SNOBS SELL

Turns out, snobby salespeople get results, said John Jannuzzi in GQ.com. In a recent study called “Should the Devil Sell Prada?,” a team of researchers from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business found that “rude sales associates can actually drive sales,” as shunning customers may increase their desire to gain acceptance, thus motivating them to buy a store’s products. The “Pretty Woman Effect,” as one of the authors dubbed it, indicates that a potential hire’s superior attitude “might actually be a qualification worth considering for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton or Gucci.” More run-of-the-mill outlets, like Gap or American Eagle, may want to hold off on hiring snobs, as the effect only works “in high-end stores where the employees really embody the brand.”