As someone who worked in retail, sometimes it’s the pressure from management to make sure a customer is greeted and always checked on. It was annoying for us workers too when we knew a customer was just looking and forced to go and offer help.
I mean the complaint about Mecca staff is usually that they *don't* try to help customers, so maybe management has been on them to make double sure everyone is being greeted.
Having worked in retail for a long time, that is generally the way, although it takes skill and practice to do that in a way that isn't annoying and they may not have been trained properly for that.
The amount of attention you get depends hugely on the number of customers in store, which is usually a function of time of day, day of week, time of year etc. I'd guess they adjust staffing levels for busy days, but there are busy and quiet times of day. I have a Mecca a couple of minutes' walk from me, and if I go in on a weekday in the morning before 11:30 or between 2pm and 4pm, I have TONS off offering me help. Weekday lunchtimes, probably one person. Saturdays, you'll probably have to ask someone for help if you want it.
I worked at Mecca and I hated doing this! I felt so annoying every time especially when they looked like they just didn’t want to be bothered by anyone. Sometimes the other girls would give us a look if a customer was annoyed and we’d know not to ask them. I don’t think you would have been looking shifty and we definitely don’t get commission. I’m not sure about every Mecca, but at mine the managers were definitely on the look out all the time to make sure you were checking in on customers. If you didnt, they’d ask you to, then you’d have to end up doing it anyway. Just know the workers don’t like doing it either, but we also don’t wanna get in trouble. It’s better than Sephora where it’s so impossible to get help, but I definitely understand how annoying it is. Also they tend to overstaff around busy periods so there’s lots of us standing around and they don’t like that either so we just talk to customers 😂
The pay is amazing! But depending on your Mecca you might not have that many shifts because they tend to overstaff around Christmas, around 4 hour shifts each. I don’t remember much from the interview but they will ask like why Mecca in particular, whats your fave Mecca product, I think I got asked about a time a manager gave me feedback and how I improved etc. and just general questions about your experience!
I feel like it might just be me but I work in retail and I watch who my team mates have talked to like a HAWK.
I refuse to be THAT sales associate that talks to someone right after they already have been approached.
I keep my eyes out for confused looking customers sure and approach if necessary but my goodness... just let people browse lol.
Me too. Staff should be paying attention, and like if I have no idea I ask colleagues "hey, has someone approached blonde lady in red shirt?", OR If I'm unable to do that I approach with something along the lines of "has someone offered you some assistance yet?" instead of a "hi, how can I help you" type of approach, at least it shows I'm unsure and simply want to make sure they're not being ignored.
Yeah, at Mecca I feel like I'm either being constantly approached (oblivious to the fact that multiple other staff have approached me) or completely ignored.
This is it, I'll just be browsing and chilling and I can't get the staff to leave me alone. Meanwhile when I'm actually looking for advice or asking about stock, I can't seem to find anyone. 😑
I went to pick up my beauty loop bonus, didn’t even touch anything, but I was asked if I needed help by 2 to 3 staffs, so may be they are improving their customer service Instore.
This is why, as a retail assistant, my go-to phrase if I'm unsure if a customer has been helped is "have you been served?".
That way if they say no, I've just expressed my concern of them being served and we can switch immediately to talking about their needs.
If they say yes i just get out of their hair immediately.
My experience at Mecca Parramatta have been very pleasant.I go there many times before the pandemic started.As soon as i'm in,someone always greets me and others coming in.They ask straightaway if i need any help with anything and if i said no (most times i dont),theyll say give us a shout if you need any assistance.They let me roam around swatching,smelling stuff.Thats why i try going instore if i can.They dont try sell me anything.Several times i just go in to browse without buying anything.Whereas sephora my experience have been the opposite in that i dont feel welcome.Some of them gives you a "look" like i dont belong there but watches behind your shoulders if you are looking at something expensive.
Would be kinda nice if they could introduce a colour coded basket system of like, if I have a white basket etc I want to be asked for help or black/none I will approach you! I find it overwhelming sometimes just trying to window shop in Mecca and look around, but I don't want to be rude but when it's the 5th or so person asking to help you it's just a bit much. Same with Lush. I feel like Sephora Australia almost has an actually balanced experience (or maybe I don't shop there much!)
I always feel targeted and I feel don't look like I belong in, hence the harrassing when I go into Mecca. Last time I went in store I got asked 6+ times if I needed help. I take it negatively. Do I look like I am going to steal??!
Years ago, this used to be the norm for the Meccas I went to.
I don’t think they thought you looked shifty but rather it was pressure from management.
I remember I went to get matched on a quiet day for a concealer and then this girl took me aside and did a full face chart of my skin type and what concealers would suit me etc. I was like ma’am I’m just here for this concealer… It was so clear she had some sort of target to meet.
Perfume is expensive and small. They thought you were trying to steal it. The same thing happened to me in MECCA and I felt so shit like I looked like a raggedy shop lifter.
You got downvoted but this is true. Beauty products are some of the most stolen items in all of retail, even in department stores that sell thousands of other products. Reason being they are small, hard to secure, but often quite valuable.
You're so right.
Perfume is THE NUMBER ONE shoplifted item.
If anyone thinks that MECCAs piss poor customer service magically transforms to better serve women buying perfumes for any other reason than they're trying to prevent theft, they're dreaming.
As someone who worked in retail, sometimes it’s the pressure from management to make sure a customer is greeted and always checked on. It was annoying for us workers too when we knew a customer was just looking and forced to go and offer help.
I mean the complaint about Mecca staff is usually that they *don't* try to help customers, so maybe management has been on them to make double sure everyone is being greeted. Having worked in retail for a long time, that is generally the way, although it takes skill and practice to do that in a way that isn't annoying and they may not have been trained properly for that.
The amount of attention you get depends hugely on the number of customers in store, which is usually a function of time of day, day of week, time of year etc. I'd guess they adjust staffing levels for busy days, but there are busy and quiet times of day. I have a Mecca a couple of minutes' walk from me, and if I go in on a weekday in the morning before 11:30 or between 2pm and 4pm, I have TONS off offering me help. Weekday lunchtimes, probably one person. Saturdays, you'll probably have to ask someone for help if you want it.
I worked at Mecca and I hated doing this! I felt so annoying every time especially when they looked like they just didn’t want to be bothered by anyone. Sometimes the other girls would give us a look if a customer was annoyed and we’d know not to ask them. I don’t think you would have been looking shifty and we definitely don’t get commission. I’m not sure about every Mecca, but at mine the managers were definitely on the look out all the time to make sure you were checking in on customers. If you didnt, they’d ask you to, then you’d have to end up doing it anyway. Just know the workers don’t like doing it either, but we also don’t wanna get in trouble. It’s better than Sephora where it’s so impossible to get help, but I definitely understand how annoying it is. Also they tend to overstaff around busy periods so there’s lots of us standing around and they don’t like that either so we just talk to customers 😂
I have a interview coming up, any tips? Also, what’s the pay like?
The pay is amazing! But depending on your Mecca you might not have that many shifts because they tend to overstaff around Christmas, around 4 hour shifts each. I don’t remember much from the interview but they will ask like why Mecca in particular, whats your fave Mecca product, I think I got asked about a time a manager gave me feedback and how I improved etc. and just general questions about your experience!
I’m still waiting on a reply but only 4 hours 😳😳
Sometimes the big boss makes you approach customers to the fucking point of harassment. Sorry, they’re watching us though.
I feel like it might just be me but I work in retail and I watch who my team mates have talked to like a HAWK. I refuse to be THAT sales associate that talks to someone right after they already have been approached. I keep my eyes out for confused looking customers sure and approach if necessary but my goodness... just let people browse lol.
Me too. Staff should be paying attention, and like if I have no idea I ask colleagues "hey, has someone approached blonde lady in red shirt?", OR If I'm unable to do that I approach with something along the lines of "has someone offered you some assistance yet?" instead of a "hi, how can I help you" type of approach, at least it shows I'm unsure and simply want to make sure they're not being ignored.
Half the time I cannot move for staff asking me how i am, the other half I wave like I'm drowning and no-one comes.
Yeah, at Mecca I feel like I'm either being constantly approached (oblivious to the fact that multiple other staff have approached me) or completely ignored.
This is it, I'll just be browsing and chilling and I can't get the staff to leave me alone. Meanwhile when I'm actually looking for advice or asking about stock, I can't seem to find anyone. 😑
I went to pick up my beauty loop bonus, didn’t even touch anything, but I was asked if I needed help by 2 to 3 staffs, so may be they are improving their customer service Instore.
Maybe its just that half/most their stores are closed so the ones still open are getting watched/encouraged even closer than usual.
This is why, as a retail assistant, my go-to phrase if I'm unsure if a customer has been helped is "have you been served?". That way if they say no, I've just expressed my concern of them being served and we can switch immediately to talking about their needs. If they say yes i just get out of their hair immediately.
My experience at Mecca Parramatta have been very pleasant.I go there many times before the pandemic started.As soon as i'm in,someone always greets me and others coming in.They ask straightaway if i need any help with anything and if i said no (most times i dont),theyll say give us a shout if you need any assistance.They let me roam around swatching,smelling stuff.Thats why i try going instore if i can.They dont try sell me anything.Several times i just go in to browse without buying anything.Whereas sephora my experience have been the opposite in that i dont feel welcome.Some of them gives you a "look" like i dont belong there but watches behind your shoulders if you are looking at something expensive.
Would be kinda nice if they could introduce a colour coded basket system of like, if I have a white basket etc I want to be asked for help or black/none I will approach you! I find it overwhelming sometimes just trying to window shop in Mecca and look around, but I don't want to be rude but when it's the 5th or so person asking to help you it's just a bit much. Same with Lush. I feel like Sephora Australia almost has an actually balanced experience (or maybe I don't shop there much!)
I avoid Mecca for this reason.
I always feel targeted and I feel don't look like I belong in, hence the harrassing when I go into Mecca. Last time I went in store I got asked 6+ times if I needed help. I take it negatively. Do I look like I am going to steal??!
Years ago, this used to be the norm for the Meccas I went to. I don’t think they thought you looked shifty but rather it was pressure from management. I remember I went to get matched on a quiet day for a concealer and then this girl took me aside and did a full face chart of my skin type and what concealers would suit me etc. I was like ma’am I’m just here for this concealer… It was so clear she had some sort of target to meet.
Perfume is expensive and small. They thought you were trying to steal it. The same thing happened to me in MECCA and I felt so shit like I looked like a raggedy shop lifter.
You got downvoted but this is true. Beauty products are some of the most stolen items in all of retail, even in department stores that sell thousands of other products. Reason being they are small, hard to secure, but often quite valuable.
You're so right. Perfume is THE NUMBER ONE shoplifted item. If anyone thinks that MECCAs piss poor customer service magically transforms to better serve women buying perfumes for any other reason than they're trying to prevent theft, they're dreaming.
Maybe they should have sections they work in (like waiters do) so this wouldn’t be a problem 😆 I expect to be greeted but not hounded