Who was unreasonable me or the people on the makeup counter

[Lounde]

So we are away for a break and I forgot to pick up my make up bag. Thought you know what I’ll just buy the basics again as it’s probably good to have a second lot for the car anyway. I don’t have tonnes and tonnes of make up but I invest in the formulas I prefer. I thought I’d just pick up an eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, foundation, blush, concealer and a gloss. I knew my account was going to take a hit but I rarely treat myself so thought why not.

I explained the situation to the girls on the counter (think Chanel, Dior, Charlotte Tilbury etc) and they said they could help me pick some things out.

We were on our way to a nice lunch. I said in a very courteous and polite manner “please do you mind just slapping on some of the make up for me as I’m in a bit of a rush and stopping has delayed us”. Got told I would have to book an appointment. In this completely dead stand with 4 people literally just stood around. No appointment was available for two hours apparently.

I bought the products but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. I wasn’t looking for a full beat. Just some foundation and eyeshadow. Literally 2 min job.

I ended up spending around £300

Under those circumstances you weren’t being unreasonable at all.

It would have taken a pro a few minutes to do what you wanted.

It just simply depends on the individual’s kindness and personality, and obviously none of them could be arsed.

agree - it doesn't sound as though she did demand it at the time but is now reflecting on her experience & thinks that she should've been accommodated regardless of what they told her.

I stand by the fact that she is, unwittingly or not, coming across as entitled & customer service is being blamed

For 300 pounds worth of makeup I'd be expecting a bit more in the way of customer service! I can't see why there are comments about drag queens or the suggestions that the OP must be caked in makeup. It doesnt sound that excessive a list of items. Personally, I'd never spend that on makeup but would easily spend that on my six monthly appointments with a dermatologist. He at least is a great deal more obliging than the women at this upmarket makeup counter. I don't see why people are giving the OP such a hard time. With this sort of attitude and service, it's no wonder that the High Street is dying.

So the great thing here is, she was a customer. Also, it’s a reasonable expectation in the UK for them to help her. Lastly, if three separate points aren’t going to be too much of a comprehension challenge, she was buying makeup because she didn’t have any at that point. 😊

It's only a paid experience if you buy no products. The cost of the service is redeemable against purchases. So if your spend is more than the cost of the service, then the service is completely free.

YANBU. The counter staff represent the brand; you are clearly a brand loyalist, and if you were buying a foundation for the first time, they would have done an application without appointment. You weren’t asking for a full MUA experience. You got poor customer service.

It can look perfectly natural depending how you apply it and what you use and also how much of it
I just look better with it, not “oh she’s wearing a ton of makeup”

Oh haha, where to start, no casseroles were harmed in the making of this thread.

Let’s keep it simple, did they have five minutes to spend applying a little of the make-up for her? I suspect they did before the stampede of apparently pre-booked customers. If they didn’t, they probably needed to be a little more apologetic given the amount of money she spent.

Maybe a quick job wouldn't be a good reflection of their service.

I live in another universe where your budget would buy me the entire Collection 2000 display 🤣

I don't think you understand how this works. If the service costs 100 pounds, and it's redeemable, and you buy something that costs 100 pounds, you walk away with the 100-pound product having only spent 100 pounds, which makes the makeover free.

Yes but the other side of that is the makeover comes before the purchase, hence is redeemable against it ie; it's an incentive to buy, not an entitlement once you have already bought.

I can see where you are coming from from a purely monetary perspective, but I do think there is a valid distinction. One is consenting to being wooed as a customer, the other is expecting to be fussed over after the fact.

She doesn’t get it, but she’s also a PBP that has been banned by the moderators about a million times for the exact sort of unhinged behaviour she’s displaying here.

@icycoldbutnosnow Knock it off before you get your latest account banned too. 🙄

It isn't "spot-on." If OP had had an appointment, she would have got the makeover free of charge, because her spend was many times more than the redeemable charge of all brands that do the charge-and-redeem thing.

I'm not understanding why so many posters don't get that the OP would have got the makeover free if she'd had an appointment, because her spend was so much more than the redeemable fee.

I think the issue was that the OP was in a tearing hurry.

It might have been the hurry.

But for me the order of makeover/purchase vs purchase/makeover is relevant. The redemption is offered as an incentive to buy.

In the butcher's analogy, I don't think it is the same as asking to have your meat cooked. But I have asked a butcher to spatchcock a chicken, and have never been refused. It's part of the service they offer.

The staff were unoccupied. This thing about appointments reminds me of that comedy set in a job centre. Man showed up without an appointment. Refused service. He asks if he could make appointment as staff were clearly available. Only over the phone. So he picks up a phone and speaks to the same person, as he looks at her, to make an appointment 'over the phone'.

No. It isn't 'treating people appallingly' to expect decent service.

What you've experienced is the decline of fucking everything.

Think about flying back in the day vs now - you're paying for basics like choosing your seat and having a suitcase! Drinks! Food in some cases. It's disgraceful but ubiquitous.

I think we're similar ages because I also remember going to John Lewis to mooch at a Bobbi Brown counter and complain to a girl that I could never match my skin tone — she sat me down there and then, went through the importance of skincare and matched my tone impeccably and did my whole face.

I only bought a foundation because I was poor. But she made a lasting impression on me and I've been a loyal customer ever since.

With respect I think if thats how you said it then it may have come across cheeky. Yes youve paid the money but doesnt mean they have to do a makeover for a lunch youre going to when in their book the job/sale is done and onto the next person. You should have played it clever and got them to do your full face first, using all the products you thought you might want - and then bought them, not ask afterwards!

I don't wear much make up as I'm not great at it - I usually just use a tint for base and lipstick/lipgloss .

I'm sorry you had a poor experience. Just before Christmas (so very busy) I was in London and was really near Liberty - I went in as I haven't been there in years. I entered by the beauty section really near Lisa Eldridge "desk" and stopped to ask about an eye product and concealer - super helpful assistant explained & popped eye product on for me - re the concealer she decided I was between 2 colours and suggested I wait for an imminent new launch which she thought would suit me better. I had a really helpful and unexpectedly great time and she made my eyes up exactly as I asked and they looked great.

I don’t think you’re unreasonable at all, @Lounde
But you’re probably better off having done your makeup yourself.
I had a little mishap and broke both my arms and couldn’t do anything.
I had an important party to attend so I made an appointment with a professional makeup artist.
I took my own makeup with me.
She was awful.
It was like she was in middle school and this was a silly game - only neither of us were laughing.
My arms were in slings, not casts, so I hobbled along the best I could AND I paid her the full amount.
I’m guessing that all her high reviews and references were from family and friends.
The moral of this story is don’t break both your arms at the same time.

No worries. I get your reasoning tbh.
Actually…… the truth is that the grand total I’ve ever spent on makeup in my entire life is I think approx £10!
My “happy money” goes on books and crafts.

I've not read all the replies, sorry, I used to work on a make up counter and I would have taken the time to give you a quick make over, obviously if a customer came along I would've politely told you to wait 5 minutes, but I would've definitely try to help you.

That's it - I'm becoming a fully paid-up member of the Everything's Gone To Shit Since The Pandemic Club.

It goes without saying that the membership fee goes up three times a year, nobody's sure what it gets you, and you can't get through to anyone when you have a question 😏

Exactly.

I've been so into makeup since I was young that I forget how many people just have no idea about it. It's 100 percent possible to be wearing a full face that's subtle and in flattering shades that just looks like a younger, healthier version of you.

But in your model, the company is treating a high-spending customer badly.

If I was the MUA, if I had time and if the OP wasn't in quite such a tearing hurry, I'd have done something. But she said she told them she was "running very late," and wanted them to just slap something on, which isn't the way that luxury brands work. I'd have thought they'd need at least ten minutes to do what OP wanted, and she was in a huge rush.

It's also possible that only one of the four staff was a trained MUA and that she had a customer in ten mins.