Sales agent suspended for giving prospective buyer the middle finger

A sales agent working for Persimmon has been suspended after sticking up his finger up at a homebuyer.

Photos exposed by MailOnline show an employee of the housebuilder in Derby using the gesture during a row.

The gesture was made to a potential homebuyer looking to buy a property on the Buttercup Leys estate where the properties command an asking price of up to £400,000.

The estate has been hit by a series of controversies including Persimmon building an ‘eyesore’ fence without planning permission and claims that buyers were having to face upset, stress, depression and bullying during the process of buying homes.

The purchaser from Derby told MailOnline that he attended the sales office at the new development earlier this month to view a home with his two brothers and parents.

He said: “We had a viewing booked in for 4:30pm. Apparently they sent an email at 4:26pm that the appointment has been cancelled.

“We were not aware of it and realised after we got home and checked our emails.”

But after entering the sales office, the man claimed that the mocking started by the sales agent.

The man said: “After arriving, I entered into the sales office and said we had a booking.

“The guy looked shocked, he then saw my brothers and parents coming towards the entrance and asked, ‘all these people for a 3-bedroom house?

“I replied: ‘Of course mate, they all will be living and paying, there are three rooms in the house, you shouldn’t be judging or making comments like this.’ I felt insulted.

“He then said that I have a bad attitude and that he doesn’t want to show me the house anymore.”

The prospective buyer claimed that he then left the office but the sales agent then followed him.

He continued: “He [the agent] started making judgments like: ‘You can’t afford the house! Look at the car you are driving! What is this? Look at my gold tooth!,’

“He was also using swear words, so I told him to f*** off and that he had no customer service skills.”

The buyer also claimed: “He kept instigating, saying ‘U don’t know who I am! U see this golden tooth? Meet me outside of work and I will show you.’

“A lot of rubbish came out of his mouth. He completely ruined the experience, we all were very upset. It’s not nice to be threatened like this.”

But people who witnessed the altercation said rude exchanges were made by both the homebuyer and sales agent.

A Persimmon Homes spokesperson told MailOnline: “This sales advisor has been suspended pending a full investigation.

“Eye witness accounts suggest there was an unfortunate incident between both parties and our sales advisor has reacted in an unacceptable manner.

“Customer service is of the utmost importance to Persimmon and we are very sorry for this inappropriate behaviour whatever the circumstances. All customers and staff should be treated with respect at all times.”

 

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11 Comments

  1. Pup

    He can always go back to singing in Simply Red, if moneys too tight to mention.

    Report
  2. Neil Robinson

    The moral of this story is “don’t get caught”

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  3. jan-byers

    What a tool LOL
    You dont know who I am lol

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  4. s71

    We have only read 1 side of the story!!!

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  5. PremierBlue

    Come on, we’ve all felt like doing this on a viewing!!

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    1. CountryLass

      Yep, I remember standing at a viewing of a gorgeous refurbished property, and some bloke jumping on the bedroom floor saying ‘these don’t feel like solid floors to me’, and tapping the new bathroom walls with an indrawn breath ‘Ohh, composite board on the walls, rather than proper tile’ *shakes head*. “would they look at offers on the rent?”

      “unfortunately not, you are my third viewing today, and I already had applications come in from the viewings yesterday…” Internally saying “get lost, I don’t want you as a tenant!”

      Report
  6. SilasJLees

    I hear he’s now got a job as a Rightmove account manager…

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    1. Stillgame

      Best comment of the year.

      Report
  7. AcornsRNuts

    Serve them right for wanting to buy a Persimmon new build.

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  8. BEReal46

    Something tells me there is more to this story.

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  9. Robert_May

    That’s a show house rep and not an agent- an estate agent knows how to deal with people and situations, often with a humour or sarcasm that isn’t understood by those who provoke them.
    Agents don’t judge people until they understand them and the opportunity that just appeared.

    Let’s guess Mr. Can’t-Beasked had had enough of looking at the plastic fruit and flowers and needed to get home to do his hair, emailed to cancel his last appointment and then up turns the Ant Hill mob – yay! A bit resentful someone his age is looking to buy rather than live at home where his mum keeps nicking his TRESemme it was bound to kick off

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