End of the road for the showroom sexists

[NarendZORCE]

Taken from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/25/ncar25.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/07/25/ixhome.html

End of the road for the showroom sexists
By Sally Pook
(Filed: 25/07/2005)

The motor industry has found the answer to the problem of sexism in the showroom - employ more women.

Manufacturers have realised, albeit slowly, that if they want to tap into the huge female market, having more women sales staff might help.

Honda revealed yesterday a target to have at least one female sales person in each of its 200 dealerships across Britain. It currently has 90.

"We are now actively trying to recruit more female staff," said spokesman Paul Ormond. "It is important to treat women with the respect they deserve and not to make stupid remarks, patronise them or talk down to them.

"We have certainly been guilty in the past of condescending attitudes."

Mr Ormond said female sales staff tended to be seen as more honest, more inclined to be realistic and less flamboyant than male counterparts.

Honda has shown its 200 dealership managers a video as a training exercise, highlighting the experience of a female barrister and businesswoman at a showroom.

"Because of the way they were treated, they did not buy the cars," said Mr Ormond.

"They had the money and were set on buying. But they were asked silly questions, such as what did their husband think? It is so easy for male chauvinism to kick in."

There are 14.4 million women drivers in Britain, compared with 17.7million men, according to the Department of Transport.

They are catching up fast, by about 300,000 a year. Only 30 years ago, women made up less than a third of driving licence holders.

Ford has a women's product panel which serves as the company's sexism watchdog.

As part of its work, the panel embarks on "mystery shops" at car salesrooms, where women test the car-buying experience anonymously.

"When we first started, our initial findings were disastrous," said Angela Savage, the chairman of the panel. "But things have moved on. In the early 1990s, I don't think anyone realised quite how much influence females had in the purchase of the family car, or the spending power that the independent women had. Car dealerships are much better nowadays."

The RAC Foundation accepted that there was a lack of female sales staff, and admitted that most women employed in salesrooms act as secretaries. But its spokesman said women should not have to fear visiting salesrooms on their own.

"There is absolutely no reason why a woman should need a man with her," said Kevin Delaney. "Is a man going to get her a better deal? I don't think so."

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[NarendZORCE]

Lol we way ahead of them in Trini... BMW has a leading female rep and Ford has a ranger sales specialist that breaking records...
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[worksux101]

At least we're ahead in sumn...lol...
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