I love when customers try to tell me how to do my job...

[ms.marymac]

I am sure we all get a little annoyed if we are offered to apply for a store credit card, add on products at the cash wrap, additional products that might enhance whatever you are purchasing. The fact is, when you walk into a department store, the employees in there are required to do this, and I personally have come to accept this and I just politely decline.

It's such a fine line...if MAs offer several products to a person, that person may feel like they are being pushed into buying everything. If a person walks in and just wants an eyeliner, and the MA doesn't offer anything else, that person may be disappointed that they were not shown the latest collections or even a sharpener for their pencil. They might even feel like they received less than stellar service. Gaaaaaaah. lol

 

[darkwater_soul]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ms.marymac I am sure we all get a little annoyed if we are offered to apply for a store credit card, add on products at the cash wrap, additional products that might enhance whatever you are purchasing. The fact is, when you walk into a department store, the employees in there are required to do this, and I personally have come to accept this and I just politely decline. It's such a fine line...if MAs offer several products to a person, that person may feel like they are being pushed into buying everything. If a person walks in and just wants an eyeliner, and the MA doesn't offer anything else, that person may be disappointed that they were not shown the latest collections or even a sharpener for their pencil. They might even feel like they received less than stellar service. Gaaaaaaah. lol

This. At my shop, we are expected to show a Peace of Mind ritual to every client (basically putting some minty lotion on them to ease them and make them spend more, haha) but about 2 out of every 10 people gripe when we do this, and so when we stop, they gripe MORE. *other store* does this ALL THE TIME. They also give me discounts."

Then go there, woman, and get out of my harmony space.

 

[FullWroth]

I try to be extra nice to any sales person at any store I'm in to make up for the crappy customers. I'll try to chat with them a little bit if they're not busy, make a joke or two, brighten up their day. If they ARE busy, then when they're done helping me I'll thank them and wish them good luck handling the workload. I'll sometimes help put things back in their place, although this is less to be nice and more because I'm just a little bit obsessive compulsive and I have a hard time NOT putting things back where they clearly belong.

But the first time I was in a MAC store, I totally got the stuff myself. I didn't know any better and thought that's how you did it! I'm sorry, MA who was there that day, I didn't do it on purpose!

The only thing I hate is being shadowed by a salesperson or having them start making recommendations and commenting on what I've picked up AFTER I've already said I'm just looking but thanks for offering (and I always make sure to thank them for offering, whether or not they work on commission). It kinda puts me on edge - I'm a really slow shopper, I like to take my time looking at everything, and having someone standing there over my shoulder WAITING for me to decide to buy something makes me very uncomfortable. I don't mind if they come and check on me periodically, like "Are you still okay or did you need me to get something?" because I know some people ARE too shy to approach the employees on their own and they don't know if I'm one of those people or not, but actually being shadowed just tends to make me walk out of the store, more often than not, and come back later when I can shop in peace.

 

[darkwater_soul]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FullWroth I try to be extra nice to any sales person at any store I'm in to make up for the crappy customers. I'll try to chat with them a little bit if they're not busy, make a joke or two, brighten up their day. If they ARE busy, then when they're done helping me I'll thank them and wish them good luck handling the workload. I'll sometimes help put things back in their place, although this is less to be nice and more because I'm just a little bit obsessive compulsive and I have a hard time NOT putting things back where they clearly belong. But the first time I was in a MAC store, I totally got the stuff myself. I didn't know any better and thought that's how you did it! I'm sorry, MA who was there that day, I didn't do it on purpose! The only thing I hate is being shadowed by a salesperson or having them start making recommendations and commenting on what I've picked up AFTER I've already said I'm just looking but thanks for offering (and I always make sure to thank them for offering, whether or not they work on commission). It kinda puts me on edge - I'm a really slow shopper, I like to take my time looking at everything, and having someone standing there over my shoulder WAITING for me to decide to buy something makes me very uncomfortable. I don't mind if they come and check on me periodically, like "Are you still okay or did you need me to get something?" because I know some people ARE too shy to approach the employees on their own and they don't know if I'm one of those people or not, but actually being shadowed just tends to make me walk out of the store, more often than not, and come back later when I can shop in peace.

In that case, I would very politely tell the sales person, but keep your tone firm,
"I'm just looking for now, I will let you know if I need help."

Most will get the hint, but like me, I keep tailing them a little until something like this is said, because a) it's my job and b) MOST consumers have no clue what they are doing in makeup or skincare shops, so I try to ease the tension. But that sentence lets me know politely that I am not needed.

 

[xStarryEyedX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaneHorror Omg, I feel sorry for all you guys, rude costumers also happen in clothing stores too. My sister was an asst. manager. She told me some of the funniest things, like this girl was trying to return UNDERWEAR, and my sister was like"we don't accept returns for underwear, and the girl was like" Well Wal-Mart does it." LOl And I must say that some employees are rude too. I ALWAYS feel intimated when I go to MAC counter. I soon as I walk in they just stare me down, and Im just looking around and they ask me" Do you need any help?". I say "no thank you", and they walk away and just keep staring at me. I get so uncomfortable and aggravated, cause I just want to look around and thats it. Or sometimes I get looks from Mac MUA like "WTF what are you doing in here?" They look so stuck up, and they think that they are sooo awesome cause they work there,and they are standing there looking like a drag queen did their makeup. One thing my mom told that I will always remember is that retail is ALL about sale goals, so employees will do and say anything to make you purchases something. I also HATED when MUA tries to sell you a whole bunch of other crap, it's like "all I want is some eyeliner, I don't want to look at eyeshadows, nor do I care that such n such will bring out my eyes." " I know that you are only helping me because you need to reach your sale goal for today, and not because you actually want to help." And I absolutely hate it when MUA tries to push products on me, I HATE THAT!!! It's like lady how many times do I have to tell you I DON'T WANT IT!! And when I say "I'm just looking" I am actually just looking, when I need your help I will ask for you, you don't need to follow me around everywhere. Then when you don't buy something, and walk out they give you this mean look. I'm like "yep I sure didn't buy anything." Also if you're doing a makeover, it would be nice to explain to the person what you are putting on their face, and what it does. Just don't start putting random stuff on my face without telling me what it is. Just to let you know I am ALWAYS NICE to employees, even if they are rude to me. I never get rude or have an attitude, my mom does that and I HATE IT soo much when she is mean. ugh I feel kind of bad because right besides MAC is an Organic makeup counter and yeah nobody goes over there at all.

People make me cranky. Please try to be nicer to your MAC girls, they're doing their jobs. And to be honest- if all you're buying is one eyeliner you're messing up their numbers. So it's the least you could do.

 

[lindsaycoe]

I don't really understand why women are intimidated by other women who are talented and can rock their makeup. Just because the MACstrisses look flawless, women assume that they are snooty and would never stoop to our level to help us pathetic wretches.

Buh. Get over it. That's your own stuff not theirs. I love my MAC girls/guys.

I worked as a manager for a major bookstore for a long time and absolutely abhor the retail industry. It will destroy your soul and make you into a misanthrope. The thing that got to me the most (aside from cleaning up every bodily fluid you can think of, chasing off prostitutes that were giving handjobs at 9:00am to 85 year old guys, and working 3 Harry Potter midnight releases) is how the general public views people who work in retail. They can't imagine that an intelligent, normal human being would willing work that job ergo we must all be too stupid to get a real job.

After years of having to kiss customers' asses, I finally went off on one. He was trying to return an open cd that we had special ordered for him. We don't return open cds. Period. Hello..you can burn them.

He was yelling at my employee and he finally told the employee.."What do you know? You're just a bookseller." Excuse me? The employee had a Master's degree. It was an extra job because he loved books. I told the customer that he had no right to speak to my staff member that way. I told him that just because we worked retail didn't mean that he got to treat us like crap.

I can't tell you how long I had wanted to SAY that instead of just THINKING it.

Most awesome time was when I kicked out our resident drunk who would bring in a bottle of vodka and proceed to drink then passout on the floor. I kicked her out and when we got her outside she looked at me and said "You have no shred of human decency". I told her, "You're right. I work in retail."

 

[FullWroth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindsaycoe I don't really understand why women are intimidated by other women who are talented and can rock their makeup. Just because the MACstrisses look flawless, women assume that they are snooty and would never stoop to our level to help us pathetic wretches.

Because for many people, girls who looked exactly like those MAC artists were the ones who put them through hell in grade school. Also, some MAC artists ARE that bitchy and elitist. Also, because MAC especially works overtime to try to make itself look as elite and professional as possible and EXUDE that feeling of exclusivity, as many high-end beauty stores do.

I don't think that it's right to treat every make-up store employee like shit, or assume they're all snooty bitches, just because some were mean to you or because the company wants you to think that way, but this stuff is really not without basis. There IS a reason people feel this way at MAC and not at Target.

 

[DirtyPlum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FullWroth Because for many people, girls who looked exactly like those MAC artists were the ones who put them through hell in grade school. Also, some MAC artists ARE that bitchy and elitist. There IS a reason people feel this way at MAC and not at Target.

Thats full on - esp your first sentence.
Demonising and scapegoating MAC employees for grade school bullying- WTF?
Those kinds of notions should have been left in the playground and is no BASIS for treating or even thinking of MAC emplyees like shite - just cos they may remind you of someone who bullied kids?!

If u feel some MAC artists ARE that bitchy and elitist for whatever reason then thats ur call, but perhaps you should look behind their good looks and makeup and realise there is a heart and there are feelings - NORMAL human beings. There may be the few odd ones who particularly nice or whatever but that doesnt make them the devils child.

Get over it, if u guys dont like their attitude then dont deal with them. Just get ur products online or from some other non-elitist, non-destructive, non-bullying, non-bitchy brand.

 

[trollydolly]

theres bitchy girls everywhere in the world not just at mac! i dont think we can just generalize and sum all of the mac artists up like that in a few sentences.

 

[lara]

This isn't an appropriate place to transpose high school dramas against grown adults who happen to work in retail; we have an entire Deep Thoughts subforum for that kind of virtual wrist-cutting.

Back to the original topic, please.

 

[DirtyPlum]

^ i love how you do that (get ur point across) in like, one sentence!

 

[Willa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xStarryEyedX People make me cranky. Please try to be nicer to your MAC girls, they're doing their jobs. And to be honest- if all you're buying is one eyeliner you're messing up their numbers. So it's the least you could do.

This sentence bugs me a little

Since when, as a customer, I have to care about how much an employee did on his/her day?

 

[LMD84]

the thing is with items per transaction you'll always get some people buying 1 item. however the many other customers who buy 5-10 items per transaction make up for the 1 item. so in the long run it doesn't matter and people shouldn't feel bad for only buying 1 item.

and as for the people who come in and think they know more than you i can totally relate to that! i'm not in cosmetics but i'm manager of a sony centre and some people come in store and because they've read lots of crap on teh net they think they know everything about a certain tv or product. and because 9 times out of 10 they are confused or just read bad info they seem to get shitty and treat me like i'm stupid if i kindly correct them!! you can't win some days!

and the whole issues of people not liking being asked if you want any help is totally shitty!! when you walk in my shop where you know it's a sales enviroment you should realise that at some point you will be asked if you want help. if you didn't you'd be buying it from argos or something. some days to try and talk to people and they say they're just looking i ask what they are looking for. because quite frankly poeple would moan a whole lot more if you didn't approach and ask if they need help!

 

[xStarryEyedX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willa This sentence bugs me a little Since when, as a customer, I have to care about how much an employee did on his/her day?

You certainly don't have to care. I happen to.
At my store if someone comes in for one cheaper item and they're nice it's a lot easier to take the blow than when somebody is rude/degrading etc and then proceeds to screw up my numbers. Again, clearly not everyone is going to care- but with the pressure MAC girls are put under to make goals (at my store we just have to base who gets hours on numbers, at MAC it's you don't make em and you're fired) I always try to be nice... If all I'm stopping in for is mascara I try to be extra nice just because I know it sucks to have your average sale dropped because of one transaction.

 

[Willa]

Thanks for the explanation

I don't mean to offense anyone, because I know it can be hard to get your numbers (my sister works in a beauty store), but I think that the average customer doesnt have to care about the sale's person numbers.

As for me, I'm always super sweet with the sellers

I don't work full time in cosmetics, but in an office, and sometimes my customers try to tell me what to do, I hate that. I'm a super direct person (I stay polite), so when they do that I tell them that it's ok, I can deal with it, I've been there for 3 years. Usually they shut up

 

[MacArtist]

Never feel bad for only buying one item. If the artist is good enough he/she won't have to worry about 'onsies', and just to clarify, the artist cannot get fired for having a 'bad' aus(average unit sale) but he/she CAN get fired for not making goals consistently. If I'm having a rough day and my aus sucks, it can bring you down a bit and get aggravated when the 3rd person in a row comes up and says "I just need a pencil sharpener" lol !!! I try to shake it off and just laugh and then focus on demos.

 

[Kimmer]

N/A

 

[s0xjuicy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willa This sentence bugs me a little Since when, as a customer, I have to care about how much an employee did on his/her day?

Working in retail, you're suppose to have multiples [more than one item per transaction] that way the company can get more money. It also shows how well a SA is at selling if they have a high percentage of multiples.

It's typical for a SA to mention other products to go with the one thing that you're buying, because - well - that's their job. But I would never want to feel bad because I'm buying one thing, or get bad service because I'm buying one thing.

Retail is all about money, and it can be hell.

 

[MAC_Pixie04]

OMG guess what time of year it is again??

Last minute shoppers who are pissed off that they missed out on the holiday sets and LE palettes!!! I'm gonna tally how many times I get yelled at or complained about because we're out of things that came out 2 months ago.

Here's a tip; DO NOT shop at Sephora (or frankly anywhere else for that matter) a week or two before Christmas and expect to find what you're looking for. Everything is GONE. And what isn't gone WILL be gone very soon. And don't yell at me because we're sold out of (insert popularized item here); you should have been here a month ago when we had tons of them. This is your own fault for thinking we'd be your holiday miracle.

People are already getting monstrous. Yesterday before opening, this lady was banging and yanking on the door and screaming inside "It's 11:01, you're supposed to be open!" totally melting down (and why? I don't know). When my manager went to open the door (she's pregnant btw), this women yanked the door open as soon as the key turned and SHOVED her out of the way to start shopping.

And that is exactly how the tragedy at Walmart this Black Friday occured. The price you pay for a christmas gift or a great sale should not be a human cost. Do not shove a pregnant employee or step on someone's child to get inside first. Everybody's going to get service, and if you come in acting like an animal, I'm going to assume you are one, and I will absolutely NOT be helping you.

 

[panther27]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC_Pixie04 OMG guess what time of year it is again?? Last minute shoppers who are pissed off that they missed out on the holiday sets and LE palettes!!! I'm gonna tally how many times I get yelled at or complained about because we're out of things that came out 2 months ago. Here's a tip; DO NOT shop at Sephora (or frankly anywhere else for that matter) a week or two before Christmas and expect to find what you're looking for. Everything is GONE. And what isn't gone WILL be gone very soon. And don't yell at me because we're sold out of (insert popularized item here); you should have been here a month ago when we had tons of them. This is your own fault for thinking we'd be your holiday miracle. People are already getting monstrous. Yesterday before opening, this lady was banging and yanking on the door and screaming inside "It's 11:01, you're supposed to be open!" totally melting down (and why? I don't know). When my manager went to open the door (she's pregnant btw), this women yanked the door open as soon as the key turned and SHOVED her out of the way to start shopping. And that is exactly how the tragedy at Walmart this Black Friday occured. The price you pay for a christmas gift or a great sale should not be a human cost. Do not shove a pregnant employee or step on someone's child to get inside first. Everybody's going to get service, and if you come in acting like an animal, I'm going to assume you are one, and I will absolutely NOT be helping you.

And this is why I am SO happy not to be in retail anymore,people waiting outside before we open all pissed off that they can't just come in anyway even though we are not open yet!