Behaviour at the Beauty Counter

I wouldn’t have interrupted, but I do understand your frustration, I think, as in my case, the sales assistant should have acknowledged you, and maybe called over another assistant, well I won’t be going back, that’s for sure.

I think you were wrong to interrupt whilst the assistant was serving another customer, but it wasn’t her place to tell you.

Would you expect the assistant in a shoe shop to stop fitting a customer in order to serve you first, or at a cafe counter for instance?

The assistant probably wouldn’t have known off the top of her head what was in stock, and would have had to stop what she was doing to look and serve you.
It wasn’t a quick question like ‘ Is there another assistant?’

I had a similar experience at the John Lewis store at Cribbs Causeway. I got to the Clinique counter and someone was having a makeover, so I stood and waited, and waited, at no point did the assistant say, sorry, she would be with me as soon as she could, or call someone else, after about ten minutes I left, and went up to Boots.
Sadly this isn’t the only department in John Lewis where the customer service has gone down hill

SuzyQqq

I needed a new foundation and wanting to buy a replacement for one I had bought a while before from Este Lauder. I popped into the Mall at Cribbs Causeway near Brisol and headed to John Lewis who I knew were a stockist. This was the main purpose of my visit. On arriving at the counter in store there was only one assistant who looked like she was advising another customer. The customer was sat on one of their stools and having some eye shadows applied . I looked around the counter to see if I could see the foundation and shade I wanted but it didn’t seem to be out and I know they are sometimes kept behind the counter in their stock drawers. No other assistants were around and I hovered a while to see if the other lady’s consultation was coming to an end, but it seemed ongoing , so I moved a little closer and asked the assistant if I could just quickly check whether they had an item in stock . I thought given she was the only one available this would be acceptable and she may be able to point in me in the right direction whilst then carrying on with her customer. However before she could reply the lady seated on the stool said in a loud voice ‘ How rude ! Do not serve her. Carry on attending to me !’ The assistant looked a bit shocked but obviously didn’t know what to do . Neither did I . I hadn’t thought it was too unreasonable in the circumstances. But to avoid further confrontation I just turned and walked away . I went to Boots and bought another brand and then went home. Was I being unreasonable? Please can someone advise on beauty counter decorum and the do’s and don’ts in these situations? Thanks 😊

Who the actual f* do these sort of people think they are!
Don't be a !
I'd be livid if someone tried to belittle me like that one sitting down.
The assistant should have acknowledged you in the first place. They were both wronguns.

Like the customer being served, I would have found you rude for butting in, as if your concerns were more important than hers, but I would have told you so, and not dragged the shop assistant into the matter. Poor girl, what a way to treat her.

In all shops, it is, and always had been, a matter of first come, first served, an I really do not know how anyone could think it acceptable to barge in as you did.

Just touching on yet another degree of negativity with the ‘attitude of the ‘new breed’ of customer service associates ie sales people. I recently stopped by aninternet provider’s kiosk in the mall. A young lady associate was sitting on a stool studying a computer screen in an effort (it would seem) to avoid making eye contact with me. I positioned myself in front of her and waited silently and patiently for her to look up so as to acknowledge my presence.

Eventually she did lift her eyes from the screen and looked at me in silence and totally expressionless! When she did respond to my issue she made several statements that indicated I should go elsewhere to sort out the issue because I was in the wrong place ……but her general demeanor seemed to suggest she wasn’t in the frame of mind to want to help me.

So….l took a deep breath (very aware that I was so angry with her dismissive attitude but also knowing it would get me nowhere if I demonstrated anger or frustration towards her) ….and so I smiled sweetly and looked directly at her and said “I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but you have the most beautifully shaped eyebrows I have ever seen - they are gorgeous - have you just had them microbladed?”

That did the trick……her face lit up and she looked absolutely delighted with this compliment and went on to proudly announced that she shapes and attends to her own eyebrows daily….and no they are not microbladed! So then I added a few more compliments about these beautiful eyebrows - and lo and behold the attitude change and with a smiley face and a totally different attitude she started to resolve my problem!

I’ve used this type of technique several times if a sales associated is totally disinterested in helping me ie”that’s a gorgeous tattoo you have “ of “what beautiful fingernails you have” …….and so far it has worked every time!

You were not being rude, the assistant should have at least acknowledged you - and they wonder why people turn to shopping on the internet rather than instore. I'm surprised John Lewis don't have a back up plan for this scenario- I know the one nearest to us prides themselves on staff knowledge and customer service.

The staff working on ‘concessions’ eg beauty brand counters are generally not employed by the store, but by the brand. And income is commission related. They are generally expected to help out with basic support elsewhere, but this tends to vary upon their product knowledge and natural helpfulness.

From the tone of your original post, you were very likely to be polite and gentle in your enquiry. In fact if there were no other assistants available, I would have thought it the duty of the one that was there to keep an eye out for other customers' needs. Clearly that customer had an over exaggerated idea of her own importance!!

Not the same thing but was John Lewis Cribbs ( I noticed you mentioned Bristol ). I very briefly tried some Homme EDT/EDP & left to return an M & S shirt ( in M & S bag ) on opposite side of The Mall.
A Police Constable & a PCSO came up behind me & very courteously asked me to open bag?!?! I did as they couldn’t have been more apologetic & obviously it was only a shirt in there. I asked why? “ A women customer in make up department reported me as having shoplifted some of the smelly stuff “. Nice. Sounds like same c?w has bided her time & started up more trouble. I e mailed JL who were v apologetic and got a free meal with my wife in Just Eat!!! 🤣

As a beauty consultant of many years, we would get customers regularly booking appointments to have products tried on their faces, these were sometimes booked weeks in advance, so if I was applying make up to a client I would not be stopping to attend to the next customer, she would have to be patient and wait until her turn. Yes the client having her face done should not have spoken in that tone . But likewise the customer coming in should not expect to interrupt the beauty consultant and take her away if only moments from the task in hand. The First Lady had probably waited over a week to get seen.I also wouldn’t expect to ask questions when the consultant wasn’t free she was busy attending to her client, I would have returned when she was free

Most certainly not rude.
As long as you asked politely (which I'm sure you did) then you were being quite reasonable. How long are you supposed to wait, while being ignored? You could have been there another half hour!
I hope your alternative purchase was satisfactory - and cheaper!

twinnytwin

When I've been to the Estee Lauder counter for foundation and there's no EL consultant there, I've just asked another employee to get it for me. No problems. They all cover for each other.
The consultant should have noticed you loitering, obviously needing assistance and quickly called over another member of staff to help you rather than allow the rude customer to intervene.

I was going to suggest that. I've done the same in Boots and the other consultants have never refused to help. I don't think I would have interrupted a make-up session, but the other customer's reaction was just a tad over the top for sure.

I would not have interrupted another customer being served. It's rude to do so. I believe it's polite to wait for your turn to be served in any shop or establishment. There's too much of "my need is greater/more important than yours" attitude around these days.

I was taught that it is rude to interrupt. That seems to have gone by the board.

As you were not intending to be rude, I cannot see how you were. Rudeness is deliberate - like the bad mannered woman getting a free makeover. The assistant didn't have to stop what she was doing - her options were to either say sorry, she couldn't help, or direct you to the item you wanted. I would have done what you did - and probably told the unpleasant woman that that the only rude person present was her, and then stalked away in high dudgeon. (What on earth does that mean - anyone know?)

I can never understand how people can feel comfortable having make-up done at a beauty counter. Mind you, I say that as someone who never leaves the house without full make-up, so would never dream of presenting myself with scrubbed, make-up free face anywhere other than in a hospital situation!

I think it’s become way too ‘normal ‘these days to put up with rude behaviours . If it had happened to me I would have gone home & wrote a letter of complaint to the store just as you described it on this forum. If nothing else , it will make you feel better as you had the last word ! Free sample’s & apologies wouldn’t go amiss either 🤷‍♀️

Yes I think you were rude.

Sarnia

So you were asking to go behind the counter and rootle through her stock drawers whilst she was dealing with a customer. Why couldn't you just wait your turn? I think you were the rude one here.

No, that is not what the OP was asking!

Unfortunately, you were feeling impatient and chose to interrupt a clerk working with another customer. This isn't really acceptable. Possibly you could have browsed awhile longer or come back later.
Glad you found what you needed at another shop.

You were both rude, but the other customer was there before you, she was being served before you were at the counter, and quite simply, you didn't have the patience or manners to wait until it was your turn to be served.
Your hovering at the counter was incredibly rude!

Yes it was extremely rude of the other customer. Would add when I was in JL last week there were more assistants than customers in most departments!

I would not have interrupted the assistant and other customer. I would not have been happy if I was the other customer and was then left there while the assistant dealt with someone else. I would have gone to an assistant on another counter and asked if they could help or else wandered around until assistant was free.
The other customer was rude but maybe you were too?

sell!