I mentioned last weekend that while in London I popped into the House of Fraser store in Victoria, found they were having a Father's Day special and bought a bottle of Habit Rouge (very nice by the way).
While paying for my purchase, I asked the lady behind the counter if she had any Guerlain samples she could throw in. She looked at me hesitantly and then said she could give me some Dior or Chanel samples instead if I liked. I replied by saying that I had tried a lot of Chanel and Dior in the past and was keen to try a few more Guerlains (very politely of course). Eventually she disappeared, rummaging through the drawers, only to re-emerge and state that they did not have any men's Guerlain samples. I replied by saying that I was perfectly happy to try some of the lady's samples. She disappeared again and at long last presented me with my package and said she had put some samples in the bag.
Once I was out the store I looked in the bag, to discover two samples. One of which was actually a night cream or moisturiser of sorts. So make that one perfume sample. Namely, La Petite Robe Noire. Before moving onto the perfume itself, I have to say I was disappointed with the attitude of the sales assistant. I know I only spent £40 in the store, but honestly, could she have not spared a couple more samples, particularly as I asked her nicely? One would think these stores would want loyal, returning customers and go out of their way to please. When I was in the department store, I could literally count ten customers. There was more staff than paying customers. Could it have hurt to perhaps give me a smile, a thank you for purchasing and perhaps even make an effort? I know I sound a bit cynical and grumpy, but still.
Moving back to La Petite Robe Noire (the little black dress), I can't help but feel hopelessly underwhelmed by the perfume. To me it smells like a candied fruitchouli - it could have been released by half a dozen far less venerable houses than Guerlain. Unoriginal, too sweet and frankly disappointing. I don't expect to always encounter the Guerlinade, and I can understand Guerlain's need to modernise and move with the trends (no easy task for a house with such history and pedigree) but a boring dumb fruity cocktail is not the way to go in my opinion.
I haven't had much luck getting Guerlain samples from department stores either, which is such a contrast to shopping at their flagship store in Paris - lovely SA's there! Also agree with your assessment of La Petite Robe Noire : ) Doesn't put me off wanting to try their new "Oriental" trio, though!
ReplyDeleteLove your new blog "look". Makes me think of men's charcoal gray suiting - very classy : )
Once, at a Sephora cashwrap, I asked the assistant who was ringing me up if she had any available samples. She actually looked at my total with eyes narrowed, mentally totting up what she thought I was entitled to. The answer: a single sample of a really, really bad men's fragrance, which she chucked in my bag with visible resentment. :(
ReplyDelete*shakes head* you would think that since she was in 'customer service' she would have been a little more serviceable?
ReplyDeleteSounds like she subscribes more to the "Clerks" version of a work ethic ('This job would be great if it weren't for the #&@%! customers...')
DeleteJeez, makes you wonder if the SA's are getting dinged on their paychecks everytime they hand out a sample : (
ReplyDeleteI've never worked "behind-the-counter", so I have no idea...
Jeez O'Pete. I live in Chicago and when I want to try new (or otherwise) Guerlain perfumes, I call or email Marilyn, my Guerlain specialist at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC and she decants a nice big sample for me and sends it right out in the mail. No purchase necessary. I've purchased two bottles from her in the past, and am pretty sure I'm one of her most financially conservative clients (read: cash poor). My point is, I suppose, that impressive customer service always has one simple idea behind it, and that is: the little things matter a lot. Making commissions is of course a practical motivation for any salesperson, but it's vital to have a client list filled with people who ask for you by name. If all it takes to get there is to give away a few perfume samples, why do some salespeople insist on being stingy? I'll be that Guerlain AND the department store executives would have a fit.
ReplyDeleteCarrie, could I borrow Marilyn just for a little while, oh prettypretty please? I promise I'll take right nice care of her! :D Really, THAT is supreme customer service! It's about the connection, not the commission. (Yet when the connection blossoms... so do the commissions, natch!)
DeleteI tried the reformulated LPRN in Paris a while ago and while I adore the (expensive) original, this one doesn't even come close. And the original is no longer available...
ReplyDeleteHave you not tried your local Guerlain counter. I'm moving there next week I'll have a chat to the girl and see what I can do.
ReplyDeleteThought I'd just point out that not all SA's are on commission. As a SA myself I find it very beneficial to give lots of samples as this often leads to the customer making a purchase at a later date. I must say though you do get a lot of sample hunters and you do get to know who they are as they always come in, don't look at any of the fragranges but ask for samples.
Hi Cym, thanks. The other template did not work great at all.
ReplyDeleteOlenska and Frida, it wasn't great, but to be fair, there are many other SA's I've met (including in my own town) who are great. It's the luck of the draw I suppose, to an extent.
ReplyDeleteCarrie, your contact at Guerlain sounds fantastic. It's great when one can establish those sort of relationships.
ReplyDeleteInes, I read this was not as good as the original, which I haven't had the chance to try. I wonder why they had to tinker with it, price aside? Probably boiled down solely to price.
ReplyDeleteMB, your point is very balanced and fair. As a bit of a sample hunter myself - but hopefully a fairly decent one ;-) -I am aware of not wanting to take the piss, so I can understand that. As I said in a previous comment, I've met some lovely sales people at department stores (including some great ladies in TW) but I suppose you always get the one or two who can be downright grouchy. Its a generalisation of course, but in my experience I find this more often in London stores. Hope to catch up with you soon! I was there the other day and its looking great!
ReplyDelete