Three little words. Average Unit Sale. Or in short…..A.U.S.
Yes we all have goals. How do you expect these companies to make money? We just can’t play in makeup all day and do free makeovers. We want you to buy. And the more the better. They would like you to average around a $45.00 A.U.S. So when you are working with a customer and she is loving everything you are showing her and 30 minutes later it’s a $150.00 sale you feel good. Only to have it come crashing down when someone walks up to the counter to say “All I need today is a…._______” which promptly drops your numbers to less than 1/2 of what you put all you blood, sweat and tears into just a few minutes earlier. Oh and the person who just wants a sharpener…..really? You came all the way to the mall to get a freakin’ sharpener. Don’t be surprised if your sharpener, sponge, powder puff is not in stock. I have seen way too many times someone walk over to the drawer pretending to look diligently for the item only come back to report that we must be out of stock, all the while thinking, I’m not going to let this customer ruin my numbers. Sad but true.
The A.U.S. should be an indicator that you are doing your job and showing the customer everything without clerking. But all it really does is lead to bad customer service. The poor 15 yr. old who is standing there in line holding a midnight black pencil that she had to get all by herself because everyone avoids the pencil wall like the plague and no one wants to ring it up should not be penalized when that is really all she can afford or want. That pencil may be something she saved her allowance up for and is a really big deal for her because that pencil ain’t cheap. A.U.S. or not I’m going to smile at her and make her feel like she just got the coolest thing since sliced bread.
If you really want a cool trick to get help fast is put a couple expensive makeup brushes in your hand like you are seriously interested and see how fast the salesgirls will swarm around you to grab that potential sale. Then you can ask about what you really came for.
But stand in line with a bag to return or a lipstick tester in your hand and you might as well put an invisible cloak over your head.
Just saying.
A Diary of Life Behind The Makeup Counter. 
this blog rocks!
lets get some more hits on it;-)
r
Thanks and thanks for linking me. I appreciate that.
you deserve it:-)
r
I was definitely ignorant of this; I went recently to a big department store for a Laura Mercier eyelash curler I’d read about … trying to find someone who would/could wait on me was like trying to get a cat to roller skate. Now I get it.
Great point! 🙂 MJ
Yes, so next time pretend like you are interested in those expensive brushes…then tell them you need that eyelash curler….haha.
Makes me wonder how many other types of businesses that are reliant on salespeople have policies like this that cause the employees to disregard certain customers. Very interesting.
Ahhh yes you’re right. Good point. Also I’m sure our company has little idea we do this but fools to think we don’t. Of course the employees will never fess up to the big ones that we do it.
Thank you…that explains why I stopped going to the mall…
Ahh..the beauty of it all……
spread the humor: charlywalker.wordpress.com
Oh I hope you don’t stop going to the mall on my account. Just hoping to give you inside info in how to get around the counter. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for the insider’s tips! So interesting to read. I didn’t realize there was so much pressure to make those AUS sale numbers. Yikes!
That’s why it’s the “dirty little secrets they don’t want you to know”. haha. Thanks for stopping by.
What a shame that they score sales that way. I would not think that turning down a sale would be desirable for a retailer…
I agree with you 110%. They see it as your level of customer service. If you are just selling them one think you aren’t giving them the customer service they need and you are just clerking. But just maybe that customer only uses that one thing from your line and can’t afford anything else. Maybe they use a lot of things but don’t need all those things and just wants one thing. So many variables play into this. But because of the pressure bad customer service may be the result or just plain sneakiness. From people ringing up low item sales under other peoples numbers or saying we are out of the pencil sharpener. I think if there was no A.U.S. there would be much better customer service and more loyal happy customers. Just saying. Thanks for your comment.