The Beauty of Business | What I Learned Working on a Chanel Counter
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- čas přidán 6. 08. 2022
- This video is not about Chanel makeup products, but is about some of the makeup adjacent lessons I learned while I was working at the Chanel counter.
The short version:
1. The Business Structure (Private vs Public companies)
2. Almost everyone is overly focused on their perceived flaws
3. You never know who your customers are
4. I prefer to sell a customer one item they'll love then a ton that they will regret/return
5. Samples Work
6. Sometimes you're wrong, even when you're right
7. Selling the Ethos is the endgame
On my face:
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in shade 5
One Size BBB in Shade Light 2
KVD Powder Foundation
One Size Cheek Clapper in Very That
One Size eyeshadow palette
Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Island dream (over the Laneige Lip Mask in Mango)
This video is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.
Intro/Outro music by Tyler David Gilbert - Komedie
That's Chanel, mature mind and sophisticated brand, not screaming like some niche brands"we are not for everybody", instead Chanel states respectfully "we never know who will choose us". Great video 🥰
This was great! Very informative & honest. I myself have had horrible experiences when walking in to a Sephora. The staff avoided me like the plague up until I ventured near the luxury area. When the staff member finally approached me & realized I only came in for one single eye brush in particular, she abruptly turned her attention to another customer WHILE I was still in the middle of asking a question. Not only did I not buy the brush I went in for, I have never returned to that store & I also left a scathing review, which is not something I normally do. I was just very hurt by how I was treated & it wasn't a good feeling.
That is such a frustrating feeling!! Sorry that happened to you. It makes me appreciate it so much when I find a team that is really helpful and caring.
I used to work at Sephora and I learned very quickly that when foundation matching to let the client guide themselves because many people don't want to believe the shade that they are or would like to be a different shade than they are! So I really felt seen by your story! Thank you for sharing I really enjoyed this video! xx
Shade matching is challenging as it is to get a good color, then throw in all the extra hardship! Glad you enjoyed this 🥰
This was a great video and I am so happy it popped up and I found you.
I am 55 and have been using Chanel skincare and makeup for I would say 25 years. It is not that I haven't found any better brands, it is just like you said it what it makes me feel using the products and smelling the fragrances. Nowadays you can find good products from many brands, but from Chanel I get the feeling of luxury it gives me, like being in a spa. It reminds me of my times in Paris and the aroma of the air everywhere. It really does a lot to my psychology, much more than what it does to my skin. Well, no one should expect miracles from creams. I also love doing my makeup everyday even if I stay indoors. The quality of the quads, the eyeliners and in general all the products is great. I have had my makeup done on Chanel counters here in Greece but I hope they had the same education like you do. They are just trying to sell sell sell. No matter if the product is not for you actually they will try to make you buy it.
As for samples, they gave some in the past as I knew a very nice Chanel SA who gave me some because I bought a lot, but as of a few years now they give nothing. Would I ever buy a Sublimage cream without testing it? No. We don't have the policy of returns here. If you buy something you don't like or makes you greasy for instance, too bad for you. Give it away to someone.
Ending this long post, I wish Chanel was the same in all countries, but I guess it has to do with the people that represent the brand and those who really inspect the job done. The products are of great quality and I have to say I love them xx
I love make up, I wanted to be a make up artist since I discovered mascara as a young very fair little girl. 50 years later I got my big break and started at a Bobbi Brown. Then moved on to chanel, everything you said is so true.
So glad I happened to find this video. I am starting as the sole consultant at a chanel counter in a few days and have been very nervous about doing it all alone. This video has broadened my horizons and given me a more down to earth view of the position past the big scary brand name. I am very excited to start this journey, thank you for the video!
Great video! Sampling def works for me as a consumer. I love fragrances and will not buy without sampling. Sales people often hoard those samples or become standoffish when they realize I am not buying a $300 fragrance after one sniff lol. When I get a sales person who is generous despite that I didnt buy that day I will ask their name and always come back to them. I will call the store ahead of time also to make sure they are there when I'm ready to purchase.
I love samples and I’m also a fan of the coffret sets this time of year. I feel like it’s so important!
💯 I wish all these companies offered samples…..they definitely expect you just to sniff and buy
It just sucks when you have an actual PAYING customer come in who spends good money and there are no samples left form them. People who spend money should be prioritized first. Also some customers are so greedy, you give them a few samples and they demand for more. THEN they ask for even more after you give them extra ugh! We’ve had ladies that never bought anything and would always just come in looking for freebies every week. We’re not hosting a charity event here people!
This was incredibly informative. I am still kind of interested in working for Chanel Beaity...
I am currently a truck mechanic. Yup, a middle aged, diesel coated female truck mechanic who wears Chanel makeup to work. The way I get treated by some staff is very telling. If I get treated as a second class human, I'll not buy from that SA. I'll easily go to another SA, another store or *gulp* go to the competition.
I have a friend who works in computers who became a Mary Kay consultant on the side so she would make friends who also liked to play in makeup. Life is complicated. I like that you’ve found something that makes you feel fabulous ❤️
I think every woman loves samples and I’m no different. I just bought a Chanel cleanser after a saleswoman gave me samples. Where I think samples are needed are at the perfume counter. I find they are very stingy with them if they have any to give at all. I find I can only smell and test 5 perfumes at a time before I get a headache. I need to try them on to really know how the scent comes off on my skin but just spraying it once and making a decision whether to buy an expensive bottle is not something I want to do. I told a woman at Saks a few weeks ago that perfume companies would make more money if they would give out more free samples. After telling the saleswoman this she went and brought out from the back some samples including the MFK 724 sample. I went to Saks to specifically smell 724 but without getting a sample to try more than once I wasn’t going to buy it. I did get her card and will be calling her to order it over the phone since I don’t live close to that store.
Sometimes if the brand ambassadors are there they will have samples where the store employees won’t. Sometimes stores hold back samples for special event days or as incentives for opening credit cards, which is problematic. I like that Sephora has occasional perfume samples with purchase. The only other way to swing it is the holiday coffret sets where you can get multiple smaller sizes.
This is a very informative post and your summary at the end was spot on for my thoughts about high end/luxury cosmetics and the "other" brands. As a big make-up fan, I am well aware that luxury companies also have subsidiary brands under their umbrella. Knowing that helps me in my decisions to purchase a product. There is so much more transparency in the cosmetics business now than I have ever witnessed during my 50+ years. I love the fact that this is happening because it is opening doors to consumers that were not previously considered. Your thoughts about the Indian woman particularly stood out to me because one acquired beauty standard that was taught does not necessarily explain those that have not been learned about simply because they did not fit a profile. Chanel is a western company that espouses western beauty standards. Many other countries are not thought of when they produce their products. Lighter skin, or a semblance of it, is highly noted in Asian cultures. So, you were not wrong...you just did not expect to cross that as a sales person. I am happy to see your reflection on the matter and that you did not take it personally. Again, I enjoyed this post!
This is very insightful and interesting to learn about. I usually shop online so I don’t feel pressure to buy and don’t feel bad if I have to return.
No pressure is good. Some things I just can’t tell from just online, so I either have to catch a video on it or go play with it at a counter. I usually have to set a shopping budget beforehand, though. 😁
It's nice that you're also speaking about how customer feels about returning items. Remember most of these companies spend lot of money advertising and paying influencers to sell their products....in lot of cases some influencers lie about the product so you cannot blame or shame customers for returning within allowable time. it's their right.
BTW, another good example of when customer is right when they are wrong is when Caucasian women who goes 15 shades darker than their original shade. Some of them looks very orange or dark.
Accurate shade matching is tricky in the best of cases!!
Thank you for such a professional take on this topic.
What a kind and insightful video. Thank you for sharing the true psychology behind the experience of a buyer and a seller of this beautiful luxury brand. You must have been a fabulous sales associate! 😊
Thank you for the lovely words❤️ My clients loved me, but as far as over-all sales, I was just average… good sales, but not as good as other associates who were a little more aggressive in their approach. But I don’t think I would do it differently if I were there again. 🥳
Thank you for this video! I found it extremely interested and relatable. I have also worked for Chanel and experienced similar scenarios
🙂 I love the way you talked about the ethos of Chanel. Beautiful description of the feeling to it 😌
Such an interesting video, looking at beauty from a different perspective, and so interesting to learn the difference and pros and cons of being a private company. Thank you and looking forward to watching your other videos too!
Great video. Very interesting to hear your opinions from the other side of the sales counter.
This was so interesting I really enjoyed it and appreciate your input and will think about everything you have talked about the next time I shop for make-up 🥰 Thank you ☺️
My dentist from India told me her grandmother would shame her for being dark skinned “no one will marry you because you are too dark!”. It was painful for her even years later. So, you’re right about letting the customer decide what they want. ❤
It just makes me so sad! I hope your dentist finds healing from that past.
Wow!!!! Thank you! Such a thought provoking video. I have just recently started using Chanel again in this last year and for me it is the whole experience and the luxury aspect makes it more special!
Fantastic video! I love Chanel's aura and mystique. Loved hearing your stories!
This is very interesting for me to hear from the point of view of “your side of the counter” . I have indeed experienced a lot of shame/ buyer’s remorse instances and it’s humiliating. I have never, ever heard the other vantage point about this, as in empathetic towards me as you are describing so eloquently.
Some people are just concerned with hitting their sales goals and don’t care. But I have to believe we can have a win-win and get our needs met.
@@misfor thanks for the reply. Yes, it’s still rare though, in all my years buying make up at counters.
Wow, everything you said makes perfect sense. I love makeup and skincare but I don’t know anyone that has the same passion I do so I default to CZcams influencers, I feel a kinship with them. The luxury brands intrigue me greatly for the reasons you state, they make me feel pretty and like I can be a part of that 1% that can afford them. The reality is I’m not in that 1%, along with the 99% that are also not in that group. For me, I stick to dupes of high end products both in skincare and makeup, and they are out there. But every once in a while I treat myself to something from the luxury brands, Chanel being one of them. I have one Chanel foundation and love it and don’t save it for special occasions. I use it when I feel like using it and want that certain finish.
I just loved your take on all seven issues, so so interesting but especially on samples. Sephora is very generous with their samples and I greatly appreciate that and do not take advantage of it. I have sampled many items and eventually purchased some but not others. It is simply impossible, like you said, to get a real idea of whether a skincare product will work for you unless you have a good weeks supply, that’s the minimum. I fully realize that brands can not give away that kind of quantity so you just have to know your ingredients and decide based on the small reasonable sample they provide. At that point you have to decide whether you want to take the plunge and buy it.
It’s all very subjective as to how the item makes you feel and look when you see yourself in the mirror.
I’m glad you found something you love!! I think there are a lot of great things at affordable price points, so not everything needs to be luxury. But a little something that’s splendid that you can use whenever you want is a lovely thing. ❤️
I loved this Thankyou 😊I work in a department store this was extremely helpful ⭐️
I'm so happy I found you! the topics you choose to talk about are so informative and relevant. new subscriber here 💓
Welcome! Glad you are here!❤️
Wonderful video!!! I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. New subscriber. Have a great day!
🌻This was awesome 👏🏾 thanks so much!
Loved this. So much wisdom.
Thank you. That’s very sweet! 🥰
Thanks for a great informative video. I agree with many points.
What I don’t like about direct beauty buy experience is:
*sales associates get too caught up in trying to sell the items. If you are there just to ‘browse’ oftentimes they look down on you, like you’re a waste of time. 'Just browsing' indicates to them that you will not buy those products on that day so there is no point in assisting you... However, they seem to forget sometimes that the market is huge and as a makeup lover most likely you already own a multiples of a product. If I already have 10 bronzers, although I’m sampling a new one, it doesn’t mean I’m gonna get it without giving it a thought. Like you said, after all, these are expensive products that have expiry date and will turn to ‘dust’ if not used up on time;
*oftentimes customers don’t acknowledge a company ethos. I have a friend that likes this strong full coverage items and, when they will sample Chanel with me, they'll say it’s s*it. Well it’s not that, it imitates French effortless no-make up look and you are looking for HUDA type of stuff. They quickly judge a product based on their need but they have not done their research. Or, for example, strong perfume. Some say they might be too weak in sillage for this price point. But the company is not that. Strong perfume are nowadays targeted towards younger audience with high consumption rate because they want the potential customer to have that Instant WOW feeling. They might have more definition but be less complex and maybe that's how they are targeting generation Z. But after a while, after couple of years of wearing strong perfume during my youth period I get to appreciate delicate and airy yet complex Chanel fragrances more and more. And me feeling that way at 29yo, I can imagine 40+ or 50+ might have a similar approach.
I steadily grow my Chanel collection. I appreciate the discreet sophisticated aesthetics and my first Chanel cream bronzer I’ve had for 6years and only went through half of it, so the value for money can be found in their products. Still to this day I use Chanel Bronzer (not that old one though ha), in original shade and the medium one. I also find their lip pencils very long lasting. What I love about Chanel and those high end brands is their shade range, I feel like the mainstream companies (or daughter companies) that target young people specifically have a lot of artificial colours that lack depth, but Chanel’s shade ranges look very natural and complex. I’ve grown to love Chanel to the point of owning one of the Les Exclusives perfumes which is my liquid gold and I use it only once in a while to keep it special ❤
Greetings x
You're such a lovely soul and a lovely person and those qualities are translated all over your facial features ❤❤
Thank you, youtube algorithm for suggesting your video to me ❤
That’s incredibly sweet of you! Thank you. I’m glad you’re here!🥰
very lovely.thank you.
I really enjoyed your video thank you
Fantastic video!!! I'm now a new enthusiastic subscriber
So glad you’re here. Welcome!!🎂
Live your video!
Great video!
Thanks. Enjoyed it.
Beiresdorf actually did buy Chantecaille last year… time will tell how that transition goes. Chantecaille like Chanel is one of my favorite brands 🖤. This was a very helpful video and just what I was looking for. Thank you!
Oh! That is really good to know. I had missed that move. I totally agree that it will be interesting to watch how the changes unfold for Chantecaille. I’m also very curious to see how Chanel moving into Ulta changes (or doesn’t change) their business. I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching!!
I do follow beauty news but did not know Sylvie sold the business, Thanks for the info. I use several Chantecaille products but will take nothing for granted now that someone else is leading the company. Thank you
Wonderful video.
you just sold me onto chanel products. They are expensive, but I have tried also other expensive brands so will try chanel.
Only if the makeup moves you and you love it!! There are so many wonderful brands.
Is my Chanel nail polish collection better than other polish out there? Only to me! *sigh* I miss the old nail polish line, they were the brand others would copy.
Great video, also a "like" for the unexpected ST:ToS anecdote!
“Mudd’s Women” has a lot to say on beauty🥰 Chanel had some lovely polishes, and I’m sure your collection is divine.
Really enjoyed listening to this video. You have put a lot of thought into guauging the psyche of a Chanel customer from the people who often can't afford their makeup, to the ones who love the thrill of buying a luxury product. Myself when I walk into a department store selling your brand, I just know that i might have to pay a little extra for Chanel but no other brand comes close to competing with the unique shades of everything, wrapped in quality packaging and presented beautifully. Always worth it. Just one observation with regards to Chanel skincare, why do they use so much unnecessary fragrance? As a rule, fragrance in skincare is a big no no for long term use. Other than this, Im a big fan!
I think the fragrance in the skincare and foundation is my biggest issue. I know some people feel that is one of the marks of a luxury product, but I wish they’d rethink that.
You are so wise.🤩
That sweet of you 🥰 I still do idiotic things, but I feel like I’m making some progress. 😁
The allure of CHANEL.
I think that some products are overpriced but there are some pieces that make really the difference. When you use them, your complexion is on another level (I like naturally beautiful complexion). As for skincare, I think that you can skip the most of it. Korean skincare or less known products are so much better for a fragment of the price.
I’ve really been enjoying the Peach &Lilly as of late 🥰
Great video. I am a medical aesthetician for 22 years. I disagree about skincare samples...to see results you would have to consistently use the product for 6 weeks which coincides with cell turnover. Makeup fountain samples r a good idea. Love Chanel makeup. There formulations are beautiful. Question...sometimes my clients would return skincare after using more than 1/2 of it. I gave refund ans sent back to mfg. What is Chanels policy on this uss
Hi Sandra! You are totally right about needing time for skin care to work. It’s a rare product that has immediate results. But I think the samples give brands a chance to let you explore the scent and feel of a product and keep your hope alive that it will have long-term results. As for returns, if you buy it through retail, those stores set the rules. And I hear it varies by country. At this point, I don’t buy direct from Chanel, so I can’t speak to that.
www.businessofbusiness.com/amp/articles/beauty-conglomerates-loreal-revlon-coty-estee-lauder-data/
Ibrinusing channel since I start,making my own money; what is the best foundation that channel have for oily skin
Hi Mary!! It’s been a hot second since I worked on the counter. They usually reference formulas by coverage and finish, as opposed to oily or dry. You’d probably decide on that and then bring in a powder to control oil.
Excellent video, fabulous clear presentation, extremely coherent. You aren't an academic moonlighting as a Chanel associate are you,? 😅
There may be a Venn diagram…🧐🤣
@@misfor 💅🔥💄🎓
Is Charlotte Tilbury a privately owned company?
www.glossy.co/beauty/what-puigs-acquisition-of-charlotte-tilbury-means-for-beauty/amp/
I am not purchasing any Chanel Makeup after the Christmas Calender Controversy last year. Seriously, they ripped off their customers.
You gave me the perfect topic for my next video! Thank you!! I would have been more concerned if Chanel hadn’t had a listing of the items available. But I feel like the company hasn’t quite understood the different mindsets regarding luxury makeup and how those points-of-view should influence their advertising and their offerings.
@@misfor Rumors says Dior calendar is doing the same thing this year.
this is a great video but to fully grasp everything, I wish this was broken up into more digestible 10 minute videos.
I definitely fall on the chatty side of things! This is good feedback. I think I’m going to try to figure out how to add time stamps so that a person could flip through to whichever point/segment they wanted. Thanks for watching!
The big question is… Did the rancher’s skin improve???
It actually did!! He originally just wanted some relief from really dry skin from wind and sunburn and his wife’s cream didn’t sting and helped his skin not crack. Now I’m not saying he lost his wrinkles; they were pretty deep at that point. But his skin got more supple and comfortable.
Why do so many companies not do cruelty free. We only buy cruelty free. Please do a video on cruelty free. Thank you.
That is a very good idea! I will put that on the list for next time. Thank you!!
Thank you.
Brit here, massively jealous that you guys can return makeup and skincare products, esp as Chanel are so stingy with samples here despite my having a long sales history
The nice thing is that if it’s available in retail they generally abide by the retailer’s return policy, which is wonderful. I really feel like they could do so much more robust business if the sampling practices were better!
did that guy's skin have notiecable improvement?
His wrinkles were too deep to go away, but his skin got a lot more supple and hydrated. Definitely felt much more comfortable for him!!
Thank you for this lovely and informative video. Especially point N°7. I truly believe a little bit of luxury can sometimes make a difference. If im having a rough day, a spritz of N°5 parfum instantly lifts my spirits and makes me feel special. 🤍
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you 🥰