How to deal with condescending tech salespeople - advice for women

by Sarah (March 21, 2008)

How to deal with condescending tech salespeople - advice for women

The experience that this woman describes-being completely ignored by a computer store employee who preferred to talk to the man accompanying her, in this case her husband-is a pretty blatant example of something that is unfortunately all too common. There is a stereotype that women aren’t interested in tech products, and that if they are buying tech products, they probably don’t know that much about them. Salespeople can be condescending and rude, as in that article, but they can also be misleading in guiding you to certain purchases or responding to questions.

A woman buying a computer (or other tech-type product) needs to walk in to the store prepared to deal with this possibility. First, I agree with the advice given by Meg Marco to the woman in question: if a salesperson is treating you in a way that is obviously dismissive and inappropriate, speak up and say so. You’re in the power position in that interaction, since you are still holding the money and can walk away at any point. If you do, explain exactly why you will be taking your business elsewhere.

But if you’re not quite as tech-savvy as the woman telling that story, or if you’re walking in alone to make the purchase, there are a few strategies for helping to ensure that you will get what you’re looking for.

1. Be specific. You should be able to describe to the salesperson exactly what purposes you will be using the product for, whether it’s a computer or a digital camera. If you are looking for a basic computer for web surfing, sending email and some word processing, say so, and be firm in not wanting to buy anything beyond what you need.
2. Know your priorities. Computers come with a lot of features that may or may not mean anything to you. Be aware of which ones are important to you and do enough research to know how to talk about them - you’ll need to know how to compare operating speeds or image quality, for example, and recognize the terms when they’re thrown at you.
3. It’s okay to ask and admit you don’t understand. Don’t let the computer guys lose you in tech-speak and jargon. Remember that it is their job to sell to you and that if they’re not able to know their audience, it’s a failing of their sales abilities, not a sign of your inferiority.
4. Commit to not buying on the first visit. You’re there to do research. Write down the products you’re considering, go home and look up some reviews or ask a friend to confirm your instincts.
5. Speak confidently and forcefully. If you feel that the salesperson is being condescending or dismissive, don’t be afraid to let some frustration come out in your voice. Again, you’re not there to make the salesperson happy, and you can ask to speak to another salesperson who may be better able to help you, or to the employee’s supervisor if the behavior is really inappropriate. Or you can leave, and say why.
6. Don’t downplay your own knowledge. Despite the stereotype that women aren’t interested in technology, in actual fact, purchases by women account for over half of the tech purchases made in North America. Because of the perceptions, however, we can tend to assume ourselves that we don’t know as much as male relatives or friends, and defer too much to their expertise.

Basically, the main point is to walk in there comfortable with what you do know and unembarrassed about what you don’t - there’s no moral or social value inherent in knowing or not knowing about technology. The sales person is not more intelligent than you are because he understands this stuff, he’s just more interested. That’s his job. And if he’s not treating you with the utmost respect, he’s doing it very poorly.

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