A message from a MLM distributor to ALL direct sales people everywhere!

I hesitated to post this on my blog, but it is MY BLOG, so I'm going to do it. Hopefully any of my clients that see this will appreciate the fact that above all, I am authentic and I always keep it real. I don't try to sell anyone Ooops! unless they really want oil in a tube with a lip gloss applicator for convenience and I'll be the FIRST to tell you that our Foops Makeup Remover is overpriced. Sorry, just keeping it real. 

Since I posted this on my Facebook feed, I've had several of my true friends message me to ask if I was talking about THEM when I posted this. Truth be told, I'm not thinking of any one person, but just an overall feeling that I'm getting in general when it comes to our society and how multi-level marketing is infiltrating us all. Please read on....I admit that a lot of this has come to mind after spending the last two days reading a lot of posts on LuLaRoe Defective/Ripped /Torn Leggings And Clothes as a serious lurker. If any of you reading this are ex-Lula consultants or present Lula consultants, you need to go over there, because it is educational and entertaining and horrifying all at the same time!

So here goes: 

BEGINNING

So...I don't usually post stuff like this on my personal page (or really at ALL for that matter), but I really feel the need to make sure that all of my Facebook "friends" read this so you are fairly warned. This is also going to go on my blog eventually so I can post the link back to people who I feel are being unnecessarily aggressive and pushy. And know that if you post something that I perceive as negative or nasty on MY OWN PERSONAL feed, it will be deleted. If you have something to say to me, private message me. Nothing has happened but this is just a gradual building up of my feelings over the last month after seeing how many "friends" are adding me to their friends' Facebook groups for direct sales, inviting me to networking events, or asking me to come to parties that they are hosting for their other direct sales friends.

If you are one of those people and wondering if I am talking about you, then ask yourself this. Have you ever once bought from me to support my part-time job, but never hesitate to invite me to an online party that you are hosting, having or whatever? Have you ever once come up and did a demo with me at an event? Did you ask for my card at an event under the guise of "Oh, I wear LipSense and I'd love a new distributor" but really just used it as a ploy to get another person to cold call? Have you ever once referred someone to me that maybe asked about SeneGence or LipSense? Have you approached me about signing up with your MLM out of the blue, messaged me because I haven't bought from you in a while, or asked me if I'm interested in buying something from you because "it just made you think of me"? Or the worst, did you ONLY buy something from me because you thought it was a quid pro quo and would be a way to guilt me into buying something from you? Guess what, ladies, I've been watching Lularoe and direct sales for a long time, and I've been a LipSense distributor for almost a year and a half. You're not fooling me, yourself or anyone else.

Look at my profile. Yes, I am a distributor for SeneGence International. I am also a career insurance adjuster, a wife, a mother and a friend, not in that order of importance. Just because I sell cosmetics and skin care on the side does not mean that it is my whole life.

I never want to get to the point in my life EVER where people are avoiding my texts, not wanting to go to dinner with me, feel like if they go out with me for a glass of wine that I am going to pitch how great LipSense is or try to get them to sign up to be a distributor, or anything else related to getting their business. Anyone that knows me knows that is NOT the way I operate. I don't recruit anyone for my team because I don't have one. I don't try to pressure anyone into buying.  I don't ask my family about it! I don't preach that SeneGence is the end-all, be-all to skin care and cosmetics when anyone that knows me knows that I am a serious Urban Decay and Kat Von D addict and used Lush skin care like it was going out of style before I became a distributor. Do you know WHY I don't do that? Because I don't ever want anyone to feel like I would sell my own child for a sale. I went to dinner Sunday night with a client that bought two colors and a gloss from me last summer and LipSense didn't come up in the entire meal. And would you like to know why? Because that "client" has been my very dear friend for over twenty years and I know that if she wants more LipSense or gloss, she'll ask me for it! And if you are one of my friends and feel like I have ever said anything that even remotely made you feel like you were being pressured to try LipSense (I can't imagine doing this, but perception is everything), please accept my apology. And anyone that I invited to a party who didn't want to be invited or added to a group that didn't want to be added, again, please accept my apology.

For everyone else...if the following resonates with you, think just for a second about our communications since we met and think if maybe anything you said to me or directed at me could be taken as aggressive and pushy sales tactics. And if you are annoyed with this post because it means that you just lost a potential client but don't really care about our friendship, feel free to unfriend me.

I am not directing this at any person on my feed in particular, but if you are in direct sales or crafts or are a vendor of any nature, you should know that my days of having parties for direct sales consultants are DONE.

-I don't have online parties anymore.
-I don't have in-person parties anymore.
-I don't add people to groups anymore without their express request or permission.
-I have more Lularoe in my wardrobe than I can possibly wear.
-I do not use any stick-on nail products because I am on roofs all the time and shred my nails from checking hail damage, so STOP trying to convince me that your product is awesome. I'm sure it's the cat's meow, but I have over 1,000 bottles of nail polish that I wasted money on; I think I am set in the nail department.
-STOP trying to get me to try your skin care, and respect, JUST for a second, that I sell skin care.
-STOP trying to get me to try your makeup, and respect, JUST for a second, that I sell makeup.
-For the love of all that is holy, if I want a drink mix that I can easily mix in with my water or a caffeine additive for my coffee, I know where to find you.
 -For the last time, Pink Zebra gives me migraines. I am a ten-year Scentsy user and I'm not changing!
-I don't need anti-aging haircare; my hair stylist Tiffany (and an AdvoCare rep) IS my anti-aging haircare and hopefully as we head into our second decade of knowing each other, I will never know if I have gray hair or not.
-Jewelry, yes, jewelry is my weakness, but really, I know how great your stuff is or you wouldn't be messaging me to buy more. So stop already and I'll let you know when I need something.

And finally, I am NOT going to ask my friends anymore about coming to a party; they got enough of that when I was in the midst of the Lularoe hype. So please, stop with the "well, even though you don't use Jamberry/Color Street/etcetera, that doesn't mean your friends won't" and "oh, but your friends might be interested once they see how great your nails look all the time". Just stop. Enough already. Keep it up, and you'll be unfriended.

I'm sorry, but this just really needed to be said, and if you are one of my friends that feels like I have pushed you to try LipSense and you had no interest (again, I can't think of anyone I did that with), I am truly sorry. I became a distributor because I love my products and wanted to make a little money on the side, not to lose my friends.

END

That's all. I would post a picture of Miranda from The Devil Wears Prada but I don't want to get sued for copyright infringement. So just picture Miranda with her imperious withering look and I'm happy. 

Is it worth sacrificing customer service to score a commission?

This is a little bit of an unusual blog post, because I'm not really critiquing or reviewing one of the products that I sell, but I do want to share what happened to me this weekend that reminded me of just WHY it is so important to me to make sure that all of you are happy with the items that you purchase from me and why I make sure and take the extra few seconds before sealing the bag after purchase to double-check that the seals are intact, to verify that you are getting exactly the items that you asked for and to make sure that everyone knows that you are more than welcome to return your purchase for a refund or exchange if you are absolutely not in love with what you got. 

So....the theme tonight...is it worth sacrificing customer service to score a commission? 

My answer? NO. I will never, ever, ever shop at Neiman Marcus again. EVER. 

Last year I had researched the best orange blossom perfumes on the internet and Jo Malone London kept coming up. I went to Neiman Marcus at my nearby mall, checked out their testers, narrowed it down to English Pear and Freesia, Nectarine Blossom and Honey and Orange Blossom. My husband went and bought me English Pear and Freesia. 

About two weeks ago, I went shopping with my tween and checked out the two I didn't get last year. 

 My husband and I went out Saturday night and we decided on Nectarine Blossom and Honey. 

Christmas Eve at midnight I opened my gift to discover English Pear and Freesia. The exact same perfume sitting on my dresser. 

So what happened? I honestly don't know, and I know that this post is going to seem REALLY obsessive and fixating, but I swear to all that is holy, I am convinced that this perfume counter consultant did this on purpose. And if you are wondering why in the world we spent as much time looking at perfume as we might have spent looking at a car, Jo Malone's 3.4 oz bottles retail for $135. I freaking LOVE my perfumes. And it's tradition! My dad gave me a bottle every year for Christmas until I got married, and then he and my husband overlapped for a while, and now my husband Philip gives me one. Every year. Without fail. Quality perfume is worth the money.

For the story's purpose, let's call her Becky. As in OMG BECKY WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? My theory: She wanted a quick commission. 

Believe me, I don't know her real name and I sure wish I did, but the receipt didn't have her name on it. 

Facts:

1) My twelve-year-old daughter M, being the curious tween that she is, picked up her perfume of choice (English Oak and Hazelnut) sprayed it all over herself. I don't think Becky liked that because she immediately pulled a Wayne's World/May I help you? riff move and offered to spray a card down for us instead. Mmphm. Note, Becky, perfume smells better on PEOPLE than cards.

2) Saturday night she was really trying to sell us on one of the other scents like Wild Bluebell and the sultry "nighttime" scents even though I had already come in with my final two picked out. But she was really trying to get us to buy something else. (Yep. I know I should have clued in on that one.)

3) I distinctly made it clear during our fifteen-minute "sell" that I already owned English Pear and

Freesia. I made it clear that I really think Jo Malone perfumes are quality and that's why I wanted a second scent. When I like something, I really like it! And this was the only thing I wanted for Christmas. Once Philip and I settled on Nectarine Blossom and Honey, she went over, picked up the last bottle of what we thought was Nectarine Blossom and Honey, checked it and immediately whisked it away to do the Love Actually routine with the wrapping. Not once did she allow us to look at the bottle before she started wrapping it. 

4) She rang up Nectarine Blossom and Honey. It was ON THE RECEIPT.

So now knowing my love affair with quality, beautifully floral and citrusy perfumes, you can understand my disappointment when I unwrapped the Love Actually bag complete with a cute little ornament and cute little bow to find the same English Pear and Freesia sitting on my dresser. 

Tonight, I took it back to Neiman Marcus to exchange it. Who knew I'd be returning it for a refund? 

More fun facts that I was informed of by "Alicia", since Becky was not there. 

1) Neiman Marcus was sold out of BOTH Nectarine Blossom and Honey AND Orange Blossom for a week. A WEEK. We were there three days ago. That was never mentioned. 

2) No, they have no idea when they are getting more in.

3) She REALLY wanted to give me a "merchandise credit" even though I do not shop at Neiman Marcus. Neiman Marcus is where I park to go to Lush. It's not where I shop. I only shopped there to begin with because last year at the time I became interested in Jo Malone, Neiman Marcus was the only store that carried those perfumes. 

4) She was sure that "Becky didn't do it on purpose" and that "she was probably just busy". Right. We were the ONLY ONES at the Jo Malone counter Saturday night. 

5) She was sure that "Becky just mixed it up with another bottle of perfume". No, she did NOT. I watched her! She picked up the last bottle of English Pear and Freesia and there were no other bottles on the counter. 

Whatever. I asked her to credit my husband's card (which took her about six times longer than it should have) and send an email receipt (how hard is it to type pxgonz70?) and that I would just order it online. She did so after assuring me that she just "wanted to give me the highest level of customer service" (right) and then wishing me a happy holiday. I just gave her the stink eye. I was honestly afraid to open my mouth.

To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I was SO MAD that I actually teared up on the way to my car. Philip, being the great guy he is, insisted on calling around and we found Nordstrom's at Stonebriar Mall in Frisco that had three bottles of Nectarine Blossom and Honey. That perfume attendant was SO nice, not only did she manage to cater to three customers at once, she actually sprayed my tissue paper with the tester to make the bag smell nice after I told her it was okay not to wrap it since it was after Christmas. AND she said thank you. (Yep, I teared up again! My faith in perfume counter attendants was restored!)

I know that one of my downfalls is always expecting to be treated the way that I treat others, but I always make sure that I verify my client's purchases with them before they leave my table, I always show them the items to make sure that they are exactly what they want and that the seals aren't broken, and I never, ever make excuses when people ask to return or exchange items. 

I sure hope that commission was worth it to Becky. Neiman Marcus lost a client for life. Nordy's, even though they already had my loyalty thanks to their awesome shoe department and lingerie service, has me forever. I never would have known what bra size I really was if their lingerie department hadn't offered to measure me!

Anyway, the moral of the story, especially if you are in customer service: keep in mind that karma never forgets. Becky may have gotten her little commission from me, but how many people will read this blog and remember it every time they walk by Neiman Marcus? 

I hope that if I ever pull a "Becky" with any of my customers, you all will take me to the carpet and remind me...because that is NOT why I decided to start selling cosmetics and skin care. The whole reason why I decided to split the Abundance parfum trios was based on feedback from MY CUSTOMERS! That is just how I choose to do business. 

On that note as we wrap up 2017, I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a HAPPY NEW YEAR!