November 23, 2003 6:21 AM

Well, that would explain the kneepads the women got at orientation, eh??

Saleswomen claim they were told to use sex to sell: Lawsuit claims manual cited bikini ski contest talk

It's a competitive business environment, and, uh...well, they were just trying to be competitive. Right?? Hey, a girl's gotta be required to do what a girl's gotta do. Or does she??

TROY, Michigan (AP) -- Four saleswomen sued a chemical company where they once worked, saying it required them to use suggestive nicknames, revealing photographs and "their own Female Magic" to lure business.

The women's lawyer, Deborah Gordon, said Tri-Chem Corp. employed only women on its sales force and sent its customers -- mostly men -- calendars and pictures showing saleswomen posing seminude or in skimpy clothing.

The women said they were fired or forced to quit for not doing enough to make customers feel "warm and fuzzy" during telephone sales calls dictated by their managers.

Tri-Chem spokeswoman Tina Bassett called the allegations "simply untrue."

"We are going to fight this aggressively in the court," Bassett said.

According to the lawsuit, filed in Oakland County Circuit Court, the company's training manual spelled out how sales staff should talk with clients.

"Have great stories to tell. Always have weekend plans -- bikini ski contest for charity, you model part time for Budweiser, etc.," the suit quoted the manual as saying.

"Every woman has their own Female Magic and that is why you are going to be successful in this career," it was quoted as saying.

So, were these salespeople or Hooter's girls? I'm surprised the training manual didn't spell out which sexual positions worked best on potential clients. Just when I'd begun to think that perhaps we as a society had finally risen above the troll level, I get slapped with this.

As far as I'm concerned, there should be a special place in hell for the trolls who place in women in this sort of position. Either that, or they should have an appointment with a pair of gelding shears.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on November 23, 2003 6:21 AM.

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