Oprah

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#391
An4 said:
That SA sounds so snotty! Hardworking? Please... :rolleyes: An SA should help you, no matter how you look and who you are. So what if she didn't recognize Oprah? If a customer, any customer, asked for the bag politely, she should've shown it. When I went to Prague with my students, I literally just got off the bus, in comfortable travel clothes and with a backpack and I went straight to Dior (we weren't staying there long) to try on the OUI ring, because that was my only chance to try it, we don't have Dior stores in my country. The SA was so professional, wonderful, I felt like a princess, even though I looked like a pauper. They even offered to show me some bags, shoes, whatever I wanted, but I didn't want to take up their time. That's how you treat customers!

I think Oprah did well by just walking away. She really doesn't have anything to prove, she handled it like a lady. "You're right, I probably can't afford it" was sarcastic, I love it!
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is that what O really told them????:graucho: i love it!
 
#392
Nahreen said:
It is difficult to know if she was refused to see the bag just because she is black or just because the SA did not think she could afford it. Either way, it is horrible that customers are treated that way. I would also have walked out of the store. I bet she can call Tom Ford directly and ask to buy a bag, LOL.

I'm myself Indian looking. I was adopted and have grown up in a "white" society. I have many times wondered if I get treated a certain way because of my heritage (applying for jobs etc). In any case, I've always been treated nice in the expensive stores when I've carried my designer bags esp Dior and Chanel since they can't be bought here.
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why would the SA think she couldn't afford it? bc she is black.
 
#394
AEGIS said:
why would the SA think she couldn't afford it? bc she is black.
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I don't know. Perhaps because she was not dressed up to her teeth in designer goods? Or she just suffered from the same rules that I've read here, that you have to be VIP customer to buy certain goods. In the US, I found SAs to be friendly despite your appearance, this is not the case here. When visiting the states, the only store I felt uncomfortable in was Chanel at Bellagio where I was not greeted when walking in despite lack of customers and then the SA started to follow me around. I was not dressed up or carrying my newly bought Chanel bag. But I could not be sure if their behaviour was related to my clothing or my skin colour.
 
#395
I don't believe it's a question of race. I agree with Nahreen, it's more a matter of being dressed up or not. Plus, the girl was italian - I'll be a little bit narrowminded here and say that Italians can be very snobby! Especially SAs :-D
 
#396
KatharinaV said:
I don't believe it's a question of race. I agree with Nahreen, it's more a matter of being dressed up or not. Plus, the girl was italian - I'll be a little bit narrowminded here and say that Italians can be very snobby! Especially SAs :-D
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hmm...every italian i have ever met has been the opposite of snobby.

/shrugs/

i also think that it's easier to dismiss claims of racism, ppl don't like admitting that it exists and instead run to classism as if those two are not sometimes inextricable/one and the same. or like to say "i've been treated xyz and im not a minority" but that doesn't mean that that when it happened to Oprah it was bc she dressed "down" but bc she is black..like negating her experience bc as purveyors of luxury goods we've all experienced snobs

Oprah has been around, she is worth a billion dollars. she knows the difference. and in fact she has said that race is not typically her biggest hurdle professionally but sex is.

anyway i dont come on tpf for race debates and the like so i will go back to less serious threads.
 
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#397
AEGIS said:
hmm...every italian i have ever met has been the opposite of snobby.

/shrugs/

i also think that it's easier to dismiss claims of racism, ppl don't like admitting that it exists and instead run to classism as if those two are not sometimes inextricable/one and the same. or like to say "i've been treated xyz and im not a minority" but that doesn't mean that that when it happened to Oprah it was bc she dressed "down" but bc she is black..like negating her experience bc as purveyors of luxury goods we've all experienced snobs

Oprah has been around, she is worth a billion dollars. she knows the difference. and in fact she has said that race is not typically her biggest hurdle professionally but sex is.

anyway i dont come on tpf for race debates and the like so i will go back to less serious threads.
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I agree with you. It does not matter what the reason was for that SA not to let her view the bag, regardless it was bad customer service. But at the same time it is scary to think it is because of skin colour. As I said I am a coloured person living in a white country and I try not to dwell on why I for instance did not get a job, why everybody gets more salary than me etc, it is so easy to get paranoid.
 
#398
Why a luxury shop SA have to be snooty is beyond me. I think it must have happened to everyone. I was in a shop (not even a luxury shop) here in Bonn where they sell Lonchamp bags and other non high-end branded bags and when I went to the Longchamp section a middle-aged SA came to me and when I wanted to touch a Longchamp Le Pliage (it was in the middle of the shop) the SA just said 'That's 60 Euro!' with a very snooty voice and the look on her face as if I could not afford it. I just said thanks and went out. At that time I just got back from a lecture at the uni and I was a mess. If only she she had known that I have all these designer bags....
I also think that maybe some racism payed in Oprah's case. As much as people don't wanna admit it, there is a stigma that people who look like they are from other continents don't have much money. And it is still like that here in Europe, well, basically everywhere else in this world.
 
#399
AEGIS said:
hmm...every italian i have ever met has been the opposite of snobby.

/shrugs/

i also think that it's easier to dismiss claims of racism, ppl don't like admitting that it exists and instead run to classism as if those two are not sometimes inextricable/one and the same. or like to say "i've been treated xyz and im not a minority" but that doesn't mean that that when it happened to Oprah it was bc she dressed "down" but bc she is black..like negating her experience bc as purveyors of luxury goods we've all experienced snobs

Oprah has been around, she is worth a billion dollars. she knows the difference. and in fact she has said that race is not typically her biggest hurdle professionally but sex is.

anyway i dont come on tpf for race debates and the like so i will go back to less serious threads.
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I'm sorry if it seemed offensive - i am very fond of Italy and Italians and it was said with a smile - hence the smiley. :-)
 
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