The customer is always right. Unless you’re a woman, that is

It’s a curious fact that whenever an electrician or a contractor comes around to the house, my husband wants to hang out with him. On holiday recently, a plumber came found to fix the shower and my friend’s husband joined my other half in chatting to him about… well, I have no idea what they were chatting about, because presumably if they knew enough to chat about showers, they could have fixed it themselves.

My theory is that men who work with their heads are slightly in thrall to those who work with their hands.

I can only conclude it’s a baffling guy thing. Baffling guy things are fine when it comes to boring stuff like flow rates and bar pressure, but I am miffed that women still get patronised in garages and car showrooms.

Linda Jackson, the head of Citroën, admitted that it happens to her when she secretly visits other companies to size up the opposition. It’s most pronounced when she’s with her husband. A 2015 Mintel survey revealed that 84 per cent of women, particularly mothers, have the biggest say in family spending. Ignoring them is not just stupid and rude, but carries a considerable price tag.

So how to break into the boys’ network? My tactic is to stay silent then snap, witheringly: “That’s all very interesting, but what’s the maximum torque on this thing?” Follow it up with “Drag coefficient?”, and a snort of disdain. Then it’s back to silence with a twist of menace. Respect. Job done.

It works in any context. Just Google a few technical terms – about washerdryers or smartphones or plasmascreen technology – bark a few questions or observations at the salesman, then sit back and watch him recalibrate his expectations and smarten up his attitude towards you, the paying customer who just-so happens to be a woman.

Of course, there are some rare scenarios where it’s impossible to blag. And, as a woman, I reserve the right to bat my eyelashes and flirt remorselessly until I get my way. What can I say? It’s just a baffling girl thing.