Yes, I wish this son would dress better on his days off (he does clean up well) but he’s always polite, kind, and respectful and ultimately isn’t that what we want

luxor4t

Islandmaid said:

We have several friends that are in a wealth brackets we’ll never ever be close to, they all generally look a mess on a day to day basis, farming/sailing/horsey set, they scrub up well, but normally drag their ancient landy’s covered in mud to Waitrose, Sainsbo, Aldi, Lidl etc - I think Mr ‘Customer Service’ is just a snob and maybe his attitude needs to be bought to the attention of a manager, no one should made to feel bad like that - git x

Last of the Summer Wine quote from 1973 seems relevant here : "You can never tell round here, they can be worth thousands and dress like somebody's armpit."

Islandmaid

luxor4t said:

Islandmaid said:

We have several friends that are in a wealth brackets we’ll never ever be close to, they all generally look a mess on a day to day basis, farming/sailing/horsey set, they scrub up well, but normally drag their ancient landy’s covered in mud to Waitrose, Sainsbo, Aldi, Lidl etc - I think Mr ‘Customer Service’ is just a snob and maybe his attitude needs to be bought to the attention of a manager, no one should made to feel bad like that - git x

Last of the Summer Wine quote from 1973 seems relevant here : "You can never tell round here, they can be worth thousands and dress like somebody's armpit."

Love it 🤣🤣🤣

Brambling

About 20 years ago there use to be a toothless old man in his 90s who walked around the town in a old mac tied up with a piece of string, he had sold most of his family farm in the 1950s and a large chunk of the town now sits on it.  He was worth millions and his hobby was to collect traction engines a friend of mine who was a planning officer spent a afternoon with him agreeing on a new engine shed and said a very intelligent and canny business man even if he looked like a tramp. 

maman

I was in Waitrose this morning as I needed to buy a birthday card in a hurry and they have a good selection.
I just threw on a coat and didn't do my make up but I didn't feel looked down upon at all. Maybe it's to do with individual stores or staff.
They were busy marking down loads of veg. I took a quick look but as the reduced price was higher than full price in Aldi it stayed there. 

baggins11

I do agree maman I think it was probably just this man as I have never had that attitude before.  Although to be fair I have never gone in looking so scruffy before!  I work with dogs and it can be a mucky job in this weather.  I wouldn't normally go into a store straight from work but I didn't have time to go home first.  I don't blame the store but it has put me off going back.

Wondercollie I love your description of your son - basic mountain man.   Buying your first house is a real milestone and it was very mean (and foolish) of her to treat him like that.   

helensbiggestfan

Never judge a book by its cover.  

I used to sell houses for a living and I quickly learned  to never have any preconceptions about my clients. One of the scruffiest, roughest looking men I ever sold to bought a fabulous house.....cash -no mortgage, no inheritance money, just his own hard graft.  Not drug money either, all legal and above board.......😂.  

Then at the other end of the scale I'd have yuppie types, swanning up in their Mercedes, dressed head to toe in Gucci and Armani without two pennies to rub together and in so much debt they'd trashed their credit ratings and I couldn't get them a mortgage.  

The funniest though was my late husband......during the week, nattily dressed in his elegant businesss suits, silk ties and cashmere overcoats, at the-weekend, unshaven, ripped jeans ((through wear and tear, not designer ones) worn out sweaters, tatty trainers. 

Another tramp/mountain man.  😂

Going shopping with him dressed like that was hilarious.  I really struggled to get him in a shop so when I did, I used to make the most of it and bulk buy. 

One day we took our son shopping for his first suit.  The sales assistant looked at my husband with obvious disdain at first, until he realised that my son was the ruse I was using to get my husband in a shop.  Cue one happy very sales assistant when we rigged out my son and then ended up buying three suits for my husband, half a dozen shirts, several ties, a couple of sweaters and a cashmere overcoat.  

It was very funny, like the scene from Pretty Woman.  My son still talks about it to this day.  

MoneySeeker1

LOL at those comments and a cynical thought from me of "You know you must have been looking a bit scruffy for a while when a couple of different strangers recently have jumped to the (very wrong) conclusion that you probably own two houses". I wish.......

Guess my clothes and myself have been getting a bit smarter then.....though I'm still poor and single.