I've experienced discrimination at stores several times na, though I wouldn't call these luxury boutiques. Simple lang ako manamit, most of the time naka-jeans and ordinary shirt ako and sneakers, no jewelry and simpleng bag lang. Nakakairita yung ugali ng ilang retail employees na nangmamata por que hindi lang naka-todo postura and makeup and alahas yung customer, kung tratuhin nila e as if invisible ka, or worse e somebody that they need to get rid of.
One of the places on the list is Rustan's. Ilang beses na ako naaasar sa treatment that I received sa Rustan's department store. A few years ago I was looking to buy a non-stick iron and a sturdy ironing board, so I went to check out the Tefal irons with the ceramic base and whatever options other brands had sa Makati branch. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a security guy that spoke with a guy na naka-civilian clothes, akala ko wala lang. But napansin ko na the guy in street clothes e sunod ng sunod sa akin nung umiikot ako ng store, turns out he's a plainclothes security guard. Nainis ako sobra, instead of asking me first if I needed assistance e pinasundan na ako kaagad sa security guard nila. Simple lang ang suot ko nun pero in good condition, hindi rags ang suot ko, malinis naman ako and hindi gusgusin. I got so pissed off, magnanakaw agad ang treatment sa akin. And hello?! Paano ko naman ipupuslit yung plantsa out of there e hindi naman yun magkakasya sa tiny bag na dala ko and hindi ko naman matatago yan sa clothes ko. On my way there I was considering buying some stuff for the kitchen din like baking pans to give as a gift for a friend, pero sa sobrang inis ko e umalis ako dun ng walang binibili. I went and bought the stuff sa Abensons and SM na lang.
Another instance was when I was looking at bags. May guard na sunod din ng sunod. Nairita talaga ako, to think na hindi maganda yung mga naka-display and ang konti ng selections nila (Rustan's Gateway to), mas marami pang better options at other boutiques and even online.
Then there was the time when I was looking for a dress. A security guard kept hovering a few feet away, staying in the background. Nakakaasar, after I paid for the dress gusto ko siyang lapitan and sabihan na "Happy now? Or di ka pa rin ba convinced and are you still going to follow me around?!" Nakaka-offend e. Walang lumapit na SA to offer assistance even though I clearly needed their help, ako pa ang lumapit sa kanila. Pero ang bilis ng security guard nila na i-judge ako as a shoplifter and tail me. I felt like taping the receipt to his face talaga.
Then there was the last time I stopped by the Shu Uemura counter sa Rustan's Makati. Ang antipatika ng SA dun, I don't know his name, some gay guy. I've bought makeup there before and mabait yung SAs na nag-assist sa akin before, but I don't know if they don't work there anymore or baka it's their day off kaya natapat ako sa masungit na SA na yun. Kita mo na yamot siyang i-assist ako and answer my questions. I was smiling at him and trying to be pleasant pero ang frosty pa rin niya and he kept acting like he wanted me to just buy stuff without asking any questions. Bibili na dapat ako nun pero naasar ako sa treatment niya sa akin, so I went to a different department store and bought Shiseido instead. Ang dami ko pa naman binili, if the Shu Uemura SA had been nicer to me he would've gotten the big commission sana.
It's disappointing na ganito yung treatment na na-experience ko sa Rustan's lately. I used to love going there when I was a kid, I remember shopping with my parents for all sorts of stuff--clothes and pillows and sheets and appliances and glassware and perfume, I remember how comfortable it was to shop inside their store and how nice the staff were, how awesome it was that they had the stuff that wasn't available at SM or Robinsons. Those nice childhood memories are the reason why I kept coming back to the store when I was an adult na and earning my own money. I kept buying makeup there even though it would've been more convenient to buy makeup at SM or Landmark, and whenever I needed something like a dress or stuff for the house they would always be on my list of places to check out. But na-turn off ako sa treatment nila sa akin lately, ang snooty and offensive. Kaya ngayon tinatamad ako pumunta dun. Mas mabuti pang pumunta sa crowded stores or bumili online instead of being treated that way again.
