What's so funny is that it's not like Oprah was dressed shabbily. In one of the articles, she said that she had on a Donna Karan skirt, flat sandals, and a top. Would she have gotten better service if she'd strolled in wearing all monogram urrythang? Does the sales associate expect that women of a certain age are doing that (except maybe, like, Donatella Versace or Betsey Johnson because both women dress to make sure you see them at least 250 yards away)? Most women I know who are around Oprah's age are simply not going to be all blinged out just for a shopping trip. Jane Fonda could have walked into that shop wearing a Donna Karan skirt, flat sandals, and a top, and something tells me that the sales associate would have shown her anything she wanted.
Oprah
- Thread starter SuzyZ
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
In my experience (I have been a sales assistant), customers can also be very snobby... And the worst people I encountered were more designer oriented/bigger spending customers (I don't mean it the other way, like most designer shoppers are snobby or something)! Some of these snobby customers wouldn't even look me in the eye though.
Could this be very prevalent in designer stores? I'm not trying to make excuses, but that could perhaps rub off on some SAs...
Oh i understand rude customers. I was a cashier all throughout high school. But i highly doubt Oprah was so rude to this girl to make her behave that way. There will always be rude and obnoxious customers when u work in customer service but that doesnt mean you need to treat every customer like crap and carry an attitude. I was not the most smiley friendly cashier out there but if people were nice to me i was nice to them. If someone asked me to put their eggs in a seperate bag i certainly wasnt going to refuse to do so. As far as we know all Oprah did was ask to see a bag? How hard is it to show an Item to a customer? Thats your job, just like how it was my job to process peoples groceries. Even if i was having a bad day, i still did my job. If you're gonna refuse to do what ur paid to do, why even show up to work? If i had gone to work one day and just decided that i didnt feel like bagging peoples groceries im 99% sure i'd be fired. I still dont undertand how this chick still has a job. She managed to piss off one of the most influential people in the world and cost the store a 30,000 dollar sale.
Miss Fonda commands attention(aka being a real bish) as far as what happened with Oprah, the only thing for sure is that she felt superior to Miss O.
I would still like to hear from the employee. She could have a prejudice against just about anything...
My aunt who worked in Lausanne was called "La noiraude" and she was a professional.
So there.
The funniest thing is that the most of SA can not afford Croc Hermes for million years.
And I know a very wealthy friend but she looks always shabby, never shows off...it depends on who you are but if you are financially very very secured then you might not really try looking great and especially person like Oprah. I have seen quite few celebrities in any luxury shops but the most of them are almost no make up on and wearing jeans and sandals or trainers.
I don`t know whether it was discrimination or not but I suppose now many people in Europe know Oprah.
And I know a very wealthy friend but she looks always shabby, never shows off...it depends on who you are but if you are financially very very secured then you might not really try looking great and especially person like Oprah. I have seen quite few celebrities in any luxury shops but the most of them are almost no make up on and wearing jeans and sandals or trainers.
I don`t know whether it was discrimination or not but I suppose now many people in Europe know Oprah.
Last edited:
It's funny how SA's try to decide what we can and cannot afford. Like b*tch, I'm not going to dress up to impress you. And if I'm looking rather shabby then I'm probably in a really crappy mood and that's when I make my huge impulse buys.
The store owner justifying that the SA didn't know Oprah is stupid, I would be ashamed of saying such a thing. WHO CARES if it's Oprah or any other woman.
The store owner justifying that the SA didn't know Oprah is stupid, I would be ashamed of saying such a thing. WHO CARES if it's Oprah or any other woman.
No one should decide what anyone can afford and you cannot refuse to show someone something. Period!!! She likely looked at her and assumed cause she was wasn't wearing something flashy and was black that she couldn't afford it.
I am black and shop many high end stores and I notice a big difference in the service level when I wear my bags that cost 3k and up as oppose to my cute dvf bags.
I am black and shop many high end stores and I notice a big difference in the service level when I wear my bags that cost 3k and up as oppose to my cute dvf bags.
And now the store is in damage control from the bad press. The store could ultimately suffer many more lost sales from individuals who may now refuse to shop there because of the incident. And, the company could suffer even further if some of the designers decide to pullout and no longer continue their relationship with the store. Who knows what the fallout will be.
Long story short, never judge a book by its cover.
Sales assistant in Swiss racist handbag row denies telling TV host that she could not view item because she couldn't afford it
Speaking anonymously to Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick, the Italian bag lady said she felt 'powerless' and in the grip of a 'cyclone' after Winfrey went on TV in America to claim she had been the victim of racism.
Winfrey was in Switzerland in July when she walked into the Trois Pommes boutique in Zurich looking for a handbag to match the outfit she was going to wear to old friend Tina Turner's wedding.
She claims the sales assistant refused to show her the black crocodile leather bag because - seeing a black woman - she automatically assumed she would not be able to afford it.
Now the saleslady has hit back, stating: 'I wasn't sure what I should present to her when she came in on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 so I showed her some bags from the Jennifer Aniston collection.
'I explained to her the bags came in different sizes and materials, like I always do.
'She looked at a frame behind me. Far above there was the 35,000 Swiss franc crocodile leather bag.
'I simply told her that it was like the one I held in my hand, only much more expensive, and that I could show her similar bags.
'It is absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds. I even asked her if she wanted to look at the bag.
'She looked around the store again but didn't say anything else. Then she went with her companion to the lower floor. My colleague saw them to the door. They were not even in the store for five minutes.'
She emphatically denied ever saying to Winfrey: 'You don't want to see this bag. It is too expensive. You cannot afford it.'
Speaking anonymously, the assistant at Trois Pommes, in Zurich, Switzerland (pictured) said it is 'absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds'
Ms Goetz said: 'Everyone wants to sell a crocodile bag. It’s a misunderstanding' and insisted her saleswomen put customers first and try to be 'kind'
The shop assistant said she only sells a £25,000 handbag a few times a year and said the racist claims are 'absurd'
The saleslady went on: 'This is not true. This is absurd. I would never say something like that to a customer. Really never. Good manners and politeness are the Alpha and the Omega in this business.
'I don't know why she is making these accusations. She is so powerful and I am just a shop girl.
'I didn't hurt anyone. I don't know why someone as great as her must cannibalize me on TV.
'If it had all taken place as she claimed, why has she not complained the next day at the wedding of Tina Turner with Trudie Goetz, my boss? She was there also at the Turner wedding as a guest. I don't understand it.
'I spoke to Oprah Winfrey in English. My English is okay but not excellent, unfortunately.
'I didn't know who she was when she came into the store. That wouldn't have made any difference if I had.
Miss Winfrey said of the encounter: 'I could have had the big blow-up thing and thrown down the black card and all that stuff. But why do that?'
Shop owner Trudie Goetz holds up the handbag (right) that Winfrey wanted to see
Girls' weekend: Oprah Winfrey and best friend Gayle King ahead of Tina Turner and Erwin Bach's wedding celebrations in Zurich, Switzerland
Oprah explains how shop owner refused to show her handbag
'We work really hard to greet all the people who come into the store with the same level of respect and treat them all equally.
'If someone asks me whether he or she can see an article, I always present these. Because that person is a potential buyer. And my job is to sell it.
'I'm glad if I can sell an article. It is a reward for me, if I can sell a nice piece. This means that I'm good at my job.'
She has worked in the store for five years, says 50 per cent of the clientele come from abroad and that a bag costing nearly £25,000 is sold 'only a few times a year.'
Asked what she would say to Oprah now she added: 'I would apologize and say it was all a misunderstanding. I surely did not intentionally want to insult Ms. Winfrey. I hope this nightmare ends soon.'
- Sale assistant said she feels 'powerless' after the racism accusations
- Oprah Winfrey claimed assistant refused to show her a handbag because it was 'too expensive'
- Speaking anonymously, shop worker said claims were 'absurd'
Speaking anonymously to Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick, the Italian bag lady said she felt 'powerless' and in the grip of a 'cyclone' after Winfrey went on TV in America to claim she had been the victim of racism.
Winfrey was in Switzerland in July when she walked into the Trois Pommes boutique in Zurich looking for a handbag to match the outfit she was going to wear to old friend Tina Turner's wedding.
She claims the sales assistant refused to show her the black crocodile leather bag because - seeing a black woman - she automatically assumed she would not be able to afford it.
Now the saleslady has hit back, stating: 'I wasn't sure what I should present to her when she came in on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 so I showed her some bags from the Jennifer Aniston collection.
'I explained to her the bags came in different sizes and materials, like I always do.
'She looked at a frame behind me. Far above there was the 35,000 Swiss franc crocodile leather bag.
'I simply told her that it was like the one I held in my hand, only much more expensive, and that I could show her similar bags.
'It is absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds. I even asked her if she wanted to look at the bag.
'She looked around the store again but didn't say anything else. Then she went with her companion to the lower floor. My colleague saw them to the door. They were not even in the store for five minutes.'
She emphatically denied ever saying to Winfrey: 'You don't want to see this bag. It is too expensive. You cannot afford it.'
Speaking anonymously, the assistant at Trois Pommes, in Zurich, Switzerland (pictured) said it is 'absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds'
Ms Goetz said: 'Everyone wants to sell a crocodile bag. It’s a misunderstanding' and insisted her saleswomen put customers first and try to be 'kind'
The shop assistant said she only sells a £25,000 handbag a few times a year and said the racist claims are 'absurd'
The saleslady went on: 'This is not true. This is absurd. I would never say something like that to a customer. Really never. Good manners and politeness are the Alpha and the Omega in this business.
'I don't know why she is making these accusations. She is so powerful and I am just a shop girl.
'I didn't hurt anyone. I don't know why someone as great as her must cannibalize me on TV.
'If it had all taken place as she claimed, why has she not complained the next day at the wedding of Tina Turner with Trudie Goetz, my boss? She was there also at the Turner wedding as a guest. I don't understand it.
'I spoke to Oprah Winfrey in English. My English is okay but not excellent, unfortunately.
'I didn't know who she was when she came into the store. That wouldn't have made any difference if I had.
Miss Winfrey said of the encounter: 'I could have had the big blow-up thing and thrown down the black card and all that stuff. But why do that?'
Shop owner Trudie Goetz holds up the handbag (right) that Winfrey wanted to see
Girls' weekend: Oprah Winfrey and best friend Gayle King ahead of Tina Turner and Erwin Bach's wedding celebrations in Zurich, Switzerland
Oprah explains how shop owner refused to show her handbag
'We work really hard to greet all the people who come into the store with the same level of respect and treat them all equally.
'If someone asks me whether he or she can see an article, I always present these. Because that person is a potential buyer. And my job is to sell it.
'I'm glad if I can sell an article. It is a reward for me, if I can sell a nice piece. This means that I'm good at my job.'
She has worked in the store for five years, says 50 per cent of the clientele come from abroad and that a bag costing nearly £25,000 is sold 'only a few times a year.'
Asked what she would say to Oprah now she added: 'I would apologize and say it was all a misunderstanding. I surely did not intentionally want to insult Ms. Winfrey. I hope this nightmare ends soon.'
Bag drama aside, I have to say that I die a little inside every time I see that picture of Andre with the Homey the Clown/George Jefferson hair...don't.
Could have been a misunderstanding, language barriers can cause this. I guess the saleswomans body language and face expression when she made the comment need to be considered.
It sounds like the sales associate made a snobby mistake and is not back peddling to downplay the issue. It's ridiculous that the SA is the offender yet tries to make herself the victim - "I'm just a poor shop girl against powerful Oprah" "cannibalizing me on TV". Puh-lease! She made mistake, now own it!
they are doing some SERIOUS backpeddling now!!!! first the shop owner/associate were claiming they were not racist and it was a misunderstanding. now it is that something was said but because of the language that it was viewed the wrong way! puh-lease!!! racist sounds the same no matter what the language being used! if you have experienced it there is no misunderstanding it again! they obviously are getting a lot of bad press - as they should - and are trying to cover their behinds with the constant interviews about it. i believe that someone said EXACTLY what oprah said they did. why insist on showing her something "similiar" to the $$$$ bag when she did not ask for it??