General Chanel Chat

[MakeupAli]

It really disappoints me when I go into a store and ask SA's about collections they are unaware of...so many of them just don't seem to care or be interested, it's a nice change when an SA actually does. The majority of the time I feel like - why do I have more passion about your brand than you do? I find it odd that so many of them don't seek out any information online or take an interest.

Even with the basic seasonal collections, I'll go and ask and then they say they are unsure but have training later that week and low and behold the collection is out a few days after I ask.

The SA's have no idea what is coming up! The company seems to keep them in the dark until right before the release date.

I agree with what you wrote about the SA's - they should know what is happening! It's pretty lame when customers know more about what's coming up than they do (through no fault of their own).

Totally agree. I was looking for the new yeux stylo Ardoise and I had three SAs at different Chanel counters give me a blank stare when I said "yeux stylo." They had no idea what I was talking about.

 

[RockDiva]

Quote: Originally Posted by MissTania I once asked a Guerlain consultant about a collection and she pulled out the booklet and went through it with me and was just incredible. She has a French accent and name, and her service is always impeccable. You can tell she has pride in her work and brand. As for those who shuffle their feet...well they will end up losing sales. I try to go to the SA's who have given me good service in the past to buy as I would rather they get their commission than the ones who aren't particularly nice/helpful.



Agreed 100% - I'm drawn to good service first and foremost. The SA I asked about Chanel Intemporels was really unenthusiastic, and even though that's the only counter here that's getting the collection, because of her I'm feeling very reluctant to go back for it, and thinking perhaps I don't want it all that much...

Guerlain SAs are always on point, in my experience!

 

[Medgal07]

Oh Meddy! I love how you have a network of SA sleeper agents!

You're the

I think the companies need to get wise to the fact that the internet is distributing a lot of information to customers like us, and it seems silly that consumers are more aware of releases than their own SA's. I feel the SA's should know more than us!! Im getting the impression TF is run differently! I must say I stopped by a TF Counter recently and the service was very good.

 

[Medgal07]

Agreed 100% - I'm drawn to good service first and foremost. The SA I asked about Chanel Intemporels was really unenthusiastic, and even though that's the only counter here that's getting the collection, because of her I'm feeling very reluctant to go back for it, and thinking perhaps I don't want it all that much...

Guerlain SAs are always on point, in my experience!

That's really poor!!! I think I'd ignore that counter and order online.

 

[Medgal07]

Totally agree. I was looking for the new yeux stylo Ardoise and I had three SAs at different Chanel counters give me a blank stare when I said "yeux stylo." They had no idea what I was talking about.

OMG---that's the worse I've heard yet---an absolute disgrace!!!

 

[MakeupAli]

OMG---that's the worse I've heard yet---an absolute disgrace!!!

I was amazed, Meddy, and it occurs to me that it may also have been the pronunciation. I was pronouncing it YUH (something close to Duh) STEEL-O ARDWAZ or something similar. They may be thinking of it more like YUX (like tux) STIAL-O (as is dial) AR-DOIZE (as in boys).

I guess if you have a lot of French names in your brand and no instruction with phonetics, this could happen a lot. Americans don't naturally know how to pronounce French names but it's really up to the company to give people the tools for it.

But there is no doubt that the TF people have graduated into the 21st century for their sales force.

 

[urbis]

I was amazed, Meddy, and it occurs to me that it may also have been the pronunciation. I was pronouncing it YUH (something close to Duh) STEEL-O ARDWAZ  or something similar. They may be thinking of it more like YUX (like tux) STIAL-O (as is dial)  AR-DOIZE (as in boys). I guess if you have a lot of French names in your brand and no instruction with phonetics, this could happen a lot. Americans don't naturally know how to pronounce French names but it's really up to the company to give people the tools for it. But there is no doubt that the TF people have graduated into the 21st century for their sales force.

Oh, please, I'm dying with laughter ... Those French names are killing Chanel's sa, that's so funny

 

[Medgal07]

I was amazed, Meddy, and it occurs to me that it may also have been the pronunciation. I was pronouncing it YUH (something close to Duh) STEEL-O ARDWAZ or something similar. They may be thinking of it more like YUX (like tux) STIAL-O (as is dial) AR-DOIZE (as in boys).

I guess if you have a lot of French names in your brand and no instruction with phonetics, this could happen a lot. Americans don't naturally know how to pronounce French names but it's really up to the company to give people the tools for it.

But there is no doubt that the TF people have graduated into the 21st century for their sales force.

Appropriate pronunciation should be a requirement for SAs. Surely Chanel can afford to invest in training.

 

[Monsy]

I know Lancome does pronunciation training. But it's very tricky because 99% of customers can not pronounce not even one word in French so they become confused if SA uses a lot of french pronunciation... they can't understand and they become intimidated and walk away. Or they don't get it what product you are talking about etc...

 

[Medgal07]

I know Lancome does pronunciation training. But it's very tricky because 99% of customers can not pronounce not even one word in French so they become confused if SA uses a lot of french pronunciation... they can't understand and they become intimidated and walk away. Or they don't get it what product you are talking about etc...

I may be odd man out but when a collection comes out I study the names of the items that I want to the extent that I would know exactly what item an SA was referring to,
and enough that if they were aware of the items too, they would know exactly what I'm talking about. The manager at my Chanel counter is really exceptional in that
way. The other SAs---not so much.

 

[Monsy]

we are already used to Chanel SA being clueless... as well as their CS

I attended one Chanel training and it was AMAZING! I learned so much and they gave so many info that I can not believe how they don't know anything ever.... I have attended so many trainings in the past 6 years from various brands and Chanel was in the top 5

 

[Medgal07]

we are already used to Chanel SA being clueless... as well as their CS

I attended one Chanel training and it was AMAZING! I learned so much and they gave so many info that I can not believe how they don't know anything ever.... I have attended so many trainings in the past 6 years from various brands and Chanel was in the top 5

Wow Monsy!!! It blows my mind that some people just don't take pride in what they're doing---if you do, you want to do it well, and it's obvious through your efforts.

 

[Monsy]

Let me try to explain it. There iare 2 types of people working in the beauty industry.

1. 5% does that job because they have huge passion about it, they know all the new releases, product details across the whole industry not just their brand
2. 95% does it just to pay bills. they don't give a damn about it at all.


I came home from the chanel training with notes that I wrote down - I had 4 full pages! plus a little booklet they gave us. so it's not that they do not provide info it's just that people do not care

 

[Medgal07]

Let me try to explain it. There iare 2 types of people working in the beauty industry.

1. 5% does that job because they have huge passion about it, they know all the new releases, product details across the whole industry not just their brand
2. 95% does it just to pay bills. they don't give a damn about it at all.


I came home from the chanel training with notes that I wrote down - I had 4 full pages! plus a little booklet they gave us. so it's not that they do not provide info it's just that people do not care

That's very sad indeed!!

 

[Yazmin]

I know Lancome does pronunciation training. But it's very tricky because 99% of customers can not pronounce not even one word in French so they become confused if SA uses a lot of french pronunciation... they can't understand and they become intimidated and walk away. Or they don't get it what product you are talking about etc...

I studied french in school so I tend to pronounce the product names with a french accent. I ended up having spell a few product names for a the Chanel SAs over the phone at Macy's and Nordstrom because they didn't know what I was talking about otherwise.

 

[MissTania]

Let me try to explain it. There iare 2 types of people working in the beauty industry.

1. 5% does that job because they have huge passion about it, they know all the new releases, product details across the whole industry not just their brand
2. 95% does it just to pay bills. they don't give a damn about it at all.

I came home from the chanel training with notes that I wrote down - I had 4 full pages! plus a little booklet they gave us. so it's not that they do not provide info it's just that people do not care

Agreed - I worked at a department store in general cosmetics and fragrance casually in my student days and I was so passionate about the products and learnt the ranges of many brands because the counters were often unattended. There were some women working there who were very passionate about their brands, but there were plenty more who were there just to pay the bills and I saw countless people come and go...and there were a couple of nasty/crazy/cranky ladies!

 

[urbis]

As a customer, I don't even dare to ask a product in its mother tongue name: I generally fetch the tester and and look for a SA asking "I want this!" )

 

[Medgal07]

As a customer, I don't even dare to ask a product in its mother tongue name: I generally fetch the tester and and look for a SA asking "I want this!" )

 

[katred]

I was amazed, Meddy, and it occurs to me that it may also have been the pronunciation. I was pronouncing it YUH (something close to Duh) STEEL-O ARDWAZ  or something similar. They may be thinking of it more like YUX (like tux) STIAL-O (as is dial)  AR-DOIZE (as in boys). I guess if you have a lot of French names in your brand and no instruction with phonetics, this could happen a lot. Americans don't naturally know how to pronounce French names but it's really up to the company to give people the tools for it. But there is no doubt that the TF people have graduated into the 21st century for their sales force.

Your pronunciation was fine and certainly close enough that the SA should have been able to figure it out.

we are already used to Chanel SA being clueless... as well as their CS  I attended one Chanel training and it was AMAZING! I learned so much and they gave so many info that I can not believe how they don't know anything ever.... I have attended so many trainings in the past 6 years from various brands and Chanel was in the top 5 

I know that the one Chanel SA who really impressed me here said that their training was top of the line, so it definitely has more to do with the people than the education. I know that not everyone can be as passionate about the subject as we are, but it is too bad that there isn't more interest generated when a company puts the effort into training employees. So many companies do such a poor job of this.

 

[MandyVanHook]

Finally got my first Chanel! Enigmatique