Bad Customers!

[fishx3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by circusflavouredgum One example was a woman I'll call Sandy. She would scope out the counter from afar, to see if she saw either a new freelancer or new employee on their own or with someone else new. She would come over and start talking to them (even if they were helping another customer, she would wait for them) and she would act like she was very interested in buying some shadows. She would then ask the MA's if they could 'do her eyes' and give them specific instructions about what colours she wanted and how she wanted it. At the end of it, she would tell them she wanted to "think about it" and then would ask them to write the colours down for her. OF course none of us who had been at that counter for years could ever remember her even buying ONE thing!!

Oh my god. I had a woman like that. She kept coming into my store and asking me to "put on moisturizer on her face". I told her that she had makeup on (thick thick thick layer of foundation) so in her best interest, I'd prefer not to. She blew up on me, so I did it anyway. Whatever. Then she started asking me to put makeup on her. "Do to me what you did on your eyes". After I did that, she walked away, not a single word of thankyou or goodbye.

She came back a month later with drug-store brand falsies, and asked if I would put them on for her. Of course, I told her I couldn't because they're not from my store. She yells at me a little, saying I'm useless and unhelpful, then runs around the mall, going to different places. She comes back 30 minutes later, saying "oh MAC wouldn't put it on for me. They said it wasn't their brand so they couldn't. So can you?" What do you take me for? If MAC won't do it, why in hell would I do it? So she proceeds to scream at me (again), saying she has no money, but later realizes that I don't care anymore and buys a pair from my store. Reluctantly, I had to put it on her. And I did a pretty damn good job, considering how rude she was to me. After I finished, she walked off without saying thankyou AGAIN.

 

[tarteheart]

*shakes head* What is with some people? Do they see how childish they're acting?

 

[MizMac]

I think my all time horror story was when I was working for MAC in Tacoma WA. It was almost a year ago. A crazy man came into the mall and started shooting with a machine gun. Yes a machine gun. We had this lady insist that we still match her up for a foundation. At the time our security gates had not dropped down yet (making sure all mall customers where going to have someplace to go. I tried to polietly explain to her that there was a mad man with an M16 in the mall and we weren't quite sure where he was. She let me know that she drove 20 miles and she WAS going to get her foundation. ( I worked 30 miles from the store so I really couldn't pitty her) I told one of my gals to turn the chair facing the door that way if crazy guy came by, she would have something to hide behind. There was no way that I was going to let one of my girls get shot to match bitchzilla for a foundation. It was insane, we where preforming triage in the womans shoe dept. Then she got really pissed since we where closing the store and she couldn't buy her foundation. That by far was the BIGGEST customer from hell.

 

[circusflavouredgum]

Oh my god that is sooo crazy but sorry to say, so typical!!


On the serious side, I can't believe you had a mad gunman, that must have been so frightening and horrifying (not for EVERYone obviously). Were many people hurt? I feel so bad for you and the other people there, must have been traumatising and hard to go back. What happened in the end?

Those foundation customers tend to be a more stubborn breed than the rest! Here in California, I was working at MAC for Bloomie's and a lady had come up for foundation. She was a little cold and impatient already, but suddenly as we're talking, the ground starts shaking and there's an earthquake! Mind you, our area was all huge glass doors and glass shelves everywhere, it was shaking pretty strong. My sense of survival kicked in and I legged it. I sat outside until it seemed ok (only about 5 mins.)

I came back inside and the woman's got a face like thunder. She never moved and was enraged I had the nerve to get out during an earthquake.

 

[fishx3]

MizMac, you win the award for having to, not only deal with the customer from hell, but with politeness!

What the hell are these people's problems? I sometimes wonder if their philosophy is "If I'm going to die, I might as well die as a made-up, foundationed corpse?!" Ridiculous.

 

[MizMac]

I'm alot better now, I still cringe when I hear a bang ( balloon poping, car backfiring) No one died (thank god) and the one who was severely injured was strong, made it through therapy and ended up being able to walk again. It was so surreal, sometimes I still think it was a bad dream. Our store had counsiling for us if we needed it. In a way it was funny since I spent 4 years in the military, and never really got shot at, but at a makeup counter???? The guy has life in prision ( I think). I was so worried when all hell broke loose since one of my good friends was on break. Thank god she had come back before it all happened. You really see the ugly side of humanity in a time like this. People where running in and it was just caotic. People even knocked over this little old lady. I was one of the last 10 people to leave the store. The whole Navy thing took over and I remember when one of the cops came to get the rest of us out, I had left my medicine at my counter. I at first was leading the cop, crouching and staying out of sight. He told me to let him in front and I was like " I know where I'm going", reality hit when he said to me " I'm the one with the bullit proof vest" Things where always a bit different after that day.

 

[ms.marymac]

OMG...I'm glad everybody was ok. How did you not tell her "see ya!" and bolt? You deserved a raise!! It must have been so hard not to shake her and ask her what her damage was.

I heard about a similar story at a Atlanta counter. Some guy got shot in the head outside the store and a lady was more concerned with her makeup than his welfare. He was still outside the store!

I think with people like this, they need to take all the money they spend on makeup and use it towards therapy.

 

[MisStarrlight]

Wow, it's hard to follow that one. Good to hear the guy is put away.

My biggest annoyance with customers, of course, has to do with foundation too....
First off, the people who insist on having someone of a similar skintone work with them. And if no one is availiable, they are convinced that you cannot do it right.
I can't count how many times a day someone will come into my location & when I ask if I can help them or whatever, they will either ignore me, or worse say, "Can you find me someone who can match my skin." Implying that since I am a pasty NC15, that my eyes don't work the same & that I can't match someone with skin darker than mine. I'm sorry, 4 years of art school, makeup school & a year at this counter makes me quite capable of matching the colors on your face...And when I do match them, they are convinced that they need something different, like if I give them an NC45, they think they need NW50 or something the matches their hand. Ugh!

I also have my fair share of know-it-alls (or the customer will be fine, but the friends will be terrors)


And my counter also limits our returns. It has become such a problem at my counter that if they get a makeover with their purchase we stamp their receipt so that they can only exchange their products. Also, I just found out yesterday that we are going to be keeping a list of chronic returners and only allowing them to exchange their stuff after a certain point. There are just so many people that come back the next day, saying they "went overboard" and return everything. People just need a little self-control!

 

[littlemakeupboy]

HAHA i'm so glad someone finally posted this

Here are a few of my pet peeves:

.when customers come in to make an appointment and I explain that it's a fourty dollar purchase and act like like 40 dollars = a million dollars
.when a customer walks up to the counter and I say "hi,is there anything that I can help you with" or something of the sort and they just walk over to the register and wait for me or any other artist to come wait on them,It annoys me because I acknowledged them when they first come up to the counter but they walk away and wait for me
.customers who pull what they want out of their bag and just show you,they don't say "may i please have blah blah"
.customers who just say "i need nc40" no direction in which foundation they mean just i need nc40

I just get very annoyed when customers act like I'm their slave because I'm in retail,Yes I am aware that I'm there to help them with choices but I don't need to wait on them hand and foot

 

[FacesbyNiki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlemakeupboy HAHA i'm so glad someone finally posted this Here are a few of my pet peeves: .when customers come in to make an appointment and I explain that it's a fourty dollar purchase and act like like 40 dollars = a million dollars .when a customer walks up to the counter and I say "hi,is there anything that I can help you with" or something of the sort and they just walk over to the register and wait for me or any other artist to come wait on them,It annoys me because I acknowledged them when they first come up to the counter but they walk away and wait for me .customers who pull what they want out of their bag and just show you,they don't say "may i please have blah blah" .customers who just say "i need nc40" no direction in which foundation they mean just i need nc40 I just get very annoyed when customers act like I'm their slave because I'm in retail,Yes I am aware that I'm there to help them with choices but I don't need to wait on them hand and foot

I'm starting to hate that. And then they look at you like you are suppose to know.

 

[littlemakeupboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacesbyNiki I'm starting to hate that. And then they look at you like you are suppose to know.

my favorite was a few weeks ago when a women came in,she was looking for a blush,so I asked if she had anything in mind that she would like to try

when she came to the counter she didn't say oh i'm looking for a blush do you have any suggestions,she said WELL HERE I AM AND HERE'S MY SKINTONE YOU ARE THE PROFESSIONAL YOU TELL ME

i'm a makeup artist not a magician or a mindreader

 

[FacesbyNiki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by littlemakeupboy my favorite was a few weeks ago when a women came in,she was looking for a blush,so I asked if she had anything in mind that she would like to try when she came to the counter she didn't say oh i'm looking for a blush do you have any suggestions,she said WELL HERE I AM AND HERE'S MY SKINTONE YOU ARE THE PROFESSIONAL YOU TELL ME i'm a makeup artist not a magician or a mindreader

I had one lady come up to me and ask for "Lustre", so I'm thinking, I haven't heard that one before, I know I'm new but that doesn't sound right to me. I go, "Ok, let me check for you." I go look and I'm like, that's a formula. We go back and forth for like what seemed forever, she even called her husband who was at home. Come to find out, she wanted Viva Glam V.

And I hate it when they tell you the manufacture number. "I need the lipstick A87" I'm like . And then they go, 'This one' and hold it to your face. "Oh you want, "O" lipstick, that's the manufactures number. They feel so stupid.

 

[giz2000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by macnatic I remembered that was one time i bought swimming e/s....the ma just put the e/s in the bag...stupid me never checked the e/s and i walked off... 5 mins later when i was walking towards the train station and i took out the e/s to see...i noticed that she gave me the wrong colour...i went back immediately to get my swimmin e/s back. u mean that they ACTUALLY THROW away the e/s they wrongly gave me?? even though i never opened the box at all...let alone test it.. If that is the case...THAT's a big waste man...geesh.. Next time have to check properly before i leave the counter.

Unfortunately...yes....

 

[giz2000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacesbyNiki I had one lady come up to me and ask for "Lustre", so I'm thinking, I haven't heard that one before, I know I'm new but that doesn't sound right to me. I go, "Ok, let me check for you." I go look and I'm like, that's a formula. We go back and forth for like what seemed forever, she even called her husband who was at home. Come to find out, she wanted Viva Glam V. And I hate it when they tell you the manufacture number. "I need the lipstick A87" I'm like . And then they go, 'This one' and hold it to your face. "Oh you want, "O" lipstick, that's the manufactures number. They feel so stupid.

A lot of tourists do this..it annoys me to no end...

 

[tarteheart]

There was a lady like that at my counter. She wanted Viva Glam V, but she kept trying to find a tester that matched the same batch number that she had, despite the other artists telling her that she wants VIVA GLAM V and not just a number! I don't know if she found a matching tester or not, but once she was done checking the testers, one of the other artists let her friend who was helping out go through all of the Viva Glam V stock to find as close a batch number as they felt happy with. :[

 

[Pascal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ledonatella Ok, I am an MA, not for MAC, but I have been in retail for years so I completely understand. Yeah, we got some wack jobs out there who just argue with you about everything so they can feel better about themselves. They'll be like, "I read in a magazine in 1982 that yellow (or whatever color) is ugly on me so no golds or anything goldy or has gold in the name." and you wanna be like, "Ok, first of all this ain't Color Me Beautiful and second off I understand if you hate yellow (or whatever color) but step out of the box and try something new besides what some so called expert told you in 1982!". I guess that's one of my pet peeves. Or someone will say "Do whatever you want to me, what you think looks good." and you try and then they say, "I don't like it because I only wear brown (or whatever)" and I am like "Ok, tell me what you do like." and they go "I dunno you're the expert, you tell me." UGHHHHHHHHHHH, I am not a freakin mind reader! I can give suggestions and do what I think, but ultimitely if the customer doesn't like a color or look it don't matter if I love it, they're the ones that are wearing it. Sorry to rant but I just got off work..ha ha

That would so piss me off when they say to just surprise them and then they're not happy with what you have spent your time and talent creating:duel: , it would work on my last nerve too !!!

 

[MACgirl]

hey makeupboy, i reeeeallly dislike when customers do that!!!! especially when you greet them and they walk past you to the cash wrap, only to be directed back to you!! another thing i dislike is when customers say they like to look natural and barely made up and to pick out eyeshadows for them so here i go with my brown down, patina and such, apperantly to them natural is swimming, freshwater, and of course carbon and sketch. As mentioned above with customers thinkin that if your not thier ethnicity or skin color thye dont need your help here is one example: keep in mind the store im at has a large latino demographic.

- at my counter thier is this girl named stephanie, she is a white as you can get! and spoke no spanish when she came to mac a year ago, but as of late the girl has picked up alot of spanish! Im really impressed by it for one! (she is even reading harry potter i nspanish lol!) so this customer comes in who speaks not a word of english and im the only spanish speaking person thier at the moment and im doing a appt., so stef asks the lady in spanish if she needs help, she quickly says no and i see this so i go up to both of them and ask the lady if she needs help (stef recenlty became an artist) and she puts on a huge smile and says to me thank god someoen who speaks spanish and i told her well stef speaks it too, and stef says in spanish i could help wth anything yo uwant, and she still was insistant i help her but i told her i was unable to because of my appt. so stef says to her in spanish i could help if you want and by this the lady was insulted and walked out......it was weird and stef felt bad that the lady didnt even give her a chance but i told her how proud of her i was! and reminded her how far she's gotten!!

 

[MACgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juneplum ummm.... what???? dude.. i woulda drop kicked that bitch to the floor! jigga what??????????? oh HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL no :bigpimp:

LOLOLOLOL juneplum, i started laughing hyterically when i read that!!!! its the same reaction i woulda had lol!!!!

 

[MisStarrlight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACgirl hey makeupboy, i reeeeallly dislike when customers do that!!!! especially when you greet them and they walk past you to the cash wrap, only to be directed back to you!! another thing i dislike is when customers say they like to look natural and barely made up and to pick out eyeshadows for them so here i go with my brown down, patina and such, apperantly to them natural is swimming, freshwater, and of course carbon and sketch. As mentioned above with customers thinkin that if your not thier ethnicity or skin color thye dont need your help here is one example: keep in mind the store im at has a large latino demographic. - at my counter thier is this girl named stephanie, she is a white as you can get! and spoke no spanish when she came to mac a year ago, but as of late the girl has picked up alot of spanish! Im really impressed by it for one! (she is even reading harry potter i nspanish lol!) so this customer comes in who speaks not a word of english and im the only spanish speaking person thier at the moment and im doing a appt., so stef asks the lady in spanish if she needs help, she quickly says no and i see this so i go up to both of them and ask the lady if she needs help (stef recenlty became an artist) and she puts on a huge smile and says to me thank god someoen who speaks spanish and i told her well stef speaks it too, and stef says in spanish i could help wth anything yo uwant, and she still was insistant i help her but i told her i was unable to because of my appt. so stef says to her in spanish i could help if you want and by this the lady was insulted and walked out......it was weird and stef felt bad that the lady didnt even give her a chance but i told her how proud of her i was! and reminded her how far she's gotten!!

Awww, you are so sweet. I have a girl at my counter that took me under her wing like that...she's really helped me boost my sales-and my confidence.

I often think that I need to learn how to speak Spanish, Hebrew & Creole just because I'm paranoid that people's friends are talking about me while I'm doing their makeup.

 

[mitziedoll]

I used to really love to buy and wear a lot of MAC. I think that when someone is going to purchase an avg 300.00 per trip in cosmetics that they should not have to wait for half an hour before getting assisted. I understand that you get busy with customers but should you not have business cards so that you can build raport with frequent customers. I never see the same people when I go to MAC. Also, with such great colors and options sometimes the girls (usually pretty and young) get made up like drag queens (No I don't think Electric Eel would be a good highlighter). Sometimes I think they get hired because they are pretty or edgy and not because they know anything about cosmetics or cosmetics application. Many do not know the products well. Many discuss the price before the product which is a huge turnoff. In some occasions I remember dropping 300.00 or more and not getting so much as a thank you for my business. I wonder if it is because they are young or rude (I am only 25) Most of the artists I have had the most luck with are actually male. Because of my love of m/u I am not going to write off MAC although I have discovered great customer service with other lines. For instance a Giorgio Armani associate Rhonda from Brea Nordstroms calls me when new colors come in and greets me by name when I meet her. If she is busy which she often is she is courteous and thanks me when I have waited. She also not only shows me the products but the looks and how to apply them so they look GOOD on me and not overdone. I guess Im not in the minority in the opinion that MAC is the Cheesecake Factory of makeup. What your getting is quality fare but a chain like following and one of those annoying vibrating buzzers to hold while waiting for a table. The same colors are being repeated over and over again like a flavor of the month except with different names and creative "limited edition" marketing schemes. What happened to the MAC that was like an upscale sushi place. Sorry to vent but working for MAC Im interested in knowing a bit more about you, a refreshing minority, providing good customer service.