MA Rudeness/Bad MAC experiences/Rants

[Hawkeye]

Here is what I would do.
I would 1) Complain to the counter mgr 2) Complain to MAC themselves then 3) Complain to MACY's.

LahKnee brings up some excellent points but the problem was the attitude. If she was busy then it is one thing, when I worked at home depot there were times when I was short with people (but then again I also had a huge line from my register to the back of the store. WHY people dont go to other lines is beyond me!) But it was evident and when people complained my mgr would just tell them look, you arent the only person she is helping. Get over it.

But if there was no one else there then there is no excuse.

Hope this helps some.

 

[Char1986]

Urghh, I know how you feel!! The MAs at the Macy's counter near me are always too busy putting on their OWN makeup to greet me! Last time I went, there were 3 MAs working. One guy was was busy doing makeup on a customer, and the other two girls were attached to the mirrors caking on makeup. And I mean REALLY caking on. I browsed around the counter for a solid 15 minutes before one of them finally decided to saunter over and ask me what I needed help with.

The MAC store is farther away from me but the MAs are somewhat better. There's one guy who's pretty cool, and today it looked like they had 2 or 3 new people there, and I was listening to one of them with a customer and she seemed REALLY nice and helpful. Yay for cool MAs!

 

[TheMinx]

a914butterfly - You should definitely complain, her behaviour was totally unacceptable.

I'm from Singapore and I detest Mac at Tangs with a passion. Rude, bitchy, ignorant SAs - ugh! Unfortunately I've been forced to be a customer of theirs for almost 10 years because it was the only Mac counter we had back then. Thank god there are other counters now. I go to the Isetan Scotts counter now where the SA are a bit better (mind you, it was only after they realized how much I bought that they started being nice to me)

 

[thedivaa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMinx a914butterfly - You should definitely complain, her behaviour was totally unacceptable. I'm from Singapore and I detest Mac at Tangs with a passion. Rude, bitchy, ignorant SAs - ugh! Unfortunately I've been forced to be a customer of theirs for almost 10 years because it was the only Mac counter we had back then. Thank god there are other counters now. I go to the Isetan Scotts counter now where the SA are a bit better (mind you, it was only after they realized how much I bought that they started being nice to me)

It's true that many of the Singapore MAs are pretty rude, but I feel that the same goes for the customers. The nicest MAs usually have a hard time dealing with unreasonable customers, who oftentimes cannot afford/ do not want to pay but still want a full face makeover.

 

[MAC_Whore]

I still think you should complain to all three.

Some managers are just ineffective. The manager may not do anything if you just talk to him/her. As a former MAC MA, I speak from experience. I've seen complaints get disregarded by my manager. That is why you should talk to the Macy's and MAC HQ.

If a complaint is lodged with Macy's, sure they may just forward it to the manager, but it is just another prompt for action. Some people (managers) unfortunately need that.

MAC HQ will send the complaint to the RMO (the counter manager's boss) for resolution.

New subject:
On a general customer service note, not directed at the above Macy's encounter.....

As far as MAs and customers; As an MA, it is very easy to say, "Hi there, I am with so-and-so and I or someone else will be with you shortly". That lets the client know that they are acknowleged, but also that there is also a wait. Sure the counters get crazy and it is hard to keep track of who is next. It is as easy as asking, "who is next?" That way it involves all the customers waiting and they can work it out amongst themselves. Just communicating nicely and concisely to the customer eliminates a lot of confusion.

On the other side of the coin, there are clients who just don't want to wait. I let them know what the wait is and that is all you can do. Be friendly, but matter-of-fact about it and if they don't like it....well, you can't please everyone.

I also noticed that a some clients seem to want to be victims. I would ask who was next, they didn't say anything, and I moved on to help someone else. Then, when I got to them, they had an attitude because I skipped over them. Again, I just tried to speak logically with them and if they had an issue with me, I would ask if working with another MA would make them happier and grab someone else.

Some clients are just straight-up awful. No other way to put it. So the MA has a bad experience, and dumps their attitude about the previous client on their next client. Its unfortunate, but it happens. No MA deserves to be treated poorly, but neither does the client. After a few encounters with nasty clients, I learned not to take it personally. If it was bad enough, I would step off the sales floor, take a breather, ditch the crappy feelings and get back to work. My mantra during those types of encounters..."It's just makeup".

All customer service issues have a resolution. That is why I think there is no excuse for an MA to be rude. It is just a matter of speaking to the client in a friendly, informative manner and multi-tasking when possible. I always knew that if I did that most clients would be happy. Sure some won't, but at least I gave it an honest effort.

I get really irritated when I see MAs being rude to clients for no reason. In my MA experience, the MAs who were really arrogant and rude to clients were just little, petty people to begin with who had no business being in a customer service related business. Rude MAs should be reprimanded or fired if it is a pattern.

 

[llucidity]

Butting in, the experience at Tangs is really disappointing. I only go there because of my fave MA. Now that she's leaving, I don't even feel like buying anything. Very rare! Honestly, I don't know who we should air our grievances to cuz from what I observed, the counter manager seemed like the rest

But I really do like the more experienced MAs at other counters. So I guess it could be due to that almost all the new hires are sent to station at Tangs.

 

[little teaser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lah_knee HEY until you know whats it like to work for MAC dont judge me on how i respond. i clearly told her that it doesnt excuse her rudeness or her attitude if infact she gave it. all i am saying is customers tend to jump to conclusions quickly before they know the situation. YES the MA should have let her know someone would help her shortly or she should have helped her herself since she wasnt busy apparently, but like i said customers tend to quickly jump to the conclusion that no one WANTS to help them. like i said since i work at such an awesome counter i myself cant relate to that kind of work environment. but when im busy with another customer ive had customers try to get help from me too and i try my best to be nice and tell them someone else will be with them shortly. they still get mad. and some STILL complain or want to talk to a manager... its hard to satisfy all customers cuz everyone is different and behaves different in retail environment. mac is a crazy counter. the busiest by far at my location and it can get pretty hectic when people are asking you questions everywhere you are... i feel bad but i cant be everywhere. people have to be patient like i said, she should definately file a complaint to the manager since she did infact answer my question in regards to whether or not she might have been helping someone else. i wish people were this adamant when they think an MA is awesome and they insisted on going to management to PRAISE. but everyone is so quick to complain instead. in ANY business actually. im at least proud to say a few people have asked for my manager to praise my assistance and attitude it feels so good when you are acknowledged. k im babbling now but ya... moving along...

im not judgeing you why are you on the defensive all i said is if she felt like the lady was rude she probely was you dont think it's rude to ansewer some one with your back turn tiddy up is more important and im not saying anyones job is easy dealing with the public im a cosmetologist so i know how clients can be my job is just as brutal if not more than working for mac and i personely have not had problems at both mac counters i shop at the people are nice and helpful even when there busy i dont need them to hold my hand when im chooseing my products only time i need there help if i need foundation and need to be color match other than that i like being left alone while i shop when im done i tell them everything i want pay and leave and i have two ma i love one at each store and yes i have called mac to tell them how great they are but if one was every rude i wouldnt have a problem complaing either!! and when i say dont justify her rudeness if she wasnt being attack by the customer and in this case were talking about not any other i dont think the customer was theres no excuse busy or not this exsperience with this thread has nothing to do with your brutal job..lol

 

[onnachan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC_Whore I get really irritated when I see MAs being rude to clients for no reason.

Thanks for such good insight /explaination into some of the different hard-to-deal-with customer types out there.
What you wrote was very true. Theyre are so many different types of people and customers and sometimes the cutomer service 1 needs wont work for another customer. and some cutomers will never be happy or nice, no matter how hard one works to please them. but
maybe at the end of the day everyone needs to relax a bit and remember "it's just makeup".

 

[toxik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMinx a914butterfly - You should definitely complain, her behaviour was totally unacceptable. I'm from Singapore and I detest Mac at Tangs with a passion. Rude, bitchy, ignorant SAs - ugh! Unfortunately I've been forced to be a customer of theirs for almost 10 years because it was the only Mac counter we had back then. Thank god there are other counters now. I go to the Isetan Scotts counter now where the SA are a bit better (mind you, it was only after they realized how much I bought that they started being nice to me)

i no longer find the interest to visit mac counters with all the MAs like these around. anyway, a914butterfly : *hug hug*

 

[lah_knee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by little teaser im not judgeing you why are you on the defensive all i said is if she felt like the lady was rude she probely was you dont think it's rude to ansewer some one with your back turn tiddy up is more important and im not saying anyones job is easy dealing with the public im a cosmetologist so i know how clients can be my job is just as brutal if not more than working for mac and i personely have not had problems at both mac counters i shop at the people are nice and helpful even when there busy i dont need them to hold my hand when im chooseing my products only time i need there help if i need foundation and need to be color match other than that i like being left alone while i shop when im done i tell them everything i want pay and leave and i have two ma i love one at each store and yes i have called mac to tell them how great they are but if one was every rude i wouldnt have a problem complaing either!! and when i say dont justify her rudeness if she wasnt being attack by the customer and in this case were talking about not any other i dont think the customer was theres no excuse busy or not this exsperience with this thread has nothing to do with your brutal job..lol

k but first of all she didnt specify that the ma was tidying up instead of helping her.... she only specified that AFTER i asked her if the ma might have been helping another customer or doing a demo. which indeed justifies my question being asked; it does not justify the behavior of the MA which i clearly stated. im going to get defensive you TELL me not to do something in a public thread. "dont justify the workers behavior" something i wasnt doing to begin with.

and i merely pointed out what we go through so that customers realize its not always what they think. i agree with MAC whore that some customers like to victimize themselves! and just because YOU like to shop that way doesnt mean everyone is that understanding. i like to shop that way too. im not needy at all. but SO many customers are and thats okay. we just cant help that all at one time when theres a whole buttload of people surrounding the counter and you dont even know how long some people have been waiting!!!

which brings me to another subject! some customers want help when others were clearly waiting longer... if i even ask if they have been helped, this will tick off the other customers who have been waiting but i wasnt there to see who was there first. ive actually had customers get into with EACH OTHER. and ive had another accuse me of skipping over her. when its busy at ANY type of business, its hard to keep up. we are only human. anyway at our counter we are required to greet EVERYONE no matter what we are doing. and we do a pretty damn good job doing it

 

[little teaser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lah_knee k but first of all she didnt specify that the ma was tidying up instead of helping her.... she only specified that AFTER i asked her if the ma might have been helping another customer or doing a demo. which indeed justifies my question being asked; it does not justify the behavior of the MA which i clearly stated. im going to get defensive you TELL me not to do something in a public thread. "dont justify the workers behavior" something i wasnt doing to begin with. and i merely pointed out what we go through so that customers realize its not always what they think. i agree with MAC whore that some customers like to victimize themselves! and just because YOU like to shop that way doesnt mean everyone is that understanding. i like to shop that way too. im not needy at all. but SO many customers are and thats okay. we just cant help that all at one time when theres a whole buttload of people surrounding the counter and you dont even know how long some people have been waiting!!! which brings me to another subject! some customers want help when others were clearly waiting longer... if i even ask if they have been helped, this will tick off the other customers who have been waiting but i wasnt there to see who was there first. ive actually had customers get into with EACH OTHER. and ive had another accuse me of skipping over her. when its busy at ANY type of business, its hard to keep up. we are only human. anyway at our counter we are required to greet EVERYONE no matter what we are doing. and we do a pretty damn good job doing it

i get your point but the things you are saying belong in that thread about bad customers this one is about her running into a rude ma and im trying to show her some love and the only reason i may not need as much help as the others as i know the prouducts newbies dont and need xtra attention so please dont take it soooo personel ok no one is saying your a bad ma i think your takeing this so personel is like you stated above some one accused you of things and maybe your customer was an impatient rude lady but not everyones like that like not all ma arent so please dont take it personel ok

 

[user79]

Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

I had a thought on the train home from work today, if I should send a complaint letter to MAC. I feel weird about this so want to get your opinions...

OK, I live in Switzerland, and the only counter available close to me is a counter in Bern that's inside a department store. There are only a few MAC locations in Switzerland (no free standing stores), this is the only one in Bern, the other ones are all in different cities further away.

Basically, this MAC counter is the WORST one I have everseen. I have been to many MAC stores and counters in Montreal, Vancouver, London, and Paris. They all vary in the quality of service, but honestly, this one is deplorable.

To give you an idea...the counter is almost never restocked. There are only 2 of those eyeshadow display holders, and both of them are nearly amost half empty. On any given time that I go there, it's with the intent to buy something, but they almost never have the products I want, and this is the perm. collection I'm talking about. There is only 1 blush display and it is also usually about half or a third empty. The lipstick displays as well, are often empty, and the colours are disorganized and not arranged by colour palette. Basically, they just don't get stocked, for months! I have been on a "waiting list" to be notified when Expensive Pink e/s is getting restocked, and it's been well over a month. I mean, this is the permanent collection, which they don't even get all of.

Another thing, their displays look soooo bad. Many of their eyeshadows are dirty and crusty and need to be sanitized, many of the lipsticks are squashed and half melting. The blushcremes are full of gunk. Basically, the products look unappetizing and unhygenic. They will clean the lipstick off for you if you want to try it, but even the displays look gross. Coupled with the fact that their displays are half empty, this counter is just really turning me off MAC!

I know what a good MAC counter or a store should look like. It's probably not entirely the fault of the girls working the counters, like the restocking issue is probably poorly handled by their head offices, but seriously....it's just really pathetic! How can you sell makeup when your shelves are half empty, you don't even have all of the perm. collection available, and all the stuff you do have looks nasty?

Now, do I have any right as a customer to write a letter of complaint? I mean, this isn't directly affecting me, but I want to buy their products but I can't, because they are not getting restocked, and tbh, their counter looks so sloppy it just turns me off! It didn't always used to be this way at that counter, so I'm thinking someone is just not doing his or her job! And if I was a manager in a head office somewhere, I would want to know about this. Would it be overbaring and completely out of place? It's almost a matter of pride, that a company I love is presenting itself in such a bad light!

Often the staff is just standing around chatting. They do help if I ask for it, but I usually feel kind of uncomfortable there, like I'm a nuisance or something. The customer service is ok, it could be a lot better. One of the girls is really snobbish towards me, and I have no clue why.

Anyway, should I write a complaint letter or should I just butt out and MMOB?

Oh, another thing that bothered me once, was that I wanted to try out Flammable Paint, and they did have it in stock but they didn't have a tester sample of it out. So I asked the girl if I could test one, and she refused! I did end up buying Flammable but I didn't even get to try it out before buying...now, I'm not sure how many customers are actually aware of this Paint, and since they don't have a sample of it out front, how are people supposed to know about it? I had to specifically ask for it, and the girl had to look up what colour it was and search for it behind the counter. I don't think that's going to sell the product very well!

 

[Iridescence]

Re: Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

I definitely think that you have a right to complain. I am sure if you contacted head office with your concerns they will look into it.

 

[aquarius11]

Re: Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

I see no reason why you shouldn't bring it up. MAC takes customer service very seriously. If you feel this way about this certain store, there is a good chance there are others out there that feel the same, and perhaps it will take only one person to file a complaint and maybe change the way management operates at that store.

 

[Esperanza]

Re: Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

I totally agree, I think that you should write a letter to the customer service. MAC is a high-quality brand and if they want to increase much more, they need to be aware of what's going on in their stores/counters. Customers make shops live (and sales-assistants & managers!) so you definitely have the right to complain about how the corner is run. I've been a sales-assist myself and believe me, all the customers' grievances were taken into account, as well as the compliments. You just have to expose the facts and how much it has disappointed you, "being a MAC lover since x time", to see what you saw. I think they will totally understand your approach.

 

[YvetteJeannine]

Re: Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

Yes...It's your right to say something...Nothing would ever get improved anywhere with anything if people didn't speak up...

You aren't being rude, or demanding; you just want to go to a store/counter that is decently stocked with the products you're looking to buy; and hygienic..That is your RIGHT as a consumer!

Things being as you say, at this point it sounds as though the only way anything will improve there is if you *do* write a letter to MAC..'Cause this IS affecting you directly...you want to be able to purchase things, and you cannot...because there isn't anything THERE TO PURCHASE!!

If you DO decide to write in to MAC, let us know what they say

 

[mzreyes]

Re: Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

ewww thats disgusting.. please! say something! although i might never go to switzerland, everyone deserves restocked and CLEAN mac!

 

[Triskele]

Re: Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

I think that MAC HQ would be interested in knowing about the way their stores function in general, so that they can correct problems and reward good behavior. So, since this is a (BIG) problem, I'd let them know- for the store to be like that means that mac loses business in the long run, from customers who may not be as dedicated to the line as we are.

Heck, if I'd walked by my store 6 months ago and it looked like that, I would have NEVER gone in.

 

[coachkitten]

Re: Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

I agree with everyone above. You should send a letter to MAC! That is just not standard of normal MAC counters. I think that even people who don't visit MAC too often would think the same thing. Yucky!

 

[GreekChick]

Re: Should I send a letter of complaint to MAC?

That sounds disgusting.
Write a complaint letter, comparing that counter to the ones that are in good conditions. Lazy staff like that annoys me, and the head office takes these things very seriously. For the amount of money a MAC MA gets paid, that counter should be squeaky clean.