Shoppers 'put off' by pretty staff

[COBI]

This article indicates the age group; it also tells me that Ms. Price did not conduct her research unbiasedly as she started with personal negative experiences: Good looks no guarantee of good sales

"Inspired by her own negative experiences in the retail environment, Price undertook a study examining the purchase intentions of women aged 18 to 26 when confronted with an attractive or unattractive retail staff member."

 

[Boasorte]

I don't care what the sales people look like, although the article is intersting.
That girl was right to sue Abercombie though, they are a little judgemental in the hiring process, I wouldnt wear their clothes even if I could fit them ( American apparel also does that)

although these women need to stop bitching about what the salespeople look like, and worry about whether they're getting the products they came in for, who has time to go around looking at all the sales people? I'm too busy looking for a sale

 

[MrsMay]

I'm gonna laugh if I get girl named 'Bianca Price' in my tutorial next semester.

 

[MrsMay]

The other thing I find amusing is that article mentions Abercrombie and that this research was released at the same time as the court case, but we dont even have Abercrombie in Adelaide!! (well that I know of anyway lol)

 

[Vixxan]

One thing for sure they didn't survey any MAC addicts because we don't care what you look like just give us the MAC.

I demand polite and knowledgeable service. I refuse to purchase from anyone that can't answer questions about their products. Since it's so easy to be nice I won't deal with someone that can't be nice. It really is easier to be nice than it is to be mean, at least in my experiences it is.

 

[gigiopolis]

I know a lot of people are saying that they're probably not swayed by what a staff member looks like, but the truth is is that it's incredibly hard to tell how you react to things. There's a markedly big difference between how we wish ourselves to behave and how we actually behave. There's no telling what your brain is actually doing as you make thousands of decisions every second, and every environmental factor sways your decisions in some way or another. As a result, I'm fully willing to believe in the possibility that this study represents the truth.

Not saying that y'all are shallow bitches that is; far from it. It's just that, consciously trying to behave a certain way that we think is moral and right is probably the best (and only) thing we can do until the brain unconsciously takes over most of our decision-making.

However, I still have a few questions to raise...like COBI said, what exactly is this group? How many people exactly? In this case I would think it's no more than 50-100 people, which is not nearly large enough a sample group to gather accurate results (~1500 would be the minimum). That's the first thing. The second thing is, correlation =/= causation. Are there other factors at work here? Maybe in the wording of the questions? Maybe in the ordering of the experiment (e.g. do the girls rank the SA's before meeting them, or vice versa)? Or maybe something else entirely? It's hard to know as this "study" isn't cold hard scientific truth.

This is why I HATE reading about experiments and the like on the news. They always try to intrigue you by relating two shocking things together, and in turn A LOT of people end up believing them. But many of the "scientific studies" featured in news segments are absolute bull, trying to imply a causal relationship between two usually horrifying discoveries, whether it be consumer behaviour or medical breakthroughs. Which is why critical thinking always, always prevails over what someone tells you.

 

[LMD84]

good points! i actually thought about ranking of beauty. because everybody has different ideas of what is beautiful that could sway the results. it's an interesting article but i don't think there is much substance to it.

 

[User27]

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[RedRibbon]

I don't think that is true for me individually. How pretty or non pretty someone is is usually not an indicator of whether or not I'm put off. The number one thing which puts me off is bad customer service. I've been served by some extremely good looking girls who had disgusting attitudes to match and that put me off buying anything from them.

The way the person looks doesn't have much to do with it really.

 

[laraVENGEANCE]

i dunno i kinda understand it, sometimes really beautiful people can be intimidating to some girls.

 

[JULIA]

Thank the stars I'm not one of those girls, I would never get any shopping done in my city. Oh well, I'm not put off by pretty girls because I'm too confident with my looks for that kind of thing.

 

[Tahti]

If someone is gorgeous or their makeup is impeccable, I'm not usually intimidated. The only time I feel kind of shy is when I'm having a bad hair/clothes/fat day.
I love it when the MAC counter (or whatever counter) girls look gorgeous, it means I can learn things from them if I ask, and get inspired by their style!

 

[L1LMAMAJ]

if they're pretty AND stuck up, then i'm not shopping there. if it's just good looks, then i could care less.

 

[gigiopolis]

Actually, I was just thinking...and maybe it's true that most of Specktra doesn't feel intimidated, and I can think of reasons why...

I've noticed that Specktra members have been some of the most supportive and encouraging people I've met online, period. And I really think that comes from being confident in yourself. Also a lot of you love to experiment with some wicked awesome makeup, which the average person would be scared off by but you guys have the confidence to rock it!

So perhaps, Specktra members tend to be more self-confident than the average woman? After all, the average Specktra member is by no means the average woman in terms of makeup consumption, and maybe it's true for the average woman that she is "put off" by pretty staff. I mean, not that these women are any more shallow or have terribly low self-esteem, it's that they're in an environment that's not comfortable to them. It's new, it's strange...they don't know how to act when a perfectly made-up, beautiful SA goes up to them. I know we've all had that feeling (it's true for me when I first started out buying makeup!)

I remember learning in my (intro) Psychology course (so don't go thinking I'm some expert in Psych or anything, haha, just something I came across), that when put under stress, i.e. a new environment, new experience, etc., and expected to make a quick decision, we'll often fall back on the "normal" reaction...oh there was a psych term for this that I don't remember! But you would react in a way that was "socially accepted", a way that you were taught over and over again, whether directly or indirectly, and often these would be more archaic or stereotypical reactions. In this case it would to be jealous of a 'physically superior' woman and to react adversely.

So I think Specktra members are just really comfortable in the whole makeup world, and therefore don't feel threatened or uneasy about anything at all, which leads to them acting quite normally around beautiful SA's.

Sorry, another essay!!

 

[User67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gigiopolis So I think Specktra members are just really comfortable in the whole makeup world, and therefore don't feel threatened or uneasy about anything at all, which leads to them acting quite normally around beautiful SA's. Sorry, another essay!!

I totally agree with this & that's probably why most of us can't relate to the survey. But, IMHO I think it's very true. From my own experience working in the cosmetics industry, I have definitely dealt with a lot of women with self esteem/inferiority issues.

 

[DirtyPlum]

Me too - I had a lady begin to shake as soon as I spoke to her, the other day. Once I got her in the chair and some Odd Couple on her eyes, she was cool. Its good to hear that most people are not phased by it at all but I do think some people are.

I have spoken to friends about this and asked if and why they feel intimated or begin to make excuses for their bad skin/hair/MU days when talking to us MAs.
On behalf of most MAC girls, I would just like to say WE DONT JUDGE customers. I have never looked at anyone and thought wow she looks rough or her MU is a bit off least of all that they are unattractive.

 

[User67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyPlum Me too - I had a lady begin to shake as soon as I spoke to her, the other day. Once I got her in the chair and some Odd Couple on her eyes, she was cool. Its good to hear that most people are not phased by it at all but I do think some people are. I have spoken to friends about this and asked if and why they feel intimated or begin to make excuses for their bad skin/hair/MU days when talking to us MAs. On behalf of most MAC girls, I would just like to say WE DONT JUDGE customers. I have never looked at anyone and thought wow she looks rough or her MU is a bit off least of all that they are unattractive.

I can't count how many times I have been helping a customer & they just start going on & on about what they hate about themselves. They get to the mirror & start saying how terrible they look & that they need a face lift, bigger lips or better skin & I am just standing there with the lipstick in my hand that they asked to try & I'm wondering how we got from finding a lipstick to this lady having a break down in front of the mirror. Or the whole time I am doing their make-up they are trying to compare themselves to me & are asking why their skin doesn't look like mine or why their lips aren't as full looking as mine even though they are wearing the same lipgloss as me or why their eyes don't look like one of the other MA at the counter. I try in a nice way to explain to them that they will never look like someone else & I am there to help bring out the best in *them*, not make them look like someone else. Some people really come to the counter with unrealistic expectations & you just can't please them.

 

[User49]

Personally I think that I'd rather buy make up from someone who inspires me and if they wear it well I'll feel inspired to try it too. Interesting artical!

 

[Lady Gray]

I think this is really interesting. I do sometimes find very beautiful people intimidating. And I am super insecure, sometimes I have fleeting thoughts like "is she thinking "this isn't going to make beautiful sweetie, nothing will"" but thats just me, although I supect I'm not the only one who sometimes feels this way.

But in general I think it's to do with the stereotype that beautiful people think they are better than the less beautiful, that goes along with the stereotype of the most beautiful girl at high school only being friends with a select few. I don't feel this way at all (only the way I mentioned in my first paragraph) but I do think there is a negative association some people make with beautiful girls in particular, that they must be stuck up, elitist and aloof

 

[Lady Gray]

I think I shall also add that sometimes I think beautiful people (as well as not beautiful people) sometimes exude aloofness and others don't. Some are cold even as you approach the stand before they even open their mouths, and there do seem to be a fair few on beauty counters where I live for example and it is offputting. Bless the lovely AND beautiful girls at Benefit.