Excuse Me, Miss: 10 Burning Questions of Department Store Customers, Answered

Here are the top 10 questions I've been asked about working in the cosmetics departments of various department stores.

1. What's with that desperate-looking lady (or gentleman) at the front of the store?

Dozens of people have asked about the "Kamikaze Fragrance Spritzers" that greet shoppers at the front of department stores. The most common term for them is "fragrance model" but they are essentially product demonstrators.

First, "Fragrance Models" shouldn't be walking around with the spray bottle of perfume anymore. Most stores have started limiting that due to customer complaints.
After all, any sales technique that sends your shoppers running the other direction is bad for business.

Also, Fragrance Models usually work for the manufacturer not the store. So don't get huffy if they don't know where the bathrooms are or where you should take your return. They're independent contractors that may or may not be in that store on a regular basis.

Finally, it is a very hard, thankless job. You wear uncomfortable shoes on hard floors handing out samples to people who want to run away from you. I'm not saying you should buy in to what they're selling - but do be polite.

2. No commission = no sales pressure, right?
Guess again. Goals, quotas and hourly sales goals are just as stress inducing for the Beauty Advisor as working on commission.

People often think that shopping in stores that don't pay on commission will yield less sales pressure. It can actually be much worse. Just because there is no commission looming over each sale, doesn't mean there's no pressure on the sales person. Hourly goals and quotas make even the most laid back Beauty Advisor a bit tense at times. One department store I worked for simply rolled back your hourly base pay rate if you didn't make your goals. How is that better than not making your commission? So never assume you'll automatically get better, less biased service from a store that doesn't pay commission.

3. About those testers.
Do not use testers from the unit on your face, period. The last woman at the counter gave that tube of lipstick you're holding to her toddler to play with while she shopped. I'm not kidding.

For makeovers, usually the makeup artist has separate testers to use and/or is able to sanitize each tester before using it on his or her client. If you want to try products, it really is best to have some assistance.

4. Education of Beauty Advisors and "The Clean Slate."
There are two kinds of beauty companies, those companies that want a highly trained, highly educated sales force with a lot of experience and those who prefer to have "the clean slate". The latter salesperson usually has very little experience with other cosmetic brands, but lots of experience in retail sales. "The clean slate" salesperson can be trained to follow the script and the company's sales pitch without question. No ad libbing allowed. Seasoned sales professionals are more likely to interject their own advice, experience and expertise when dealing with customers. That can work for the company in building credibility - but it can also be risky if the salesperson diverts too far from the script and gives out more information than the customer asked for - or more than the company is comfortable with. Which brings me to my next point, the open sell sales floor.

5. Advantages of the Open Selling Sales Floor.
You tend to find the highly experienced salespeople in "open selling" environments where they are allowed to follow the client anywhere he or she might need to go - any counter, any line. They tend to be cross-trained on different companies. Sephora is probably the best known "open sell" store. Training is frequent, extensive and varied. If you ask me which mascara would be best for you - I can take you to any line I think will do the best job. In a closed selling environment, like a beauty line "bay" or counter, I only have my line's products to choose from.

6. When is the best time to buy?
There are 4 great times to buy fragrances, skincare and cosmetics:

- Holiday Season when all of the Value Sets come out.
- January (and for some companies into February with Gifts with Purchase). This is right before inventory for many companies, so there's a great deal of incentive to move product out quickly.
- Mother's Day - again, this is when the value sets come out plus gifts with purchases, and value-added "purchase with purchases". (This is how I ended up with dozens of Lancome bags when I worked behind the counter! I could never say no to the great deals and cute bags.)
- Father's Day. You won't see as many gifts with purchase opportunities for this holida - but value sets will be in abundance in the men's cologne and grooming areas.

7. If you want free stuff and makeovers, get on the list.
If you really want to know when the best deals are available, you have to get on the client file. It helps if you can be specific about the kinds of events you're interested hearing about - like makeup artist events, free facials or if you just want to know about the value sets and free gifts. That's okay too - the Beauty Advisor really wants to know how to best help you.

8. Demos, fragrance modeling and product stroking.
If you think you're annoyed by Beauty Advisors standing out in the aisle repeating, "Have you seen...?" and "Have you tried...?" - you can't even imagine how annoying the Beauty Advisor finds it. Usually the department manager (or even the store manager) mandates that every Beauty Advisor spend part of their shift out in the aisle "product stroking" or demonstrating. Sometimes, if we're lucky, we get to pick the product so it's one we actually like. Most of the time however, the cosmetic company wants their Beauty Advisors to demonstrate a specific (usually new) product.

So be gentle and polite when you're approached and just say, "no thank you." Please don't answer, "How are you today?" with "I'm just looking." That answer just makes the Beauty Advisor (or any salesperson) feel terribly insignificant. Usually, they really are asking the question and are listening for the answer.

9. Working conditions.
Everyone should work retail at some point in their lives to know what it's like. It can be degrading, exhausting, and mind-numbing. Walking and standing on marble floors, demonstrating products you may or may not even like, pushing the store's credit card applications (it's a requirement) and having people treat you like you're just a poorly educated vending machine.

The truth is Beauty Advisors are frequently very highly trained, skilled sales people who've had to learn makeup artistry, more than a little cosmetic chemistry and are essentially running a small business of their own behind that counter.

Beauty Advisors also tend to stay in the business a long time. It gets in your blood and you become more than a little addicted to have constant access to the latest and greatest beauty products. It's a tough life to give up - even when a large portion of your paycheck seems to come out in merchandise.

10. Do the Beauty Advisors work for the store or for the cosmetic company?
That depends on the store. Frequently the salary and/or commission for the Beauty Advisor is it at least partially paid by the line he or she is assigned to and trained by. However, in a completely open selling environment, there is no direct pay between the beauty lines and the beauty advisors, except in the form of occasional "spiff" moeny. Spiff payments are small monetary bonuses paid for selling, usually, an individual product - usually the newest product in the line.

In department stores that pay commission, the situation is a little more straightforward. The department store pays the base rate and the beauty line pays the commission.

Some stores, like Saks Fifth Avenue, have a combination of both. There is a person behind the counter that can ring out your sale and take your money. Then there's the line's representative or makeup artist, that works primarily for the beauty line.

Conclusion
There you have it - a tiny peak behind the beauty bay counter. Remember that Beauty Advisors are there to help you find the product that will make you the most happy with their line and your experience at that counter. So be sure to give him or her as much specific information as you can to guide them. Don't be afraid to ask for samples or about the store's return policy. Also feel free to ask them what products they like most - and what sort of training they've had. Most Beauty Advisors are more than happy to share their knowledge and expertise.