$50 min purchase vs. Makeup on Demand

[amoona]

omg glamourgirl216 what counter are you at?!

a lot of girls at my counter who aren't making their goals are really trippin out about their jobs too. it's gettin cut throat and these "free" eye demos aren't helping much. everyone gets pissed off about having to do them because they're worried about making their goal in order to keep their damn job.

 

[glamourgirl216]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoona omg glamourgirl216 what counter are you at?! a lot of girls at my counter who aren't making their goals are really trippin out about their jobs too. it's gettin cut throat and these "free" eye demos aren't helping much. everyone gets pissed off about having to do them because they're worried about making their goal in order to keep their damn job.

i'm in a macy's mac counter in california. yeah it's so hard to make our goals when we're doing free makeup all weekend. they try to tell us that we should still be able to make our goals regardless of all the demos and that this should be a reality check for us.

sad times!

 

[ductapemyheartt]

if the counter is really busy on a week day night and you are the only person working, do you have to do a "free eye demo"? are you allowed to tell the customer that the counter is really busy and that you are the only person working?

 

[erine1881]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ductapemyheartt if the counter is really busy on a week day night and you are the only person working, do you have to do a "free eye demo"? are you allowed to tell the customer that the counter is really busy and that you are the only person working?

we tell them that we are the only one working, and if a customer comes up, we have to stop and help them. if they get upset, we reiterate this, and tell them that we don't offer uniterrupted service. if they still get mad, we say sorry, and that we can't help them.

 

[ms.marymac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by glamourgirl216 i'm in a macy's mac counter in california. yeah it's so hard to make our goals when we're doing free makeup all weekend. they try to tell us that we should still be able to make our goals regardless of all the demos and that this should be a reality check for us. sad times!

Irony at it's finest.

I'm sorry that your friend lost her job.

 

[blueyesdancing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erine1881 we tell them that we are the only one working, and if a customer comes up, we have to stop and help them. if they get upset, we reiterate this, and tell them that we don't offer uniterrupted service. if they still get mad, we say sorry, and that we can't help them.

We get the verbal agreement...."I may need to step away to assist another customer; is that alright with you?" If yes, fine; step away all you need to for as long as you need to. If no then say, "Absolutely, I understand! Because I want you to have the best possible customer service I would love to set up a time for you to come see me on Friday (or sat, etc) when we have a little more staff on hand and then we can spend some more quality time together." Either they will make the appt or not, but when it comes to our m/u application policy, after the investigative questions (for an event? etc) let them know that the makeup application is "always a
complimentary service, with a $50 minimum purchase". If they press the price issue I invite them to come as a walk up Mon thru Thurs when "we do not have a minimum, just feel free to purchase whatever you need to recreate your look." It's all in the wording and your tone of voice. Because you want THEM to have the best possible customer service experience, you know that the best time for them to come is when we are fully staffed on the weekend. You are just looking out for their best interest. This is true so you can say it with conviction.

 

[mae13]

I'm kind of surprised that MAC has let it get this bad. On the other hand, I think a lot of policy decisions get made with the customer service in mind - they just don't take into account how people will develop certain expectations based on this. (And that's not just cosmetics. Anyone in Montreal remember the Chapters "chairs" brouhaha? For those who don't know, Chapters is like Barnes and Noble and used to have these comfy chairs everywhere, meant to encourage browsing and a 'homey' atmosphere. Except people obviously took advantage of it and started grabbing books and magazines and reading them in-store, without purchasing anything and leaving PILES of stuff lying around for staff to clean up. When they got rid of most of the chairs, some customers became indignant that they were taking "their" chairs away - as if the chairs were public property!)

Anyway. I think MAC really needs to move in a different direction. I think they should have demo nights (like the store parties) where you have to pre-register and purchase a GC to use after the demonstration/makeover. Otherwise, only have sampling during regular store hours - like, if the customer wants to test different foundations, or wants to try on a new product or whatnot.

You'll hear a lot of squalling and protests from customers, but trust me, eventually they'll get used to the new paradigm.

 

[amoona]

One counter in our area is known as the "mean" counter. They're the closet counter to my counter and we always have customers coming and telling us how mean they are. However they're still just as successful as we are and have a strong following just as we do.

I tend to notice that the customer who come to us to complain about the "mean" counter are the customers who want to be babied have you do everything for them. This "mean" stops appointments at 6 every night - Friday and Saturday - just like the appointment books say. They keep demos very brief and wont take those after 6 either. To some that may seem a little early but if you see our appointment sheets the last spot for an appointment is at 6. Typically at 7, when your done with the last appointment, there
s really only one or two people on the floor. So it makes sense to leave that person free to assist customers right? Well according to some customers no, we should only focus on them!

If it's busy we tell people that we do eye demos only after 7 up until 8:30 and we sometimes get people wanting us to "book them" for eye demos. And a good way to turn away some people who you know are only going to get eye demos, like the little girls who got dropped off at the mall or the "I'm going to the club" girls is when they ask you "Can I get my make-up done?" you say yes the make-up application is complimentary but it's a $50 purchase min right off the bat. If they're new offenders to the abuse of an eye demo they usually don't know the difference and will be turned off right away. Never use the word free and always mention a $50 purchase min. unless they say they want an eye demo. Usually the girls who refere to the service as eye demos are repeat offenders.

I told this one girl that it's first come first serve and she had the nerve to come back at 8 and be pissed that I couldn't do her eye demo because I was with a customer. She even began to yell at me in front of my customer "I'm going to the club and you told me if I come back you'd do my make-up. I wouldn't have come back if you didn't tell me that." I explained to her again that I told her we would try our best to accomidate her but there was no garauntee we'd be able to get to her eye demo.

She just kept yelling at me in front of all these customers and there's nothing I can do about it. Honestly I don't care about my job enough to be treated the way I'm treated and the only reason I deal with it is because my boss is a sweetheart and I wouldn't want to give her the headache of dealing with customer complaints for me snapping on people haha. If I was running the show it would be a $50 purchase min for any customer who wanted their make-up done any day of the week and this includes eye demos.

 

[calbear]

And this is policy is just increasing the number of customer complaints. Between the people you can't fully get a chance to help because you are tied up with all the free makeup or the ones that begin yelling at you right at the counter, threatening to complain to corporate. AND it's never just that you wouldn't do a eye demo at closing with a short staff - it always all of a sudden becomes 'you were mean to me, you wouldn't help me, I was ignored - etc.

A customer complaint is all someone needs to kill their love for work - you can't defend yourself from this nameless, faceless complint which usually comes without any real information on the incident. All it serves to do at this point to an overworked, tired, employee is kill their morale and the morale of the counter.

 

[athena123]

Wow, as a customer I really don't mind spending $50 towards a purchase of MAC products if time is spent showing me a new look.

Not to stray too far off topic, but do all MAC stores have makeup lessons on a regular basis? My local MAC was offering a makeup class last January but I didn't get to go. I'm hoping these are regular classes so I can sign up for the next one it sounds like a great opportunity to try new brushes!

 

[erine1881]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueyesdancing We get the verbal agreement...."I may need to step away to assist another customer; is that alright with you?" If yes, fine; step away all you need to for as long as you need to. If no then say, "Absolutely, I understand! Because I want you to have the best possible customer service I would love to set up a time for you to come see me on Friday (or sat, etc) when we have a little more staff on hand and then we can spend some more quality time together." Either they will make the appt or not, but when it comes to our m/u application policy, after the investigative questions (for an event? etc) let them know that the makeup application is "always a complimentary service, with a $50 minimum purchase". If they press the price issue I invite them to come as a walk up Mon thru Thurs when "we do not have a minimum, just feel free to purchase whatever you need to recreate your look." It's all in the wording and your tone of voice. Because you want THEM to have the best possible customer service experience, you know that the best time for them to come is when we are fully staffed on the weekend. You are just looking out for their best interest. This is true so you can say it with conviction.

we do say all that. i am just a lazy typer!

 

[calbear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erine1881 we do say all that. i am just a lazy typer!

and the key is that the 'i want my free eye demo' girl - never hears any of it nor does she care.

 

[erine1881]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calbear and the key is that the 'i want my free eye demo' girl - never hears any of it nor does she care.

thankfully we don't do free eye demos on the weekends anymore.

 

[calbear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erine1881 thankfully we don't do free eye demos on the weekends anymore.

still hating you ;-) (so super jealous of you i can't see straight)

 

[amoona]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calbear A customer complaint is all someone needs to kill their love for work - you can't defend yourself from this nameless, faceless complint which usually comes without any real information on the incident. All it serves to do at this point to an overworked, tired, employee is kill their morale and the morale of the counter.

Umm yep and that's what happened to me! haha Bullshit complaints are just another stress I have to deal with inbetween working and going to school full time. No to mention everything else we have to deal with at work besides the "free demo" girl.

 

[glamourgirl216]

UPDATE:
well today i went to work to hear some more sad news. they let go of another MA!!! for the same reason as before. so now we're missing 2 MA's! this really sucks.

 

[amoona]

wow, how are they determining who they are letting go at your counter? are they just weeding out the people who aren't making their goals?

 

[redambition]

i think it's a sensible policy to have a minimum purchase. i'd have no issue with it.

it might even twist my rubber arm and get me to spend more...

that's not hard though.

 

[glamourgirl216]

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoona wow, how are they determining who they are letting go at your counter? are they just weeding out the people who aren't making their goals?

what they have told us they are doing it by seniority. so the employees with least employed time at the counter are the first to go. TEAR....

 

[TheManda]

At my counter (with permission from the higher ups) we don't mention the $50 unless it's for Prom or something of the like. In that case when the appointment is made we write a note next to the name so that there's not doubt we told the person about the min. purchase.

For walk ins, or non-paying appointments (when they say..I'm not going to buy anything) we verbal contract them and walk away as much as we need. When you say $50 they think $50. Many times this can insult someone who is planning on buying more. If you wow them and make them really happy with what you have done either they will buy, or come back faithful to you and over time buy a lot more.

I felt like such a tool when there's three of us standing around doing stuff that could get done anytime (light cleaning, face charts etc.) and telling someone the only way we could do their make up is if they buy $50 worth of stuff. What if they only need $45? What if they only have $30? You can still walk away to help walk ups and really how long does it take to do a Phd?
Also, if someone is being super demanding I will say something like "Your ideas sound great, but just so you know I will have to walk away to help other customers, with all you want done it may quite a bit, and I can't promise it will be done quickly." Usually at this point they either won't care and they'll wait, lower their demands, or go somewhere else. If it's the 30th time they do this we'll say something though.

Keep in mind I'm not at a mall location. I could see how this way wouldn't work in a lot of place. Our customers respond really well to this. We TRY to get customers to LET us do their make up. It's good practice and a great way to build loyalty...and get those customer response letters.


so...that's just my experience with it.