Bad Customers!

[xStarryEyedX]

I'm over the sample people! It's so awkward... I feel like maybe 1/6th of my really awesome sales- we get up to the register "so, what samples do i get today" or "what gift are you going to give me?".... And I usualy try to laugh it off and talk about b2m... But I really want to be like "the gift of I JUST DID YOUR MAKEUP AND I'M REAL DAMN GOOD". When I was a customer I never asked for free crap. I feel like people get geniuly offended when they don't get anything for free (free makeovers, samples, etc). Bizarre. Whatever, I still <3 the job.

 

[kanne]

When a customer drops $100+ in a transaction, I feel like it's good customer service to provide samples, but I'm not going to abuse the staff just cause I didn't get something for free. I wouldn't even ask. I would NEVER walk up to a counter and ask for a sample without buying something, either.

 

[geeko]

Eh... many customers cannot differentiate between what's NUDE and NATURAL lipstick color..

Often they come in asking for a nude shade, but actually what they want is a NATURAL lipstick color that adds color to the lips but without washing them out. And very often, many of them expect NUDE lip colors to look good on them when they are NOT WEARING any make up at all

There's lots of difference between the term NUDE and NATURAL

And what's NUDE on one person may not be NUDE on another person. Please always test out the lip colors @ the counter before you buy. What looks good on ur friend may not necessarily look the same on u.

 

[xStarryEyedX]

oh! or...

"what can i help you find"
"a lipstick"
"ok, what shade are you thinking? pink, red, nude...."
"i don't know"
"ok, what's catching your eye on the display"
"i don't know"
*picks up a really popular color to try to make it easy* "what about something like this"
"no. i don't like it"
"ok, well what don't you like about it and we'll take it from there?"
"i don't know"

we have tons of the "i don't knows".... Does anyone else get this? That example was not an exageration at all, I would LIKE to be able to help everyone, but it's hard with these guys,....

 

[SarahC0612]

Some samples of some of my customer's today:

#1 -
Customer (teeny-bopperish highschool girl): Can you do my makeup, like, for like prom?
Me: Yes, with a $50 product purchase.
Customer: Oh...
Me: When is prom?
Customer: tonight, but I don't have $50. Do you know anyplace that will do your makeup without making me buy something?
Me: Im not sure, have you tried Sephora?
Customer: Um yeah, but they also require you to spend $50.
Me: (in my head): DUH!!!!! Since when do you think any person or retail company is going to just do your makeup for free?
Me (to the customer): Im sorry about that, but I don't know of any other place. There might be, I am just not sure. We'd be happy to do your makeup now, we aren't busy.
Customer: Thanks anyway.... (leaves)

#2 -
Me: Hi welcome to Mac, what brings you in?
Customer (younger girl maybe in highschool): Um, do you sell makeup here or do you just apply it?
Me: We sell it and can also apply it.
Customer: what costs the least?
Me: Um, I'm not sure I understand what you mean?
Customer: What is the cheapest thing you sell?
Me: In terms of foundation, eyeshadow????
Customer: No just in general, what is the cheapest thing in the store?
Me: The lowest priced item we sell is a pencil sharpener for $6.
Customer: Oh okay. Thanks.

Sorry chick, if you ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer.

#3 -
At register checking customer out , I ask the customer her first and last name so we can log her purchase in our system for b2m loyalty program.
Customer: It's (first name) Cameltoe.
Me (trying so hard to keep a strait face) Um okay, why don't you spell that last name for me please?
Customer:C-a-m-e-l-t-o-e.
Me: (in my head) WOW.
Me: (to customer): are you on such and such road?
Customer: Yes
I checked the file again, and yes, that really was her last name. Spelled just like that.

#4 -
I finish with a customer and see an 84 year old woman in blue eyeshadow on other side of store rubbing her hands in a MSFN and schmeering it all over her face. I hurry over and offer to help her with it. She says no thanks and then.....
Customer: Do you have eyebrow pencils in grey?
Me: No, I am sorry we do not. But we do have this (I show her taupe brow pencil)
Customer: (tests on hand), that is taupe, I don't want that, I want gray.
Me: I'm sorry, we don't make one in grey. Maybe a grey eyepencil? (I show her grey technakohl)
Customer: That looks blue! So you do not have gray??
Me: Im sorry but we don't.
Me: (in my head) WTF? NO Lady! We do not sell products that make a person LOOK old!
Custmer: (picks up blue shadow from Jeanius collection), what is this?
Me: Its an eyeshadow.
Customer: How much?
Me:$18
Customer: $18?!?!?!?! Okay well, I'll take it.
Me: Okay did you want to get that MSFN?
Customer: No.
This entire conversation actually was about 10 minutes or more, with her barking at me and making ridiculous demands. Finally after what felt like an eternity, she is ready to check out and just get her Jenius blue eye shadow. There were some customers already in line so we can't ring her up right at that instant. So she says, "I don't want to wait, I'll come back later." Then she hands me the eyeshadow and shuffles out of the store.

Well thanks alot for wasting my time you crotchety old bag.


Just another day in the life of a MUA at the mall. Good times.

 

[crystrill]

Eh... many customers cannot differentiate between what's NUDE and NATURAL lipstick color..

Often they come in asking for a nude shade, but actually what they want is a NATURAL lipstick color that adds color to the lips but without washing them out. And very often, many of them expect NUDE lip colors to look good on them when they are NOT WEARING any make up at all

There's lots of difference between the term NUDE and NATURAL

And what's NUDE on one person may not be NUDE on another person. Please always test out the lip colors @ the counter before you buy. What looks good on ur friend may not necessarily look the same on u.

LMAO omg this reminds me of a customer I had like 2 days ago. So I work in a CCO. We don't have a full range of products.

Customer: I need the MAC nude lipstick. *I like how she said this as if there is only ONE nude lipstick color*
Me: MAC has a lot of colors that can be considered nude - do you know the name of it?
Customer: It's the nude one! Where is it?
Me: We have several nudes. And what may be nude for you may not be nude me. Do you know the name of it or at least what it looks like?
Customer: (rolling her eyes and getting irritated) I want the nude color. It's nude. Do you have it?

She eventually leaves frustrated as if I'M the idiot. I can't help you find the color if I don't know the name. It's an outlet we don't have every color.

A pet peeve of mine is when a customer asks us why are we so cheap as if our products are fake. And whenever I explain to them that we are an outlet so we receive over stock and past collections they stare at you dead in the eye to see if you're lying. I'm good at keeping a straight face through ANYTHING though so their burning eyes don't bother me LOL. I'm like you don't go into an outlet store for CLOTHES and ask them why are they so cheap or if they're fake. If you're going to question the products just don't buy from us.

And being that we are an outlet we are not trained for ANYTHING. We're not trained to color match, pick colors out for you, or even on our products. And if a customer asks about a product - being that it's an outlet, we're technically only allowed to tell you what's on the box. And a lot of products come and go. Or some products we just NEVER get. If it has never been in our store before I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS! I'm pretty goood with keeping up with MAC, Clinique and Origins so sometimes if a person asks about a product from them we've never had, I know what they're talking about. HOWEVER, being that I am not trained to know anything I can't suggest a similar product. It is NOT MY JOB to know every Clinique product. If you come in asking for it and I've never heard of it OH WELL. Go to the counter! I don't work there. And a lot of times we get shipment on my day off. So I'll come into work and within the hour a customer will ask me a question on a product we got while I wasn't there so I have NO IDEA what it is, or that we even had it.. and they get mad when I read the back of the box and THEN tell them what it is. Which I don't get either. Why couldn't they have read it themselves? Same difference. I think they think I am going to tell them something different.

And keep in mind I live in Orlando. The MAJORITY of customers I get are not even from the U.S. They don't speak English, or not very well. People give them lists that don't make ANY sense (i.e. "Clinque Advanced Night Repair".... ANR is made by EL... but when you correct them they think you're making it up and that this "Clinque" product exists).

 

[QueenBam]

we have tons of the "i don't knows".... Does anyone else get this? That example was not an exageration at all, I would LIKE to be able to help everyone, but it's hard with these guys,....

duuuuuh

 

[xStarryEyedX]

omg.... these are the people i feel like think that i suck and really its just that i can't help them because they have no clue.




EXACTLY! The more we know about you- the more you'll LOVE what we send you home with.. I think other brands are so limited with their products that they don't expect to have...what....12? different options when it comes to foundation alone. Like if you're oily and want full coverage- we got you.... dry and want sheer coverage, we got you to....dry and want full, we have you also... you just have to know how to answer a couple of eaaasy questions and we'll hook you up- but help us out a little!

...

 

[thebeautybible]

Its not just MAC that get the crazy customers. I work for another cosmetics brand and see it with the other counters too, and customers can be really shitty to us.

WE ARE JUST DOING OUR JOB!

I'm not a pushy sales person at all, because I know that I hate when I go to a make up counter and feel pressure or feel like I cant just have a browse, so I welcome the customer by just saying hi, then I just let them know I am available to them if they would like a hand with anything.

I have worked for Benefit before and I know they are very pushy and thats what I hated. I just want customers to be happy coming to my counter and knowing that Im really happy to help when they need me.

But you cant win, some people I just say "hi, would you like a hand with anything?" and they bite my head off!
But if we were to just ignore people then they complain about that too! We really cant win.

Also when we can see that customers clearly need help with colours etc and you ask them then they bite your head off "NO!" then they have to come over and ask a few minutes later cause they really did need help! whats with that! its stupid. we're not going to force to you buy anything you don;t want to buy. We want you to be happy and have a nice experience on counter so you come back.

We are nice people... really! Well at least we are where I work. Although in saying all this. I understand that going to a beauty hall can be quite daunting for some people. I recently walked into Fraisers (Glasgow) beauty hall and felt like I shouldnt be there! It was scary! All the consultants looked down their noses at me as though I wasnt good enough and I had to walk back out I hated it so much! And I work on a counter myself!

 

[thebeautybible]

ummmm YEAH AND ITS MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE.

"what would you like your foundation to do for you?"
ummmmm... i don't know (or stares at friend/mom)
"well, would you like something natural or with more coverage?"
i don't know (or stares at friend/mom)
"something SHEER?"
what does that mean?
"like panty hose and tights.... tights are FULL COVERAGE and panty hose are SHEER. so what would you like? something that shows your skin through, something that covers a little more, something in the middle?"
............i dont know.........

UGH!

"do you like shiny stuff, mattes or frosty lipsticks?"
i don't know

"what kind of skin do you have? / tell me a little about your skin"
i don't know,,,,,,,,,,,,,
(i've also gotten 'dry to oily' [wtf is THAT] and 'oily on my t bone.')

"whats your normal skin care routine?"
i don't know............... (then i ask them if they wash their face, and you'd be surprised how many people say no.)

"how do you apply your makeup?"
i dont know (hands? brushes? sponge? what order? ughhhhhhh...... THINK! lol)



omg.... these are the people i feel like think that i suck and really its just that i can't help them because they have no clue.

Ha ha! I get those customers loads too! You feel like screaming "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!!!???? IM NOT A MIRACLE WORKER OR A MIND READER!!!"

 

[thebeautybible]

When a customer drops $100+ in a transaction, I feel like it's good customer service to provide samples, but I'm not going to abuse the staff just cause I didn't get something for free. I wouldn't even ask. I would NEVER walk up to a counter and ask for a sample without buying something, either.

I hate sample hunters. Im really generous with samples and giving people free things I've they've spent good money with me, or even if you havent, but I've made a connection with them. If someone asks for a free sample though it just gets our backs up. I dont understand why people think they are entilted to a free sample. They wouldnt buy a dress from topshop and expect a free belt or something!


Oh just thought of another pet peeve of mine. We have a lot of brushes out on counter just to show to can purchase them and for the MAs to use on customers. They are not for customers to come up, stick the brush in a blusher or eyeshadow and proceed to do their own makeup! NO! Then they just put the DIRTY brush back on the stand! WTF! Its dirty. Why would you do that???? Then someone else goes and does the same thing with the same dirty brush spilling powder everywhere. Its gross. Obviously I clean them when I see customers doing that but still...

 

[crystrill]

"what kind of skin do you have? / tell me a little about your skin"
i don't know,,,,,,,,,,,,,
(i've also gotten 'dry to oily' [wtf is THAT] and 'oily on my t bone.')

OMG!!!! I hate when someone asks me to suggest a face wash, treatment, lotion,etc... and I ask what kind of skin they have and they don't know!! OMG OMG OMG!!! How am I supposed to know? I don't have your skin.

Customer: *holding up 2 cleansers - 1 for oil/combo and 1 for dry* Which is best for me?
Me: It depends. Do you have oily or dry skin?
Customer: I don't know tell me.
Me: I can't tell you that only you would know. *then I'll ask them questions about their skin like does it ever feel tight, etc*
Customer: I don't know. Tell me.
And by then we're both frustrated and they get mad AGAIN like I'm the stupid one.

Or I hate the ones who ask me about ingredients. I have so many foundations from so many brands I can't know it all. Excuse me for not memorizing all the product ingredients. That's not part of my job.

Or we have a ton of customers that like to bring their pets to the store and get mad when I ask them to leave. Excuse me if I don't want your dogs breathe and germs all over my open cosmetics so another customer who is allergic can come in and complain!

 

[SarahC0612]

We had a woman come into MAC a while ago and spent over an hour in the store shopping. She had her little boy with her, he was about 6 or 7 and the sweetest thing EVER. He was so well behaved and just kind of hung out, meandering around the store. We were very busy and someone else was helping his mother so I did not get a good look at him. After they left, the artist who was helping them immediately began spraying everything he touched with Lysol and when I asked her why, she said that he complained to her that his eye itched and was red and all filled with pus. He clearly had pink eye and his mother either was too stupid to know, or too selfish/careless to do anything about it. Regardless, I was not sure what infuriated me more, that she was too lazy/stupid to get him to a doctor, or that she had the audacity to spend an hour (or even a minute) in a cosmetic store with a child infected with pink eye!!! WTF???!??!??!?!?!?

I was livid.

 

[ssaemblog]

Hahaha, you guys posting about the sample hunters thing makes me scared to ask for concealer|foundation samples (to figure out what shade I really am) at Sephora when I go buy stuff with my birthday money... Heck, I was going to ask today (and I was purchasing stuff) and I was too scared to ask. c:

I get nervous when I run into a MA I don't understand. I'm nearly deaf in my right ear and half deaf in my left ear. With the music on as well, it's hard to understand people sometimes so I kinda mentally go into a corner and just nod because half the time, I don't understand and I don't like asking people to repeat themselves over and over 'cos I'm sure it gets on their nerves too. It happened again today and I just wanted to crawl into a whole, hahaa.

 

[PeachTwist]

This has got to be one of the most disgusting things I've come across. Reading this has actually made my eyes water, holy geez!

We had a woman come into MAC a while ago and spent over an hour in the store shopping. She had her little boy with her, he was about 6 or 7 and the sweetest thing EVER. He was so well behaved and just kind of hung out, meandering around the store. We were very busy and someone else was helping his mother so I did not get a good look at him. After they left, the artist who was helping them immediately began spraying everything he touched with Lysol and when I asked her why, she said that he complained to her that his eye itched and was red and all filled with pus. He clearly had pink eye and his mother either was too stupid to know, or too selfish/careless to do anything about it. Regardless, I was not sure what infuriated me more, that she was too lazy/stupid to get him to a doctor, or that she had the audacity to spend an hour (or even a minute) in a cosmetic store with a child infected with pink eye!!! WTF???!??!??!?!?!?

I was livid.

 

[PeachTwist]

I'm not an MA, nor have I worked on a counter (as much as I'd love to!) but I have worked in retail/sales and my god, some customers are insane.

The whole "The customer is always right" line is bullshit, in my opinion.

The amount of times I've had people bite my head off because I asked them "Hi there, how are you doing today?" is insane. I mean they assumed by my being polite I was going to start shoving things down their throat - now yes, of course, I had sales targets, but I didn't get commission so there wasn't actually that much incentive apart from getting a high-five from my manager. I dislike it when you're genuinely nice to someone and genuinely want to help them and they're just down right horrible to you.

Then again, I had some great customers, one in particular I remember, they had just claimed insurance money for some reason or another and needed to replace a whole friggin' ton of things. They were extremely nice, extremely grateful, got 100% of my attention and I didn't sell them anything they didn't need and or want. No hard selling what so ever and I managed to meet my sales targets for the entire day in that one transaction - best customers I've ever dealt with, so nice and polite!

However in that, when I went to the US last year I visited a MAC counter in Macy's and also a MAC store. I'd never been to MAC before as my nearest counter is over an hour train ride away so I heavily rely on swatches online to know if I want something or not. I didn't have much money to spend at all, but the girl at the Macy's counter went above and beyond to make me feel comfortable. I'd explained to her that I've never been to a MAC counter before and I was simply just browsing and wanting to look around and take it all in - she encouraged me to play with absolutely anything I liked, helped me wherever she could and never tried to push a sale on me - she's probably the best experience I've *ever* had when it comes to shopping.

On the flip side, when I went to the MAC store, the girl there was a complete snob. I unfortunately didn't have much time to look around as I'd liked as I had people waiting for me and being extremely snobby/bitchy about waiting outside for me to do as I pleased, however I still tried to get a good glance, ask her some questions, etc. When I decided I'd buy Vanilla e/s she rolled her eyes at me. I realise I wasn't making a big purchase and I had asked her a bunch of questions, but I really felt like not only were the people waiting for me trying to make me hurry, but so was she. I really wish I'd bought from the other lady at Macy's. She deserved it more, that's for sure.

I realise this is long, but I just wanted to give it from both perspectives as both a person who has worked in sales, and a customer.

 

[Ridingcrops]

Wow some of these stories hit the nail on the head for me. I've worked at some of the finest places in the DC arrea but they have gone out of business. But I can relate to some of these horror stories. I had one customer, very well known, that would come in and spend 3-4 hours trying on shoes only to tell me at the last minute to hurry up and ring up the sale they were in a hurry. She really liked me and would always shop where I worked but what an air head. One time she spent 2 hours and said she had to go across the street so I had to hurry and have her things ready. I had it done in less than 5 minutes and she didn't come back for 2 more hours. And when she came in with her attitude she said "Are you ready yet? I have to pick up my duahgter at the airport." I even had one bf take a swing at me and I decked him. Then he went to the management office and wanted me fired for defending myself. And one guy came and treated his gf so bad calling her names and being nasty with her and everyone else. Then some ppretty girl gets off the elevator and he fawns all over her, seems like he knew her, and leaves the gf with me. She purchased her shoes and left and he comes back 5 minutes later and yelling at me "where did she go?" I said she bought and left and he got all ticked at me. Gosh I could go on and on. In the shoe business, my first love, we would have them come in and spend hundreds for shoes to wear to their proms and tape the soles and then want theit money back. Or break the heels with pliers, you could see the teeth marks, and then want their money back. But there were good times too. The MAs knew I had a passion for sexy makeup and if they got there early like I did they would always ask if I would like to watch them put their makeup on. LOL They always wore a little too much on those days and they loved teasing me.

 

[Ridingcrops]

Sort of funny thing happened when my sister visited. She comes from a medium sized city in the midwest and they don't have really any nice stores. When she goes to places like Chicago she spend BIG bucks for makeup she can't get at home. She came to visit me in DC and first thing she always does is want to go shopping. I took her to a Nordstroms, very over rated place by the way, and we walked around the cosmetics counter for about 10 minutes and not a peep from one of them while they stood and chit chatted. My sister was looking over things so I wandered to another counter and some sharp eyed MA saw me and thought "easy mark" LOL. When she offered to help I said sure come with me, took her to my sister who spent $2500.00 on all kinds of stuff. Made her day doing that and the others were like "I thin I asked them first" etc. So you never know but not a horror story just a story

 

[Ridingcrops]

LOL I 've seen a lot of that and I've done the same thing. I've seen these heifers just go crazy on the people working in places for no reason other than they want to look like big shots. I saw a lady yelling at a MA when I was shopping once because she didn't have samples of what the woman wanted and the poor MA was a young girl and she was gettin gupset. So I asked the woman why she didn't use a crowbar and pry open her purse and buy it instead and she stormed out in a huff. Then she stopped and stared at me like I should be afraid of her. The youong MA came over and thanked me for getting the old bag out of her face and gave my friend a bag full of sample stuff. LOL I was at an airport, small regional one, and the luggage for the entire flight was missing. One fellow working late night and getting everyones info and one jackass toward the end of the line kept yelling up front for him to hurry up and each time the poor guy had to stop what he was doing to answer the guy making it take longer and longer. I was tired and finally had enough and I yell at the guy why didn't he shut the hell up so the guy could finish and we could all get out. The guy started yelling at me, wrong move, and then the whole line started telling the idiot to keep his mouth shut. Problem solved everyone oout quickly and the fellow at the counter thanking everyone.

 

[Ridingcrops]

I'm sure you can relate to this then. I worked shoes in Denver years ago. Some woman comes in and just didn't want the shoes she had worn, Since they were evening shoes we knew she wore them for the occasion and wanted her money back. Tha manager made sure that she knew that he was only giving her the money to keep good "relations" with her as a customer. She asked what we would do with them and he said probably donate them to charity or throw them away since there was nothing we could do with the worn shoes and the manufacturer would take them back. So this bimbo says well if that's what you are going to do then I'll take them. He says "Oh you want to buy then back?" She says no I will take them for free if you're not going to resell them.
And the saem thing in the car busincess. Had an Indian come in argueing about nickles and dimes. Then the salesman asks about what he wants to pay for this very expensive car, he says, grab your socks for this one folks, "You should give it to me for free and I will tell all my friends about the wonderful deal I got here." Just what we would have needed, every Indian in town coming in for free cars.