# MAC live chat.. a sometimes abused resource for customers



## professionaltart (Aug 24, 2006)

This is indirectly related to this thread:

It really really bugs me when people from specktra/LJ/MUA have to go on MAC Live CHat or call counters in their surrounding areas and like ask trivial and mundane questions to try and prove a point. So these people can come back on LJ/Specktra/MUA and gloat about how they feel superior to MAC Artists because they dont know when Destined lipstick was released. Cmon now, you could have found out the answer onine without agitating her.

//staff note: split discussion; original thread located here


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## FacesbyNiki (Aug 24, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *professionaltart* 
_This is indirectly related to this thread:

It really really bugs me when people from specktra/LJ/MUA have to go on MAC Live CHat or call counters in their surrounding areas and like ask trivial and mundane questions to try and prove a point. So these people can come back on LJ/Specktra/MUA and gloat about how they feel superior to MAC Artists because they dont know when Destined lipstick was released. Cmon now, you could have found out the answer onine without agitating her._

 
I always felt this way too. 

I'm old anyway so I guess, I leave all this trivial crap to the young bucks!!!


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## Juneplum (Aug 24, 2006)

and that's exactly how it came across... like the op was trying to prove a point by testing the rep.. pointless imho...


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## FacesbyNiki (Aug 24, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Juneplum* 
_





 and that's exactly how it came across... like the op was *trying to prove a point by testing the rep*.. pointless imho..._

 
I noticed that alot on here and LJ. They call or to the counter to test the artist. Why though? Pointless to me too.


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## MacVirgin (Aug 24, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *professionaltart* 
_This is indirectly related to this thread:

It really really bugs me when people from specktra/LJ/MUA have to go on MAC Live CHat or call counters in their surrounding areas and like ask trivial and mundane questions to try and prove a point. So these people can come back on LJ/Specktra/MUA and gloat about how they feel superior to MAC Artists because they dont know when Destined lipstick was released. Cmon now, you could have found out the answer onine without agitating her._

 
Yo this happens at the counter over here in holland too(rotterdam). i see people acting like they know better than the MA  (it could be so) but what the point in doing that .

A girl once made a comment like i should be working here instead of her (or something like that). maybe they wanted her job and where jalouse 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 . i can only guess.


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## Janice (Aug 24, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *FacesbyNiki* 
_I noticed that alot on here and LJ. They call or to the counter to test the artist. Why though? Pointless to me too._

 





t: I guess the common denominator is - Don't underestimate someones passion to be an authority on a subject. Some people are just willing to go that far and don't realize it's not nessacerily someones job function. :shrug: Quite frankly, *IMO*, this service [live chat] is abused often.


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## professionaltart (Aug 24, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Janice* 
_





t: I guess the common denominator is - Don't underestimate someones passion to be an authority on a subject. Some people are just willing to go that far and don't realize it's not nessacerily someones job function. :shrug: Quite frankly, *IMO*, this service [live chat] is abused often._

 
Live CHat should be used for like, Hey Im a NC44 will Blushbaby show on me, if not what can I use? 

Instead of like, Why is BCup discontinued? Well I liked it why did you discontinue it?

A lot of people dont understand that just cause you think something is HG doesnt make it HG for everyone else. UGH

rant = done


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## calbear (Aug 25, 2006)

I just think of how many times I get this customer on a daily basis.  My day is filled with this type of interaction and it just makes the job hard.


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## Lady_MAC (Aug 25, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *professionaltart* 
_Live CHat should be used for like, Hey Im a NC44 will Blushbaby show on me, if not what can I use? _

 
Yes, that is exactly what I have used it for. As a matter of fact, Jennifer helped me with my questions about Full Coverage for my stretch marks and how to make it look it's best.


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## aziajs (Aug 25, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *professionaltart* 
_This is indirectly related to this thread:

It really really bugs me when people from specktra/LJ/MUA have to go on MAC Live CHat or call counters in their surrounding areas and like ask trivial and mundane questions to try and prove a point. So these people can come back on LJ/Specktra/MUA and gloat about how they feel superior to MAC Artists because they dont know when Destined lipstick was released. Cmon now, you could have found out the answer onine without agitating her.

//staff note: split discussion; original thread located here_

 
I agree that people shouldn't test MAC artists or anyone else in order to feel superior.  You are absolutely right.

The one thing I have to add is that I don't think it's neccesary to start a new thread to call the girl out.  I understand your frustration and annoyance about how she conducted herself but that could have been addressed in her thread.


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## Janice (Aug 25, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *aziajs* 
_The one thing I have to add is that I don't think it's neccesary to start a new thread to call the girl out.  I understand your frustration and annoyance about how she conducted herself but that could have been addressed in her thread._

 
Please notate the staff edit within the first post of this thread.


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## professionaltart (Aug 25, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *aziajs* 
_The one thing I have to add is that I don't think it's neccesary to start a new thread to call the girl out.  I understand your frustration and annoyance about how she conducted herself but that could have been addressed in her thread._

 
oh yeah i totally agree thats why i think my post was moved cause i wrote in my first post "indirectly related to this thread"


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## pugmommy7 (Aug 25, 2006)

These people need to get a life.
 I love MAC but I don't need to be a geek about it.
Just enjoy it!(the product)


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## noteventherain (Aug 25, 2006)

I TOTALLY and WHOLEHEARTEDLEY AGREE(!)


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## lara (Aug 26, 2006)

It's the same as comic book geeks 'testing' the person who works at the collectables store, or the hi-fi nut trying to out-smart the chick at the Bose store. Everyone considers themselves an expert and everyone else is merely a pretender.

Sometimes I feel like making myself a shirt that reads "One person does not represent the whole."


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## Chic 2k6 (Aug 26, 2006)

Some people are such idiots :|

I have seen cases in stores where customers make the staff look and feel dumb and it makes me feel sorry for the staff because they're only human and is trying to do their jobs.

My mom is a teacher at a college and there is a student who's like in his 30s and he's been verbally abusing all the staff and yet the school board let him stay there til he's done his qualifications, he caused one teacher to have a nervous breakdown because he constantly put her down, correcting anything she had said even though she were correct and he's taking her to court just because he knows better than she does and wants proof of that and also at the fact she refused to teach him anymore(who can blame her huh?) , shouting and swearing at staff saying that he knows everything better than they do. I think the school board should kick him out of that school


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## ZoeFerret (Aug 26, 2006)

I know what you mean- I think the MAC employees really need to know are the basics and what the new stuff is. Who the heck is really going to remember a LE item from last year ( or even two months ago- since they come up w/ new stuff every day it seems like. ) It's just really peeves me that people have to do this- I work for a big cell phone company and I don't know what every single phone we have to offer off the top of my head. Plus it changes all the time- just like MAC products.


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## tinkerbelle (Aug 26, 2006)

hmmm...There is always someone going to know more than a person and someone who is going to know less...about anything...to try to feel superior or get peeved when someone is trying to answer the best they can is such a waste of energy..


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## Cool Kitten (Aug 26, 2006)

because some people get off on feeling smarter and better than everyone else, and have to belittle a person who isn't in the position to tell them off for their obnoxiousness in order to feel superior.


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## Beauty Mark (Aug 26, 2006)

It's an insecurity thing. It happens with lots of things. I had a friend (we no longer speak to each other for other reasons) who got off the few times I mispronounced something or was wrong. She constantly used words incorrectly according to definition and would flip out if anyone would kindly correct her.

It's one thing for them not to know basic, important things (like my frustration with computer company not knowing how help me with my computer when my friend is able to fix the issue within a few minutes, both over the phone), but to just brag about it?


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## Lalli (Aug 26, 2006)

Before using live chat for something little about what collection a lippie was from whats wrong with checking out specktra? we have loads of ladies on here with more knowledge then ever
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I cant stand people who HAVE to be correct and in the process put other people down


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## TechnoKitty (Aug 28, 2006)

I completely agree with everyone. It seemed to me she was being confrontational from the beginning, why would you say something like that (the first reply to jennifer) unless you were trying to start something. She was very polite throughout, and I am sure it wasn't easy for her to do. Customer Service peoples job is NOT to be polite, it is to assist you in any way they can. Obviously they are supposed to be polite, but not to the extent that they should just be quiet and take any treatment/language that the next customer that wants to provoke them gives out. As someone asking for assistance, it is your job just as much as hers to be polite. Almost every job I have ever had was customer service to some extent, and some customers are just impossible to please and want to argue with you. I for one, and know most people on here would agree, appreciate the fact that MAC gives us such a wonderful option and fantastic customer service, and it is not fair to those people to abuse them, and then possibly cause them trouble in their job.


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## coachkitten (Aug 28, 2006)

I think that MAC has some of the best customer service that I have ever come across in any makeup counter I have visited.  This is one of the reasons, besides their cutting edge & fantastic products, that I always go to MAC for my cosmetics.  

Even though I know that thread was closed about the MAC chat I agree with most of you that the customer in that situation was being a little unreasonable.

I am glad that we have a community like Specktra where we can ask/post these questions/comments to each other instead of wasting a MAC chat artists time asking "When parrot will be back?" etc.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  I just think that some people just don't know what MAC chat is meant for.


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## Hawkeye (Aug 28, 2006)

I feel really bad for some of the CS people at MAC or any counter that is abused like that. 

I mean (and I will ask this to ANYBODY) 
 #1) It's embarressing for them. They aren't trying to make YOUR life hard so why you trying to make their life hard? 
#2) It's totally unneccessary. What do you plan on accomplishing? I mean seriously I've often wondered when people do something like that-what does it accomplish? It makes you look like a jerk. It really doesn't impress that many people. 
#3) Why do you feel the need to put someone down to make yourself feel better about yourself?


I mean I have been online and asked them many times about looks and how to accomplish them. I've been helped by Jennifer (and I LOVE HER), and many others. 

Quite frankly-the more I've lived the more I've realized that people who like to argue and think they know everything-usually dont know squat. 

All the time they are arguing little points-they are doing nothing more than revealing more and more ignorance. 

I mean it's stupid. 

I have a friend like this and I can't stand to be around him. Whatever I say he has to argue with me and be right and finally one day I just told him I was surprised he had any friends because all he did was argue. 

I guess it just makes them feel all important and stuff.

Now if only they would get their heads out of whatever they are arguing about and get a life then maybe they would actually become important and be the people they like to try to pretend they are. *shrugs* Sorry - it is only because I have a friend like this that I have to be so critical.

Now some questions-like if you truely do not know the answer and ask even though the MA's get the ? a million times a day-I think its OK. But not to show people up and be all arrogant and what not.


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## kaliraksha (Dec 19, 2006)

This thread is like a god-send to me. I agree with what Shimmer said (different thread) that everyone should work retail or customer service at some point in life. 

These customer service employees (myself being one of them) are well trained for what we are paid to answer. We are encouraged to get rid of people who are phishing, complaining, having a field day, etc. A client pays to have legitimate questions answered, not for someone to have 15-20 minutes of entertainment making someone go out of their way to do their dirty work. As a customer service employee that answers emails... I sometimes answer questions that took 20 seconds of my time googling....all the person did was made a customer who really needed help wait longer for her legit concern/problem.

Generally, whenever someone asks to speak to our supervisor, we gladly hand them over because we know how ridiculous they will come off to them and we will not be reprimanded at all. All we can get reprimanded for is for using foul language or tone of voice... in reality, I'm not going to get fired for doing what I was trained to do and reciting our policies to a customer. If the customer don't agree with our policies, unfortunately, we dont change them for the customer, they should have read them or agreed to them before they chose to purchase.

It just astounds me how many people call customer service as if they expect the world to revolve around them, no one else has needs, there are no other customers.... etc.

The truth is, most customer service people are nice, they do want to help you... but they can only help you with what they have the power to do and if you let them. (you is to no one in particular, just universal)  I bend over backwards to help a nice person.... I make it so easy for them, for the mean irate person, I let them do it themselves so they have somewhere to go disperse all that negative energy.


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## jenii (Dec 19, 2006)

Seems to me the person was just trying to find a reason to complain, hoping that her complaint would prompt MAC to send her a free lipglass or something as an apology.


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## Sprout (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *lara* 

 
_It's the same as comic book geeks 'testing' the person who works at the collectables store, or the hi-fi nut trying to out-smart the chick at the Bose store. Everyone considers themselves an expert and everyone else is merely a pretender.

Sometimes I feel like making myself a shirt that reads "One person does not represent the whole."_

 
Well said.


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## ..kels* (Dec 19, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *jenii* 

 
_Seems to me the person was just trying to find a reason to complain, hoping that her complaint would prompt MAC to send her a free lipglass or something as an apology._


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## giz2000 (Dec 20, 2006)

Here's the funny thing...the MA's on Live Chat know EXACTLY when someone goes on there and tries to show them up...can you imagine the comments they're making (that the person who contacted them will never hear) while trying to maintain some sense of civility during their replies??  Some people just need to find better things to do with their time...


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## idreamincolor (Dec 20, 2006)

*Original post made me cringe with anger.....*

I saw that Crystal wrote something to the effect of 'Even if a customer is rude, the customer service person should still be nice to the customer' or something to that tune...... just in time for the holidays people (in general) are very unhappy with themselves, their life, etc...

And I think that it begs a question... Because MAC has such high customer service standard, does that mean we can shit all over our customer service and support whenever we want??? Is that the standard now, if you don't get what you want from someone...then are they being rude ???


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## asnbrb (Dec 22, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *idreamincolor* 

 
_I saw that Crystal wrote something to the effect of 'Even if a customer is rude, the customer service person should still be nice to the customer' or something to that tune...... just in time for the holidays people (in general) are very unhappy with themselves, their life, etc...

And I think that it begs a question... Because MAC has such high customer service standard, does that mean we can shit all over our customer service and support whenever we want??? Is that the standard now, if you don't get what you want from someone...then are they being rude ???_

 
I totally agree with idreamincolor.  that's like those people who continuously write in complaints to MAC just to get freebies (and then complain about the freebie)


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## txt_eva (Aug 19, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *lara* 

 
_ the hi-fi nut trying to out-smart the chick at the Bose store. "_

 

Oh I do that at PC World... It's practically a sport with me and my dad. Not to all of the SA's only the ones who act like they know better when they couldn't tell the difference between a USB and a Firewire port... 

I love my MAC SA's down in Plymouth tho... they don't always have the latests news on the collections so I tell them any gossip when I hear it... but its not one upmanship... just that I'm an MU addict and well its their job, not their life!


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## BunnyBunnyBunny (Aug 19, 2008)

I don't get why some people are so arrogant and mean spirited, starting fights out of nothing, or jumping to conclusions. Maybe it's the way I was raised, but I was taught to be respectful to everyone. They need to get out more. Especially in this case, it's just makeup. Get a life, seriously. It's all about fun and they take it way too seriously.


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## Lexxiii (Aug 22, 2008)

Hmm... I was talking to some MUAs at my counter yesterday about upcoming collections and rumors... I certainly hope that they don't feel like I'm trying to one-up them... xD I just like being able to talk to people about my obsession.


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## doll.face (Aug 30, 2008)

I think it's silly to "test" an MA. I don't really see the point in that but I have come across quite a few MAC artists who have NO idea what I'm talking about. That really bothers me. Sometimes when I ask a question about a color from a new collection they literally have no idea what I'm talking about. I feel like they should know what's out with limited collections.

I went to Nordstroms and was asking if they had the Colour Forms powder. The girl had no idea what I meant. She kept directing me over to the mineralize blushes. I had to keep telling her that wasn't what I was talking about. Finally she asked someone else who told me they were sold out. I mean, come on.


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## Miss A (Nov 8, 2008)

oh those sad little people who love to prove their sad little points, you know why I think that is? they have nothing else in their sad little lives ya know? like oh yay i made this girl look dumb now i can have a happy day since im shallow. or yay i argued with a ma and "won" let me go call my friend so she can know what a badass i am  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




   LOSERS

now i am not talking about the innocent clueless customers, i used to be one but i was NEVER ugly or demeaning in fact everything my mac ladies said to me i held onto and remembered!  and now...


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## crystrill (Nov 9, 2008)

I agree it can be annoying when a MA doesn't know something about a permanent item, or a current LE item, especially when it's something they REALLY should know. But you know what? I don't give them attitude, or complain, or act like an ass because everyone has their days. Not everyone can know everything. Or maybe they just came back from vacation? Who knows. 

I also get irked when MA's talk to me like I don't know things as well. But again, I keep my mouth shut, smile, and say "Oh really?". Especially since a lot of MA's DO like talking about new stuff and why would I shoot them down when they're being helpful? Even though I know "that" already. How are they supposed to know I live on Specktra? 

Since I work in a CCO we don't have to know anything about a product beyond what's WRITTEN ON THE BOX. People ask me what things do all the time and I'll go read the back of the box and tell them. Some of them look frustrated when I do that but I'm like...

1. If you want specific details, visit your counter.
2. We're not trained to know the whole line, lineup, etc.
3. As a matter of fact, we don't carry the whole line of ANYTHING.
4. And a lot of the times we don't have the same thing twice.
5. Sorry, I'm not allowed to color match you or suggest colors/products because we're not TRAINED to do so, and therefore, I don't want to give you an uneducated suggestion.

A lot of people think that's us being incompetent, but really... I'm not allowed to do some things, or required. For instance, with Clinique, we get new crap all the time. I may be gone for 3 days, come back, there's something new I've never seen in our store before. Someone will pick it up, ask me what it is, and I have NOOO idea what the product is at all. So I'll read the back to them - because, after all, that's the MOST information I am ALLOWED to give them. If I know something "extra", I'll throw that in sometimes, but I stay away from comments like, "that did wonders for me, blah blah blah", because if it doesn't do wonders for them, it all comes back to me.
a


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## 27dots (Nov 9, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Beauty Mark* 

 
_I had a friend... who got off the few times I mispronounced something or was wrong._

 
Ugh, I have a friend who is exactly the same.


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## Debbie (Nov 10, 2008)

Lol...I never knew people do this.

I personally love live chat. You get genuine help without the pressure of buying a bunch of things.  I'm sure there's honest MAs at the store, but others I feel only recommend things just to hit numbers.  

So far, I used it twice...once to try and find a dupe for 1N LG, and other time was for her to recommend 15 pro colors.  They were absolutely friendly, patient, and helpful.

Out of curiosity, are people employed specifically for this, or is this like hours that they are required to put in as part of their job? Do they work from home?


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