Unfinished Business

Sometimes you just gotta wonder “what are they thinking?!” ‘They,’ in this case, is a premier national department store well known for their customer service (WKFTCS). I was going to specifically call out this retail establishment, but it’s likely that many of their competitors do the same thing so I’ll indict, by implication, the whole crowd.

I went into this WKFTCS store recently to buy a pair of dress slacks; not an uncommon occurrence. Also not uncommon is that I often find myself buying a jacket and/or shoes and/or a blouse and/or a purse and/or [on and on and on] to go with the pair of slacks. Oh, and did I mention that I’m not particularly price-sensitive or really a ‘sale’ shopper? In short, I’m a dream customer for any retailer.

So I find a nice pair of Armani slacks (full price, oh well) that have an unfinished hem. No big deal. Even when they charged me to finish the unfinished hem, it was no big deal—an annoying, bad-taste-in-my-mouth distraction, but still no big deal.

Until, until I learn that if you go to the men’s department, all unhemmed slacks—whether $50 or $500—include free tailoring. What is that about?

So I ask: why do good companies institute stupid, downright gender-biased policies that, well, bite the hands that feed them? (Women do buy the vast majority of all consumer goods after all.)

Has your proverbial hand been nipped at lately?

Cathy

By blogger Cathy Benko, Deloitte LLP

Comments

[Debi in Pittsburgh]

Cathy, that is so frustrating. I have to wonder if you did anything about it. I know when I experience these things I have every good intention to follow up, write a letter, call customer service, and then something else comes up and it gets put on the back burner. I have to think we would observe more change if we were not so passive about these things. I know your posting has inspired me to speak up next time!

[Alana in Tulsa]

What a great idea - WIN! We need a similar stomping ground for enterprising women at my company. My husband is a craftsman, so trips to the local home improvement stores are frequent and rife with machismo. A wooden plank is called a stud; and whether a particular part/tool has an innie or an outie determines if it is dubbed female or male. I love to point these out, much to Will's chagrin or amusement!

[Dixie in Washington, DC]

Too bad store management probably won't see your blog! Your posting made me reflect on the gender-different prices often in place for personal care, too - for example, hair cuts and drycleaning like blouses vs. non-laundered shirts (okay, there was a time when men's shirts were consistently 100% cotton so different care might justify, but that's long past).

[Lisa in Chicago]

I could feel your indignation as you captured the same feelings I had a few years ago in virtually the exact situation. As my hem was being measured by the alterations person, I inquired of the salesperson the policy for alterations for men vs. women. I then insisted that my alterations be at the same price (read "free" , which upon consultation with her manager, was agreed upon for hems and sleeve lengths as those were considered the majority of men's alterations. While I felt victorious, it was short-lived as the next time I accompanied my husband, all of his alterations, including those well above and beyond the simple hems and sleeves, were free... Well, we'll take our victories in achieving level setting in any scenario one success at a time.

[Marilyn in Wilton]

While shopping at a store in Hyderabad, a sales associate confronted me outside of the dressing room and asked how well the slacks fit. I said other than being a bit too long, they fit great. He immediately took the necessary measurements, told me to stop back in an hour, and the slacks would be ready to go. Astonished, I asked him what the additional cost would be for the alterations. I was pleasantly surprised when he told me the alterations were, in fact, free of charge!

[Karl in Fresno]

I'll agree with it seeming unfair about charging women for tailoring/fitting and not charging men, but have you considered all the factors? Men and women are very different, as I think you've recognized. One of those differences is that men stereotypically hate shopping, and are stereotypically more price-responsive to additional fees and such. Women are typically the more diligent shoppers, waiting for sales to get the overall shopping experience into the price range they desire. Cathy, you argue that you're a retailer's dream. You are the kind of shopper who didn't balk at any of the prices you encountered until you found out that men get a better deal. Well, the store does incur costs by offering a tailoring service, but they know men will just walk out of the store if something doesn't fit or if they learn they have to pay more. The store will take a loss on the men because they know they can make it up elsewhere. Unequitable, yes. Economical, yes. By your logic, the only mistake they made is you finding out about it. And in response to the dry cleaning discrepancy, women's blouses are more difficult to hand treat. I get charged more at the cleaners if I bring in pleated pants instead of flat-front ones. I'll concede that 3x the amount is excessive, but some disparity seems reasonable to me.

[Kristin in Bloomington]

This can happen when you are purchasing Armani slacks or if you happen to be on vacation and hit a shoe outlet. I was shopping for running shoes with my son and daughter. All the shoes from the men's department, when taken from the box, were laced and all the shoes from the women's department had the laces neatly coiled up in the box. Message:

We cater to men. YIKES!

[Anonymous in Indianapolis]

I find this blog very timely. Thirty-five years ago as a high school senior, I worked in a similar local establishment. The first evening I worked the mens' alterations desk, I made the same observation and pointed it out to store management. I doubt that they have changed this practice. In many ways, it's amazing and sad how many things haven't changed in regards to gender in the last 35 years, both in society and in the workplace.

[Jim in Hermitage]

I had always taken this sort of service for granted until many years ago when my then new wife helped me pick out a suit. After the process was over, she asked how much the tailoring would cost and was outraged that it was "included" for me but not for her.

This practice will never go away as long as all of us allow it to continue by not protesting the practice. This retailer needs to hear that this is unacceptable and morally repugnant for anyone intent on selling to the public. Just as I had to learn that equity differences exist, so do they.

[Pat in Berkeley]

My guess is that this policy started in Victorian times when it was assumed that all women could sew, while bachelors and widowers, poor dears, couldn't be expected to. Tailoring for women was considered a luxury. The stores have been reluctant to update this policy because they make money from it. (Fortunately, I am now working in an academic environment where jeans and t- shirts are the norm, thus escaping these expenses altogether.)

[Nancy in Philadelphia]

Actually it was. I have some custom made washable women's blouses that can be pressed on the same equipment as men's shirts. My dry cleaner for the past 1 1/2 years, who by the way had been charging me the same price as that of pressing a man's shirt, arbitrarily changed their policy one day and said that, if it was a women's blouse, you paid the higher (read almost triple price) regardless. Needless to say, I fired them, found someone that wasn't as fickle, and take every opportunity to recommend the dry cleaner that really understands what it takes to provide great customer service and create a customer for life.

[Jackie in Philadelphia]

Reminds of my usual experience at most dry cleaners...where it's about five times as much to clean my shirts as my husband's...

[Teresa in San Diego]

There is definitely a gender "tax" assessed on women's purchases. Women's shirts cost $4 to launder while men's cost $2 and our shirts have less fabric. And how about haircuts? My husband pays about $20 while mine costs 5 times that (which I am quite willing to pay because I surely would not want my hair to look like his). I am willing to pay the extra price for extra quality, but I certainly don't want to be taken to the cleaners just because I am a woman. And I started off my comments stating that there is a gender "tax" against women. But on our joint tax return my husband is listed as the "taxpayer" and I am the "spouse". I certainly pay the majority of the taxes in our household (income, sales and those pesky nondeductible gender based taxes) so how come I can't even get listed as the taxpayer?

[Kevin in St. Louis]

Seems like there are a hundred examples of things like this. A guy's haircut costs $14. A lady's costs $140 (or more). Isn't it equally curious that Viagra is covered by most insurance and birth control often isn't? My wife is a regular home-improvement store patron. She tells me the biggest thing she dislikes about those retailers is "being talked to like a woman." I'll confess I don't know exactly what that means, but I sense the same undertones in today's blog entry. I think it comes down to parity. Everyone wants the same, fair shake as the next person.

[Diane in Henderson]

Well Ladies, we can spend our time talking to each other about the issues we face or we can just get over it! If we went to a men's blog I doubt they would be discussing the injustice at a department store over an expensive tie or tailoring. They discuss ALPHA MALE issues, like hobbies, toys, sports idols and the latest deal they made $$ on. We need to take a lesson from our male counterparts and spend our time talking out the last deal we closed, best diamond purchase, which yacht club we belong to and on and on. Recently I heard a speaker talk about how women "look" in the eyes of their male counterparts. Beside laughing so hard my sides hurt, he really hit home with his presentation. Look out for Chirstopher Flett and his new book on ALPHA males. I can't wait to work with him, after all, my book is based on beating the ALPHA male at their own game! We are smarter, faster, better looking, multi-tasking women, let's start taking advantage of that one!