Forum Archive

Chauvinism is bad for business.

The second largest group to purchase homes, after married couples,are single women. On my block alone at least a third of the homeowners are single women. BTW this is the group that by and large started CHNA which spearheaded the Landmarking of Crown Heights North…yes the core group (the Board) was mainly women.

While it may seem archaic to post on gender inequality the fact remains that in spite of our buying power many contractors/building supply vendors make inappropriate remarks and behave in offensive ways that frankly will continue to loose them business, at least mine.

Todays’s event prompted this post.

During a transaction at the electrical supply store on Rogers and Licoln Place in response to my question on price, the proprietor made a comment about women ,trying to be jokey I guess.

THen his assistant said: “Want me to beat her?”and chuckled.

I could hardly believe it.

“Excuse me…what did you say?”

“oh…maybe I should get my whip…ha ha”

“THis is not amusing…joking about violence against women is not funny….it’s offensive and you are out of line”

He got very tense, stopped laughing and the owner stepped in and apologized, then the staff member who said it apologized …

In the past weeks while this current renovation has been underway some of the comments made by folks interviewed:

“Don’t need to worry your pretty little head about that” (not hired)

“You look so delicate”(not hired)

“Oh you seem like you have a brain and know what your are talking about” (lol NOT HIRED this guy had the thickest Bensonhurst accent imaginable)

“linda…sweetheart”(not hired)

One friend shared that a contractor actually made a physical pass at her while she interviewed him for roof replacement…this woman owns a couple of apartment BUILDINGS plus her own brownstone…she was mortified and he was not hired.

This is not everyone but the lack of awareness is common enough amongst contractors’& vendors’ and prompted this post.