Male Bias

Hello again. I read a question in a magazine about a wife who felt slighted with real estate agents, mortage lenders, etc. while shopping for a house. She felt these mostly men agents and lenders were biased and favored talking and shaking hands with her husband, ignoring her. The advice given was to be more assertive when ignored.

According to a female coworker, mortage lenders and people giving an estimate for siding demanded to speak to her husband. She was deeply insulted and told them off clarifying her husband will be agreeing with anything she says. One agent would ask a question and after my coworker's answer, he would look at her husband and ask if that is what he thought. She was getting so angry she blurted out how this conversation would be going much faster if the man would just ask her the questions. Her husband agreed. The guy who did the estimate for siding on the house demanded to speak to her husband since it was his house too. That did not sit well with her. She asserted that the house was in HER name, the mortage loan was in HER name, and SHE will be writing the check for the siding, therefore the contractor will be speaking to HER. He walked away in digust and she hired someone else.

There was a time her husband was suppose to take care of the new roof and totally screwed up leaving my already stressed out coworker taking over the problem. At the end, her husband called her at work stressed how the roofers were on the porch threatening to remove all the shingles if the husband did not pay them upfront. Legally they can't do that, she was told. It was totally screwy too. The estimate came from one company, who hired another company to do the job, who hired another company's labor force to do the job. So my coworker soon had her lawyer on the phone ready to take all 3 companys to court for the botched job she refused to pay for until done correctly. That was a stressful night. I think the first company who gave the estimate got their representative to inspect the botched roof and had it fixed. No court costs necessary. I told her, This is what happens when she has her husband do something on his own. Men are not always the best at decision making.

I never really experienced this bias because I never bought a house, car, etc., or have a husband to feel ignored by businessmen. My Dad bought my car and the car dealer kept looking at me when Dad was bargining down the price. My Dad was the one paying so I was not about to intervene. My Mom thought that was funny. Post later. Bye!