sephora makeover - pressure-free?

[Anonymous]

My very well-meaning husband bought me a generous e-gift certificate to Sephora (I'd actually been lobbying him to nominate me for "What Not to Wear!) but we realized too late it's only valid on their website (and can't be used on gift cards). I *really* need someone to help guide me to the right products since my last makeup consultation was before my wedding...nine years ago. Ack! I was thinking of booking a makeover at Sephora, but wondered if it'd be weird not buying anything at the end?

[Anonymous]

I don't think so...I'd just be honest, you know? Explain you have the website gift certificate but wanted to see how some of the products looked before buying online.

If there's a comments section on your order form online, you could mention whichever Sephora you went to for your free makeover and praise it/your makeover artist for their help. Also if you really like one of their products that Sep. store has made a potentially long term customer.

[Anonymous]

It will not be good form to have a makeover done at the store and then not buy things. The makeup artists salary and raises are based upon what they sell and a no-sell will kill their efforts. There will also be great pressure put upon you to buy.

I would suggest that you contact Sephora and ask them if they can make an exception for you. They are battling it out with Ulta in the market and I would think they would want to be seen as positive as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will not be good form to have a makeover done at the store and then not buy things. The makeup artists salary and raises are based upon what they sell and a no-sell will kill their efforts. There will also be great pressure put upon you to buy.

I would suggest that you contact Sephora and ask them if they can make an exception for you. They are battling it out with Ulta in the market and I would think they would want to be seen as positive as possible.

Totally disagree with this poster. Agree with PP who said go in and explain the situation. Blame your husband Maybe buy a few things at the brick and mortar; the certificate is probably good for a long time and if you don't use it all up now, you can always buy refills of things you use up later with it.

[Anonymous]

I am the 5:28 poster and used to be a makeup artist. It is important to understand that makeup artists depend upon the sales they generate for salary, commissions and raises. Not making a sale can dramatically take their average sales rate down significantly. Not only will it effect their earning potential but can also effect their employment and number of assigned working hours.

There is no such thing as a free makeover - there is a tacit agreement that the customer will buy at least a couple things. To be honest, all stores and cosmetic lines teach their employees to shoot for a particular sales figure that can run from $100 to over $600. Don't believe companies when they say makeovers are free - they really don't mean it.

My experience has been that when people are nice, call and explain their situation, most stores are willing to help. If the 800# can't, call the store you'd like to visit and talk with the manager. I'm sure you'd love your business. I've seen all kinds of exceptions made.

[Anonymous]

Ooops, too early in the morn. Meant to say "I'm sure they'd love your business."

[Anonymous]

Op here, thanks for the advice! I'm going to try calling first to see if I can convert it, and then will explain myself to the the store. And thanks to the pp who suggested buying a couple things in store and using the gc to buy the rest or replenish - I don't know why I didn't think of that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the 5:28 poster and used to be a makeup artist. It is important to understand that makeup artists depend upon the sales they generate for salary, commissions and raises. Not making a sale can dramatically take their average sales rate down significantly. Not only will it effect their earning potential but can also effect their employment and number of assigned working hours.

There is no such thing as a free makeover - there is a tacit agreement that the customer will buy at least a couple things. To be honest, all stores and cosmetic lines teach their employees to shoot for a particular sales figure that can run from $100 to over $600. Don't believe companies when they say makeovers are free - they really don't mean it.

My experience has been that when people are nice, call and explain their situation, most stores are willing to help. If the 800# can't, call the store you'd like to visit and talk with the manager. I'm sure you'd love your business. I've seen all kinds of exceptions made.

Totally disagree with this PP. While I have never actually had a store makeover, if I were to go to a store that offers free makeovers, I would certainly not expect that I would have to buy something by "tacit agreement"--then it would not be a free makeover, and the store should instead advertise, "Makeover for the price of buying something." Seriously, the store can't have it both ways. If ti wants to increase foot traffic and encourage people to PERHAPS buy things by offering free makeovers as a courtesy, then it can't at the same time insist, even implicitly, that one MUST buy something as the price of the service.

[Anonymous]

it's not a tacit agreement, but you WILL be pressured to buy, sure. there's just no way around that one unless you have no shame and don't care about salespeople's pressures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:it's not a tacit agreement, but you WILL be pressured to buy, sure. there's just no way around that one unless you have no shame and don't care about salespeople's pressures.

Not 12:08, but I agree with her. Therefore why would I feel "shame"? One would only feel shame if one feels like one is doing something wrong by not buying anything, which I do not. As for pressure by salespeople, I recognize that that is their job, and I have no hard feelings; I simply politely say "no thank you, but thank you so much for your time; I appreciate it."

[Anonymous]

Tacit agreement maybe in the eyes of the store. And just because someone sells cosmetics, it doesn't necessarily make them a makeup "artist."

If I test drive a car there's no tacit agreement that I'm going to buy one at that dealership. That's the nature of sales jobs. Sometimes you make the sale, sometimes you don't. The customer shouldn't feel obligated to buy something because it helps the salesperson, the should buy it because it's a product that will benefit them.

[Anonymous]

as far as the agreement goes, that's only if they do a good job on your make-up. i've gone in for those before and came out looking awful. i didn't buy anything. if they really do make you feel like a million bucks, then yes you should buy something from them (but you'd probably want to anyway!)

[Anonymous]

I can't speak for a universal tacit agreement that you should buy *something.* But it does seem to me that if you ARE going to buy the products that were recommended--as the OP intends to do over the internet-- it seems fair that the salesperson that did a good job of recommending them should get the credit. I agree with PP's that suggest just asking the store how to make sure that the salesperson gets credit.

There is a difference between an obligation to buy any piece of expensive crap just to "pay for" the makevoer and feeling an obligation out of fairness to give the salesperson the benefit of her good work if you are going to buy the product anyway.

[Anonymous]

I believe the general idea that has been floated here is that if someone offers you a free consultation, makeover, coffee pot, or even a complimentary personal shopper, etc., there are generally strings attached or expectations.

It is forthright to let them know in advance what your intentions are at that moment before they spend an hour doing a makeover on you.

My mama always told me "there's no such thing as a free lunch."

[Anonymous]

The people that work at Sephora are often NOT makeup "artists." They might not have any more training or knowledge than you do. Some are great; some aren't. I prefer to get the makeovers from a particular counter at a department store as those people are more likely to seem knowledgeable and helpful. I go to Sephora when I already know what I want to buy. I never count on them to help me find something that's right for me.

And it IS a free makeover if they offer it as such. If the salesperson is good and knows what they're doing, they will sell you something. If they aren't good or don't show you anything you like, I feel absolutely no obligation to buy something just to pay for their time. I always make sure that they do in fact have the time before I sit down, and I hope that they will do something that's fun and impressive enough that I'll want to purchase it, but sometimes they don't, and I'm certainly not going to buy something if that's the case.

I do think, though, that if you are using this makeover as a primer for what you're going to go home and buy on the internet, you might want to tell them that, just to be fair.