Stereotypes can make for some awkward and very unnecessary moments.

So, what would you do if a customer refused help from a knowledgeable coworker simply because of their gender?

Would you step in and call them out directly?

Or would you find a more subtle way to deal with them?

In the following story, a young employee turns the tables on a customer who underestimates his coworker’s expertise.

Here’s how it played out.

Don’t want to speak to my female coworker and would rather talk to a man? How about we don’t.

This was a few years ago when I was around 18, and I worked at a large chain of automotive parts stores.

The store had a roughly equal number of male and female staff, and being automotive, the women seemed to get a decent amount of men (and other women) who would ask for “one of the boys” to help them.

I was out the back loading stock onto a trolley to run onto the floor when one of my female coworkers (mind you, she’s worked here for around 7 years at this point compared to my ~3 months of employment) came and found me and asks me to help a customer.

I ask why she needs help because she usually knows more than I do, considering how long she’s been working here.

She explains she was standing at the service desk and a guy came up and asked her to “get one of the boys.”

The customer wouldn’t listen to her at all.

She tried explaining to him that she was more than competent to help him, but he insisted that a man needed to help him.

So, after hearing this, I decided **** I might as well have some fun.

I told her to follow me back to the desk where he was and to just let me sort it out.

I got to the customer and asked what he needed.

He explained what he was after, so I kinda just stared with a puzzled look for a moment.

The men basically forced him to take her help.

I look at the customer and say, “I’m sorry, I actually don’t know how to help with that one,” and turn to my coworker and say, “Actually, she is an expert in that field.

She knows more about that than I do.

I’m sure she can help you.”

He looks annoyed and asks for “another one of the boys,” and on cue, one of my other male coworkers, who had overheard the entire conversation, walks over.

The customer looks at him and asks for the same thing again, to which he replies, “Oh, actually, she’s an expert on that. She’s probably the best person to ask that question to,” before wandering off again.

The customer begrudgingly got her help on the matter and walked out without talking to anyone else in the store.

Wow! That customer has some nerve.

Let’s see how the readers over at Reddit relate to this story.

This is ironic, considering there are professional boxers who are women.

It’s easy to feel this person’s pain.

Apparently, it happens in many industries.

This guy sounds like an amazing boss!

He should just be happy there’s someone there to help him.

Caring whether it’s a man or a woman, is the most petty thing ever.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.