Difficult
for Profession Women to get the Respect
they Deserve. Martin Schneider shared an inbox with Nicole and was getting
grief working with a customer. He could not understand the customer’s resistance.
He had worked with him before. Yet
everything he was suggesting was being resisted. Due to the common inbox, he
had been signing his responses as Nicole.
Finally, he
replied: “Hey this is Martin”, and the customer worked well with him after
that.
Nicole &
Martin switched names for a week. Everything Martin did took longer. Nicole had
the most productive week of her life. Men are assumed to be competent. Women
have to prove it.
My late mom
was one of the first 3 women to attend Newark College of Engineering (now
NJIT). She rarely talked about some of her treatment, but she also knew how to handle it.
Her used 1
year old Pinto wagon with only 11,000 miles was shifting off time. Dad and I
both drove it and thought the transmission bands needed adjustment. However he
was busy at work and I was on 3rd shift that week on my summer job
(about 40 years ago). So she took it to the dealer.
The service
rep thought he ‘had one on the line’. So he kept talking until he said she
needed a new transmission instead of an adjustment. Mom walked away from him into the sales area to talk to the manager (in
front other customers) and in a LOUD
voice said, “John, it looks like you sold me a lemon. What are you going to do about it?”
When they
tried to tell her this was normal, she said, “No, I am an engineer. Could see
my son’s Ford wagon with 110,000 miles needing a transmission. Not a car with
11,000 miles.”
When they
further tried to push the issue, she replied, “John, I own 5 cars. Do you want to take me for a repair, or get
the next car?” They gave in and adjusted it. Every time she brought it in
for service she got treated with respect
after that.
Follow up -
car was rusted falling apart years later with 140,000 miles and Dad driving it.
The original transmission had no problems or further adjustments when they
retired it.
Dad knew how
to handle these situations. At a different dealer they were shopping for a car
for Mom. Dad said to the salesperson this car is for Mom, get her what she
wants. The man kept asking Dad questions. Dad would repeat his question to Mom and wait for her to answer. Finally the
guy got the message, and talked to her.
Lesson: Expect
and give respect. Do what is right. Ask questions, follow with suggestions. If
it takes time, stay with it.
Here is
Martin’s story
Grateful he
shared this story.
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