A Sales Rep Was Rude to Me, So I Made Sure She Wouldn’t Get Her Commission

In today’s world of social media, stories about unfair treatment in stores don’t stay hidden. They spread quickly online, even beyond the store’s walls. One wealthy woman experienced this firsthand when a rude salesperson at a fancy boutique upset her. She didn’t stay silent. Instead, she shared her story online, sparking a big conversation about how people are treated differently based on their appearance.

What happened.

«I don’t typically buy a lot of designer clothing, but when I do go shopping, I dress pretty casually. Last week I was strolling through the mall and there was a designer backpack on display that caught my attention. I went inside the store (wearing a hoodie and ripped jeans) and went to inquire about the price of the backpack.

I waited around for 10 minutes for someone to help me until I decided to go up to one of the sales representatives myself. She told me to wait because she was helping another customer, so I sat down and waited. I saw her in the corner of the store, just standing, not doing anything. I decided to wait another 5 minutes for her to come back, but she never did.»

«I walked back up to her and told her I wanted to inquire about the backpack. I asked her if she could bring one from the backroom, so I could take a closer look at it. She told me that she wouldn’t be able to do that unless I was planning on purchasing the item. She seemed annoyed with my request.

I’m quite young (25F) and I could tell she didn’t think I was serious about purchasing it and didn’t want to waste her time. I would have actually purchased it then and there if she hadn’t been so dismissive.»

«A few days later, I went back into the store. This time, I made sure to dress even more casually than before. I walked in with a pair of sweatpants, running shoes, a tank top and zip-up. The same lady was working that day and turned her back to me as I soon as I walked in.

I went up to one of the other sales representatives (this guy was younger, smiling and seemed eager to help) and I told him I wanted to purchase the backpack, and he gladly went inside and got for me. I thanked him and he checked me out.

The item was a few grand and all the commission went towards the junior. He was so kind and grateful. She avoided eye contact with me, and I smiled at her as I walked out of the store.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.»

Many people on the internet shared similar situations.

«Many years ago, part-time job in my city’s highest end men’s clothing store. High end, like I couldn’t buy a pair of socks with a week’s pay, high end.
One day, I noticed a man enter who looked nothing like the other shoppers. Maybe in his 50s, wearing a well-worn parka, just standing there. Not one of my coworkers would even look at him, so I did.
30 minutes later, he walked out with 12 cashmere sweaters and paid cash. The commission on one purchase was more than I made in a month. Just because I didn’t read a book by its cover.» hockeynoticehockey / Reddit

«I used to work in a music shop in the mid ’90s. One slow day this older dude comes in, long straggly hair, singlet, beat up cargo shorts that looked like they’d seen much better days, and flip-flops. My coworkers were uninterested in helping this guy.
I helped him choose several different guitars to try based on his style, including a $7K vintage fender. I wasn’t expecting anything to come of it, but after a few minutes of playing he decided he liked the fender, and we rang up the deal — which he had zero trouble paying for. I got my fat commission.» MysteryBros / Reddit

«That woman obviously hasn’t worked there long. One of my friends worked for a high-end designer store and said that the women who came in dressed in designer stuff usually spent like 2,000-10,000 $ but the big spenders (20,000+) usually came in wearing sweats or casual clothes.» savealltheelephants / Reddit

«I think it’s somewhat common knowledge that if you’re in a very expensive place, the more unkempt you look, the richer you probably actually are because you’ve lost the need to impress others.» CptCroissant / Reddit

Another woman shared a story online that deeply upset her. She accidentally stole the spotlight from the bride, but many people online took her side.