My MAC day- comments on some uk MAC stores!

[JustDivine]

Aren't most shops in the UK now open on Sundays and BH?

Only very traditional shops are not (I wish there were more of these....)

 

[Claire84]

I imagine it would be open. I went to my local counter on Mayday and it was open... sadly for my purse.

 

[DirtyPlum]

Just seen this old thread... and having read it all, I must say I am actually finding it quite boring to hear how 'bad' MAC customer service is in the UK/London stores.

I am just going to repeat what I said in a very similar post - i know its long, but I feel the need to speak up on behalf of my mac colleagues!

I have had the chance to meet a few of the MAs from Selfridges London on training days and spoken to them about the customer service and how it is for them on the counter.
They all seem to say the same thing that they are unbelievably busy and they now have a queuing system (which is the best way to get served) as once a MA has finished with their customer he/she must go back to the counter and serve the next person in line. They also mentioned some pretty nasty customers they get so i can empathise with them in some way cos they have a vast variety of customers and are swamped with all sorts of queries and gripes.

Its a shame that some of us have had bad experiences but we're all human at the end of the day and all have crappy days... the MAs are on their feet all day, running around, trying stuff out and having to clean their brushes etc - its hard work (I work at a pretty small counter and we are crazy busy so Selfridges must be manic) .......
so I guess we can either be more patient with the MAs and if we are experiencing some seriously mean cow then we should speak up then and there.

I made a visit to Self.London the other week after boycotting it for ages lol and to be honest was happy with the service and hope we can all give them another chance. They are the number one store in the WORLD - there has to be some reason for that!

oh and in regards to us not knowing all the products names.... jeez do you HOW many products there are and even how many that are similar (in shade and sometimes name) and how hard it is to remember them all, remember the permanant ones and know which ones are LE... remember all the different finishes they come in and the ingredients and the textures...

would you expect someone from Tesco to know all the different names of biscuits they sell???? i know its hardly the same, but we dont have super brains and neither are most of us MAC addicts/nerds that we will know every product!!! We try our best!

The amount of times we just have a lipgloss waved in our face with someone demanding they want that one and just expect us to run away and grab that exact one... we need to know whether it is a lipglass/lustre/plush...
We are expected to answer all your queries in a flash... what would suit me? what would my eye colour 'pop'?- its not simple... god has made us all totally different so not only do we have to quickly assess your colouring, your eye shape, get an idea of your style, preferred colours, for what occasion, what colours you already have (practically get to know YOU in a matter of minutes) we have to scour our brain for our MAC product knowledge in order to recommend the best thing for you and all those things you just said.... and we have to do this how many times over during the day?????????

Ok, i can hear you saying well youre a MUA, its your job - yes it is but we are humans... not a breed of our own and i dont know anyone who would deliberately be mean or rude. Come in and talk to us, tell us as much as you can about you so we can get an idea of who you are.

I personally have my own style and love being innovative with makeup (as do majority of mac girls - cos thats what mac is about amongst other things) and we all have our own style of doing things so if that means putting freshwater on your lower lash line then hey thats us, its what we like... and its prob cos you havent told us enough about what you like!!! we can ask you lots of questions but if you dont speak to us or keep throwing the question back to us (i.e. your the MUA, you tell me what suits me?!?) then we wont be able to help as much!!
And then if we try something out on you…. Speak up then at least! Don’t be shy or initimidated by us, please!

If u have insecurities of your own perhaps and therefore see MAC MUAs as rude then maybe you need to stop and consider why you feel they are 'being rude' to you or why you PERCEIVE them as being rude to you... are they something you aspire to be but its not within your reach??? is that what your actually frustrated about and therefore automatically have your defences up before you have even entered the store/counter?
Is it us or is it you?

Good luck to you all in finding your MAC and I hope you can empathise with us and maybe we can all just help each other out a bit more to make the customer service more pleasant… we love nothing more than satisfied customers who come back again and again… but it’s a two way street!

 

[JustDivine]

If you read the thread you'll find that there are a mixture of positive and negative experiences. Not everyone said that service is so bad. Don't take it personally.
As customers spending our hard earned money, we have every right to demand decent service, and speaking up when it isn't up to scratch is our right. There is a reason that companies do mystery/test shops....because they acknowledge that customer service is not always 100% and they want to make it better.

I can only read your post in light of the fact that you are a MAC employee and therefore have a vested interest in defending whatever service customers receive from MAC employees. Having worked in the top end of customer service at a store renowned for excellent customer service, I will not make excuses for staff just because they work in a busy location. I have done it before myself, in the heart of Oxford Street, at Christmas but being the service provider, it is down to me to still provide great service and do my utmost to overlook the crazy people that might emerge during that period!!
It is a retail environment- I'm sure that MAC give training on dealing with customers, and anyone that really can't hack it should leave.

I don't see why people here think that MAC should be excused....to me its no different to any other shop or service, and just because it is premium makeup does not mean that basic rules do not apply. If I had crap service anywhere else I would complain, same goes for MAC.
There is a part of me that wants to tell you to get real....why would people fabricate stories about rude MA's??? No, not everyone aspires to be one, just incase you felt that MAC employees are the be all and end all of life. I have shopped at MAC in France, Belgium, UK and the USA. The best service I have had consistently is in France and Belgium. In the UK it really is touch and go....I find that the only way to guarantee good service and attention is to go to a really quiet store or counter.

Basically, MAC MA's need to deal with the customer service part of the job as well as the artistry bit. We have every right to share our experiences, whether they be positive or negative. Our views are legitimate, and I'm sure if we were to complain to MAC HO directly, we wouldn't get a snotty response. Every job has its hard parts, unenjoyable parts and specifically the service/retail industry is designed to test your character and patience. MAC should be training you to deal with that.

Not all MAC MA's are extra-fantastic with cherries on top like you.....there are some who have a distateful attitude, though I get the impressino you are loathe to believe that. There are times I have gone to MAC with the intention of spending huge amounts, but the service I got put me off and I walked away. I'm not one to feel hurried into parting with my money.

Having been to busy counters with great service, I will not join you in making excuses for anyone in the retail industry. Having a crappy day? Go take it out on someone else....better still, don't go into work because I shouldn't have to bear the brunt of your bad mood.

 

[ritchieramone]

DirtyPlum, I understand what you're saying, but I have to agree with JustDivine to an extent. Anyone who goes into any kind of service industry or role with customer service implications has to deal with the type of problems you describe and retain a professional demeanour. The exact nature of the irritations which occur vary from job to job, but the general problems of rudeness, ignorance, impatience etc. are universal.

It's a fair point about people having pre-conceived notions and 'expecting' bad service; you can't control how they view you or the company when they first come to the counter or into the store but it's often possible to change their opinions by the way you treat them.

 

[DirtyPlum]

I did read all the posts in the thread and based my reply on that, and as all of you have the right to discuss the positives and negatives of CS from MAC, as do I have the right to defend and express my views.

If you read my post with a cooler head you will hopefully understand that I wrote it to bring a solution to the problem by suggesting that we can contribute in some way to make our experiences at mac better and therefore set the scenario of what mac employees are faced with - i took nothing personally and ask what gave you the impression that i thought ppl had fabricated stories about their service?

yes, as consumers we deserve nothing more than great customer service and no brand/company is exempt from that. MAC should most definately not be excused and it isnt, but then I firmly believe that neither should it be singled out for notoriously bad CS.

I am making no excuses for the way ppl have been treated and AM NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MAC (these are my own personal thoughts) and its not possible me for me make excuses for every single colleague mentioned in these posts above! I have myself been on the receiving end of rude MAC mua/other SAs but am realistic in understanding some of the possible reasons behind it… there should not be any reason/excuse for it but hey it happens - human nature! I really do think its a shame that not all in the retail business can be the same as you "to still provide great service and do my utmost to overlook the crazy people that might emerge during that period" - I hope ppl don’t tar the whole company with the same brush as the rude/arrogant/whatever muas they experienced…

Its up to you to take from my posts, what you like, and regret that you feel i came across as thinking i am "extra-fantastic with cherries on top" - far from it!

 

[DirtyPlum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ritchieramone It's a fair point about people having pre-conceived notions and 'expecting' bad service; you can't control how they view you or the company when they first come to the counter or into the store but it's often possible to change their opinions by the way you treat them.

Couldnt agree with you more

 

[QueenEmB]

For me, going to my local counter with some money in my pocket is such a treat - I really look forward to going down and being made to feel fabulous for that short time while someone helps me buy some new stuff.

I can understand why people would be miffed if they were denied this little bit of 1 to 1 attention at the MAC counter.

I am grateful therefore that the girls on my local counter are all super friendly and helpful and make my buying experience so pleasurable.

 

[a_star]

I just have something to share, at one time when i went MAC in selfridges to get the eyeliner called Phone/Me, Text/Me. I asked the MUA to help me get it at the counter and the MUA (the girl) looked at me in a way as if to say "what on earth is Phone/Me, Text/Me. And i told her it was the new eyeliner the one that came out in Heatherette Collection. Then she made a screw face kind of and said "You mean Phone/Number - Text/Me".

It just shows they do not know their products as well as WE MAC ADDICTS do lol.

 

[msdavidcameron]

I go to the Mac at Harvey Nichols and i love it, the manager of the counter is quite annoying, but all the other girls are lovely.

The only issue i have though, is that it's often busy

 

[shorty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by a_star I just have something to share, at one time when i went MAC in selfridges to get the eyeliner called Phone/Me, Text/Me. I asked the MUA to help me get it at the counter and the MUA (the girl) looked at me in a way as if to say "what on earth is Phone/Me, Text/Me. And i told her it was the new eyeliner the one that came out in Heatherette Collection. Then she made a screw face kind of and said "You mean Phone/Number - Text/Me". It just shows they do not know their products as well as WE MAC ADDICTS do lol.

I dont often speak up but Im really going to stick my oar in a bit here...

have you ever wondered, maybe the artist serving you is failry new and doesnt know EVERYTHING by heart? Every finish, every colour, every texture, every new product as well as learning all perm line stuff...? Also when a new line comes out we get to see it breifly and have a quick play but to memorise the names? there is not enough time for that to be honest my counter is ridiculously busy, I forget to have my break sometimes!! Anyone can easily forget things but I sure as hell hope that a customer would not think badly of me because of that...? as a failry new MAC employee it would upset me to think that you would expect me to know EVERYTHING and surely not to think that we dont know the products when we do, but may slip up on a name here and there...?

 

[trollydolly]

so i went to the selfridges mac counter in london yesterday and theyve changed the layout of it and its completely crap!! its a worse layout than before. i was there for ages and i just gave up on getting served in the end. has anyone else been there recently?

 

[JustDivine]

Really? I don't go there anymore...I gave up a while ago! Actually I did go in not too long ago to ask about Cool Heat.....but didn't bother even trying stuff out. I don't care for that counter anymore....but I must see the new layout!

Trollydolly what's it like? Details!!

 

[trollydolly]

theyve moved the till bit round the corner and its basically just completely flat against the wall, its worse than it was before!

 

[Primula]

I was in London last week, and I went to the PRO store in Soho and the freestanding store in Neal St. In the latter, the MUA was the most confused, disoriented person I have EVER met.

I went in to buy Shadesticks, and I wanted to buy Lucky Jade and a few others. She kept on talking to me about the discontinued Shadesticks, and this went on for minutes. Every time I reminded her that I wanted Lucky Jade, she would say, "oh yes, there was a white one (or a cranberry, light blue, etc.) as well." Then I finally asked her if she could get me Lucky Jade and she came back with Sea Me! Um, okay.

I knew I was playing with fire when I started talking to her about the Tendertones and how I had one and wanted another one. She asked me five times - FIVE times - if I wanted the one I all ready had or a different one. I told her I wanted a different one and then she asked me which one I had, and I said Sweet Tooth. Which she insisted had never existed... until I pulled it out of my bag and showed it to her. She just said "oh".

She was very polite and nice, but very distant. I was the only costumer at the time, and yet she managed to forget about me at one point!

All I could do afterwards was laugh. At least it had been entertaining...

 

[c00ki312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trollydolly so i went to the selfridges mac counter in london yesterday and theyve changed the layout of it and its completely crap!! its a worse layout than before. i was there for ages and i just gave up on getting served in the end. has anyone else been there recently?

yeah i saw it today. i was thinking wtf?! theyve taken away the other 100 counters and left one (not so big) counter agaisnt the wall. it also looked a bit odd and dark like they had no lighting on their stand. maybe mac was the most popular stand and it would get reallyyyy busy and clog the pathways buy i reckon the new layout is even worse. imagine wen it gets busy? how are the customers gonna get to the product? lol

 

[c00ki312]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Primula I was in London last week, and I went to the PRO store in Soho and the freestanding store in Neal St. In the latter, the MUA was the most confused, disoriented person I have EVER met. I went in to buy Shadesticks, and I wanted to buy Lucky Jade and a few others. She kept on talking to me about the discontinued Shadesticks, and this went on for minutes. Every time I reminded her that I wanted Lucky Jade, she would say, "oh yes, there was a white one (or a cranberry, light blue, etc.) as well." Then I finally asked her if she could get me Lucky Jade and she came back with Sea Me! Um, okay. I knew I was playing with fire when I started talking to her about the Tendertones and how I had one and wanted another one. She asked me five times - FIVE times - if I wanted the one I all ready had or a different one. I told her I wanted a different one and then she asked me which one I had, and I said Sweet Tooth. Which she insisted had never existed... until I pulled it out of my bag and showed it to her. She just said "oh". She was very polite and nice, but very distant. I was the only costumer at the time, and yet she managed to forget about me at one point! All I could do afterwards was laugh. At least it had been entertaining...

back when the paintpots were released, i asked for fresco rose at the high street ken shop and the lady said it doesnt exist lol

when moonbathe came out ages ago, i asked for firespot e/s and the guy from the same shop said 'whats firespot?' and his colleague said 'it must be a new colour. let me check' errrr...... that store is never busy so i suggest they get to know their products when theres no customers in there. but i like that store coz its always empty and recently theyve hired a security guard who i always see there. eveytime i go in, he looks so bored coz the shop is tiiinyyy and no-one is ever in there haha feel sorry for him.

 

[stellastar]

i also noticed the new layout of mac at selfridges, theyve just moved all the counters from being parallel and joined them all to a straight line . it makes it feel rubbish now. felt sparse and empty.