I replied, "I don't want a .38 special. I want a .357 for a reason."
"Well, ladies can't really handle .357 that well."
"Do you have a 60 or not?"
"No, we don't, but I can show you these .38 specials --"
"Have a nice day." And I left. Didn't go back, either.
When I recently bought my Sig P238, my sales guy (and the Sig rep) were very kind. The Sig guy tentatively asked me if I wanted to see the pink one when the others didn't satisfy me and I laughed at him. He smiled and said, "Didn't think so."
A sales guy who had been observing while I filled out paperwork followed me into the holster aisle when I was searching for one I could use to carry at work and asked, "Oh, looking for a holster? We don't really have purse holsters."
I looked at him, looked down at my sides and then said with a smile, "Does it look like I carry a purse?"
"Oh. Huh. Well, where do you carry?"
"On my hip."
"Oh. Uh, well, we have some belt holsters here..."
"Yeah, I think I've found what I want."
"Okay. Well, uh, thanks."
The guys at the place where I got my Sig are pretty lady-friendly (Sharp Shooters in Lubbock for any ladies in the area) but that one guy had obviously seen many ladies try to get a small little cute gun to carry in their purse. Can't blame him, really. Every lady in there was woefully uneducated in everything gun-related. I took to talking to a couple of them, explaining that for home defense they shouldn't get a small gun if their hands fit a bigger gun. Bigger gun in the same caliber = less noticeable recoil which = better handling. In general, of course, YMMV. I told them they should go to a range (or find friends willing to let her shoot their guns) and test out as many as they can before buying. They stared at me with wide eyes, probably wondering why a girl my age knows that much about guns.
I kind of want to get my instructor's permit and teach ladies' CHL classes. And basic gun safety courses, too. With only one range out here, though, I don't know how well that would work since they don't allow outside instructors to use the range for qualifying.
I was telling my husband that instead of finding a degree-relevant job (since that's not working out so well) we should open a gun range of our own. I'd love that. No capital, though. I'd love to start one and cater to women, offering women-only courses in addition to general courses just so these women aren't carrying around a weapon without knowing how to use them or even if they would use them!