Bad experience at MAC store...

[Fearnotsomuch]

The MAC counter I got to is really hit or miss. Some of the MAs are absolute sweethearts, not super pushy with sales because they know I'm not going to leave without buying something.

A few others tend to blow people off, but I try to be understanding since I know how difficult it can be to deal with multiple demanding customers at one time. One girl seemed to be a bit racist about it, but I REALLY tried to not take it personally.

Yesterday took the cake with awful MAs. The MA walks over (the store was pretty busy, so I was patient) and was like "Do you need help?" I started talking telling him what I needed and he cut me off saying "Wait, has anyone else started helping you already?". Ok, whatever, he's rude and way to spazzy. I wanted to get some fun colors that day, so I asked for Chrome Yellow, Electric Eel, and Deep Truth. Its bright.. so what. Instead of responding with a "Sure thing or no problem" I get, "Ummm that's wild, don't you want to start off with some good neutrals and crease colors?". HUH? PLEASE do not ever tell me what I need to buy or not buy. I'm sorry I walked in without full makeup on, but sunshine, I'm allowed to own bright colors! He then had to stop and dance and goof off with every MA in the store instead of getting my e/s! Bitch.

 

[tiffanykei]

That's not right.. I was shopping at Nordstroms when a SA complimented me.. it was a couple of years ago during spring and I had this awesome, soft, pink dress on with soft pink boots.. Tacky I know.. But the SA said I looked like a Barbie. lol- ANYWAYS!! Her co-worker just trash talked me by saying, "Don't lie to her. She looks trashy" I was just wide eyed after I heard that. I mean come on.. if she wanted to trash talk me, at least do it quietly like other stores would y'know? ;p But she said it so that everyone within a 40 ft radius could hear the loud mouthed blabbing wh*re. Yeah..

I called Corporate.

I hate how some people are so rude!! If you can't show customer service, don't bother applying to work in a CUSTOMER SERVICE ENVIRONMENT!!!

 

[NatalieMT]

I think I must be lucky, I've always had great experiences at MAC. My local counter is the Chester, Debenhams one and everyone there is absolutely lovely. Without a doubt they are the friendliest staff I have ever met anywhere. They show me collections in advance and always stop for a chat.

When I was first getting into MAC I went to the Harrods MAC counter, London and a super helpful girl served me and I guess actually that's what spurred me on to buy more.

Since then I've visited the MAC counter in Saks 5th Avenue NYC which was great, MAC Pro Store on Hollywood Blvd and the Orlando Pro Store at Mall at Millenia. Everyone I met was really nice, I remember the staff commenting on my accent and joking about me being English. I don't mind that though they were all really nice people and they gave an efficient service.

 

[-moonflower-]

The girls at my counter are usually really nice and helpful (and they all look amazing!). But I do try and avoid it on a Saturday afternoon because it's usually mobbed and you can be waiting for 20 minutes before you catch an MA's eye and get them to help you. Luckily I'm very patient and don't mind waiting around the counter(there's lots of stuff to keep me occupied!).

I've only had one bad experience. It was a Thursday afternoon and I went to the counter at around 6 (it closes at 7). I was going to a wedding the next day and I just wanted to pick up some eyeshadows and a bottle of Fix+. I was with my sister and we spent some time messing about, looking at products and her asking me what was good and what wasn't. We were the only people at the counter and there was only one MA who was deep in conversation with someone. When I was ready I tried to get her attention but she did not want to leave the conversation. Finally she stopped talking, I showed her the two eyeshadows I wanted and she looked like I had inconvenienced her in some way and started rooting around in the drawers to find them. Then I told her I wanted some Fix + and she looked at me like I had grown an extra head before going off to look for it. It really annoyed me!
/rant.

 

[stacylynne]

I'm sorry this happened to you. I've always had a pleasant exp. in MAC stores. I totally love the MA's.

 

[XxArtisticOnexX]

I've been looking for a thread like this for a day now and Finally found it!
I had a bad Exspe. At my Mac counter two days ago. There are only 3 nice girls there I've met and have helped me when I needed a color or whatever. Well I've been going to this Mac store sence I was 14 years old and I'm Twenty now And I never had a problem until two days ago. When I was trying to do a B2M I've done alot of these lately. This girl I've never seen Was a Streight up bitch to me and I rarely use that word. She asked me what I wanted I told her Neo Sci-fi deilty Lipstick. And her face lit up and said Oh no We don't give Limited Edition lipsticks for B2M we only sell those to people that buy from here. I told her I've done this over five times now with fafi,Naughty Naticals and so fourth. I usally go to a different girl that always does my B2M but she wasn't there. She said well let me check with my manager and whats so funny is there wasn't any Manager there because I know what they look like. She comes back And say well I can do it for you this time. But for the near future you can't do it. She said this like five times. I told her the girl I usually go to has been here for years and has done it for me. And She's like well she's wrong. About that time I was just so pissed off Cuz She treated me like I don't buy enough product as it is. She was rude disrespectful. So I'm defenitly letting the manager know about this. I don't know if all Mac stores are like this I was just so shocked how she treated me.

 

[andiem]

i've never had a bad experience at a mac counter (way to jinx myself), but if you do come across someone working retail who is obviously having a rough day, you may wanna imagine what it's like for them spending all day on their feet being treated as faceless product fetching machines.

something as simple as paying them a compliment (nobody tires of compliments), smiling, or anything to acknowledge that they're actually real people can make a hell of a difference


sayin'

 

[Sweexy985]

Wow. I'm so sorry for everyone who has had a bad experience(s). I have never had a bad MAC experience. I usually go to the nearest MAC counter, which is inside of a Dillard's, and they are always very nice a helpful.

I think a good MA would acknowledge the interested customer right on the spot, say hello or something, then just let that person browse around. Usually if someone has a query, they'll just ask from jump.

Sometimes I think that some MAs can be a little TOO friendly, as in when you get to the counter, they're ready to put their brushes in your face, which is really nice that they are so helpful, and you can really tell that they love what they do, but it's like, let me look a little, and then if I want to try that color on I'll let you put it on me that right way, OK?

I'm not trying to be rude, that's just what I think.

 

[Jello89]

I usually shop at the MAC Pro on St-Laurent or the MAC at Ogilvy On St Catherine(Montreal lol) Ive always had great experiences. Even at the bay, where alot of employees are cocky(trust me i know. I worked there...), I have had good experiences. I guess I am lucky. I know for other makeup counter they are not so nice. The only time I was unhappy was when I went to the MAC at the Bay near my house, the MA kept asking me if I wanted to try on whatever I was looking at. That is ok I guess, but after 10 min I was annoyed and said very politely: Oh, I dont really feel like putting any makeup on right now. And then she asked me again if she could try it on me. I said oh no thx. Then she said in Spanish(probably thought i didnt understand) ''Whatever you want little girl.'' I totally just laughed and left. It was so humid that day. I already had some makeup on, but with the humidity + my gym class, I totally did not want to cake some more makeup onto my lovely oily face. I thought it was funny cause Im like 5'7 and Dont really look too young since im 19. I guess she just thought I didnt know what I was doing and just staring and wasting time...

 

[grlygrlnyc]

I always seem to have a bad experience when I go to the ground level MAC counter in Macy*s (Herald SQ).I remember once I asked one of the male MA if he could help me and I swear he looked at me from head to toe and said that he was busy right now. I then saw him go to another MA and start up a conversation, they weren't even helping customers!! I got so upset but luckily another MA asked if I needed help and I proceeded to buy $300 worth of product. The worse thing of all is when I left the first MA came up to me and said "Oh honey, I said I would help you in a few minutes...you should have waited for me!" I just looked at him and said "Awww I'm sorry... I saw how busy you were and didn't want to force you to help me" and walked away.
I now only shop @ the MAC counter in Macy*s, if the freestanding store in Queens Center doesn't have what I need, and even then I rather go to the Macy*s in Flushing or Queens Center.

 

[xnaomix]

Im very sorry you guys had such bad experiences at stores or counters.

First off sometimes we are so busy and overwhelmed that it's hard to aknowledge and help everybody in due time. I always try to say hi and make customers know that we will assist them as soon as we can. On the other hand what bugs a lot, is when customers see we are SLAMMED busy, and they wait and wait and wait for you and then once you help them, they go ; "hmmm I don't know what i want , suggest colors." Then you take time, you suggest colors,nothing is good enough,they have NO idea of what they wany...you try it on them, but they still don't make a decision... And it drags.. And everybody around them is staring at you because they need help, but the customer you're helping doesn't seem to care that they have been waiting forever. bottom line, sometimes if you don't get assisted, it might not be 100% our fault . But at not point of time should any MAC artist be rude to anybody.

As far as attitude goes, I hate nastiness, and I will voice it if somebody is rude to a customer. You can teach anybody how to do makeup, but you cannot teach anybody how to be nice!

Always contact directly the store manager, they want to know if someone was rude to you. But please, be nice to us to, I've had some very mean customers!

Always treat people with kindness!

 

[sneaky9]

Omg im so scared to goto a mac counter now after reading all your bad experiences. A couple of weeks ago i had bought make-up for about $200. Im still experimenting with foundations since i havent found a perfect match yet (I just switched to mac about a year ago, i figured if i buy all my makeup from mac might as well buy a foundation from them as well) So, i was saying 2 of the foundations i bought oxidize on my skin so i have to return them, and get something else. I keep putting it off to later because i used to work at macys at an other makeup counter which is right across from MAC, so i dont want to go to mac and feel like a loser in front of the people i used to work with. You know what i mean? So i finally decided to go tomorrow but then i stumbled upon this thread so im very nervous now. I desperately need to go thou because i ran out of my studio fix powder. Oh and if i havent mentioned yet i lost my receipt which makes it even worse but its on my macys card !!

AHhhh HELPPP..im going there tomorrow at around 1:00pm

 

[sweetbabyblue]

My experience was awhile ago, I went to my city MAC store to book an eyebrow shaping appointment (first time). The MA's ignored me while I waited at the counter and when one finally came to serve me she was very short with me and seemed grumpy at me like I was interrupting her.
The MA I had for the eyebrow shaping was talented and she picked the perfect foundation colour for me which was great but she got a little hissy when I didn't buy anything more.
The third time I went to the same counter the male MA was simply rude, he glared at me, spoke to me in a condescending way because I didn't know much about MAC products and kept looking around and looked like he was embarassed to be seen with me (and I'm pretty sure I don't have two heads).
I hope that the next MAC counter I go to will have wonderful SA's I've met at Shiseido and Benefit. But for now I'll be buying online.
(I am still tempted to go here for eyebrow shaping though because I can redeem the money on products rather than pay almost that same amount just for eyebrow shaping elsewhere)

 

[Repunzel]

It sounds like this is an all over the world issue.
i've had rude and dumb Mua's at myer in Australia.
get this one,when the sonic chic blushes came out i asked the mua to swatch them for me and she said 'swatch'?she didn't know what that was.lol
most of the time they dont know the products they are selling or when collections being released.If i didn't like m.a.c so much i woudn't shop there.
also i spend large amounts on it (in Australia it is more expensive) and the mua's really annoy me.

 

[Beauty Mark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sneaky9 Omg im so scared to goto a mac counter now after reading all your bad experiences. A couple of weeks ago i had bought make-up for about $200. Im still experimenting with foundations since i havent found a perfect match yet (I just switched to mac about a year ago, i figured if i buy all my makeup from mac might as well buy a foundation from them as well) So, i was saying 2 of the foundations i bought oxidize on my skin so i have to return them, and get something else. I keep putting it off to later because i used to work at macys at an other makeup counter which is right across from MAC, so i dont want to go to mac and feel like a loser in front of the people i used to work with. You know what i mean? So i finally decided to go tomorrow but then i stumbled upon this thread so im very nervous now. I desperately need to go thou because i ran out of my studio fix powder. Oh and if i havent mentioned yet i lost my receipt which makes it even worse but its on my macys card !! AHhhh HELPPP..im going there tomorrow at around 1:00pm

Think of any large chain of stores. Take McDonald's or Starbucks. Sometimes the service is mindblowingly good. Sometimes the service makes you never want to return.

Although I'm sure MAC and other places that pride themselves on customer service try to weed through the bad SAs, they do slip through. It's easy to get caught up in the badness. I'm going to guess no one writes down every single time they have an acceptably good time at MAC. We come to expect it. Only the extremes stick out.

 

[iliang25]

I always feel intimidated by the MAs in my MAC counter in Macys but coming in prepared on what I want and not necessarily need LOL..helped..and of course I get the extra friendly treatment when they remembered me and how willing I am to let go of $$$.

 

[funii_bunnii]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikaru-chan No it's the Selfridges in Birmingham the girls there are so rude.

OH MY GOSH that is sooo true, they are really rude and they ignore you... it makes me want to get out of they bullring and get to the store near house of fraser... i swear i cant stand some of them... its really weird how they act like that..

 

[doll.face]

The artists at my MAC macys counter are always super nasty. There can be a million of them and they just walk around and ignore you. Or they ask if you need help once and never again. I mean, even if everyone is busy they should at least tell you they will be with you in a few minutes. I've walked away from that counter so many times. Even when I was planning on buying something.

I now go to the MAC freestanding store and they're super friendly and helpful. I love it there. After all my great experiences there, I wouldn't go anywhere else. Whenever a new collection comes out or there's something I really want, I make sure to go there.

 

[serenabena]

I cant stand bitches like that.

 

[nursee81]

My macys counter the girls use to be really nasty and rude so I had stop wearing MAC for a while or basically used what I had and didn't get any new items for a while I didn't know that there was another MAC free standing at this other mall by my house b/c i never use to go there. But now the ones at Macys are starting to be nice. Dont know if its new management or what.