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

[MAC_Pixie04]

So I work at Sephora, and unlike a MAC store which carries just about every item from the line at all times, we don't carry everything. As a company we carry over 200 brands and 20,000SKUS at least. So we don't carry everything!

A lady comes in and asks for a product by Laura Geller. We just started carrying a VERY small amount of Laura Geller, since it's very often requested. So the bulk of the line is sold on our website, but we have maybe 10 items total in our store.
"Do you have her foundation?"
"No we just started carrying a small amount of products here."
"Well it's on your website."
"Yeah there are a lot of products that we don't carry in store, but you can order them."
"Well if I can't get them in your store, why are they on your website?"
"Our company carries a lot of brands, most of which are only online right now, we really can't accomodate everything in our store. Sorry about that."
"Well that's stupid, you guys should really do something about that."
Sorry, we're only ONE store. My bad.

Then there's the NARS lady...she works in the mall and comes in everyday on her break. She's come in everyday for the same NARS shadow, which we've been out of for what seems like months.
"Do you have this yet?"
"No, we're still sold out, but we're opening our shipment tonight. You could come back tomorrow and we'll know if we got it in."
"Well can I come back at 5:30? I work in the mall, so I can come check?"
"Unfortunately we dont open the shipment boxes until after the store is closed."
"Well can I come then?"
"No, we'll be closed but you can try back tomorrow or call and we can hold it for you."
"Well if the boxes are here can't you go look for it?"
"I really can't, there's about 85 boxes and we don't know what's in them until we open them and sort them tonight."
"Well I really need it, I need you to go check."
"I'm sorry ma'am, I really can't do that. Here's our card, you can call us tomorrow morning and someone can tell you if it arrived in shipment."
"I wanna speak to a manager."

Fine whore, speak to her, she's gonna tell you the same goddamn thing I did. Cuz I really have the time to dig through 85 boxes to find you ONE eyeshadow? Please.

And the "Organic" freak. She ONLY wants things that are organic. We have two or three organic skincare lines, and as far as I know, there are no certified organic makeup lines, and if there are, we don't sell them. I mentioned to her that Bare Minerals would probably be the closest thing we have to being organic. So she reads the ingredients...
"Titanium Dioxide? Mica?? These aren't natural or organic ingredients you have no idea what you're talking about."
"Actually those are minerals, Titanium Dioxide is the mineral that accounts for the natural SPF in the product."
"Titanium Dioxide is a CHEMICAL, I know that for a FACT."
"Actually it's also a mineral, it's used in the majority of skincare and makeup products to give them color."
"No, no, you're wrong it's a chemical. And all these other ingredients are commonly known preservatives."
"Okay, well, if you're not interested that's alright. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you."
"I don't think there is, but thanks anyway."

Fine. I'm just an idiot who works with all these different products on a daily basis, and get trained on them quite frequently. But clearly as a consumer you of course have more training than I do, which is why you needed my help? Please, choke on your own arrogance. BTW Organic isn't always good. Poison Ivy can be organic if you grow it the right way, does that make it beneficial? Don't think so.

Ugh. Why do the customers think they know more than the person that they're asking for help from? If you know more than me, why are you asking ME to help you? Don't ask me a question and then argue my answer. I know what I'm talking about, and if I don't, I'll be honest and tell you. There are some skincare lines that baffle me completely. And I won't lie, if someone asks me, I'll tell them that i'm not farmiliar and find them someone who is. I don't benefit from lying to my clients, if I mislead them, the product comes back returned and damaged, so why bother?

So annoying. Anybody else need to gripe?

[lara]

The organic people! God, sometimes you just want to kill them.

When you do actually have an organic line to show them (and a true certified organic line, not just a regular product with a couple of token organic ingredients thrown in), there's always something wrong with it. "I don't like the packaging! I don't like the smell! Oh no, it can't have any preservatives because some guy in the internet said they will give me head cancer!"
Well, sure. You can skip the food grade preservatives and not have any at all, and you can totally rock your salmonella-infested moisturiser. Tell me how that works out for you.

I love it when people come in and go "oh, I know you don't have any organic, vegan friendly things to show me, you're limited in what you carry by The Man and that's a shame, blah blah blah" and you get to stump them by pulling out three certified organic, vegan friendly skincare lines. Stick that up your self-imposed superiority complex, you hippy.

People who go 'you're the MUA, you teach me!' when it comes to applying make-up, then crack the shits and snatch the lipliner whilst bitching that I've applied differently to how you do it. Well, yeah. I worked with your natrual lipliner and made you look plump but natrual. You just made yourself look like Courtney Love on a bad day. Glad to see it was worth my time showing you that new look, darling.

[claresauntie]

Ah, yes. You guys have me cracking up and crying with depression at the same time. Glad to see it's not just me, though.

Yesterday I had a classic: "I want a new look." OK, what do you normally wear? Hmmm.... All right, well let's try this also-completely-natural-and-subtle-look that's pretty much the same as the one you wear everyday, but the color is 1 sliver of a shade deeper/brighter/lighter/softer. How do you like that? "Oh, no! I could never wear that! Can I just have another Naked Lunch, please?" (Said, of course, while looking at you accusingly as if you just made her look like a Transvestite Hooker on stage during Mardis Gras).

And of course, we all love this one: "Hi! My friend/sister/mother wants a new look. Can you help her pick some colors?" (usually said by an obviously pushy woman standing next to another woman who clearly doesn't want to be anywhere near a makeup counter). Um, sure, you say, while mentally slitting your own wrists. Of course, every question you ask "the victim" is answered by a hesitant look towards the more assertive woman, who answers for her- but while taking her own preferences into account. So you try to split the difference and get the quiet woman something subtle, the whole time being told that brushes and primer are a scam made up by cosmetics companies to get more money, that you don't line the lips properly, that you didn't quite shade that eye properly, that you don't know how to pick colors for her skin tone/put foundation on her skin type/put makeup on a woman in her profession/don't know what you're talking about re: skincare because Lye soap and Olive Oil have always suited her just fine thank you very much/place your own illogical insult here. Of course, the only "good" thing is at the end they usually spend $15 or $20 while bitching at you about the cost, which you pretend to ignore while you cheerfully hand them the receipt and thank them for their time, knowing full-well that as soon as they are 2 steps away (still within ear-shot) you will hear "Honey, she didn't know nothin'. I'll show you how to do it when we get you home."

Sigh.

Oh, and one more: "Um... how much is a makeover???" asked by a 14-year old girl. (No offense meant, ladies- not all 14-year olds are like this, but sorry: many are). Um, we don't charge for makeovers, so you can save your money to buy our great products, you reply. As you watch her eyes light up, you write off the next 20 minutes of your life. So you make her extra cute, and when you're done watch her climb down off the stool, brightly say "THANKS!" and watch her walk out the door while getting on her cell to tell all of her friends how cool Nordstrom's MAC counter is 'cause they don't charge you for a full makeover. However, if you're smart, you handed her the business card of the associate you don't like, so when she calls later for appointments for all 12 of her friends before they go to Red Robin for dinner, you're not stuck with it.

[frocher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by claresauntie

However, if you're smart, you handed her the business card of the associate you don't like, so when she calls later for appointments for all 12 of her friends before they go to Red Robin for dinner, you're not stuck with it.

That is hilarious. These people sound nuts.

[Ella_]

The crazy women who come in asking for product recs for a nice neutral look for spring and then flip out at you for showing them some neutral eyeshadows and some cute pinky peach lip products. Apparently I missed the memo about neutral now meaning bright purple shadows, high-liter pink lips and green glittery liner...

Oh and the women that insist you dont know the colour wheel. I had one of these today, trying to tell me that green actually neutralises purple and that Im an idiot for suggesting a green correcter for her red cheeks when what she really needs is a BROWN concealer!! She then went on to tell me that its just 'common sence' and that if I had ever taken and art class I would know what she was saying is right.

[Beauty Mark]

These stories always baffle me for the following:

-If I want organic, I go to the health food store. Many co-ops have a bunch of lines.
-No offense to anyone, but you're just the MUA/SA. You don't control the company or store, so bitching to you serves nothing about the entire store/company.
-If I already know how I want to look or what colors I'm going to pick, I choose them myself.
-Getting your entire face done for free is like making an entire meal out of grocery store samples.

[makeba]

OH i am rolling over here!!! Some people have some major ignant issues!!! Some people you can never please because they come in the stores ready to debate and argue.

[MisStarrlight]

I had two yesterday...not so much that they were trying to tell me how to do my job, but they weren't letting me do my job.

The first was this woman w/ wretched skin. So I matched her concealer & foundation no problem & then she wanted a new gloss & a shadow or two for an upcoming event. So I asked her what she was looking for (to which she replied 'can't you just suggest some colors?') so I picked up one neutral & one a little brighter...before even trying them on (or giving me more information to pick another color) she was like 'nevermind, I've got a lot at home, I'll just wear something I've got, eyeshadows are more important.' Ok, so we move onto eyeshadows. Her eyes are very dark & purple all over so I try to tell her she needs to use concealer on her lids to try to correct some of that....so she doesn't let me do that, she just wants to see the color on her lids w/o concealer...so I put one combo on her (that paint pot that looks like Woodwinked & Mulch) & she apparently hates it & wipes it off. So I ask her how she wants it different & she gave me the same response that she did w/ the lipglass. Hello, I'm not a mindreader....you need to give me something to go on.

And then these other two ladies came in....the first words out of their mouth were 'do you have any makeup for black people?' I wanted to be like, well, duh!, but I didn't, I led them over to the foundations...the woman that wanted foundation sat down. I put NW47 on one side...she kept saying it was too dark (which it wasn't at all) & then went to go find the NW45 to put on the other side (to show her how ashy it would be). She looks at both sides & says she can't tell a difference & won't let me even her out. So her & her friend walk over to the lipsticks. Lady #1 said she wanted a bronze...so I showed her Bronze Shimmer (telling her that it was going to be too light, but ti was the only true bronze we had)..so she puts it directly on her lips ignoring all my attempts to stop her & sanitize the lipstick....says it's too light (DUH!) & then goes to pick up Cyber!! Are you freaking kidding me?!?! So they continue to put unsanitized lipsticks on themselves w/o wiping off the previous colors...
And then they go to the eyeshadows. I give them a brush & they start putting colors like Samoa Silk, Paradisco, Rule, Brule...all the matte, chalky colors...in their crease/brow bone (w/ nothing on their lids) in the same fashion as the lipsticks (on top of each other so you get one big muddy mess)..ugh! They walk out w/ 2 Alogorithms, 1 Paradisco & 1 Bamboo...whatever floats their boats I guess.

Wow...sorry for the rant...

[Love Always Ivy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauty Mark

-No offense to anyone, but you're just the MUA/SA. You don't control the company or store, so bitching to you serves nothing about the entire store/company.

i work at the body shop and we recently had a price increase last friday and people are SCREAMING at me and YELLING AND CURSING AT ME in the store like it was my personal decision to change the prices. this one woman had the mannerisms of someone off Charm School Girls. she walked around the store like she was hot shit and richer than all god holy hell but then she went on for 20 minutes about how awful it was that our prices went up like a DOLLAR and "how could i do that". then she was looking at brow liners and she was like "SHOW ME how to do that". so i get the tester and sanitize it, i get a clean brush and i go to show her and she goes "NO youre gonna show me how to do this with THAT brush" meaning the little one in the brow kit. so i show her and she goes "ugh thats absolutely f***cking disgusting. GIVE ME something to take this hideous thing off then GET AWAY FROM ME". then 5 minutes later she is looking at all the oil burners and goes "COME HERE. TELL ME how this works." then i start explaining how to do it and she starts going off on me about how "expensive" the oils are, while waving a soapstone oil burner around during her rant. and low and behold she BREAKS it. then when i go to clean it up she goes "GET AWAY FROM ME. youre in MY way" and at no point EVER apologized for breaking the item nor did she ever offer to pay, which is what alot of normal people do. that was absolutely IT. i had to walk in the back room and relax before i slapped her. might i also add that she was not only being a huge b i t c h to everyone in the store, but she was also returning $50 of makeup products without a receipt, which im pretty sure was STOLEN from another store.

ive had customers come in the store and yell at me about our color selection, like i personally made up all the colors myself. sorry, this is the body shop, our makeup line sucks... mac is 2 stores down and sephora is directly below us. stop yelling at me.

at my store we give out alot of free samples with almost every purchase. that just part of our body shop theory. that doesnt mean people can waltz into the store with no intention of getting anything and just go up and ask "do you have anything free today". its free for you to get out of my store, thats whats free today.

i definetly feel your pain when it comes to awful customers.
i really dont understand who people really think that they are, and what possesses people to be so rude and obnoxious to perfect strangers.
if you dont need help with anything, be polite about it.
if you have questions, be polite about it. there is no reason to be obnoxious or act like we are ruining your life by asking if you have any questions. thats out JOB. i especially love it when i welcome people to the store and inform them of our sales and ask if they have any questions and theyre like "NO! JUST LOOKING LEAVE ME ALONE" then 2 seconds later theyre like COME HERE. HELP ME NOW.
the other day my manager welcomed someone to the store and she was like LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE. literally she said that to him and walked out of the store.

[melliquor]

I feel so sorry for the shit you guys have to put up with.

[Beauty Mark]

Quote:

i especially love it when i welcome people to the store and inform them of our sales and ask if they have any questions and theyre like "NO! JUST LOOKING LEAVE ME ALONE" then 2 seconds later theyre like COME HERE. HELP ME NOW.
the other day my manager welcomed someone to the store and she was like LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE. literally she said that to him and walked out of the store.

Maybe I'm just lazy but "No thank you" gets the message across as succinctly and politely as possible when asked if I need help.

Part of me wonders if people go into these stores just to take out their aggressions or get off on that philosophy "the customer is always right." It really saddens me to know that these stories are relatively common.

[MissMarley]

"Give me whatever you've got for free" (here's a free bag that I'm putting your lipstick in)
"Dillards has a gift with purchase, why don't you?" (because we're fucking Macy's, not Dillards. Go to Dillards if you want it so bad)
"You're the expert, you should know" (I'm sorry, I DON'T know your personal preferences when it comes to what kind of lip color you like to wear- you could give me a little direction and I'll take it from there)
"In 1992 I only paid $18 for this, and it's how much now? What a rip-off. You make your prices higher and your items smaller" (yep, I sure do that on my own. In fact, I repackage the products MYSELF to make them smaller and then overcharge you past the retail price)
"WHY won't you let me use this store coupon on my mascara?" (read the small print, fucktard- no good on cosmetic purchases)
"Well, I have very sensitive skin, so I'm sure your products won't work. I like Cover Girl because they use Noxema in theirs" (knock yourself out. don't waste my time if you'd rather be at Walmart picking out your eyeshadow)

[amoona]

Quote:

Originally Posted by claresauntie

Oh, and one more: "Um... how much is a makeover???" asked by a 14-year old girl. (No offense meant, ladies- not all 14-year olds are like this, but sorry: many are). Um, we don't charge for makeovers, so you can save your money to buy our great products, you reply. As you watch her eyes light up, you write off the next 20 minutes of your life. So you make her extra cute, and when you're done watch her climb down off the stool, brightly say "THANKS!" and watch her walk out the door while getting on her cell to tell all of her friends how cool Nordstrom's MAC counter is 'cause they don't charge you for a full makeover. However, if you're smart, you handed her the business card of the associate you don't like, so when she calls later for appointments for all 12 of her friends before they go to Red Robin for dinner, you're not stuck with it.

Girl that's when you do what our counter likes to call "The 10 minute demo." Vanilla as the highlight, Soft Brown in the crease, and a shadestick or paintpot on the lid. Smolder liner and Mascara X. If they insist on a full face you use a Studio Fix Powder pop on a blush and your choice of a lipglass. I have a sales goal to make and as much as I'd love to use this annoying little 14 year olds as practice I need to make my goal to keep my job.

[hnich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Always Ivy

i especially love it when i welcome people to the store and inform them of our sales and ask if they have any questions and theyre like "NO! JUST LOOKING LEAVE ME ALONE" then 2 seconds later theyre like COME HERE. HELP ME NOW.

Fellow bs employee here! I can't even believe that woman in your story...I think I would've just hid in the corner after the first little bit!
Most of the customers are pretty polite about price increases, etc. in my store...but a lot who storm out if you even say a word to them..my favorites are the people who reply to "how are you today?' or 'how's the weather today' etc's, with 'just looking.' or even completely ignoring you.
And the ones who grab a dash of whatevers on display and run...it is funny when it's hand or facial wash though...

we get tons of the pre-teen girls who come in for free makeovers and bring all their friends, which is irritating when there's a store full of people that actually need your help...and when they do decide to buy something, of course their mother marches in the next day demanding to know why we sold her 'too young' daughter (mostly 14 year olds) all that makeup, and demanding a refund.

well, if she's old enough to have her own money..and if we didn't make her look like a whore, and taught her the proper techniques, then I think you should mind your own b-ness...

[MAC_Pixie04]

Oh yes. And don't forget the snippy woman on the phone who doesn't need your help, and when you check on her again, she rolls her eyes on you and waves you off like a small child.

Two minutes later, he attitude has changed and she does need help, and upon receiving your help, she 100% disagrees, and gets back on the phone bitching and moaning about how the artists "Don't know anything about anything around here."

THEN TELL THAT BITCH ON THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE TO HELP YOU.

[tsukiyomi]

Hahaha, customers who know it all. Sorry you have to deal with that.

But, I wanted to let you know that Titanium Dioxide is a chemical. Mica is a mineral but you were half right.

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/pr...3/icsc0338.htm

[blondebunny76]

I totally understand what you're saying. I love it when customers ask me if they can have one of my testers to take home with them.

[claresauntie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Always Ivy

... that doesnt mean people can waltz into the store with no intention of getting anything and just go up and ask "do you have anything free today". its free for you to get out of my store:bye:, thats whats free today.

:woots:

[claresauntie]

Do ya ever get this one?:

You: "Hi! How are you today!?"
Her: "No, thank you."


Um.......


WHAT?!

Clearly you're a bitch, 'cause you didn't even listen to what I said. I said "HELLO". That's not a "thanks" or "no thanks" situation....

[foreverymoment]

Quote:

Originally Posted by claresauntie

Do ya ever get this one?:

You: "Hi! How are you today!?"
Her: "No, thank you."


Um.......


WHAT?!

Clearly you're a bitch, 'cause you didn't even listen to what I said. I said "HELLO". That's not a "thanks" or "no thanks" situation....

i love how this is cross-retailers...i mean, I work at a supermarket chain, and this happens ALL THE TIME...

i also agree with the "you can walk out of my store for free" one...I think we should use that more often =P

[astronaut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC_Pixie04

We have two or three organic skincare lines, and as far as I know, there are no certified organic makeup lines, and if there are, we don't sell them.

I could have sworn that there's a certified organic line sold at Sephora. I don't remember the name though. Uhh it's killing me!

[edit] Okay it was Juice that was the brand. But I guess it's not fully organic since their SPF lotion had titanium dioxide which I just read an above post saying it was a chemical. But I'm interested in it cause it doesn't have octinoxate! yay! I'm allergic to that stuff Juice Beauty makes me hungry... lol.

[Purple Haze]

I've gotten a huge chuckle out of some of these...
Thanks for starting this thread!

#1) Just today I had a customer who came in, I asked :"How are you?" and she completely ignored me. I said "okay..." under my breath, and she stops, mid-walk, all the way from the foundations back to where I was in the eyeshadows, to stare me down!!!! WTF? It's not like I was spitting fire at you, I was just asking how you were.

#2) What is up with people wanting to be lighter/darker than they are, and thinking they can fix it with foundation? I show a lady who is CLEARLY an NC40/ C4 the Studio fixes that would suit her shade and she says.."oh, no...that's way too dark for me.." before I even get a chance to put it on her skin!

#3) I can't stand is when a customer is cheking in the mirror every .24178 seconds when I'm doing an application and they say "ooh...I don't really like that" when I'm not even a 4th of the way done. Of course you're not going to like it, dumba$$, if you have to track every single movement I make and make a snap judgement before I'm through.

#4) IF YOU DO NOT WANT DRAMATIC, DO NOT SAY YOU DO. "Dramatic" to a MA may not be the same as a customer's "dramatic". Don't tell me to "do whatever you want...just go wild" if you really mean natural, brown, neutral makeup. This really ticks me off. Go to Clinique if you want natural, forgive me.

#5) When a customer SWEARS that 'Mocha A76' is not the same color as 'Mocha B34'. I must have to say this at least 6 times a day.."no, ma'm, the number on the bottom of the color is only a batch number, it has nothing to do with the actual shade you're purchasing"..."no, but it looks different, I know because I've purchased it a bunch of times"....."well, then you'll also know each one will have a different number under every single Mocha you own now, won't it?!?!?!?"

#6) "My Powerpoint/ Technakohl eyeliner doesn't work anymore, I want a refund" ..."Really? That's odd, let's see it.." The frickin' cap ids missing..OF COURSE it won't paint! It dried out a week ago!!!

Okay, I'll shut up now.

Thanks for letting me vent!
~Eve

ps....yeah, I'm the butt that doesn't have a cute/sweet/adorable signature yet....

[mello]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love Always Ivy

i work at the body shop and we recently had a price increase last friday and people are SCREAMING at me and YELLING AND CURSING AT ME in the store like it was my personal decision to change the prices.

UGH, I hate people like that. I don't work as an MA or anything, but I do work at McDonalds and I get that all the time. It's ridiculous.

[dp3]

I'm a MAC customer and it's good to know what you MUAs go through. I'll remember to be extra polite and cheery when I shop in the future.

Question:

Does it bug MUAs when you ask a customer, who is testing eyeshadows, lip colors, etc., if they need assistance, and they say "just looking", but have another MUA (available after browsing time elapses) help them w/ there final purchase?

[Karen_B]

About products containing chemicals... I mean, everything contains chemicals. Hell, ordinary cooking salt is a chemical. Chemicals doesn't automatically equal bad.