I Just Don't Like It When MAs ...

[JGunnar]

Get way too excited about selling the product. I always mumble "Oh God ..." under my breath when I approach my counter and the only MA available is the "excited" girl. I'm so happy that she's willing to help, but she's SO willing to help. In a way that she follows me around the whole time saying "OH MY GOD!!! Let me try this on you! This is such a gorgeous color and it'll look so pretty on you!!!" and by the end of the visit she ends up smearing like 30 or more different eyeshadows on me. Eyeshadows that would NEVER look good on me and she knows this.

I just can't shop that way. I go in pretty much knowing what I want, what colors work for me and like to make my decisions in peace. I feel to overwhelmed when every and any thing is being thrown at me so I only end up purchasing next to nothing (like only one or two brushes and nothing else).

How do you handle that situation? I try to be nice and am like "Yeah that is pretty but I was thinking more like ..." but she's not trying to hear it haha. I'm convinced that she's convinced I know absolutely nothing about make up, heh.

 

[karen]

I would just (nicely) say, "Hi, I'm just looking, but I'll be sure to let you know if I need help! Thanks!" and smile.

Usually that will get them to fly off and leave you be for a bit.

 

[JLEEMARKOWITZ]

hmmm...i hate when that happens in clothing stores,but at MAC i appreciate the help,although i wouldnt want 30 e/s smeared on me..

 

[pale blue]

I'll usually say something like, Let me just look around a bit and see if I find anything I like...it works for me.

 

[beautenoir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLEEMARKOWITZ hmmm...i hate when that happens in clothing stores,but at MAC i appreciate the help,although i wouldnt want 30 e/s smeared on me..

I agree...in clothing stores it's frustrating, but at MAC, I look forward to going in and encountering an "excited" MA...maybe because I'm an excited customer who wants to try everything! and touch everything and then be indecicive and go back to touch some more!...when i go to MAC I usually spend a good 2-3 hours in there talking to the MA's and swatching....I usually don't let them put makeup on my face though unless they are letting me pre-sample new products, but that's because testers gross me out...it's one thing to put them on your hand and wipe them with a wipe but I think it's different putting them on your face.

 

[aziajs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karen I would just (nicely) say, "Hi, I'm just looking, but I'll be sure to let you know if I need help! Thanks!" and smile. Usually that will get them to fly off and leave you be for a bit.

I do this as well. It always works. It lets them know in a polite, but definite way that you don't need their help at that moment. But I usually do it if they are hovering and continually in my face asking if I need help and if I'm looking for something. I like when MAs are excited and want to show me specific things, though. My favorite MA does that. She always has great ideas!

 

[ms.marymac]

Oh, God...I hate that too. I understand why SAs/MAs do it, but sheesh. Like the others said, just tell him/her that you are just looking. Maybe if you get their name, and tell them you will find them when you need help, it will settle him/her down. You don't have to really find them.

I am the same way when I shop so I understand exactly where you are coming from.

 

[Chelsea]

no matter what an MA does someone will always find something to complain about

 

[JGunnar]

I do appreciate it when MAs are enthusiastic and knowledgable about the product and will give me tips and help me pick out some shades when I'm indecisive and need the help (of course!) but this girl she's just .. not exactly like that. Like for instance yesterday I figured I'd let her help me so I told her I'm interested in trying out shade sticks. She then proceeds to take out every single s/s and rub them on my hand and then brought me over to the e/s and rubbed about 10 or 15 different ones against the shade sticks and I stopped her when she started to go for the paints. Then she whipped out even more e/s .. ugly, ugly colors and told me I'd need them for Spring and that everything looked gorgeous on me. I feel her intentions are somewhat good (she does give good advice on brushes and blending), but that she's more excited about selling than how I'd actually look in the colors.

I appreciate honesty in MAs when they're straight up with me and don't try to push things on me. If something wouldn't look very good on me they say so and then suggest something that really would when I tell them what colors I'm going for. I tell her I don't like something and she's like "Oh but what if you mix it with this .. see isn't that pretty? You could get both of these!" Noooooooo lol.

 

[user3]

I personally like it when an MA/SA is excited. It shows me they love their job and usually I get the best service from them.

I've worked in sales a good bit and I know how hard it can be. Many of them just really love what they do and really you can't hold that against them.

I suggest if you want honesty from them just be honest with them. Tell them you know what you want and you don't want to look at anything else. Of course saying it in a kind way. Being rude will not get you anywhere in retail/sales.

Also keep in mind that what she may think would look good on you might not always be your taste, so once again honesty will help by saying it's just not me.


There's no such thing as perfect one size fits all MA/SA. Someone is not going to like how that person sells. You need to realize that you as the customer can take control of the situation. It's your money and it's up to you what you want to buy. You can also change how the person is selling to you just by being kind and honest.
If you feel the person is not someone you want to deal with tell them you want to look around and then grab up another MA/SA. Just keep in mind no one is perfect, not even you the customer.

 

[Beautiful1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelsea no matter what an MA does someone will always find something to complain about

I Thought That People Were Entitled To Express Their Personal Opinions Without Demeaning Anyone!

 

[Juneplum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Nessa I personally like it when an MA/SA is excited. It shows me they love their job and usually I get the best service from them. Many of them just really love what they do and really you can't hold that against them. I suggest if you want honesty from them just be honest with them. Tell them you know what you want and you don't want to look at anything else. Of course saying it in a kind way. Being rude will not get you anywhere in retail/sales. There's no such thing as perfect one size fits all MA/SA. Someone is not going to like how that person sells. Just keep in mind no one is perfect, not even you the customer.

perfectly said nessa.



Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelsea no matter what an MA does someone will always find something to complain about

amen to that. really.

 

[Sushi_Flower]

I would love her...as mine are rude and don't have the answer to any simple Q.

Atleast she's on the right side of the scale - ie. the wanting to be helpfull and enthusiastic side. Just politely but firmly tell her something along the lines of ''i'd just like to take a look around myself today and i'll let you know when i need some help'' and make her listen, if she has never listend before then say it when she's not talking, make sure she's looking at you and can hear you and say it politely but firmly.

I can understand that it must make it hard for you to shop if she is overwhelming you but count your lucky stars that she's so enthusiastic to help you!

 

[jess98765]

i'd rather have someone really excited about a product or something as to someone who is dead borring, acting as though they have better things to do then to sell someone their products....
I actually find enthusiastic people a lot more fun to talk to and get to know then someone who totally just ignores you or gives you the cold shoulder..

 

[beautenoir]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelsea no matter what an MA does someone will always find something to complain about

too true!...it seems that there are threads posted all the time!...I personally don't understand but I have never ever ever had a complaint about any MA!...they are always so helpful and have great ideas...I feel that i know alot about MAC products and i still learn something new everytime I go in...lets face it...the MA's are trained to know more about MAC than the customer and I think that they do a fucking fantastic job! The service industry is hard and customers are sometimes hard. Kudo's to all the MAC MA's out there who are super excited about the product they are selling and have the wonderful skill in showing us new and inventive ways to apply that product!

 

[JGunnar]

I don't complain about MAs ever. She's the only one I have a slight problem with but she's more good and bad. I understand it's kind of her job and perhaps she's not meeting sales so I'm always gracious and hear her out and consider her suggestions. I just don't like that she doesn't ever listen to me and goes too overboard.

I love blues, purples for my skin tone and eye color and so instead of listening to me when I tell her that's what I'm looking for she says "Well thats nice but you need more color in your collection! Here ..." and she'll start rubbing coppery-looking browns and yellows on me and telling me I should mix them with lime greens or bright yellows and it just comes out looking bad. I tell her I'm not interested and so she grabs something else opposite of what I'm looking for and the cycle starts over. She kind of looks at me funny and gives me a tone like she doesn't trust my judgement and that I don't know what I'm talking about when I tell her what works for me.

I told her I wanted to try the Crimsonaire shadestick and instead of Crimsonaire she rubbed every single one of them on me and didn't explain why. When she finished she just said "Isn't that hot? You should buy all of these!"

Or every time I go in and say "Oh I'd just like to look please" she'll go away for 30 seconds and come back with something she wants me to try on. I just don't know how to go about any other polite way of telling her to buzz off. I don't want to hurt her feelings so I've dealt with it 3 or 4 trips now.

Like I said I don't think she's really trying to be helpful as much as she's just trying to push products and sales. But in some instances she's offered me great tips and suggestions (she knows her brushes!)

All of the other MAs there are great and very sweet. They're there when I have questions and let me browse however long I may need to and try on whatever I decide I want to. When I've settled on a color they suggest what would be pretty with it and ask permission to try it on me. If I don't like it they take it graciously, clean it off of me and help me find something else. It always works out better that way and I end up purchasing a lot from them.

*whoops I didn't realize I wrote so much 8) *

 

[Shawna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by beautenoir I agree...in clothing stores it's frustrating, but at MAC, I look forward to going in and encountering an "excited" MA...maybe because I'm an excited customer who wants to try everything! and touch everything and then be indecicive and go back to touch some more!...when i go to MAC I usually spend a good 2-3 hours in there talking to the MA's and swatching....I usually don't let them put makeup on my face though unless they are letting me pre-sample new products, but that's because testers gross me out...it's one thing to put them on your hand and wipe them with a wipe but I think it's different putting them on your face.

I totally agree. I think it's good when the MA is excited because then I don't feel quite so much a loser for being so obsessive

Plus when the MA is excited, I tend to spend more money.

 

[MACgirl]

since im a mac ma i thought id share my opinion...

I guess im what you call the "excited" ma but not as much as to push everything in your face, becuase i was hired at mac im gratefu lto be thier and would like poeple to know how great the products are, even educate them on the products. when a customer comes up ill ask if they need help, if not i give them my name and let them know i can help whenever they want. Usaully some customers are intimidated and say no to help when they want to say yes, thats why soem of us stick around. I always look for color that would compliment the customer and ask before i start pickin out product what she/he uses and what formulas they love best. Maybe she knows how much you love mac and thinks that you would like to try everything in sight, thats how it came off to me. We are makeup artisit's and we are thier to help you with selection and choice, but we are also sales associates and we do have to sell, by no means does that mean shoving every product down your throat. Sometimes ill pick a color for a customer that she/he never would wanted and turns out they love it, which is one of the reasons we like to push other colors/items.

 

[Beautiful1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACgirl since im a mac ma i thought id share my opinion... I guess im what you call the "excited" ma but not as much as to push everything in your face, becuase i was hired at mac im gratefu lto be thier and would like poeple to know how great the products are, even educate them on the products. when a customer comes up ill ask if they need help, if not i give them my name and let them know i can help whenever they want. Usaully some customers are intimidated and say no to help when they want to say yes, thats why soem of us stick around. I always look for color that would compliment the customer and ask before i start pickin out product what she/he uses and what formulas they love best. Maybe she knows how much you love mac and thinks that you would like to try everything in sight, thats how it came off to me. We are makeup artisit's and we are thier to help you with selection and choice, but we are also sales associates and we do have to sell, by no means does that mean shoving every product down your throat. Sometimes ill pick a color for a customer that she/he never would wanted and turns out they love it, which is one of the reasons we like to push other colors/items.

I Like Your Style Girlie Too Bad You Are In Another State! LOL

 

[shamelessmuse]

I'd give my left leg if they would help me at all. The free standing store near me basically requires that you flog them to get service. It's sad that they don't even remember regulars, with as much as I spend there you think I could at least get them to fetch me an eyeshadow. So, while I could see how it could be a little overwhelming for you...I'd rather that than having to beg for help!