Bad Customers!

[xStarryEyedX]

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.

Don't even! If you want a sample ask for it, there is a big difference between somebody who is seriously interested in trying something, and somebody who just wants free crap .... And most of us can tell the difference. Don't feel awkward asking at all!

 

[tanechka28]

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.

Girl, your post made me a little sad. This thread isn't meant to discourage anyone from asking for samples entirely but to be mindful and respectful when you do. As long as you are patient and realize that it's not your right to demand a million samples then by all means ask away, also it's better to go in on a slow day then say, a Saturday. SIt down, get matched and as for one or 2 samples of something that you are unsure of, and remember MAs will always be willing to give you more samples if you spend $$$--the reality is we all have goals and expectations and if you scratch my back, ill def scratch yours!
As for not being able to hear the MAs, if I was helping you I'd be more than happy to speak-slower/louder/repeat myself if you told me your situation. It's a lot more awkward when you KNOW that the person you're speaking to doesn't understand you and is just nodding away lol. Just explain yourself and a good MA would be happy to accomodate you. As with everything mentioned above, patience is key.

 

[thebeautybible]

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,....

I get this all the time too! If you don't no what you want or what you like... how am I supposed to know! I get so frustrated with people like that.

 

[FafiNati]

I mean, if MAC could do that, don't you think the world would be lined up out the door to get that product? There are some things that only surgery can accomplish. Some people only will believe what they want to hear, I guess. It just always irked me that some customers would get frustrated with honesty, yet they're happy when another counter lies to them and tells them what they want to hear. I dunno...???

bwahahahaah Im not a make up artist but I studied beauty (which included make up, skin care etc) for a dipolma. When I was at work ( I work for a supermarket) I told a customer I just passed my dipolma in beauty and make up the conversation was as follows.
her - so what make up would get rid of my eye bags and dark circles?
me - You'd need a good eye cream first one to smooth out the wrinkles and maybe use a colour corrector or a cream to reduce the dark circles. Even then it doesn't rid you of your problem entirely.
her - oh no I don't need all that there must be a make up that would hide it all?
me - no the foundation would set into the wrinkles enchacing them. Good concealers would alter the darkness slightly but creams would be a good start to reduce any problem you have.
her - ohhhh im sure I know a foundation that would cover them.
at this point she was done and walked off I just wanted to shout after her "YOU NEED CREAMS WOMAN!"

to this day I picture her wondering around with cakey foundation trowled on underneath her eyes making her problem ten times worse. Oh well you cant help them all.

 

[FafiNati]

I've often wondered with all the make up freely on display. Do customers ever steal them? or attempt to steal them The display products I mean.

 

[StyleBlack]

I've often wondered with all the make up freely on display. Do customers ever steal them? or attempt to steal them The display products I mean.

All the time!! Shadows go first, then eye & lip liners.

 

[MsButterfly]

I don't work in the makeup field. I have seen plenty of customers who are rude towards MA's while shopping for makeup. Demanding, rude, snotty etc. In all the years I have bought makeup I can only think of three times I've had rude MA's. Otherwise my experiences have been wonderful.

 

[FafiNati]

All the time!! Shadows go first, then eye & lip liners.

that's terrible they don't stop to think that they are there for all other people to enjoy and for the MUA's to use when they do make overs. As well as people have been swatching them with their fingers and using the liners on the back of their hands ewww cross contamination much? I hate to think of them bragging to their mates like "yeaa just totally chored this!" yuk.

 

[thatgreeekgirl]

I always have bad experiences at MAC counters where I live but I never fuss about it... I just pick the products I want and pay for them.

 

[Honesty0410]

I had the most annoying complaint ever! So basically a group of four women came into our store, and I did makeup on two of them. After showing my customer a few eyeshadows, and explaining what each would look like, she says, "I want the most dramatic look". This combo included carbon, since we we're doing a smokey eye. Anyway, after it was done she didn't like it, so I took it off and choose one of the other combos. The next day, her friend decides to call the counter and complain because her friend didn't like how dark it was. I was like seriously, I'm not a mind reader, that's why I asked and explained what all of these eyeshadow combos were, but she was insistent that she wanted the most dramatic look. Furthermore, she should have said something as we we're doing our makeup and not waited till the end. On top of that, this woman who complained wasn't even near us during the application, in which case she has no idea how our demo went. Ugggh! I just hate when everything is our fault because we're not mind readers.

 

[cleopatrananton]

Hahahaha....seriously LOL at the lipstick tester unit/I Don't know post from xStarryEyedX, Helping clients pick out a lipstick sometimes can be the bane of my existence!! Granted, it's not always that way, but I get at least a few a week. It's especially annoying when you work on commission and your co-worker racks up $1000 in sales while you are helping Ms. I don't know find her perfect shade for 45 minutes.

 

[angieangel]

I've managed an Origins retail store, which is part of the EL brands, for 5 years now...and I had the worst customer Interaction yesterday. This woman comes in and announces, "WHERE'S THE BLACK GIRL, I DROVE ALL THE WAY TO GET HER HELP?!" It was downhill from there. I apologized by saying, "I'm sorry, ----- is off today, but what may I be able to assist you with?" and she rolled her eyes and said "UGH, she is off???!!! I don't need your help, I know what I want. Also, online is offering a gift with any $30 purchase, what is the gift?" I respond, "I'm really sorry, online offers are just that, exclusively online, we aren't given the same 'gifts' to give out, but I'd be more than happy to make you customized samples that will directly target your skincare needs and concerns. That earned me another eye roll and "That's ridiculous, if I get a gift online, why shouldn't I order all my products there?" Now at this point my patience started to waiver. I didn't feel like any answer I could give her would satisfy her, and that she was just testing me to see if I would give her something for free. I just replied, "I can't argue with you there..." at this point another customer walks in the store and I excused myself to help her. While I was in mid sentence with the new customer, the rude one interrupts by asking her "What products are YOU using?" and then the poor gal was put on the spot and basically having to point out her insecurities!!!! Then, I get "Are the products she's using better and more popular than mine?" and she waves two random products that have no correlation with each other whatsoever. At this point my goal was to get her out ASAP. When she was finally ready, I ring her up, and she says "I want samples." Naturally, I respond, "ok, what would you like a sample of?" and the woman gives me the nastiest look and points to the products that she's purchasing. So I say confused, "wait, would you like samples of these or are you purchasing them?" and she gets really mad and says "BOTH! I'm traveling and I like the sample jars!" Now don't get me wrong, we have pride in our sampling program, and one thing that my team knows is that I will be extremely upset if there are ever any service complaints-especially if it has anything to do with sampling-but I can guarantee, if she went anywhere else acting the way she did, she would have been lucky enough if she was given empty sample jars to fill herself with the products she was buying. In all honestly, I wouldn't have batted an eyelash with a different customer-if it was approached in a more polite manner. It was as if I OWED it to her. So I walked over and made her samples, mind you of the products she was already buying, and then she  saunters over and says, "I guess ill just buy the rest of my stuff online and get those free gifts....*akward silence***** OH. I want an eye cream sample!" Again, we have many eyecreams, so naturally-"what are your concerns with your eyes?" she stomps her foot and points at her eyes and says "Wrinkles, DUH!" wooooooooooow. My mind was officially blown. I'm sorry I didn't offend her by saying something like "well obviously you're old and you need this." I just needed to vent. I've been in customer service for 10 years now, and have dealt with my fair share of crazies. People bitching me out for discontinuing their skincare/makeup products (because I'm so high in the company that I can say "I don't want those on my shelves-discontinue it!"), scam/con artists-regarding transactions and once i even got a nice fake slip and fall "accident", to just plain insane people-I've seen it all. The cherry on top, is that the woman calls my store today and files a complaint about me. Apparently I didn't fill the sample jars to the brim. She said she didnt feel valued and that she wanted more of a response from me when she threatened to shop online. And she felt like I didn't want to help her. She had a field day when she wanted to talk to the manager, not knowing it was me. I don't know what I'm most upset about- *the fact that if this happened to one of my employees, it is my job to coach them and find ways to overcome this> but I would not have changed a thing *the fact that this woman did not even know what the online gift offer was, but it was the idea of getting it for free *the fact that she didn't care about treating her skincare concerns but was adamant about what's the "best" and most "popular" products  * the fact that even though I was calm and by her side the whole way through-she had the audacity to call the next day to complain!!!!! F-ing bitch.  Next time she comes in, I'm going to give her a nice full sample jar of foot cream, "Here's our best selling moisturizer-Enjoy!!!!!"

 

[Dreaming Dancer]

Next time she comes in, I'm going to give her a nice full sample jar of foot cream, "Here's our best selling moisturizer-Enjoy!!!!!"

wow, she was completely disrespectful. So sorry you had to go through that. I don't this this person wanted to be helped, just out for what she can get.

 

[angieangel]

wow, she was completely disrespectful. So sorry you had to go through that. I don't this this person wanted to be helped, just out for what she can get.

Thanks, I really appreciate that. I just needed to vent and this was the perfect place to let it all out. I just had to remember out of 5 years and ALL the people ive made happy, this one customer isn't going to get the best of me. There's a first for everything and I got my first complaint and have to get over it :shock:

 

[cleopatrananton]

That's pretty bad. I'm sorry that happened to you. As we know in the business we are in, the majority of our customers are great. But I am convinced that there are a few like the lady in your story, that are really out to just abuse whomever the hell they can. And I guess those of us in retail are just easy targets. It's just.....gross.