SAs do profile their potential customers and can be pricks based solely on the customers' clothing and bag. This does not happen everywhere but when it does, it's really annoying.
I actually gave feedback to a department store recently, about the behavior of their SAs when it comes to profiling customers. A little earlier I was trying to get the attention of the SAs in the bag department but got none cared to even look at me in the eye despite me being a frequent shopper there. I'm also always nice and respectful to SAs who are nice to me so it wasn't like they had a reason to behave like that. (SA at the LC counter was always super helpful, though)
Then, past me walks a woman carrying a FAKE LV and would you look at that - she got the attention of not one, but two SAs just by appearing. They just looked at her bag and immediately ran over to help her. The strange thing was, they didn't show any signs of actually knowing her and she said she didn't need any help.
I was carrying a ~1 000€ bag but it was a Mulberry Tillie so they probably didn't recognise what it was.
Another time was when I was in Stockholm and basically got chased out by a snotty SA in a luxury second hand boutique. I was taking a look at a Mulberry Del Rey and the SA basically tore it off my hands. I then asked to see a Sonia Rykiel bag I saw hanging on the wall and she replied "Yes, it's a SR" but she had NO intention of taking it down for me to see. She then pointed at an ugly bag - brown two-toned croc print, a style that seemed to never sell out despite serious price drops - on the shelf and said "That one is cheap". She did look a little surprised when I named the designer and style and told her what the original and sale prices were (they were asking the price of a new one for second hand) and mentioned that I had a somewhat similar one in a nicer leather&different size from the same design house.
I was wearing an old hoodie, jeans and banged-up Superstars because I was traveling solo and I don't want to look like I'm worth robbing. I was carrying a nylon crossbody bought for 5 € at Stadium.
Went straight to NK and got supreme service at the Mulberry counter, among others. They didn't seem to care about my outfit, and were super nice.
I think the SAs who don't care to help customers that don't look like a million bucks, just don't know the realities of life. One being the fact that especially old money might not look like money at all. I learned my lesson at a very young age - one of the most surreal learning experiences happened when I was a teenager and was at a regatta, helping our local team to fasten their boat after winning a race.
A scruffy-looking old man was yelling profanities at the crew of another boat that was closing the pier. I thought that he was just a hobo making trouble or something, but was wondering why none of the sailors or regatta staff said or did anything about it.
Turns out, he OWNED that frickin' boat - I knew it was owned by one of the most formidable industrial patrons in Finland and there he was, in beat up sailing shoes, dirty sailing jacket and old scruffy jeans, yelling at his hired super crew of his world renowned boat for not winning. This was time before internet and the celebrity boom so I had no way of knowing what this mega millionaire looked like before this very eye-opening experience.
Yeah...after that, I knew better than to form an opinion on who is who merely based on looks.
I actually gave feedback to a department store recently, about the behavior of their SAs when it comes to profiling customers. A little earlier I was trying to get the attention of the SAs in the bag department but got none cared to even look at me in the eye despite me being a frequent shopper there. I'm also always nice and respectful to SAs who are nice to me so it wasn't like they had a reason to behave like that. (SA at the LC counter was always super helpful, though)
Then, past me walks a woman carrying a FAKE LV and would you look at that - she got the attention of not one, but two SAs just by appearing. They just looked at her bag and immediately ran over to help her. The strange thing was, they didn't show any signs of actually knowing her and she said she didn't need any help.
I was carrying a ~1 000€ bag but it was a Mulberry Tillie so they probably didn't recognise what it was.
Another time was when I was in Stockholm and basically got chased out by a snotty SA in a luxury second hand boutique. I was taking a look at a Mulberry Del Rey and the SA basically tore it off my hands. I then asked to see a Sonia Rykiel bag I saw hanging on the wall and she replied "Yes, it's a SR" but she had NO intention of taking it down for me to see. She then pointed at an ugly bag - brown two-toned croc print, a style that seemed to never sell out despite serious price drops - on the shelf and said "That one is cheap". She did look a little surprised when I named the designer and style and told her what the original and sale prices were (they were asking the price of a new one for second hand) and mentioned that I had a somewhat similar one in a nicer leather&different size from the same design house.
I was wearing an old hoodie, jeans and banged-up Superstars because I was traveling solo and I don't want to look like I'm worth robbing. I was carrying a nylon crossbody bought for 5 € at Stadium.
Went straight to NK and got supreme service at the Mulberry counter, among others. They didn't seem to care about my outfit, and were super nice.
I think the SAs who don't care to help customers that don't look like a million bucks, just don't know the realities of life. One being the fact that especially old money might not look like money at all. I learned my lesson at a very young age - one of the most surreal learning experiences happened when I was a teenager and was at a regatta, helping our local team to fasten their boat after winning a race.
A scruffy-looking old man was yelling profanities at the crew of another boat that was closing the pier. I thought that he was just a hobo making trouble or something, but was wondering why none of the sailors or regatta staff said or did anything about it.
Turns out, he OWNED that frickin' boat - I knew it was owned by one of the most formidable industrial patrons in Finland and there he was, in beat up sailing shoes, dirty sailing jacket and old scruffy jeans, yelling at his hired super crew of his world renowned boat for not winning. This was time before internet and the celebrity boom so I had no way of knowing what this mega millionaire looked like before this very eye-opening experience.
Yeah...after that, I knew better than to form an opinion on who is who merely based on looks.
Versace is the biggest offender I've ever experienced with this issue. (Two different locations. Same crap.) So, I wouldn't buy a stick of gum from Versace and won't ever enter another of their stores. Dolce and Gabanna (US not European or Middle Eastern stores) is a close second. That's soured me on that brand as well. 
