I don’t normally do this, but this comment left by a reader yesterday on my previous article on why I don’t use MAC Cosmetics, struck a chord in me.
Here is what Leia wrote:
This evening (Oct 5 2007) I visited the latest M.A.C. outlet in Kuala Lumpur. This is the new mall in Kuala Lumpur, Pavilion. I was there around 6.30 -7.00 pm. I was served by a sales girl. I told her I was looking for a waterproof eye shadow or eye liner. She showed me some colors. She tested a few colors on my wrist and then I asked her if I could try on my eyes. She said yes and I chose blue cream eye shadow. She handed over the cream and a brush but she walked away. I was puzzled and waited for her return. After few minutes, she came back and we looked at each other. So I asked her what to do with the cream and a brush that I was holding. She said I am supposed to put on myself. I told her I had not used cream eye shadow and asked her to help me. So she put on one eye for me. After looking at the mirror, I did not like the color on me so I told her the same. She gave me some remover to clean one eye that I tried the color. After that, I said I could not go around the mall with one eye bare and the other eye colored (my original make up was on). So she said I could use one of MAC color to put on the side that did not have any make up. Then I said I would have different color on my eyes so I asked if she could find the nearest match to the color that I had on my eyes. She said she could find and asked me to look for the color myself. As I could not find any color that is almost like the color that I had, so I asked her if she could help to put on (eye shadow) the side that had no make up as well as covering over the existing make up on the other eye. She said that would cost me RM80.00. I was jaw dropped. I asked to confirm and she replied the same. Then she said I could pick one base color and do it myself. I am totally lost. I had no choice but picked one color and put on myself. Guess I was upset over this and putting on the color badly. She then offered to help and she did but, that was it. I left the place. The reason I walked into the shop because I was told about the product. Just that now thing has gone the wrong way and I was humiliated. What have I done to deserve this
This experience is also part of the reason why I find it hard to patronize MAC Cosmetics, products notwithstanding. Bar a couple of helpful staff, the majority have not been helpful to me – I’m sorry to say. My own encounters have been with unhelpful and patronizing staff, but never one as rude as in Leia’s encounter above or they would have definitely heard from me!
I have written to Leia to advise her to please please take this up with the company – no, not M.A.C itself but the company that brings them in who in turn, hire the staff here. There is no place for rude sales people in a service industry and M.A.C Cosmetics needs to understand that.
Update 2010: 3 years later I now drop by MAC once in a while. I’ve found that there are some helpful MAC sales assistants in the MAC stores at KLCC notably. I have also met helpful MAC assistants at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Isetan Lot 10 so perhaps things have improved. I still don’t go to MidValley Megamall as I still don’t get served well there unfortunately.
My 2 girlfriends and I had the same experience as Leia, in fact the same M.A.C outlet in Pavillion. I went up to them asking for the right eye shadow color for my droopy eyes. The SA only tried out one and only one color (if it’s so easy to make my eye looks bigger, I would have done it myself) on one of my eye and stopped there. Lucky me as I brought my eye shadow along, else I would walking around with an eye bare and another eye colored.I planned to spend a fortune there to prep myself for my company grand dinner. I end up buying Shu Uemura. It’s their loss.
PB says: I fully concur with you and it looks like the majority agrees that MAC SAs leave much to be desired in the service department
erm..i must said that i am really lucky or…i am just very easy go lucky type of person. I knew that a lot ppl been complaining with MAC. but so far i haven’t meet one. or i did met a few. but i just opt not to service by them, i am not how malaysia MAC work, but in taiwan, each of the MUA had sales target to meet. so if you piss me off, i turn to another. I like Hing, or Hee? not very sure her name, in Midvalley, she is very friendly girl and always smile at customer and offer to help or stay a side let you choose your own color. I really recommend her if you are first time to MAC. (PS. i am dont’ look million buck nor gorgoeus at all, plus i am obesity, so it really take me a lot of couriage to go in MAC., becos of low self-esteem, and i am really lucky i guess)
i just read leia comments! woow! i had the same experienced from the same outlet too. PAVILION KL. on 19th january 2008, i went there. i am planning to get pigments and makeup brush. The moment i walked into the store, i saw 3 ladies there.quite nice looking, all of em , i shall say…but hey! am not there to c u guys modelling or do catwalk. what i got is nothing than dissapointment. i just dun understand, who is buying ? who is the customer? most importantly who is doing the business and who give em opportunity to do business and make money if its not US,…CUSTOMER..CONSUMER OF THE PRODUCTS? NO 1. THEY DIDNT GREET ME THOUGH THEY NOTICED AM THERE. (2) THEY COMPLETELY IGNORED ME AS IF AM NOT THERE. NO ASSISTANCE (3) I APPROACHED ONE OF EM, ASKING BOUT THE PIGMENTS, I KNW SHE WAS TALKING TO ONE CUSTOMER, BUT HEY, SHE IS THE CLOSEST TO ME, AND THE OTHER 2 STAFF COMPLETELY IN THEIR OWN WORLD, SO AS A CUSTOMER, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK IF I NEED ASSISTANCE..BUT YET, SHE GAVE ME THE PIGFACE WHICH IS UGLY AND FURIOUS. AND ANSWERED MY QUESTION SHOWING THAT SHE IS PISSED! OK! FINE! IT DOES NOT STOP THERE. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE BRUSHES. THE BRUSHES IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PAYMENT COUNTER, WHERE THE OTHER 2 LADIES AT, STANDING CHIT CHATTING HAPPILY. THEY GAVE ME THAT LOOK, THAT I AM NOT WELCOME! LIKE AM SUCH A NUISANCE…! AGAIN…STILL. I DIDNT GIVE UP. ASKED ONE OF EM, ABOUT THE HOLIDAY SETS. FOR THE EYE BRUSHES. THEY STILL HAVE THE STOCKS WHILE OTHER BRANCH DUN HAVE IT ANYMORE. TELL ME, EVEN IF U HAVE ONE MILLION DOLLAR IN UR POCKET, WITH THE SA THAT IS NOT FRNDLY AND WITH BITTER FACE, WILL U AS A CUSTOMER BE BOTHER TO BUY? HELL NO! NOT ME…SORRY DOESNT WORK 4 ME. DOESNT MATTER HOW MUCH I LOVE THE PRODUCTS OR BRANDS. WE ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE AS A CUSTOMER..THERE IS ALWAYS ALTERNATIVES.
I DID SENT MAIL TO MAC. BUT NO RESPOND. I DIDNT KNOW THE COMPANY NAME THAT BRING EM HERE, AND WHRE TO COMPLAINT HERE IN MALAYSIA. SO THATS WHY I WENT TO THE WEBSITE AND SENT MAIL. I HAD ENUFF WITH EM… ADIOS PARA SIEMPRE MAC.
veronica, i hope u have read my comments b4. i know MAC is a great product and one of the reason i used to buy it bcos of the recycling programme. and i support cruelty free. But am a consumer. i always have a choice. i was planning to spent a fortune on MAC makeup on that particular day, but hey..look what i have got from em? NO GREET, NO SMILE, BITTERFACE,NOT FREIDNLY, NOT WILLING TO HELP? why? simply bcos i dun look fashionable or too simple on that particular day? or i dun look like million dollar babe? or simply cos i dun wear any makeup shows that am not a makeup person…some1 who knows nothing bout makeup? can u answer that for me? i was the one who look and sounds so keen about the products, and it was 3 ladies there. NONE OF THEM SERVE ME. IT ONLY GOES THIS WAY…’ U ASK ME..I ANSWER..OTHERWISE I WONT BE BOTHER’ !! OK…IF THAT SO…I CHOW LA ! OH WELL..GOOD DAY FOR ME, I END UP BUYING FOREVER21 DRESSES AND KAREN MILLER DRESS INSTEAD OF MAC!
one more thing, nvr ever judge a person by the appearance. i dunno which cosmetology school u went to, but just bare with some of the consumers that might just know more than u do with deep pocket! btw, one of the SA there really caught me&my bf attention, with her clown look makeup. 😉
Well i dont know where ya’ll are from but here in the US every single MAC counter I have been to they are nothing but nice. They will go to all lengths to help me understand the product or ensure that I have what I need. They are kind and talented make-up artist! Sorry you had a few bad seeds but I can assure you they are not all like that!
By the way the dont go to cosmotolgy school and the way they do their make up is sometimes a bit extreme but you have to understand that it is a “High Fashion” brand and if you look on the high fashion run ways you always see crazy make-up. MAC is known for there vibrant colors and great make-up, they are just different and thats why they make millions more every year then all the other labels combind. PLUS they help certain AIDS funds and they RECYLCLE! all very good things for the world!
oh lucky amanda. it doesnt work here in malaysia. yeah, no doubt bout the great MAC makeup. oh well, i love fashion and paintings. enjoy seeing all the extreme makeup on runways. only problems is that the SA in most of the mac counter here always leave somethin for us to say. overall, the products is GREAT. maybe i should just fly to US just to get mac with good service and friendly staff there. 🙂
if i’m not mistaken, MAC is under Estee Lauder…
I didn’t really stop from going to MAC because of the bad service…but I do have preference to WHICH outlet to go to and who to find when I’m there. I’ve had bad experiences before there, the MAs are so snobby sometimes it really pisses me off that I know more about their products then they do. I wish they would hire ppl who are passionate about the brand as well, here they hire you only if you have a cert or diploma from a beauty school or whatever. In the US, people get hired because of their skill and their interest for the brand. Blah. So unfair.
But well, I recommend going to the KLCC one if you ever wanna try to buy MAC again. Find Yean or Reyo. They’re very nice. 🙂 Or if you’re in Midvalley, find Harita but I don’t like the staff for this outley…so I lean towards KLCC more.
I’m not a fan of M.A.C but I would like to share my view here. If I want to buy cosmetic on the day, I’ll wear very liltle makeup such as moisturizer and loose powder. This will actually benefit myself to buy a correct shade of foundation, get the true color of lipstick, coverage of concealer…etc. But there also people who were buy cosmetic being seized by whim or other situation (after working…etc). So, leia’s case might happen. As a SA, they should try and do their best to serve their customer. Some company will provides refund or money back just for their good reputation. It’s unfair to charge $ in leia case, the SA could propose to remove eyeshadow of both eye and let leia to choose a color she like to wear. In emily case, I don’t know what’s in the male SA mind, but some man are jealousy and don’t like other man to approach their gf/wife (even SA). In mim’s case, I’m curious does M.A.C give incentives to their SA? If they did, why those SA not bother to serve mim since everyone is potential buyer. I have learn that I need to give clear instruction to SA just like If I don’t want the SA to follow me, I have to tell them. If I want something, make a request.
Customer have high expectation espcially if the product is expensive or the company is reputable, retailer has reponsibility to make their customer leave their store satisfactory. Of course, if someone is humiliating, then just shun away. I would never go back with unpleasant experience.
I totally agree with this. I find this similar no matter what country it is. In London, it is exactly the same. The staff are stuck-up, and so full of themselves it’s ridiculous. As soon as you walk in into a MAC store, you have like five members of staff look at you up and down- not even at your face, with a fake “Hiyaaaa darlin'” Ok, not all MAC staff are like that, but they have to agree that the majority of the staff that they hire seriously need re-considering.. and possibly some proper CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING!
Emyli: So its an attitude that transcends borders eh? Pity it was the bad attitude that did. Thanks for your comment
the same happens at MAC counters at Dubai – they ignore you (ofcourse this is done after they scan you to see if you’re worth their time and effort – Like they would know!!!)
i’ve been using MAC for quite sometimes now and i normally go to lot10 outlet .. but the stock is rather limited there…so i try the midvalley outlet..gosh the SA there is such a snob.. and i end buying lotsa items from Bobbi Brown (2 doors away from them)..
I wonder always wonder what options we have after being recommended the wrong type of product?
My friend S, went to MAC MidValley early last year and was recommended a foundation powder to use. When she got back home n used it the following day, it was the wrong shade. She went back to MV to ask if they could change it, but they refused to do anything about it. She has since “abandon” Mac and move on. She regretted not knowing much about cosmetics and the price she had to pay for the foundation powder which is rotting in her drawer.
Is it our fault if we’re clueless about make up and forced to accept it after paying the price?
i would have to disagree…i’ve been to M.A.C countless times and they have been some of the nicest people…they aplied my makeup for me they cleaned it off and they even joked around a little
whoaa! seriously?
im from hk. landed on ur blog while i was looking through other beauty blogs .
but anyway, back to the topic.
the SAs at M.A.C in hk dont have friendly attitudes as well ==” probably coz im not that old they tend to ignore me whenever i check out the counters. they arent exactly ‘rude’, but close to it. well at least they answer me when i ask abt the products. overall the attitude isnt so friendly ._______.”!
somebody has to do something abt this. this is totally unacceptable ==”
I recently visitied MAC outlet in MV. The chinese gal there was rather helpful and friendly. She tried few shades of foundation and even helped me to wipe it off.. When all set, she added some blusher and even lined my eye lids. So, i would not say all SAs are snobs. There are nice ones as well. It is unfair to generalise due to lousy service of one or two staffs.
Last time i went to lot ten M.A.C,the chinese girl is so bad,but afterthat i went again the evening,but luckily the malay girl is so nice
I love MAC products, but I find myself buying the products online as opposed to going to a counter…as least most of the time. There are two counters that I normally go to and the staff is pretty friendly (Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, MI – Macy’s and Nordstrom. There is 1 counter (Macy’s at Somerset Mall in Troy, MI) that I do not care for at all. I’ve been to it twice and both times, I thought the MA’s were pretty snobby! I was just there last night and was not greeted/acknowledged. I was ready to spend some $$$ there, but instead I just got one item…which I felt I was bothering the MA when I asked for it…Oh well. Thank god for online shopping.