Over the years, I have had many times that I have had to take one of the cars to the garage. Or to get a tire put on. Or talk to someone at a dealership about our car. I have also worked at two different car dealerships, before I had kids, so I have witnessed this many times.
Car repair men treat women like they are idiots.
Should You Be Treated Differently By Christian Businesses?
I have always hated the way garages, etc. treat women. Yesterday was no different.
I had to take my car to get the tire replaced. My husband had already bought the tire, so I just needed them to mount and balance the new tire. Since the tire we were replacing was damaged, due to someone trying to get out of our gravel driveway that was covered in ice, (not me, by the way lol), I took my oldest son with me. That way, if the tire went flat on the way, he could change it. lol
I had hoped that this trip to get a tire put on at a local business would be different. We were acquainted with the owner, and knew that he was a Christian. I thought for sure that I would be treated differently here.
Unfortunately I was treated the same as all the other times I have been to garages. I was practically invisible to the guy. He talked to my son, barely glancing in my direction. Even when he asked what we wanted done, I tried to answer, but he looked to my son and totally ignored me. He did not ask me if I wanted to keep the old tire, he asked my son. I did tell him very loudly, and firmly, that I wanted to keep the tire. He didn’t acknowledge that I was talking, but talked to my son about how it would make a good spare, etc. I knew this because he wouldn’t look at me, but was looking at my son while he was talking.
Really? It’s my car, I’m the one paying for it, and you’re going to ignore me?
Christians are supposed to be different than the world. Therefore, we should be treated differently by Christians than by the rest of the world. Christians are not living up to this. Not just in the auto repair shops, but everywhere we are conducting business.
What do you think? Should Christians in business treat customers differently?
Vickie says
I don’t know Linda we run into bad business people on both sides of the coin. Just recently a Christian snow plow business charged my daughter for doing her driveway and didn’t do a good job. Was it because they knew she was a woman or were they in hurry for the next job? We don’t know for sure. Then the snowplow people (also Christian) who were doing a church parking lot across the street came and fixed it for her for free. She was treated better by one and not the other.
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Kym says
That’s a shame, and SO frustrating. Especially since it is a businessperson you were already acquainted with and knew to be a Christian man. Sadly, I’ve found it to be true that when it comes to car repairs of any kind, women are treated like they don’t know anything about how a vehicle works. It amazes me that this still happens in today’s world!
Fortunately, we have been able to deal with excellent mechanics who talk to me like I’m intelligent and capable of making decisions. I have long said that having a trustworthy mechanic that communicates well is just about as important as having a doctor with those same qualities!
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