Do MAC MA's REALLY hate it when we return things?

[Lex24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofabean i always swatch lip things on my hands because i can never find the plastic applicators to use for them. they never seem to be out and the MAs are always so busy whenever i'm there. plus, i'm no way in hell going to let the lipstick touch my lips. however, whenever i buy lipstick or lipglass, i already know i'm going to keep it. i do enough research on swatches and such before i go to the store to have to have the hassle of going back and returning it.

I did the same when I was a customer. But there are people who dont get it. Example: I had a woman come in to but a Prolong Wear for a wedding she was going to. I explained to her it was best to try the product on since they tend to look a bit darker in the tube. Nope, she purchased 3 to try. The next day her daughter returned all 3 because they 'didnt look right w the dress'. There goes a 60 dollar sale that was her fault, not mine.
Argh! lol

 

[II3rinII]

the way the company pushes sales and AUS on us, having returns does suck and it DOES affect us. lets say an artist has "x" amount of returns, even if they are for different reasons, corporate only sees the dollar amount, it could make this artist look bad, like shes not doing her job properly. this is why i dont "over sell', i dont tell a customer they NEED this just to have a higher sale, i will however make suggestions and let them decide if its something they need and thats why i dont have many returns. i know artist who will sell plushglass because its more expensive, i dont think thats right, i sell plushglass to people who want lip plumpers, that way i dont have someone coming back saying "this made my lips tingle, i must be allergic..."

but peole also abuse the return policies. one lady returned her foundation when we asked if there was something wrong, could we show her something else she barked "i just need the gas money!! now leave me the fuck alone!" another girl returned a prolongwear and said she needed the 420 and would come back after pay day to buy it again, like we are some kind of ATM. we have also had husbands come in and return their wives makeup "because she dont need to spend our money on makeup".

last week tuesday was like the day of returns, we started the day in the hole first three customers were returns, that really messes up our daily numbers. now some of them may have been legitimate returns, but many were buyers remorse. i had a really big sale, but then turned around to have to autherize a $60 return (it wasnt my return, but im 3rd key, the return was of course, a husband) and that return basically cut my big sale almost in half for our daily sales.

we have 'renters" too, girls (who are even members here on specktra) who will come in and buy a bunch of new stuff, only to come back and return most of it =/. maybe they dont understand it gets destroyed and that means someone else missed out on getting that LE item.

also it kills me when people return brushes, especially with the excuse of "i have this one already...", well then keep it as a back up! i have doubles of my fave brushes (#217, #239, #129 ect). you can have one for your dark colors one for your light colors, or one for creams one for powders. it breaks my heart to have to send a brush to be destroyed.

these are just things to think about. i want my customers to love the product they are buying, i hate for them to return it for an illegitimate reason.

 

[sofabean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by II3rinII but peole also abuse the return policies. one lady returned her foundation when we asked if there was something wrong, could we show her something else she barked "i just need the gas money!! now leave me the fuck alone!" another girl returned a prolongwear and said she needed the 420 and would come back after pay day to buy it again, like we are some kind of ATM. we have also had husbands come in and return their wives makeup "because she dont need to spend our money on makeup".

LOL!!!!!!!!! HAHAHA that is so hilarious!

 

[jin1022000]

I haven't returned anything from MAC!!! You wanna know why?! CUZ I ALWAYS TOSS OUT MY RECEIPT RIGHT AWAY!!! (afraid mom might find it and figure out a MAC eyeshadow actually costs $14, I told her it costs $5.... SHHHHHHH)

 

[nadiya]

Quote:

Originally Posted by II3rinII we have 'renters" too, girls (who are even members here on specktra) who will come in and buy a bunch of new stuff, only to come back and return most of it =/. maybe they dont understand it gets destroyed and that means someone else missed out on getting that LE item.

I think most of them probably don't know. I've done this a few times, then got really embarrassed when I found out they got destroyed.

 

[ms.marymac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by II3rinII the way the company pushes sales and AUS on us, having returns does suck and it DOES affect us. lets say an artist has "x" amount of returns, even if they are for different reasons, corporate only sees the dollar amount, it could make this artist look bad, like shes not doing her job properly. this is why i dont "over sell', i dont tell a customer they NEED this just to have a higher sale, i will however make suggestions and let them decide if its something they need and thats why i dont have many returns. i know artist who will sell plushglass because its more expensive, i dont think thats right, i sell plushglass to people who want lip plumpers, that way i dont have someone coming back saying "this made my lips tingle, i must be allergic..." but peole also abuse the return policies. one lady returned her foundation when we asked if there was something wrong, could we show her something else she barked "i just need the gas money!! now leave me the fuck alone!" another girl returned a prolongwear and said she needed the 420 and would come back after pay day to buy it again, like we are some kind of ATM. we have also had husbands come in and return their wives makeup "because she dont need to spend our money on makeup". last week tuesday was like the day of returns, we started the day in the hole first three customers were returns, that really messes up our daily numbers. now some of them may have been legitimate returns, but many were buyers remorse. i had a really big sale, but then turned around to have to autherize a $60 return (it wasnt my return, but im 3rd key, the return was of course, a husband) and that return basically cut my big sale almost in half for our daily sales. we have 'renters" too, girls (who are even members here on specktra) who will come in and buy a bunch of new stuff, only to come back and return most of it =/. maybe they dont understand it gets destroyed and that means someone else missed out on getting that LE item. also it kills me when people return brushes, especially with the excuse of "i have this one already...", well then keep it as a back up! i have doubles of my fave brushes (#217, #239, #129 ect). you can have one for your dark colors one for your light colors, or one for creams one for powders. it breaks my heart to have to send a brush to be destroyed. these are just things to think about. i want my customers to love the product they are buying, i hate for them to return it for an illegitimate reason.

OMG-I always want to shed a tear when I have to toss a brush into the bin...especially when it is still in the sleeve brand new.

I am just like you...I am not pushy and I am sooo honest. I make suggestions, and if they don't want it, I write it down. I don't want a plethora of returns and I don't want to be obnoxious counter girl...lol A lot of people eat that up, though.

 

[Nails]

I'm not an MA but I am a store manager for a high end women's fashion store here in AUS (Portmans for any Aussies out there) and we've always been trained to treat a return like a sale. We're huge on repeat patronage and want people to have a good experience, whether they're buying anything or not.

Whenever someone returns something, I ask what was wrong with it - they have 14 days to return, even if they just change their mind, just so I know if it's a fabric fault, it didn't sit right on them with what they wanted to wear with it or they realised they had something similar. Of course, this is because I can usually put it back on the sale floor. Also, I ask them if they want to look around for something to exchange it for (which is preferable for my bottom line), which usually ends with them exchanging it for something more expensive or buying two things that they will wear. But if they say no, I say 'not a problem, I'll put this through for you right now.'

I haven't ever returned makeup, but mainly because all of my friends wear makeup and have varying skintones etc. so I know who will be able to wear it and enjoy it.

Some sales assistants really have to remember to 'choose their attitude'. They can choose to let every little thing affect them and let their personal life interfere so they're moody etc. or they can do their best to put that away and be friendly and helpful without pressuring anyone. This is usually only a problem with immature people.

Also, when I go shopping and you get the 'hovering assistant', I either throw them a bone and ask them questions about something I'm genuinely interested in or I let them know I'll find them when I'm ready.

 

[lilhenna]

I also think the way you get treated depends on the store/MA. I had to return an item to one department store due to a mistake on their part, and they weren't very nice about the whole ordeal. On the flip side, I had to return some makeup I received as a gift from Saks Fifth Avenue, and they were sweet and helpful!

 

[erine1881]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wifey806 Question: I wore nc50 in like *every* formula but after loosing my tan, I wanted to try nc45 (and in the Studio Fix Fluid cuz I never tried that one). However nc45 swatched way too light, and NC50 was spot on in the store. Only thing is after an hour, I oxidized like crazy. To make a long story short, it's been two weeks since then, and have taken it upon myself to "re-swatch" myself. After wearing it all day, I now know I need NW43. Soooo... do I need to exchange it with the girl who sold me the NC50 (about a 40 mins drive), or can I just go by my house (12 mins away) where I helped myself? I don't want to mess up the 1st MUA's numbers. t.i.a.!!

it depends on where you bought it. if you bought it at macys, you can only return it at macys. it doesn't matter which one. same with a nordies. if you bought it at a mac store, you have to have the receipt to return it, at a mac store only.

Quote:

Originally Posted by II3rinII also it kills me when people return brushes, especially with the excuse of "i have this one already...", well then keep it as a back up! i have doubles of my fave brushes (#217, #239, #129 ect). you can have one for your dark colors one for your light colors, or one for creams one for powders. it breaks my heart to have to send a brush to be destroyed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ms.marymac OMG-I always want to shed a tear when I have to toss a brush into the bin...especially when it is still in the sleeve brand new.

i can' believe you guys toss em! we take brush returns and make them into testers, as long as they are in good condition of course.

 

[HOTasFCUK]

I don't understand how somebody will return something & come back on payday to buy it again??!! Are you really hurting for a freakin' lousy $20 lipgloss? Uggh, how much time, gas, effort, & energy did it cost you to come back, return it, & come back in a week? And to return foundation for gas money? That bottle is going to last you way more then 6 months. Its something you possibly need! Now ofcourse you need gas but the cost of a foundation will not even get you a half a tank of gas these days!!!

sheesshhh sometimes i think people come up with the craziest excuses! Don't buy it if you can't afford it!!! Its true, MAC is not a rental shop!!!

 

[Edie]

To my knowledge, here in Aus we aren't allowed to return used products (gawrsh I dont know if you are allowed to return non-used products?? Never tried).

Its people who use and abuse policies like these that ruins it for the rest of us.

(OT: I wish our B2M policy included lipglasses and eyeshadows like everywhere else....

)

 

[frocher]

..........

 

[nzgal]

Reading all these messages has been truly enlightening for me. I'm not stupid; I guess I have just not really 'thought' about what happens to the beauty products that I have returned in the past (doesn't happen very often.) BUT, the other day after returning to Bath and Body Works to return 3 things I had purchased 2 days before--a body scrub that made my skin itch, a 2nd scrub that I couldn't even squeeze out of the tube, and a body lotion that was free with the other 2-- my jaw dropped when the SA told me that all 3 products would be"thrown out."

I do understand it though -- for the safety hygiene reasons. However, in the back of my mind I thought that they would be used as store samples, or sold at a discount etc. This was not a truly formed thought, just a slightly blurry one that helped keep my guilt at bay.

This experience, as well as reading these posts, has caused me to have an epiphany, one that I would like to share. From now on, in the hope of bettering the environment, as well as reducing unnecessary consumption, I proclaim that I will henceforth use my best judgment when making purchases of the cosmetic and beauty kind. I have a dream, and that dream is that no product will go wasted and/or unwanted.

That.Is.All.

 

[jardinaires]

i only had to return one thing, and it wasn't a hassle at all. this was a couple years back and i bought studio fix fluid, didn't like it, returned it, and my MA introduced me to the incredible wearability and buildability of select spf 15. so, through the return i ended up falling in love with a product i hadn't even considered before

 

[blindpassion]

As much as I agree with almost everyone posting,
I kinda just want to remind people that under the right circumstances (aka not being one of those crazy people who rents makeup) you're allowed to return things, I mean, it’s your right that if a product doesn’t work for you, or you expected something different, to be able to return it. But hopefully most people are cautious when they buy it and they think about what they are buying before they buy it.

I just don’t want everyone feeling badly because they throw out the product, I know that being as big of Mac lovers as we are, we hate to see things wasted... but it’s our right to return things, I know most people won’t abuse the policy but there are those that do and its sad, but its reality.

For example, I bought three dazzleglasses when they came out, i love them! but two days after I bought them I found out about the lack of product in the tubes and the two dollar price increase for LESS product. I brought one of them back. I felt bad doing it, BUT, I felt taken advantage of by MAC, and I didn’t feel comfortable spending 70+ dollars (they are 20 each here) on dazzleglass, that have little product in them. If I had known this at the time, I probably would have bought only one.

So I just want to remind everyone, its okay if you need to return things, it’s your right and its good of the company to have such a good policy. don’t feel bad that the products being thrown out, sure it sucks, but company’s like MAC make millions every year, they aren’t taking a huge loss from returned product, if they were, they would change their policy (in which case I probably wouldn’t buy as much), I only ever buy things I know I can return if something goes wrong, I hate wasting money, that being said, in the somewhat 4000$ I’ve spent at Mac, I’ve probably only returned three items.

So basically what I’m trying to say
be responsible when buying makeup, take your time to consider the product you're buying, try your best to find a good way to put it to use, and if for some reason it lets you down and isn’t what you expected, bring it back, if it wasn’t okay to bring it back, they’d have a different policy

<3!

 

[trixibella]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edie To my knowledge, here in Aus we aren't allowed to return used products (gawrsh I dont know if you are allowed to return non-used products?? Never tried). Its people who use and abuse policies like these that ruins it for the rest of us. (OT: I wish our B2M policy included lipglasses and eyeshadows like everywhere else.... )

It depends on where you're purchasing. With department store cosmetics, if it's in "resaleable condition" (meaning BNIB), and you have a receipt, you can return it for a refund or exchange. If it's BNIB with no receipt, I'll normally return it to a customer I know (this is where a good customer relationship and file cards come in handy!) or provide an exchange (as long as we still stock the product).

If the product has been used, I will only return it if someone has had an allergic reaction to it. I try to put as many people onto file cards as I can - that way, if someone buys something I have advised against, I put it on the card that I haven't recommended this. For example, I had a woman come in for a foundation a while ago. I matched her to a fair-medium shade, she insisted she were PPP. I told her that I personally preferred the fair-medium, but she insisted on buying the PPP. Two months later, she tried to return it (half used), saying I'd given her the wrong colour. I remembered her, but showed her the file card where it said the colour I'd rec'd and the colour she bought. If I made the mistake I will return the product (within a reasonable time frame).

I can't even begin to count the number of times I've had people try to return half or fully-used skincare and makeup, because "they didn't like it". Sorry, that just doesn't cut it. If you'd bought something a few days earlier and realised you could do without it, fine, bring it back if it hasn't been used, that's no problem. I understand that some SA's can be quite pushy. But if YOU made the choice to use it and just "don't like it", then learn from your mistakes.

For relevance, I don't work for MAC and I'm in Aus.

 

[trixibella]

Oh and Edie - I wasn't referring the last part of the post to you - sorry!!

 

[stacylynne]

I never returned anything. But I have personal relationships w/ some MA's @ MAC. I see them getting exchanges & returns & I never saw anyone freak out ever.

 

[erine1881]

hahaha just today we had a lady come in wanting to return her studio tech. she said it was too light/dark, who knows. anyway, the artist helping her opened it up, and i kid you not, it was almost completely gone! you know how when you get to the bottom of a blush or powder and all that's left is the outer ring? this is how her studio tech was! like 98-98% GONE. she said it was the wrong shade and wanted to exchange it! WTF!? the artist told her it was way to used to return, but that she could match her up with a new shade and she could buy that. then the lady said, "well, there's plenty of product left in there." no, there wasn't! you could see the section of pan at the bottom that was the size of the sponge! she had to repeat to her three times that we can't return a product more than 1/4 used, and with as much as she used (basically all of it) if she didn't like the shade she should've returned it awhile ago. finally the lady got it that she couldn't return it, but wanted to purchase a smaller size. the artist told her that it only comes in one size. so then she asked for a discount cause she couldn't use the rest of what she wanted to return.

i swear, some people...if i wouldn't lose my job i woulda gone off on that heffa!

 

[User67]

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