Man Won’t Let ‘Some Chick’ Do Her Job, Then Gets Bit In The Bum By His Own Sexism
Unfortunately, women who work in male-dominated industries usually have to deal with lots of sexism. Not only do they have to put up with sexist comments, male clients’ distrust, and being second-guessed, but they can also be seen as less intelligent than their male coworkers.
One Reddit user shared a story about how she was forced to deal with an extremely sexist customer while she was at her job in an auto shop.
"You Don't Want A Woman Working On Your Car?"
This story was posted by a female mechanic—the only licensed mechanic at the shop and therefore the one in charge—Reddit user unlimitedpatience.
She titled her post: "You don't want a woman working on your car? That’s fine, but you’re going to be waiting a looong time."
Issues With Male Customers
Our original poster (OP) starts off her story by explaining that she worked at a car dealership many years ago. "The attached service garage was small and I was the only licensed mechanic."
"I would occasionally have issues with male customers—they would second-guess my diagnoses, watch me while I worked on their cars from the bay door, double-check my work in the parking lot, etc."
She Didn't Like To Deal With Customers Face-To-Face
She explains that she would often get her apprentice to pull cars in and out of the shop for her so she didn't have to deal with customers face-to-face. One very busy morning, though, OP went out front to get a car that needed a minor job.
"It was in for a service campaign, which was an update done with a scan tool. It takes about 10 minutes."
"I Don't Want Her Working On My Car"
"The customer was planning on waiting and was sitting in service. When he saw me with his keys in my hand, he immediately stood up, alarmed. I was hustling so I walked right by him and out the door. I missed the following conversation, according to the service advisor."
"Customer: 'Who is that chick? Is she going to be working on my car? I don't want her working on my car.'"
He Decided To Wait For A Male Mechanic
The service advisor explained to the customer that the female mechanic was the only one available right now, and he would have to wait quite a while for the male apprentice since he was out at the moment.
"Customer: 'That's fine. I’ll wait for a guy. I don’t want that chick touching my car.'"
One Hour Later...
The service advisor told OP that the customer didn't want her to touch his car and would wait for a man, so, unbothered, she put the keys back and continued about her business while the man customer waited for the apprentice.
"The customer is now watching each and every person who comes through the door. The high school co-op student comes in to get something signed. The customer's keys are still sitting on the desk. It’s been about an hour now."
He Asked If The Student Could Do It
The customer, who had been waiting for quite a while now, asked if the student could perform the work his car needed. He was told that for liability and insurance reasons, the co-op student couldn't drive the cars.
"Customer: 'Just get someone else to bring the car in and he can do the work. This was supposed to take 10 minutes.'"
"This Is Getting Ridiculous"
Advisor: "Sorry, sir. He's just a high school student doing his co-op; he’s not approved to perform warranty work. Only licensed techs and apprentices can do the recall."
OP explains that the customer started getting frustrated, saying: “I’ve been sitting here for over an hour and I’ve watched 5 cars go in before mine. My appointment was for 8am, this is getting ridiculous."
He Demanded To Talk To The Service Manager
"At this point, he says that he literally doesn't care who does the recall, but that it has to be a guy. The service advisor starts listing off the names of the men who work in the dealership, then saying why they can’t perform the recall."
Remember, OP was the ONLY licensed mechanic, and the apprentice was busy with something else. The customer was fuming at this point and demanded to talk to the service manager.
"That's My Best Technician"
"The manager comes out of his office and points at me. 'That’s my best technician. Those guys take orders from her. You can either wait for her to finish what she’s working on, and then you can ask if she’s still willing to do your work, or you can take your car somewhere else.'"
So, furious, the customer left.
People Thought The Man Was Being Ridiculous
People thought that the customer in the story got EXACTLY what he deserved, because why should it matter what gender someone is, especially if they are providing you a service?
Users in the comments ripped the guy to shreds, and some shared their own similar stories
"Don't Second-Guess An Expert"
Say it louder for the people in the back! Honestly, who does this guy think he is?
Clearly, his ego is ginormous because he also had the audacity to COMPLAIN about the wait after agreeing to wait for a male mechanic. The fact that people like this exist is honestly baffling.
"I Have Never Understood This Kind Of Stupidity"
This user explained that no job should be attached to a specific gender, and your ability does not rely on which parts you have.
They end on: "I don't care who works on something as long as they fix it," and we couldn't agree more.
Some Women In The Comments Shared Their Stories
Lots of female workers shared their own experiences with people who have overlooked their abilities or flat-out ignored them because of their gender.
This woman explains that she usually has to help out her male coworkers, even though customers usually make a beeline toward them.
