Favoritism at the Garden Center

[Cypress]

I drive by a new business in town that sells seasonal garden supplies. A sign along the roadside advertises a discount to fireman, police officers, military and contractors with bulk orders. I mentioned to my hairdresser that I found this signage putting me off as a potential customer. I said that if a discount was offered to CNA's, Social workers and child caretakers, I would stop right in.

She got really excited when I pointed out that the professions receiving a discount are male dominated. Two of them are union protected, receive good wages and are already held in high esteem in general. I am a pacifist by nature and believe military personnel volunteer now and while it is a difficult thing to do, dangerous, etc...they are also held in high esteem in general in society. No comment on contractors, but I found this favoritism a little uncomfortable.

Am I all wet? By the way, the man who owns this store turned out to be a personal friend of her husband. She was so huffed at my comment she found a reason to quick leave the room. She suggested I stop by and tell him my reaction. He has no idea someone might think that way.

[bae]

Am I all wet?

Yup.

[ApatheticNoMore]

The sign could just be because those groups tend to buy in bulk, but really do they as individuals or is it their departments that do.

But I think you are right that the over and exclusive emphasis on what are called masculine virtues that one sometimes sees, isn't any way to run a society at all. So yes, why aren't social workers etc. included for a discount? (if there needs to be a discount at all- of course it could be a purely cynical marketing perspective, males may spend more in the hardware store, how to target that market).

[TxZen]

We have similar things here for first responders, military, teachers, health professionals, it just depends on what the business is and what they give out. I can get the military and first responder discount but I can't get the teacher one at one of my favorite stores (and it's 30% off WOOT WOOT) I feel like we all get a little piece here and there. There is a place the offers a "I don't fall into any group" discount. They give 5%. :)

[herbgeek]

I bought mulch from that place last year. I saw the sign, and just saw it as a nice thing to do for the community. They aren't obligated to give anyone a discount.

[Alan]

If a business decides to lower their margins in order to show appreciation to groups they may admire, more power to them. It would never occur to me to be offended that I wasn't included.

[ApatheticNoMore]

It would never occur to me to be offended that I wasn't included.

Way to make assumptions. Why bring *I* into it? Do you happen to know the op is a healthcare worker, social worker, or a child caretaker? Maybe they are none of the above and just admire admire them?

[Alan]

Way to make assumptions. Why bring *I* into it? Because that's how I refer to myself. See, I just did it again.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Because that's how I refer to myself. See, I just did it again.

Yea I don't think the op was taking the discount personally, so much as pointing out how unbalanced it was. shrug.

[iris lilies]

Yup.+1

[catherine]

I also would not be offended by not being offered a discount, although I think all female market researchers for Big Pharma should get a BIG discount, just because. ;)

[Cypress]

To repeat my point, the professions offered a discount are male dominated and with the exception of the military, the pay scale is pretty darn good. I never see a discount publicly offered to professions typically dominated by women and often, lesser paid and esteemed. We need public safety workers. We need child care workers. Do we support and congratulate in a public way the average CNA? Do we recognize their worth in the workplace?

We are used to seeing a senior discount of a certain %. We assume the senior might need that discount based on income. That could be a very wrong assumption. That senior could be well off and not need it, but still take it as it is offered. Is that favoritism to seniors?

Maybe its better not to offer any discounts and treat all the same.

I find the replies interesting.

[catherine]

Even though I'm an independent with strong Democrat, left/liberal leanings, I tend to favor the rights of small businesses to make those types of decisions. I don't consider giving discounts to particular populations as being discriminatory towards others at this level.

I set my own rates as a market research provider, and give deep discounts to non-profits. Is that OK?

[Alan]

To repeat my point, the professions offered a discount are male dominated ......
I suppose you could interpret it that way. If I did, I might wonder why more women aren't attracted to professions where they put their life on the line every day. It's not like they're forbidden from doing so, as an example, my wife fulfilled two of those roles back in the 70's.

But that aside, I suspect the ratio of men/women in those fields has less to do with the discount than a public expression of appreciation for everyone assuming that responsibility.

[ApatheticNoMore]

If I did, I might wonder why more women aren't attracted to professions where they put their life on the line every day. It's not like they're forbidden from doing so, as an example, my wife fulfilled two of those roles back in the 70's.

you might as well wonder why more men aren't attracted to more nurturing professions. Although even some risk taking women may just not want to be in risky professions because they are mothers of minor children. Sometimes there are aspects of the workplace that drive women out after they are already in it though, some women have left fields when they found their workplaces discriminatory (you usually hear this about STEM though, which isn't generally dangerous).


I tend to favor the rights of small businesses to make those types of decisions.

I don't think that was the point being made.

[herbgeek]

the professions offered a discount are male dominated

Another possible explanation could be that it is typically MEN who apply the mulch to their yards (not in my household where I do the bulk of the heavy lifting outside, but generally) and so the typical customer for mulch would be a man. A child care worker is unlikely to be a direct customer. It makes sense to offer discounts to your customers, and would not make sense to offer discounts to people who aren't your customers.

Its not necessarily a sign of male domination. Maybe the owner IS sexist, I have no idea (he was perfectly pleasant when I dealt with him last year). But I don't think you can infer that, based on the data presented.

[Alan]

you might as well wonder why more men aren't attracted to more nurturing professions.
Yes, I suppose I could, although that line of thought would defeat my stated premise that gender has nothing to do with the subject at hand.

[bae]

You could just *ask* the store owner what the motivation of the discount is.

Around here, it is quite common for discounts to be offered to law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, military, and seniors. Most of the owners I've talked to seem to be doing it out of a sense of community, and not a desire to engage in gender role oppression.

The Captain of my fire station is female, as is my main interior firefighting partner and my technical rescue partner. As an aside. 3/4s of our EMTs are female I'd guess.

[razz]

I don't mind these kind of discounts but am annoyed when I regularly renew my membership for an organization and then find out that discounts and bonuses are offered to first-time members only. I have supported with my $$$ and promoted the organization for years without some special recognition but someone new gets rewarded for simply for showing up or paying one time. I am hearing of a number of people who simply stop rejoining routinely and start to look for the incentives.

[TxZen]

I can tell you my hubby's first responder paycheck is hardly good. I am thankful for discounts of any kind.

[bae]

I can tell you my hubby's first responder paycheck is hardly good. I am thankful for discounts of any kind.

Also note that ~70% of the firefighters in the USA are volunteer firefighters, according to the NFPA. 62% of the ambulances in the country have volunteer EMTs on them.

[iris lilies]

This reminds me of a holiday situation I encountered several years ago.

A local restaurant, run by a couple who are Catholic, very active in their local church, known for their work with their church, and etc., had put up a Christmas tree. I was talking to the owner about various things, and she mentioned that she had tried to decorate the tree in a generally ecumenical style and had purposely left off the angels because those symbols of Christianity may offend some people.

Me, I was AMAZED that this small business owner felt the need to go to those lengths to "not offend" people who easily get their panties in a wad. Meanwhile the, same week, I paid a visit to city hall where my tax dollars had funded a Christmas tree with big giant angels on it.

Now I don't really care how a Christmas tree is decorated, but I was amused at the contrast: a businessman paid attention to potential fallout while tax supported workers were tone deaf.

hummmm. OP, I wonder if you would have found insult in this restaurant's tree?

[Tammy]

We don't value people who care for the down and out and weak, just as we don't value the down and out and the weak. Our society values strength and wealth and profit and power. We are a military industrial complex.

I don't like it but it's true.

Edited to add: firefighters protect vulnerable people in a fire - I get that. The down and out I'm talking about are the chronically down and out. Homeless etc

[Tammy]

If we are defining those getting discounts as listed in the OP as those who their lives on the line, then we forgot a huge segment: nurses, especially those who work in emergency depts and in psychiatry. We have very high assault rates.

[Zoe Girl]

i get some discounts by working in education, i know our school district has a lot of different ways to get discounts. My last time i bough software was super cheap. the best discount i get is on student loans, the public service loan forgiveness program. it is open to anyone working in public service (not just teachers like other programs), at the end of 10 years of public service and low payments i will have the debt forgiven. that means i could have a high degree in any field but choose to do any public service job for 10 years and basically work off a chunk of my debt. that seems really open and fair to all.

So i see advertised discounts a lot, however most workers in things like public service have access to discounts that are not advertised but they know about. i think the advertised discount is based on the business. the bookstores have educator discounts advertised not as often military discounts.