The Unsatisfied Customer and the Patient MUA

[User49]

For the first time on specktra, I need to vent. More to get some feedback to see where I went wrong. So if you have a few minutes to read this please do....

Today I had a make up appointment booked in. I've done them countless times now. I consider myself to be a good mua, investigating thoroughly what customers are after and do and don't want. But today I met a lady to really pushed my patience to the very core. I just literally could not please her.

This Customer Profile:

Her age, roughly 37ish. Skin type normal to dry. She had a beautiful complextion and was literally glowing with that fresh face and pixie hair cut. She wanted a look she could wear everyday. She said she didn't put a lot of make up on. She got out of the habit of doing it and got lazy with products, prefering to just use a bit of mascara and lippie and ocassionally bronzer. But she said she wanted something really different to what she normally wore.

I asked her what colours she had tried that she liked, what colours she wanted to avoid, how high up she wanted her eyeshadow, how long she spent doing her make up each morning. I really investigated thoroughly .

In the end we came up with a simple make up. And all was well until we go to the eyes.

After trying on two foundations she agreed on Select Tint. We used a light dusting of Gingerly on the cheeks, Studio Touch Up Stick (she felt select cover up concealor was too heavy) and filled in her brows lightly with a brown brow shader. She didnt' want a face powder or any extras like highlighters ect.

But even after discusing with her what products to use on the eyes and getting her okay. After putting three thigns on the eye area she was ummign and awwing and feeling out of her comfort zone.

I used Groundwork Paint Pot as a base all over the lid (i think this is a nice change from what she normally would wear and yet still natural looking), naked lunch as a highlighter and on the inner lid, brownborder pencil and cork eyeshadow as a crease colour. The crease colour she felt was too much so we took that off and used soba instead. She still didn't like the contoruing saying she'd prefer to focus the dark closer to the lashline.

We took this off and tried shimma paint lightly applied on lid with grey utility smudged into the lashes. She didn't seem to like the shimma so I thought maybe I shoudl take her over to the shadows and see what she thought. She said it was too cool for her.

This lady had me try on at least four or five different combos on the eye. My patience was dithering. She wanted eyeliner. I put it on and she said she didn't like it as it covered her lid (she had small lids and when they opened you couldn't see them), she didn't want shimmer even though she aggreed to it after seeing it on her hand. I took it off and started again >We used a dark shadow on a 266 brush smudged into the lashline so it didn't take up her whole lid and then she said "but it doesn't look like yours, your eyes look different..." I tried to politely explain that my eyelid shape was compleatly different to hers....

We took off the shimma paint and gray utility and applied All that Glitters (she picked it out) even though I suggested matte colours as she seemed to hate the shimmer.

I just dont' konw where I went wrong today.

I didn't feel that as a make up artist I had control over the sitation. I don't feel like I gave her what she wanted. But really I don't think she even knew what she wanted. Everything we tried she wasn't up for.

I just sometimes think that people either A) dont like their eyes and try to make themselves try new things in attempt to see if they can change them (make up can only do so much!) or B) don't understand that make up artist aren't going to make them look like a vogue photo cover shoot if they have dry skin, small wrinkly eyes and a dislike for make up anyway!

I mean what do some people expect if they can't communicate what they want. In one way I'm torn, as I feel it's my job to understand what the customers wants. But when people come in for a make up application we dont have time to try on literally EVERY combo of colour on the eye. People should have at least SOME idea of what they want.

Advice?

 

[MAC_Diva]

I completely agree with you. You did your best and the customer couldn't make up her mind or her decisions. (sounds like me, i'm very picky). You were really sweet to help her and not get mad or impatient, that makes the best artist. She just doesn't understand that the makeup in the pot looks different on the skin. You definately deserved that sale. I would have just told her that after the 2-3rd eye makeup redo to look through the look book and pick one of those to do.

 

[User49]

That's really good advice. We don't tend to use our look books on the counter very much and that's the whole point of having them! It would have made it alot easier to just pick a look and say we are doing this. Usually I woudln't be so compromising as we literally have just under one hour before other customers are booked in, not to mention it's super busy do to Chrismas time. In the end she did buy four of the products I showed her and thanked me for my patience, but I was left feeling unprofessional for not understanding what she wanted and for going over the alotted time. She even said " I'd just like you to do what you want to do " but I had to say, I might do something you don't like and then you wouldn't be happy which is why I have to investigate... Its a bit like lipstick customers. They always say "what will suit me" and while a good make up artist can make suggestions, it's not just about what we think goes, lipstick is a personal thing - it goes into texture and how comfortable a customer is at wearing certain colours. Oh boy though. I just felt a bit drained afterwards!

 

[nunu]

You were a great ma to her! You went throw everything with her but she couldn't make up her mind! Please don't let this incident effect you and don't doubt yourself, you did a great job. The customer couldn't make up her mind on what she wanted/liked.

 

[User49]

Do you ever look at someone and think "that person is a chanel/dior/mac/benefit girl..." well to me she looked like a chanel girl. I tried.

 

[meaghanb2926]

Quote:

Originally Posted by glitternmyveins Do you ever look at someone and think "that person is a chanel/dior/mac/benefit girl..." well to me she looked like a chanel girl. I tried.

Its funny you say that! I was reading your story thinking the same thing! What do you think of though when you think of a Dior girl? Or a Benefit girl? To me a Chanel girl is typically older, dark hair, dark eyebrows, very black eyeliner and lashes and a wine colored lippie. Shadow is always neutral and not shimmery. Similar to the Bobbi Brown girl but the makeup is always a bit heavier...

 

[DirtyPlum]

oh hun. i feel 4 you... i can remember having a customer just like that, cept bit older with more wrinkly/saggy eyelid skin. nothing would work.

pls dont take it personally and think abt all the times you have done great applications... this was a one off and you did everything you possibly could and thoroughly investigated which is what your Trainer would expect you to do.

oh you didnt do one thing though... you didnt read her mind. tut tut! lol, seriously I do believe that some ppl think we can see that same image in their minds and can work some serious magic with our brushes and make em look "different" - what does that actually mean?!?!?

here are some suggestions:
** sometimes, you have to be more firm. whilst doing their MU tell them "im doing it this way because of ur eye shape, if i did it this way, it would make your eyes look smaller'' - thats why youre the MUA cos u understand their features and how best to work them. if they dont agree - fine, do it their way and let them see the difference between the two. 9/10 they will see and if they dont then you just have to give em what they want even tho its not a look u are happy with.

** ask as you go along, what they think of it after each step:
Always ask " what do you not like about it?" if they say they dont - in your particular case, I would have tried saying "how about we make your lips the focus, you have lovely defined lips" (compliments always win em over) and its much quicker to put on l/s or l/g in the mornings.

**when they say they want their eyes to look like ours - again, ask what in particular they like about your eyes... but then say it prolly woudlnt work for them and why and how you can compromise

**she sounds like a Believer - who know what they know and want to stick to it. they sometimes think they want something different, but that usually means one shade darker/lighter than what they have already.

Did she want something different in terms of products or different in terms of shades?
did she want to stick to mascara/bronzer n l/s and change em up a bit or did she want to ditch those for just eye MU?

**Summarise after your investigation so say "ok so based on what you have told me, you would like xxxxxxxx" then see her reaction...

** if after ages you have faffed about aplenty say firmly but politely "ok so we both agree that we shouldnt use shimmery eyeshadows and should stick to matte, however although we have a good range of matte colours, there arent any that are exactly what you will feel comfy using. So i suggest we define your eyes with some eyeliner/pencil and put that over a matte paint pot like Painterly and then we focus on making your skin glowy and your lips sexy and blah blah" TAKE THE CONTROL BACK FROM HER...

** whilst you are away from customer inform your mngr on counter that you have a somewhat difficult customer

** on recepit make sure you write what you recommended and what they went for in the end. we do this a lot with the foundations - the NC20s who go for NW40 so they can look tanned. we write we matched them to nc20 so when they go home and see the orange lines and come back for refund- we know the score.

HTH and I'm sure you know and do most of what Ive written already so dont worry, it happens to the rest of us and we live n learn

 

[ms.marymac]

Yeah, don't feel bad...it happens to all of usat some point. She could have just been having a bad week or day. I'm sure every woman here can remember a time where we couldn't find anything to wear, hated our hair, had a bad makeup day, etc. Shoot, she could have been PMSing! It sounds like more of what was going on with her mind than what you were doing. You handled it professionally.

 

[NicksWifey]

Although I'm not an MA or professional by any means, I always love to read your threads, since you're a MAC artist

I'm really sorry you had to deal with a customer like that. It sounds to me that you definitely went above and beyond for this woman, especially all of the combos you tried on her. I just don't think she "got it", meaning that she didn't understand why her makeup couldn't look like yours because of her different eye shape. People are so cantankerous sometimes.

 

[slogirl]

I feel for you- I work with people who need child support and there are some people who will never be happy.

Like on What Not To Wear- some of those ladies are so awful and it drives me crazy!!

 

[calbear]

To add: Be careful with the look book. The idea that this is a flat stark white piece of paper with makeup done on it not necessarily with the brushes listed next to it escapes some. Depending on the person, showing them the book can add more confusion and drama. My life was sooooo much easier when we didn't have one anywhere a customer could find it.

 

[User49]

Thanks everyone I'm feeling a bit better about the sitation! I'm one of those people that if something botheres me I have to over analyze it and think about it till the end. I somehow feel like unhappy customer=bad mua, but I think in this situation you guys are right. I went out of my way.

DirtyPlum: thanks for the advice! Yeah I did show her after each step to be sure she felt she liked the look. And I did show her painterly and bare canvas paint at one point. I think she just didn't have a clue what she wanted. Or rather when she said "you do what you think I'm here to learn your the expert" and I did do it and she didn't like it and wanted something else tried on *my eye is twitching, my patience thermometer going down ect* I should have just been a little more firm. She was definitly a believer! Sometimes I find these customers challenging as I am a 'experiencer/striver' and still find it hard to think that some people hate make up!

Anyway thanks again everyone! I'm feeling better about the sitation! Live and learn indeed!

 

[Ruby_Woo]

Dude I just had this today. For real!! NO joke. ugh. I had a lady who returned a brush claiming she is allergic to it. I asked her if she was allergic to synthetic hair or anything of that sort, she said no. Our MRO let her exchange just this time because she was being just so ugh. Ok so we try a bunch of lips stuff, she wants "pink" then proceeds to say, thats too pink, not pink enough.. and decided after a bunch of try ons she wants to try gloss, but doesnt like shiny lips, she wants matte! UGH ok come one.. Matte gloss?? She changes her mind, and we do a foundation to which I use a brush, different then the one returned, and says that she likes to use her finger or sponge because the brush gave her a rash. I asked if she cleaned it after every use, ofcourse she says yes, but I doubt it. Anyway, she liked the foundation and we did a bunch of blushes before she decided she liked the one I tried on her first.

I know I am there to help them and assist them, but gosh the attitude mixed w/ indecisiveness its like come on! Also, I am not your babysitter, so no I don't have to keep an eye on your kids.

Today was just not my day.

 

[nunu]

I'm glad that you are feeling better about the situation! It was definately not your fault you went out of your way to help her so don't let this incident lower your confidence! From what i get from your posts here on Specktra you are a very enthusiastic MA and it's so nice to see how much you are into your work and how much you love MAC, i wish i had MA's like you near by!

 

[sayah]

It sounds like you did the best you could, showing her different options and such. It's not your fault that she does'nt feel good about her eyelids or whatever.

 

[Just_me]

Hi there..I have to say this. I'm not a makeup artist, but I spend lots ( I mean LOTS) of time at the makeup counter. I can indeed understand your point. You're on point when you say there's no pleasing some customers. As a MUA, you did everything possible (In my opinion) to try to help her. She had no idea what she wanted, and when you tried to help her, nothing was good enough for her. ( If it wasn't you..it would have likely been the same result with another MUA)

When I go to a MUA, I go in with a clear plan. I show the list of products that I have, let them know the look I'm going for, show the colors I would like to see (research already done), and let the MUA know to do their thing.

.

bottom line...don't feel bad, you did the best you could!!

 

[DirtyPlum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calbear To add: Be careful with the look book. . Depending on the person, showing them the book can add more confusion and drama.

ITA.

I think the MAC shades and the number of products is overwhelming on its own.

With the - more inexperienced/dont wear much MU/new to MAC -type customer, we sometimes have to go back to basics. Show them the classic MAC shades and sell those and not sell the technique.

So concentrate on showing them the basic products and perhaps stick to one wash of colour on the eyes bcause once you start talking about darker creases, brow highlighting and waterlines they are like WTF? info overload.

Like you said glitternveins, yep all MAC artists are recognised as Experiencers and therefore we have a different mindset to the other types. We can only try our best to empathise with them.

 

[User67]

.....

 

[YSLGuy]

Sounds like you did everything right. Some people are just difficult and not as ready for change as they thought they were.

Im always flabbergasted by the ones who come in and say "I NEVER wear makeup, except for lip gloss and mascara"

AND then want ask for a smokey eye with dark colors.

You are not going to like that, it's not inside your comfort zone, and it's going to be a waste of your time and mine to do that.

So I always do what they want, but interpreted for them. So I do a softer smokey eye, with a bit of colors, and dont use too much black. Ya know, it's about doing what's right for them, adding to what they already do, but not going outside of thier comfort zone too much.

It's hard, but I just look at it as a challenge, and I'm always up for a challenge.

 

[allthatgl1tt3rs]

You were very, very patient and understanding and I think you explored a lot of shades, tones and effects with her despite her not knowing clearly what she wanted. Well done!

I was told by an MUA when I had a makeover that I should expect to see me in the mirror when done, not someone else... I think some people think that when you add make-up to their face, they'll look like a model from a make-up ad. OR they go in too strong with the colours they ask for, and then turn around and find it too much because it's been a long time since they wore make-up/they've never gone that far with it before so they automatically feel it's too much!

The key with these people is to go in steady, which you did, but she wasn't having any of it. One of my co-MUAs told me you can't please everyone, now and again you'll get one person who'll walk away unsatisfied/who'll be ultra picky/confused - through no fault of your own - but through their own false/unrealistic expectations.

Rest assured, you did all that you could and if I were in your position I'd feel proud I got through it!

Maybe in future when you encounter a similar customer with a similar situation you could brief her first by telling her that you'll try some of the softer looks today, but once she goes away and gets comfy with those shades maybe she can come back at a later date if she's feeling ready for a more daring look!!

You might want to also be cunning and say "these shades will really work with your eye shape by..." to make her realise her eye shape is individual but not necessarily a bad thing/unworkable (always a positive, might even make the customer feel a bit special!)

However jumping straight into strong, bold colours and looks will never work, I guess some people don't realise that! I myself (despite being an MUA in training!!) am only beginning to explore strong colours on my own face for the first time! I have to be careful, but slowly but surely I've been able to go a bit bolder as time's gone on as I get used to the use of colour!

HTH and don't lose faith in your skills! x