LBS. Snobs?

[syd]

Just returned from the boat show. Unfortunately I had to leave early because of the excess noise.
I went through the proper channels to arrange a viewing of the Ocean Princess but on arrival at the scheduled time was refused entry to the stand let alone the vessel.
I was dismissed without an explanation, just a nervous shaking of heads and stuttered mumblings of not having shoe covers big enough for my hob nails.

What gives them the right to assume a person may be unsuitable to board their boat just because he/she are not wearing the appropriate blazer and cravat.
I went to a lot of trouble and preperation this year, my best cap sleeved tee shirt adorned to compliment my newly re touched tattoos, including the love/hate on me knuckles, my Natwest cheque book potruding discreetly from the back of my Levi's, I had even gone to the trouble of fitting four little deck booties to 'Ripper' my prized pitbull, whom I might add was on his best behaviour once the casualties had been removed.
Has anyone else been treated in this manner by these snobby people?

Syd.

 

[claymore]

If the boat show ever came to Fleetwood you'd be just fine there, do you have a ferret?

 

[byron]

My wife can get on any boat as long as she leaves me behind. She reckons that Salesmen are put off by me shuffling along behind her in my carpet slippers dragging my knuckles on the ground. Personally I think they are too snobby by far, there was (as usual) no one on the Hardy stand yet they still objected to me using a bit of their space to sell copies of the Big Issue.

ô¿ô

 

[Guest]

I went on Monday, nice & quiet with hardly anyone there.

As I had gone into work first thing I was in my usual attire of jeans and t-shirt, OK probably not in the best state of repair but clean none the less.

No problems with the rag and stick brigade or with the expensive stinkpots, it was only when I started looking at the 21ft ish £30,000 day boats for my farther that I met all the a**holes.

On asked me straight out how muched I earned a year

On one stand I was ignored and pushed aside so the salesman could get to the 'respectable couple' came up onto the stand behind me.

So all I got out of the show from that sector was one broucher and a resolve to never deal with any of them. Even if my father decides on one of the boats sold through these companies I would rather go to Europe and source it there than let them have any money



Tim Eades
http://www.btinternet.com/~tim.eades/

 

[Falcon71]

What I can't understand is why the sales people don't realise that boaty types do boating to RELAX, HE wouldn't be seen dead in a cravat, tie, shirt, smart trousers and anything more smart than a well loved, possibly washed, sweatshirt/cords on a weekend, the older and more comfortable, the better, especially looking at boats. HE's already spent his money on a boat rather than posh, never to be worn clothes, it is I'm afraid people making character judgements from appearance, and I bet many boat sales have been lost over the years through this. It's along the lines of how you're viewed if you're a girl and when asked what do you do, you answer I'm a librarian, and soon clear any male for miles, or say I'm an actress, guaranteed to draw like moths to a flame, a great game at a boring party.

 

[BarryH]

You are not alone, I had the same experience, even down to the salesman asking how much i earn in a year, my reply" more than you, and now you wont be earning any commision out of me". To which he just went away and sat down. I dont know where these people get off, OK i can understand they have a crappy job dealing with joe public, but they chose to do it. I wonder if their companies know how much damage they are doing.

 

[Scubadoo]

Not been yet, hoping to go on Friday. I remember last year - some okay/friendly others with noses in the air. All it means is when I upgrade the snobby characters will not get my business, just hope they have a job in a recession!

I also hate that false sense of them being friendly because you purchased a boat from them before, Sealine come to mind.

It's amazing really that you could spend more than a house and be treated so badly, but go and buy a new car for peanuts a receive much better service.

So if your snobbery salesman and you turn me away at your
stand, remember you just lost a sale.

RM.

 

[Guest]

Re: snob- handling

I'm very upset that you have all been treated so badly. But you knew the form from last year and the year before, no? Of course, all salespeople look down their nose at me normally, cos my normal attire is somewhat raggity and smelly.... But not for this year's boat show. Oh no.

I took some monster cigars, wore smart suit, huge leather coat, and barged on to the sunseeker stand. No ashtrays on the sunseeker stand, so one of the underlings offered a cup of coffee, i took a huge puff of cigar, blew it all over the reception staff and dunked remaining four inches of half corona in the coffee without taking it out of her hand and certainly didn't say thankyou. They all warmed to my disgusting behaviour and two salesmen grovellingly escorted me past the queues. My carefully prepared questions also went down a storm. "Just one generator, is it?" "No bidet, then? What- no bidet anywhere on the boat?" "Is there a higher quality veneer option than this standard fruit-tree stuff?" and so on. All very much appreciated, it seems, and quite satisfying.

 

[Guest]

RM I don't think you can blame them for being more interested in you if you had previously
bought from them, thats a natural reaction, and commercially sound. If you bought a new car
and returned to the same garage showing interest in the new models they would react the same I suspect.
CN

cneighbour