The Specktra Customer...? MAs perspective.

[tiramisu]

I am not an MA, but I found this thread interesting. I think this doesn't speak for "Specktra members" or any makeup forum member in general.. I think people are either this way or not.
You'd never know I knew so much about MAC and the collections before going to the MAC counter and I have been a member of this forum for years now.

Some ppl are just born to be obnoxious~ They probably treat other sales people the same way (as in, like crap).

 

[xStarryEyedX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by concertina ....I certainly hope I don't come across that way to my local MAs. Just yesterday, I was at a newish store counter and was excited that they still had Neo Sci-Fi and all the Tendertones and the MA made a comment 'Wow, you know more than I do!'...I felt so crappy, but at the same time, I wasn't trying to make her feel bad. I was just excited! I'm certainly not going to 'play dumb' about MAC at my counter, but I don't flaunt my knowledge either. If an MA says 'We have a new collection in October with a designer and awesome orange packaging' and I say 'Oh, the Manish Collection! I'm excited for that, too!', I don't think thats being a diva...perhaps I'm wrong?

off topic, but.. you're going to see jeff dunham?! my boyfriend is gonna see him in a couple weeks.. i'm so jealous of you both he's so frickin funny

 

[xStarryEyedX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyPlum wow, you've totally misunderstood me! Did I really say she was unpleasant, abusive or rude towards me? or that she should be ignorant of collections? maybe irritating but not unpleasant! Nobody is anyones superior and i do not have to suck anything up. I am fully aware of retail and what I have to do. I love my job and have very loyal returning customers. I am just asking other MAs if they have come across diva like customers before who are clearly forum posters. SuSana says she came across another customer like that... thats what I mean, its difficult for MAs as well as customers.

I have customers like that all the time, our company has kind of their own version of specktra. Some of them are really nice, but some of them are exactly how you described. And you're right, we know what retail entails. But there is a big difference between "i want this this and this. get it now" and "excuse me, could you please get me this this and this". It's called respect.

 

[Tashona Helena]

Wow that's super annoying...I spend a lot of time on specktra but I would never act like that. Hahaha it probably was her forum friends. There's no need to act like that. I actually try to hid what I know...but sometimes the names just slip out instead of me just pointing at a color like a "typical" customer. But wow...she was quite the bold one.

I work for A&F...and I hate hearing people walk in and compare it to the retail, especially when they hear we don't get discounts like the regular one, "Ohhh that sucks". Ohh no it doesn't cause I get the cheap shit that you lose out on cause HO makes you ship it out. Take that. haha. Of course we can't rebuttal as retail workers but we get the last laugh alot lol don't let her bother you.

 

[concertina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xStarryEyedX off topic, but.. you're going to see jeff dunham?! my boyfriend is gonna see him in a couple weeks.. i'm so jealous of you both he's so frickin funny

<off topic>

Yes! I'm so excited!! My Mom got my dad tickets for Father's Day so she splurged for good seats! Yay!!

</off topic>

 

[lara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreekChick A person's collection knowledge is in no way equal to the makeup application and ingredients knowledge that I have acquired throughout the years. Really, the best is proving to those divas that you know more than them. And then they'll just keep coming back to see you because somehow you've managed to become the MUA that can actually inform them.

Quoted for truth.

Apart from that, please keep this thread civil. It's an aspect of make-up retail that we don't often discuss, so I'd appreciate if you can all keep a level head when posting. Thank you.

 

[DirtyPlum]

Thanks Lara

it would be nice to keep this thread as lighthearted as I had originally intended!

I think GreekChick summed it up pretty well!

 

[emeraldjewels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyPlum Lol.. aww! Dont get me wrong, I didnt hate her, I found her a lil excitable... and didnt like her cutting me mid-sentence!

I would not like that either, there is no excuse for plain rudeness.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyPlum I love addict customers... i love ppl who say i have nearly all the lustreglasses... cos then I can say cool, if u like those u'll love these etc. on the same day i had a similar customer and we reminisced abt some of the past xmas collections... its a great buzz meeting a fellow enthusiast... like when u meet a new friend who u really hit it off with! im sure no MAC MA would have a prob whatsoever with ppl who are knowledgable abt the products at all, dont worry! cos truth is, we were those customers too!

I've never thought of it like this before, thats very true. I love how you worded this whole paragraph, I'm pretty sure you would be one of my favourite MUA's if I lived near your shop!

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyPlum some just need to drop the arrogance!

Agreed!!

 

[wikdwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDoll Yeah, I don't necessarily think it was her product knowledge, but her attitude that made her seem "diva" -ish. I feel like that at counters too. Like I don't want to say too much...lol. The other day I went to the MAC store with a friend and my friend wanted a new concealer. So I was showing her some different ones because we weren't getting any help. Then a girl came over to help us and my friend told her what she was looking for...like what kind of formula and whatnot. So I totally stepped back to let the MA do her job. She busts out the total opposite of what she asked for in a tone that made her under eye area look ashy. I wanted to reach over and grab a tone that would have neutralized the blue and shady area. Or really just explain this concept to her... But I didn't...I restrained myself. And my friend was trying to be polite and say it didn't look right without being a jerk. But the ma was like, You're NC30 so you have to go NC20 or 30 for your concealer... OOOH LOOORD. I felt bad saying anything because she was really nice. But I just felt like I knew more than she did which was bad.

Ok, since you mentioned it, Im NW20 - 23 studio stick and the girl at the pro store the other day sold me NW25 select cover concealor. Doesnt make sense right? She insited? Any rec?

 

[TDoll]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wikdwich Ok, since you mentioned it, Im NW20 - 23 studio stick and the girl at the pro store the other day sold me NW25 select cover concealor. Doesnt make sense right? She insited? Any rec?

That should be fine, just as long as it looks right to you. Don't pay attention so much to the numbers, but to the "NW" or "NC" when you are selecting concealer (but obviously, you'll get a number close to what you wear foundation wise). I'm NC25 in SFF, but in under eye concealer, I'm NW20. Really, it all depends on the product though...because In the Studio Fix powder, I'm a totally different shade. ANYWAYS...just because you wear an "NC" on your face, doesn't mean you'll also need a more cool shade to cover your under eye circles...because they are a totally different color than on your face. On your face, you're usually trying to cover up unevenness or redness. So that takes a totally different toned product than something you're going to use to cover up gray or blue areas.
Most of the time, people with fair skin that are covering dark circles will choose a concealer with orange/salmon/pinkish undertones to counteract the blue (so you'd use NW, or warmer tones). Sometimes more cooler shades of concealers can make them look even more shadowy.

 

[Meryl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by glamdoll Seriously I love an informed customer who knows what they want, but are also opened to suggestions. Someone who will respect you and not treat you as a door matt because they can.

I would think that is the ideal customer too.

ETA -- because as much as we think we know... the MAs still know more than us.

 

[DirtyPlum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wikdwich Ok, since you mentioned it, Im NW20 - 23 studio stick and the girl at the pro store the other day sold me NW25 select cover concealor. Doesnt make sense right? She insited? Any rec?

Was it for ur under eye area or for your face or both?
Do you wear bronzer or tan easily or are you quite bluey/purpley under the eye? Have you been using it and does it look too dark/orangey? Are you blending it well and slowly building up the coverage?

(20 questions lol!)

It can happen... there arent any clear cut rules with shade matching, but TDoll explained it well.

 

[calbear]

I was thinking about this thread ...and i realized that it's the person who didn't finish reading the thread or the person that ignores the answer from the 15 MAC MA's who took the time to post but goes with the answer of the one person who says something different (and usually incorrect)...ie can you B2M and get a Viva Glam lipstick? 9000 people say no but the original poster only likes the answer of the one 'yes' and then shows up at the counter saying 'she heard online.....'

AAARRGGHH!!