Interesting how some brands hard sell and other don't

[Cartoonjane]

Yesterday I had a bit of a spree on beauty products which I'd been planning for some time. I did it all in John Lewis, going to several different counters. What interested me was their different approches to selling. The starkest contrast was between Bobbi Brown where I bought a tinited moisturizer and Origins where I bought a day and night cream. The person at Bbbi Brown tested the tinited moisturiser on me but didn't push anything else even thought I asked about another product (in fact she told me it wasn't suitable for what I wanted it for) whereas I felt I had to be quite assertive to refuse the eye cream that the salesperson for origins insisted I needed; she also tried to push two day creams onto me rather than just one. Dior was good too, doing their selling by giving me a few free samples but not pushing anything other than the foundation I'd gone to buy.

[AGeeksWife]

I often wonder how well the hard sell works- it may get immediate responses from people who are intimidated (or gullible) but surely it won't result in repeated sales and people going back.

Actually having said that it brought to mind a lady who I used to work with who I saw at the Clinique's counter a few times being pressure sold and almost nodding along with the sales women as if she was in a cult. this lady was quite vulnerable and the assistant had pounced on this. Awful.

And I also still shop at Lush even though I hate the sales technique with a passion.

[IDismyname]

I bought some moisturiser at JL's in Oxford Street earlier this year from Clarins. They were very good - not pushy - and I came away with what I'd asked for and some free samples. :)

[Hetaera]

How interesting! I was in JL Bluewater at the Bobbi Brown counter this week, ready to spend big £'s. All of a sudden, I became aware that the Bobbi Brown woman was REALLY pushing a product that I did not want. What made me really was that she continued to try to push it after I had said I did not want it and that is was not appropriate. I find the John Lewis beauty hall on Oxford St. much better.

[Caerlaverock]

I had a great service at Dior, got a great lesson in how to put on the bare minimum foundation to get the coverage I need. Also he told me I had killer cheekbones, but I suspect in makeup land this is a bit like saying I have a nice personality

[Hetaera]

I'm a big B.Brown customer so it takes a lot to put me off purchasing something, but that clever lady managed it!

[ComradeJing]

I had a fantastic experience at the YSL counter today buying the new touche eclat foundation. She did tell me about the new serum but just gave me lots of samples for it AND gave me two sample sizes for the foundation in my color and the lighter color for winter. She also tried a blusher and bronzer on me and was very soft sell about it to the point that made it very tempting to buy.

[wildfig]

I think it can depend on the store. I love the Bobbi Brown counter at Peter Jones, where the assistants are friendly and happy to demonstrate products and never push anything, but I had a heinous hard sell from a Bobbi Brown assistant at John Lewis Oxford Street recently - in the end I had to be so insistent that I really did just want the BB cream because I have nearly as many Bobbi Brown products at home as she did on the counter that I'm not sure I'd go back there.

[wildfig]

hetaera did you get the 'You need the Hydrating Eye Cream! The concealer doesn't work without it!' spiel?

[Eliza22]

This isn't cosmetics counter.......but similar.

I had a hair appointment yesterday. I hadn't been before but decided to try a posh hairdressers, recommended by a friend. The senior stylist chatted to me for 30 minutes. I had a coffee. I showed her what I'd like and she showed my how that wouldn't suit/work/be practical. I came away un-shorn.

I awoke today and was sooo received I listened to her.

The salon missed out on a £68 cut but, I'll go back as I trust them now. I think many salons would have just gone ahead with a variation of what I wanted, in order not to lose that time slot "sale".

[Hopefully]

I like a bit of a sell though - I have been to beauty counters before and made it clear I am looking for advice on a few products and they have appeared keen to sell me the one product that I know and ignore the fact that I am vaguely interested in half a dozen more. Have had it at Mac, Laura Mercier and YSL stands. Clarins have been great in JL and Selfridges.

[Hetaera]

wildfig Yes! They always do that! And the corrector? They love to sell you the full load of crud. Personally, I think too much stuff under the eyes makes it go cakey and sink into wrinkles smile lines.

The thing is, other than guiding you towards colours that might work for you, they do not need to sell/multi-sell anything. Shame on you Bobbi Brown!

They always expect you to be amazed when you look at yourself after they have applied their "ahhhmazing" whatever, and I always think I could have applied it far better as I know my face best.

[Cartoonjane]

The experience at Origins has really put me off them. I will have to seriously LOVE the moisturiser to consider going back there. I had been really looking forward to my little spree (I live where there are no such retail opportuinities and had been waiting for this one) and this slightly took the edge of it becasue I ended up feeling uncomfortable.

The responses suggest that everyone feels the same ie don't want to be pressured and feel more like going back if we get honest service that makes us feel comfortable. I do also agree with hopefully: a bit of sell in the right way can be what you are after. Nothing to do with beuaty but I once stayed in a hotel in Tallinn that had a wonderful little wine bar in the cellar and various other lovely tempting offerings which they didn't sell AT ALL to the point of not even letting us know they were there. Very frsutrating!

[StuckInTheFensAwayFromHome]

I hate hard sells and on me it doesn't work and funnily enough the example is an Origins in a John Lewis.
I first got an Origins product as a gift and it was fabulous so I wandered over to their section to have a bit of a sniff and a browse. I wasn't left in peace at all and made to feel very uncomfortable. Have never bought anything even though I know their stuff is gorgeous!

[Turquoiseblue]

I find the same with Laura mercier here - last time I went there I knew exactly what I wanted (tinted moisturiser). The girl tried to convince me that it would only sit on my skin right if I applied it with sponges they sold costing 20€ and that I needed their bronzer colour cube to set it off properly also that I needed concealer
Despite that fact I told her I disliked LM concealer! Really off putting has made me decide hat I m going to try BB next time I need foundation.

[wildfig]

I'm all for a bit of advice, especially if it's for a product or technique I haven't used before, and Bobbi Brown/Mac/Space NK are usually brilliant at that. I always feel the assistant knows what they're talking about, and they aren't too pressure-y.

But I'm far more likely to buy something if the assistant doesn't try to guilt/shame me into taking more than I've mentally prepared myself to buy. If I approach a counter for a makeover, or to take up some of their time, it's usually because I've decided to buy something anyway. If I end up spending twice what I budgeted for, the resulting guilt/annoyance with myself tends to make me take agin that particular counter.

Although they can redeem themselves with a last-minute freebie. Especially if the product I felt obliged to buy ends up being really good. (Hello, Aveda lady in Peter Jones and your actually very effective Daily Repair conditioner and accompanying handful of Be Curly minis.)

[Aftereightsaremine]

The assistants at Mac scare the living daylights out if me. I make my sister go there for me instead.