Employee stands up to customer who refuses to accept that manager is a woman: 'Where is he?'

Leaders can tout progress on gender equality all they want, but it doesn’t change the mindset of some sexist individuals in society. Despite women leading in various business domains, some still assume leadership roles are reserved for men. A front desk employee, u/Volt_Princess, shared an experience on Reddit that highlighted this issue. The hospitality worker recounted a call from a hotel booking site representative who kept insisting on speaking with a male manager.

The representative was demanding a refund on behalf of a customer who had booked through his site but canceled at the last minute. The front desk employee explained that they had already authorized the payment six days earlier based on their policy. But the representative wanted to get his way by speaking to the manager. "I told him that SHE will give him a call on Monday seeing as it's 8 pm and her shift ended at 3 pm, but that she comes in again at 7 am," the employee wrote. "Do you have another manager I can speak with? Where is HE?" the representative asked.

The employee, initially not understanding the man's sexist demand, explained again that the woman he referred to as Zelda Hyrule was their General Manager. "Do you mean you want the District Manager? I'm not allowed to give that number out. They don't take care of reservations like that," she told the representative. "No. I want your general manager. Where is HE? I don't want HER," he replied. That's when it dawned on the employee that the representative was refusing to believe that a woman was her manager. Flustered at his demand, she said sternly, "There is no he, only she! And Zelda has been our manager for a few years. I am sorry that my answer is unacceptable to you, but there is nothing further I can offer you except the solution I told you. Good day."

The employee couldn't believe how surprised the representative was that a woman worked as a GM. "The majority of the hospitality field is made up of women. And as much as I don't always agree with what my manager does, why does this man try to downgrade the work she did to be the GM?" she asked in disbelief. She then pointed out that he wouldn't have gotten away with his refund demand even if it were a male manager because of the policy. "I just don't get it. Women have worked for ages and women dominate the field of hospitality. Why is he surprised that Zelda is our GM? She worked too hard to have him on the phone disrespect her like that," she added. 

Women in the comments related the front desk worker's perspective and shared similar experiences of sexism they've faced. "I’m a female business owner. People constantly assume my younger male employees are my boss. It’s so satisfying when they have zero authority and the customer (usually white male boomer) gets that 'Oh I screwed up' face when they realize I am the boss and they’re an idiot," said u/HotPantsMama. "I’m the manager (male) but if you want the Director of Operations, who trumps me, it’s a she and she’s damn amazing! People are just ignorant, that’s all," remarked u/Teksavvy-. "If you want a HE, then I suggest calling back in about twenty years. Perhaps we’ll have one for you after SHE retires or moves up the ladder," quipped u/Miss_Inkfingers.