Question about what you really think when shopping at MAC

[Simply Elegant]

The only thing that kind of annoys me if there's a lot of people working and someone will ask me if I need help and if I say no, someone right next to the person that asked me will ask me, when I just said no a few seconds ago. All of the MAs at the counter and stores near me are really nice and friendly though so I don't mind.

 

[SparklingWaves]

Here are my likes:

1) The staff make an assertive effort to acknowledge each customer promptly as they enter into the store.
2) Every staff member is very knowledgeable about M.A.C.'s skin care products.
3) Each staff member is familiar with recognizing the color bases of the shadows, blushes, & lipsticks.

Here are my dislikes: Take note M.A.C. This could help your sales.

(These are not staff related.)

1) Product arrangement could be improved. I have found pigments hidden in glass jars.

2) Not all products are at eye level.

I saw in a few stores that those little scarves, shirts, & makeup bags of Fafi were totally out of reach and on top shelves. I recognized them from this site. Otherwise, I wouldn't have know what those were.

3) I don't care for the black on black display. I find the products do not stand out.

4) Limited Edition leftovers should be on display just like everything else. If people don't see them, they think they are gone. My mother just bought something from a Limited Edition Fall of '07. She thought it was gone. If it's not standing out there, people don't know you have it.

 

[COBI]

At the main store that I frequent, I know that the LE leftovers are the ones in those glass jars.

Now, of course, that may not be the system at every store, but I always check the glass jar because I know it's like a "last call." There isn't room at most counters/stores that I've been to display even a few items from prior collections... especially with the number of new collections (i.e. additional displays) that keep coming out.

 

[glam8babe]

ive only been to 2 counters and both have been pretty similar

- i sort of get that young, edgy, trendy vibe (whereas other counters they have to dress imacculate, wear their hair up etc.)
- i love the fact they have music playing... something to listen to whilst ur busy looking.
- im usually one of these people who hates being asked if i need any help.. but when i go to MAC i actually think its sweet because they are all friendly looking
- i dont like the fact that when you see a colour you like on display and ask for it.. they come back and say its out of stock, its happened once or twice and i thought it was abit daft
- i hate when you see people wasting their time, for example: ive been a few times when women have been showing them their old mac lipglass in their purse and the names etc have been rubbed off... asking if they have it in stock.. even though it was probably LE and they get told this, and dont want to know. all they want it THAT lipglass.
- i hate it when annoying young girls are in the way and dont even buy anything.. they should have a MAC VIP card for us MAC addicts so we can look in peace.
- i dont like it when the MA's watch you as you look.. as if you're gonna steal everything. it pisses me off, and i mean in any shop not just MAC.

thats all i can think of right now

 

[fashionette]

The thing I really don't like is when I get helped by an MA to pick out some good colors, or she's recommending something and someone else shows up (and they want a makeover or whatever) and just leaves me so I have to stand there for like 15 minutes waiting for her to come back so she can get me the stuff I want so I can pay and leave. This happens to me all the time. And then I go ask another MA and she's like "oh, you have to stand in line" when I've been there for a long-ass time already.

Or when there's only like 1 person working there and the person is currently with a client and can't even take the time (approx. 1-2 minutes) to get me something and let me pay for it.

So a lot of times I just leave, even if I intended to buy something when I got there.

 

[beauty_marked]

Well ive frequented a number of MAC locations. so this is an overall view.

I have to go out of my way to get MAC, about half hour, even though there is a MAC 5 minutes away from my house in Macys. Unfortnately the MAs at the location 5 minutes from my house are huge bitches. and its a known fact in the area because the MAs at the Macys 15min from my house had such horror stories to share with me. With the exception of a few, they tend to be very stuck up, and very hmm/lazy/slow to help. I was at a counter for 15 minutes waiting to get a lipstick sanitized once. the other 2 MAs were busy and i understand that, but this one chick was just walking around, checking her makeup at every angle, even went as far as to take a tester and reapply her gloss. and still did not help me. lazy much??
-generally i like the MAs that take time to really listen to what you want. i hate the ones that push their favorites on you even if it looks completely garish on
-I understand sales goals, but if i came in just to buy 2 items, please dont push a thrid one on me that i really dont need, and then make me feel bad about it
-I like when the MAs give you time to look around and try things for yourself, coming back periodically to check on you.
-I know i wrote alot already, but i like to see really is just MAs who really love their job, and who they were for and are genuine in helping others!

 

[MacArtistFauryn]

Ladies - thank you all SOOOOOOO much for all your imput!!! I am including this info in my interview tomorrow....and I am going to submit your concerns to the corp. level also.....

I really appreciate the time you all took to answer this post - so again thank you!!!

 

[BeautyPsycho]

If I ask for something specific, don't tell me it's not for me. Example- I asked to be matched for studio finish concealer and MA told me it's too heavy for me, so I felt kinda dumb but still told her that I would like to get that concealer, she was nice and said "yeah, definitelly... if that's what you are interested in..." I understand she didn't want to be rude but she could have offered me other concealers ("Maybe this one would be more suitable for you..") instead of "Oh that's too heavy for you..."

 

[sparklingmuse]

its funny...every person in here has said the staff is snotty!

every single counter i go to i encounter the same thing. the staff never wants to help me, over look me, or are just plain rude when i ask for help. This one girl kept rolling her eyes when i asked her for a blush rec, and when i asked her to put it on me.

i love mac. but i hate the staff. i prefer to shop online.

 

[pinknilla]

I've yet to experience bad makeup artists, but I do tend to get looked over because I look younger than my age of 18 (19 next month), but they do help me nicely, which i appreciate. I do find it awkward when I ask about a product no idea what I am talking about, for example yesterday I wanted to try something from the Lightful collection and the MA looked at me funny and pointed at their other moisturizer products and told me she didn't know what I was talking about. Maybe they should be kept up to date with their products.

 

[elegant-one]

Well, I didn't see this until it was too late but I'll post it any way if it helps any others who work for MAC. I love most of the MAC MUA but heres a few things that bug me.

1) Not familiar with the product - especially the new line at the counter
2) Pushing some random product
3) You're there first, then someone walks up & they wait on them while you're still talking to them about a product

 

[chocolategoddes]

Like
The fun atmosphere
the great makeup
Dislike
MA tend to have a false idea of what "trendy/edgy" is, confusing it with bright crazy makeup.
Alwas seem to be too busy
I have encountered some bitchy MAs.


but for the most part, I love MAC. And I can put up with the bullshit aslong as I leave with something fun!

 

[lolemily]

I've never been to a MAC freestanding store, but I've heard a lot of bad stories of MAC workers ignoring people at the store, and also the mu artists ignoring what the customer wants and doing their make-up however they like.

 

[lolemily]

OH & also, a lot of MAC workers have no idea what's going on. They don't know what product they're selling, when it came out, whether it's l/e or permanent, etc, etc.

 

[makeupmadb]

I'm new to this forum so bare with me lol. Well recently I went to a MAC store for the first ever time (I'm now an addict) and they were very helpful. To begin with I was just browsing, wondering where to start, and a girl asked if I need help. I said not at the moment, thankyou. Later on another girl asked if I'd want some assitance, and I said yes please, and she was so very helpful. She turned out to be the assitant manager. I had saved up birthday money to have a spending spree there and she gave me so many tips and advice. She was genuinely kind and told me I should ring up for a makeover next time and she'd try orange eyeshadow. She was really kind, as were they all. This was in a UK store, and I can't say I had any dislikes.

 

[SparklingWaves]

Oh, I forgot to add one. That unlabeled glass jar has got to go. I think that I have seen those break about 4X. Children and people not paying attention knock them over. Also, sometimes, a MA drops liquid on the counter and those glass jars slip off and crash. It's a hazard.

As I said earlier, people not familiar with M.A.C. wouldn't even know to ask for a glass jar to dig through it. Also, if it's full, you still may not know what they may have left of L.E. Those are stored in many other places. That little system could easily be revamped to bring in more sales.

 

[crissy22]

Ok let me give my two cents.

What annoys me is when an MA doesn't go out of his/her way to help you out or to let you know what's up. It is obvious to the client when they are doing something "half-assed" (without wanting to)
For example: I had saved up A LOT of empties one time and went to the MAC store to redeem them for make-up. I had 14 empties, I took all 14 because I couldn't remember if it was 6 or 7 empties to get a free product. So, this MA got my empties counted them and put them away to the recycling bin they have there.. She came back and told me I was eligible to get 2 things for free.. So I was like, oh it's 7 empties then, she was like no, it's 6. So umm... where are my 2 extra's?? Yeah, so I told her I wanted my two extra and she did a face like she got bothered. I didn't care, she went back to get my extra 2 empties.. No, she did not miscount how many I had, she just didn't want to help me out.

Maybe it is just her personality. I know that if it were me, I would have never done that, would have been like Oh you have 2 extra.. People who work retail(not just MA's) in general need to remember customer service!

Also, one small important detail.... SMILE! By greeting a customer with a smile, than just a plain ol' "Can I help you" or "Are you doing ok?"

See, that MA who didn't give me my extra empties, I had a bad vibe from her from the beginning because she doesn't look friendly or smiles (she's beautiful tho) but still, it's important to set up a way to approac a customer to do a succesfull sale. This way the customer knows who to look for when he/she comes back.

When I go back to the same store, I always tell her NO when she asks me if I need help.

 

[Simply Elegant]

Most of their LE products are left besides whatever display it was part of. Le eyeshadows lined up by the eyeshadow display, LE lipglasses in a jar right next to the display etc. At the counter they're all behind the displays though.

 

[crazykitty180]

Likes: the displays are very accessible, and there's often more than one set of each thing (like multiple eyeshadow displays)

Dislikes: music is too loud; sales people are too pushy - always trying to sell something else.

 

[SparklingWaves]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Elegant Most of their LE products are left besides whatever display it was part of. Le eyeshadows lined up by the eyeshadow display, LE lipglasses in a jar right next to the display etc. At the counter they're all behind the displays though.

It sounds like your store or stores you shop are different than mine. The ones that frequent have one jar. The rest of the stuff can be in a stock room or a drawer. It's like an Easter egg hunt for the M.A. You have to be specific about what you want. I have seen people get Barbie stuff recently. It wasn't in the one glass jar that can be anywhere. The jar can be behind the register. That's one of the many reasons why I bring it up as something to be improved.

People don't tend to look around displays while they walk by them. People have very short attention spans and it takes seconds to make a sale. They look at what is right there. Hey, someone is going to take my ideas, run with it, get a promotion, or raise.

It's really easy to come up with an idea to make this work with hardly any cost and get rid of the darn glass. That glass is a hazard to workers and the public. It has no business around the public. Also, an organized system would cut down on the hunting time for the M.A. and increase sales. It's a win/win situation.