The Lancôme Lady is Not Your Friend

Recently I spent time behind the counter at Clinique and what I found completely shocked me. I’d like to share what I discovered lurking behind those overly made-up friendly faces.
1- The vast majority of cosmetic counter sales people don’t know anything about skincare except for what their line tells them. They truly believe in what they’re telling you but their knowledge is not based on fact. Their knowledge is based on what the company wants you believe so that you’ll buy the product. The only reliable information you will get about your personal skincare needs is from your Dermatologist, an All-Star (read on for All-Star info) …oh, and this blog!
2- It’s all about money, money, money. Macy’s never bothered training me on Clinique product knowledge except the very basics of what I needed to know to sell, sell, sell. They taught me about each products supposed miracle benefits and buzzword ingredients to use on customers ('antioxidant' was a big one but ask someone what it actually does for your skin and they'll draw a blank) They never talked about actual skincare. Only how to sell your product.
3- These women do not care about you. One of the first things Macy’s taught me was how to ‘earn a customers trust’. That is, find out your first name and use it frequently. Find out what you’re most concerned about and then play on that flaw and try to convince you that the problem area can only be fixed with their product.
4- This is a cut-throat industry which pits sales people against sales people. Before I started my position at Clinique, I went to a counter girl and introduced myself as the new Clinique employee. She graciously told me to “watch my back, don’t tell anyone anything about yourself “and that working their was like being in high-school again. She couldn't’ have been more accurate in her description!
Sales are checked hourly and Clinique Proper calls every day at 3pm to check your numbers. Counter girls must run a check hourly on what they’ve sold. Oh, God help you if you aren’t selling.
5- It is a myth that counter girls get free product and most do not use the product lines they actually work for. On their meager hourly rates and pitiful 3% commission, they can’t afford to. Each line has a ‘gratis’ program wherein you get maybe $100 every three months to spend on their product after you’ve been employed for 6 months. That’s enough money to buy one skincare product.
6- That brings me to theft. I'm not saying that counter people are thieves but I saw people stealing product at an alarming rate. One girl I worked with would make deals with her friends at different counters and then trade merchandise. I remember she wanted the new Ed Hardy fragrance and traded a huge bag of Clinique stuff. When I reported it, the department manager sold me out and I became a pariah at Clinique. It was one of the worst experiences at a job in my life. Good girls finish last in the Beauty Biz.
7- The women who are most successful are the most evil. I have seen them undercut other sales people right in front of the customers and it happened to me countless times. I’m sure at home with their friends and family they are caring, have integrity and are basically good people. But once they put on their uniforms and punch in the clock, it’s war. And as the saying goes, “all’s fair in love and war.”
8- Every counter has small cups they can fill for you with any product you want to try and can give you samples of the products they carry. They just don’t want to. They do not want you leaving the counter without blowing ching so sending you away with a sample is the last thing they want to do. You’ll try their lackluster moisturizer and never return.
9- If a salesperson spends too much time providing you with customer service, they will receive a warning. I, myself, was brought into the Macy's 'Idea Room" and given a warning for spending too much time with each customer. If you leave a counter after a salesperson has spent time with you, they will track you around the department. If you end up buying from another product line, they'll say mean things about you behind your back.
10- There are exceptions to all these rules! That’s why I’ll be listing the best counter people, my All-Stars, starting with Mary Ogdahl at the Southdale Macy's Dior counter in Edina, MN. In a later post, I’ll share with you what a real sales person should do, say and provide you with as a consumer. Mary is a Dior All-Star and has managed to maintain a clientele with her amazing skincare and product line knowledge, willingness to spend time with her clients and her obvious dedication to Makeup & Skincare! Plus, she is so nice! I wish all the women employed as Cosmetic Sales could be like Mary.


There are other, much better, options and alternatives (Hello, Sephora!) available for purchasing cosmetics and skincare and I will share them with you in a later post.