Reader question: How to deal with snooty sales assistants at beauty counters
Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 12:32PM Hi Liz. This isn't really a makeup question per se, but I'd like to get your opinion on this one. :)
When I buy makeup, especially foundation, I like to test the product first. It makes sense right? You won't know if your skin will react or how long the makeup holds unless you're able to wear it for at least 5-6 hours. And sometimes, it will take a few days before your skin starts breaking out...
What I don't understand, though, is how some sales ladies here in Philippines tend to focus on just their SALES, rather than showing genuine interest in helping a potential customer. I've encountered one too many assistants from different high end brands (won't name them here) located at Glorietta or Shangrila which have given me the cold shoulder when I said I wasn't ready to buy yet, or when I asked for samples, or when I explained that I was testing the product and was planning to order it from the US (because it's cheaper there). I find that kind of treatment really unfair. Buying makeup is not as easy as buying clothes on a rack. It takes time and a lot of ladies want to know what they're getting into before they shell out 2000++ on an expensive brand.
What are your thoughts? Do you also have the same observation when buying makeup? - Jin
Hi Jin! I agree that beauty counter assistants should be trained well when it comes to customer service - after all, experiencing a brand goes way beyond than just products. It's how their representatives treat you that can make or break the deal. However, sometimes, even if these sales people know what to do (or not to do) when dealing with customers, they get frustrated too.
I do know that they're under tremendous pressure to make the monthly quota. For example, their employer can tell them "You need to bring in P200,000 this month" but they only get a tiny percentage of that on top of a basic salary of P8,000 to P10,000. They stand for 10-12 hours for five days every week. No wonder some of them are cranky! I'm not excusing their (sometimes) bad behavior but this is the reason I try to be kinder when interacting with them. It's a difficult job and I don't want to make it more difficult if I don't have to.
About samples, they're not so popular in the Philippines because brands are afraid of being copied by their competitors. Same reason why you can't take pictures without permission - they don't want "spies" to document how they set up their merchandise. A lot of work goes into that - I know this from personal experience - and believe it or not, spying is a very real thing among retailers here in the country. If a sales person can prevent that from happening on their watch, they will.
Filipinos are also quite enterprising. Where in the US people won't bother re-selling samples simply because no one would buy them, here samples have a good resale value especially if they're from expensive names. So that's one reason that high-end brands don't usually provide samples without purchase, your purchase being proof that you're a real customer, not a racketeer out to make a quick buck.
I'm not saying that it's right to treat customers as if they're there to do something wrong. I'm just trying to explain what kind of challenges sales people face everyday.
Now, here's how to work with beauty counter assistants! These tips are simple, neat, and won't embarrass anyone.
1. Be clear about your intentions from the get-go. When the sales assistant approaches you and asks, "Hi, how can I help you?" tell her/him exactly what you want. "I'm looking for my foundation shade", "What's a nice lipstick color for me?". Or if you're just looking around, say, with matching eye contact and a warm smile, that you're just looking around. If you don't want them to hover, say you'll call them if you need anything.
Remember, you don't have to endure over-solicitous SAs nor do they have to guess what you're thinking. Communicate and chill out.
2. If you feel hostility or resentfulness from the SA, just ignore it. Sometimes it's all in your head; some SAs just look naturally mataray. Sometimes they really are a nasty piece of work, in which case, just remember that their behavior says more about them than it does about you. Don't take it personally! You don't look like a poor and uncouth person who can't afford anything in the store. The SA may just have an attitude problem. Or her dog just died.
3. Don't get guilt tripped into buying something you don't want. Yes, even if the SA was gracious enough to help you with everything. It's not a favor, that's why she's there anyway! Walk away if you think the product isn't a good fit for you. Be polite and tell the SA why you're not getting it, then thank her for her help. Remember, you have to be kind to SAs, but you don't have to give them any charity.
4. Whether you buy something or not, say goodbye properly. Make eye contact, smile, and say thank you. Or at least give a nod if they're busy entertaining someone else.
And that's it really. :) How about you guys, do you have any tips on dealing with snooty SAs?
Reader Comments (27)
nice post liz! ako i just tell them that I'm just looking around just in case i'm not really up to buying. sometimes, to be honest, i get pissed off din when they really hover. sometimes pa nga whenever you would pick up something they will tell you how much it costs, even without u asking. super nakakainis and insulting, right? sometimes i just ignore, sometimes i just say, "i know" and sometimes i say "i am not asking.." ^_^ i remember an incident years ago when i really asked for their manager when one SA kept on telling me the price for every item i try to check out. the thing is, i was wearing an almost pambahay-clothes without any makeup on. LOL so parang minamata nya ako. I was really pissed off that i asked for the manager and told her that dapat nya pagsabihan ung SA na un. and then i bought some stuff from another SA just so the other one wont get any commission. i dont care if they are pagod or if their salary is small, they should know what a good "customer service" is. if they can't, they should better be not in that industry.
un lang :D
Fortunately, I've never encountered a snooty saleslady. The letter-sender did say that the snooty SAs she met were from high-end makeup counters in Glorietta and Shangrila, and I don't go there, so maybe that's why. Maybe SAs from lower-end malls are friendlier? I don't really know.
Very well said Liz and Brigitte! Should keep those in mind. I befriend SAs at times, even ask for their numbers. Even if I don't buy from the store, they smile at me and they don't mind me trying out make-up. Hehe!
Totally agree with Brigitte. I know we have to be patient with them but sometimes they really do cross the line. I wish SA's are trained on best customer service practices. Sometimes they even lie just to make a sale!
This is such a great post Ms. Liz! Actually, I haven't been into any high end cosmetic counter before so I can't share any experience about it. Pero sa mga mid-low end brands naman, they're quite okay! Well, fortunately ung mga na-encounter ko okay sila.. Like ung sa Revlon counter, the SA is quite nice.. Whenever I go there and browse some of their products, hindi nya ako binabantayan.. Andun lang cya sa tabi nagaayos ng mga display or kung anuman un.. Hehe! Pero when I ask for something naman she's always there to help.. I once saw her pa nga doing some makeover to an old lady.. And ung katabing counter naman w/c is Ever Bilena, the SA is super nice! I once approached the counter and asked for something (it's the concealer that I saw from some Pinay beauty gurus) she assists me and told me that it's really nice daw talaga (the concealer) but when I told I won't buy it yet, she just smiled at me! She's very approachable and not pushy at all that sometimes you'll just buy what she's suggesting because of her attitude.. At un nga din minsan ang problem ko.. I tend to buy things that I don't really want or need because of the nice SAs.. Npansin ko lng, ung mga high end brands, dpat tlga i-train nila ung mga SA nila to be more friendly and nice cause the brands itself is intimidating tapos dadagdagan pa nila? :)
Yeah, I agree. In our country its more difficult because of reasons mentioned. Probably why we tend to lean towards online shopping. At least for me. So that when I go to a counter, I know what to look for and test and probably buy.
Woah, I did not expect my question to come out here. :) Thanks for the detailed explanation! I do understand that SAs have a quota to meet, so that probably adds to the pressure but I hope that companies would also take time to brief them on good customer service. I'd definitely go back to their beauty counters if only they were a tad friendlier. :)
With regards to dishing out samples - well it's sad that they're being withheld for that reason. :( Not everyone is a copycat but companies have to do the best that they can to protect their brand.
That being said, I want to clarify that I'm not generalizing when I say the snooty SAs came from Glorietta or Shang. (Just in case someone misunderstands me!) Only a handful and from certain brands. I want to commend Bobbi Brown and Estée Lauder though. The ladies there are super friendly and cheerful. :) even when you explain to them that you need some time to think about your potential purchase. And they give samples! (Which got me really interested in their foundation/skin care line. Definitely buying from them because I've tested their product and I'm happy with the results.)
A well-balanced post! This is really helpful because I do get overwhelmed by some SAs. I hate it when they hover. And I get guilt-tripped into buying stuff! Thankfully I haven't encountered SAs who are too hostile. However, I wouldn't tell an SA I want to test a product I'm planning to order from the US (because it's cheaper there). I think that's a little tactless because they DO work on commission. Simply asking to test a product before buying should be enough of a reason for an SA to assist you.
wonderful post. and thank you so much for pointing those out. I myself just smile at the SAs and say thank you. When they are acting rude, I simply brush it off. but as an act of revenge, I never go back to their stall/shop. hehe
I like this post. It's one of my concerns whenever I check around. Well, it's not actually the "taray" treatment that I'm bothered about. I understand that it's important for them to make sales and it's sort of annoying assisting someone who won't bother buying. Sayang effort ng assistance, 'di ba? So I'm quick to say, "[I'm] just looking around" when asked what I need.
What I hate though is being "marked" when I look around. This also happens when I check for clothes. I sometimes want to say, "I'm not a striker (in Football) so don't mark me." I find it rude. But I don't bother telling them that I can manage, because I might also be rude in approach. I prefer not to speak.
But there's one sales lady whom I find very effective. I forgot her name but she works for 4U2 in Megamall. She was doing sales, but was genuinely into the customer. I was assisted without extra feeling that I was obliged to buy a product. I said kasi I still want to know how my skin would react, and I was looking for a particular product but happened to be unavailable.
Well, some SAs are just plain snooty. Like one time, I mentioned in my blog about an incident when I bought a BB Cream... nakakainis yung SA kasi, she had to say things na ndi naman dapat sabihin, like she had the same BB Cream, but she sold it instead, yaddah, yaddah... pero kahit na nkakainis cya, i still bought the product kasi I really want to try it.
One time naman, sa isang mall, my hubby (which was my bf at that time) were looking for some pants... Since we were wearing pambahay clothes, kasi di maporma c hubby pag namimili, the SA approached us while my hubby was checking out a pair of pants... Aba! ang sabi ba naman, "Sir, P500 yan", as if we can't afford to buy it. Nabadtrip si hubby, eh... hindi cya bumili... andami pa naman nming dalang pera nun... wahahaha!!! XD
You can read it here:
http://angelamhiereslittleheaven.blogspot.com/2010/10/whats-in-my-make-up-box-part-1-face.html
The thing with some SAs at the mall is, they look at people's appearances and if a customer looks "well-off", they give them the best treatment... Pag ndi nakaporma, they treat them like crap... Little did they know, ung mga mapoporma na umiikot sa mall eh kadalasan, (excuse me po) sila yung walang pambili... wahahaha!
It's not really a tip, but a good deed. If I sense that the saleslady is naturally snooty or having a hard day, at the very least, I try to lighten up her mood by joking around with her as I inquire about a particular makeup product. This way, I get to lift out some of her negative feelings, no matter how few. At least before leaving, I made somebody smile. :)
I love your tips Ms. Liz. I was "bullied" into buying a whole skin care range when I just wanted one thing, which set me back :( Pero at least I know now if that line works for me or not hehe. And I will try to be more understanding towards mataray-looking SAs, even if they look at me as if I'm penniless (just because I'm wearing jeans and shirt unlike the other girls who are all dolled up (not being offensive or anything)). But I do make it a point to say thank you when I leave store or a counter even if they were snooty. :)
Yes definitely there are lots of sales assistants who are very snobbish. :/ Customers cannot always buy the products immediately. These women should be given some seminars on how to deal with their customers. They may not even know that them being nice can make some customers buy the products they're selling :D
Most of the time they give u that mataray look if you said ur not buying their stuff. Sometimes i get the urge to buy the things that i dont need cuz of the SAs. They take everything off the shelf and test it on u
I've encountered some terrible sales ladies in the past... and aside from the masungit ones, there are the ones who just don't know how to make a sale. That, in my opinion, is even worse. Like they don't know how to sell their product. :(
But I've also met some really good and fun ones! For example all the salespeople inside Essences in Rockwell are really happy all the time. ESPECIALLY the guy at the Bobbi Brown counter. He's fun and always willing to help. Next time I'll ask for his name, he's so nice and I've only ever bought one thing from that particular counter. Hehe!
Generally speaking, customer service in the Philippines is really poor.
Kaya to any politician who has improvement of Consumer Rights included in their platform will automatically get a vote from me, even when he/she is from another district -ok fine..hindi pwede, but I'll definitely campaign for them.
On to SA's na kung umasta akala mo sinong maka afford, I always give the "I cannot afford but if you'll be nice to me I will save up for it" look. I'm a very honest customer. I always tell SAs my intention once I get to their counters. And yes, I freely say "ang mahal" when I really find it expensive.
It's always best to tell them your intentions immediately, in that way you can set their expectations.
And if the SA gives you the "taray" treatment, you just get back with "Kung hindi ko afford, MAS hindi mo afford!" look.
Uy meron ding SAs ng drugstore brands na matataray ha...but like Ms. Liz said, I just try not to take it personally and walk away. A "technique" I really find effective is to start with small talk. Ako na yung mauunang maging friendly at chumika and magrereciprocate narin sila. Most SAs, high- end or otherwise, ay friendly and helpful naman. I think mabibilang sa lang sa daliri yung bad apples. I find the SAs from MAC to be the friendliest!
Share ko narin, one time while I was looking around, this SA from Majo remembered me and even asked me about the eyeliner I got from them months ago. I mean, rarely do SAs do that! Made me feel really special and valued as a customer kaya kahit concealer from another brand lang talaga yung pakay ko, chinika ko sya and got a product from her too. :) Sana yung readers ng PV na SAs mabasa nila to so they'll know it really pays to go the extra mile.
Hay, I think having to stand all day and worrying about reaching their quota really gets to them. I try to understand them pero minsan ang hirap din magpasensya pag nagkataong they take out their frustration on you. Wag lang ako masaktuhang nagpPMS or having my period. :P
Ahh, went to the Estee Lauder counter at Shang a few months back to get one of their 10-day sample. The SA didn't even acknowledge me, binigyan niya lang ako ng sample pack, and hindi na ako pinansin. Thanks for matching me, a******. Buti pa in Sephora, sobrang bait. Laging nakangiti, they're literally just a call away and they'd help you with whatever you need, and they tend to not care kahit magswatch swatch ka ng kung ano ano sa store. Some SAs here really need get off their high horse & go on an extensive training.
I've my share of snooty SA encounters, but thankfully nothing that made me feel like I'm being stepped on. If they give me attitude, I just ignore it--especially when I really want something. I'm there for the product and not for them, anyway. It's such a pet peeve of mine, though, when SAs or customer representatives are not the least bit customer-focused. I work with customers everyday and make an effort to be professional even though all I want to do sometimes is shove some manners down their throats. Is it too much to expect the same level of professionalism from other customer-facing employees? :| That's why when I'm the one being a customer, I try my best to be amiable because I know handling customers is hard. Some SAs thankfully repay that kindness, while others are just bad eggs.
It's so sad how some Sales Assistants can be so judgmental sometimes. Before, I was always intimidated to go in shops I like because some sales ladies would look at you from head to foot as if you cannot afford the products they sell, that's why even if I wanted to try some products on, I would miss the opportunity because of intimidation. But I have learned to always greet them with a smile and a confident disposition, and they always end up being so accommodating. :) And I agree that being nice to them like saying a proper goodbye is a must, that's how you earn a good treatment from them. :)
I will forever hold this topic dear to me. I've already made a mental note on the places where I should buy certain brands. For example, the girls at Laura Mercier in Glorietta are accommodating, same with Mac and Shu Uemura located at Mall of Asia. I really hate snooty sales associates and there is this one particular Mac counter that I hate visiting simply because the associates are not accommodating and are not even knowledgeable of their products. I am not the only one who says so. Hay. God bless their souls. :)) I like the Etude house associates, even though they can be so kulit at times. :))
This post is so helpful. I can't help but ignore some SAs as well when I already told them I'll call them if I need them hehe and we're almost still bumping with each other as she stays close. :D
I was browsing your 'Ask Liz' and I stumbled upon this question & was wondering where your response was. Then I started reading your entries then I found this.
I completely agree about this, but sometimes when the SA is too gracious I kinda feel bad not buying it, lol (except when it's really out of my budget, then I'll just leave politely, but otherwise..)
This is really helpful. I love your website and I hope that my website can be (even as half) as insightful as yours :)