Art of Shaving Retail Store Experiences
- Thread starter SCshaver
- Start date
Just in case you want even more - they are available on haircareandbeauty. I have no connection with them - but I ordered 3 pucks at a great price and they turned out to be the real deal.
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- Thread starter
- #23
See honestly, I knew that AoS was owned by P&G and I'm not a hater, although I do like supporting smaller businesses and artisans. For me, if you can offer me a good product at a "reasonable" price I'm all for it. I guess I was hoping for artisan treatment at a storefront. Artisans sometimes offer samples for free, but at worst, many of them offer them for a 1$ or two and thats all I wanted was the ability to try a few of the creams just to make sure I didn't get irritated by them, but bringing up irritation just caused a crapstorm between me and the employee.
It seems that many of you have had varying experiences so I guess its just like any other store. I was concerned, that this was the treatment that EVERYONE got at EVERY store, like this was some company line brainwashing that the employees are put through, so that they browbeat the customer with AoS information.
All it did was push me out of the store and the fact that the employee refused to listen to me and just continued to try and tell me what I was currently doing was wrong definitely caused me to leave and not want to return.
I should have just told her, "Look it, let me look around and I'll get back to you when I'm ready, if you don't have samples, thats fine." She just kept following me wherever I went asking what I felt were insulting questions but maybe it was just me.
I'm very glad so many of you have had good experiences there, it was definitely a cool store, the only thing that put me off were the expensive Mach 3s and the employee.
Based on some of the reviews I've seen and the conversation I had with the cable company yesterday, sales associates must be constantly moving between AoS and Century Link...
Yeah. I know it's fun to rag on AoS here, but that exchange sounded no different than going to a car dealership.
"I'm just looking"
"Let's run your credit!"
"I only buy manual transmissions"
"Why don't you look at this 7-speed automatic model?"
"If it doesn't have a clutch, you're wasting my time"
"But this shifts faster than you!"
"I am not in the Grand Prix."
or my favorite, which really happened when we were buying my wife's car.
"I don't want anything except the car"
"Well how about nitrogen filled tires for $59? They put nitrogen in airplane tires so they don't explode!"
"Uh no. The car doesn't weigh 90,000 pounds nor does it go 500mph."
- Thread starter
- #27
Right but no one likes going to shop at a car dealership either. Definitely not something I look forward to after dealing with that twice in the past five years. The difference is, one goes in armed, ready for battle into a car dealership. I didn't expect to have to be that way at AoS.
You do have a point though, there are other realms of salesmanship that are comparable.
You do have a point though, there are other realms of salesmanship that are comparable.
Thanks Rory1262!
Your examples were all good. I left a low paying retail sales job to try car sales to make more money. Most of the other salesmen (no women there) were pretty sleazy, as were the finance managers. I evidently didn't fit in because they fired me before I had a chance. I don't know if they're all this way, this was a Chevrolet dealer, but I still have a bad taste in my mouth. The only new car I've ever bought was from a friend of mine whose sales needed a boost and that was obviously pleasant.
I went into an AoS store one time. The bearded clerk was very pleasant. I didn't buy anything though, as the prices were high and I wasn't sufficiently curious about any of the products to take out my wallet.
I also don't care who owns AoS.
I also don't care who owns AoS.
Also a good point.
I'm also wondering about this....
- Thread starter
- #33
The AoS stores I have been to have not given samples (except a few years ago when one store gave me a sample box of their unscented products). They will let you try store testers on skin. I had better luck back when Sephora carried AoS. They were much better about samples. It is possible that if you bring your own little container they may let you make a small sample of Ocean Kelp or Lemon. AoS can be a little set in their ways in some stores.
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Makes me want to open a shaving kiosk in my local mall stocked with omega brushes, vintage razors, Arko soap. and Clubman aftershave.
I'm sorry if I came off crabby, but IME at 2 stores (possibly same owner, so perhaps same training) the employees came across as someone delivering a hard sales script. That's fine for those of us who know better, but IMO hard sales tactics are designed to mislead and separate people from their money. It's insulting on a personal level. And such tactics are doubly insulting when the person clearly doesn't even know what he/she is talking about. But as many of you have pointed out, this sort of sales technique is not unique to AoS. And just because their sales model sucks, this doesn't mean they can't have products that perform well or genuinely good people working there. But when you sell products at close to double the price they go for elsewhere, employ hard sell tactics and don't really know what you're talking about, well, those are all red flags in my book.
- Thread starter
- #37
See this is the major problem I had, not to reiterate but seriously. I made it crystal clear that I wasn't looking for her insight on my current products and I was happy. All I wanted to do was expand my shaving cream/soaps.
Never, not once when I questioned ANY artisan that I've dealt with has one of those artisans questioned my technique, my setup, my razors, my brushes, or anything else I do. If the situation I was addressing dealt with irritation/allergies, they asked questions about what might cause them, what fragrances I have that work, what ingredients work/don't work, etc, and typically they made expert recommendations on what I should try and either provided samples at no cost, or at a very small cost. I did NOT expect this level of insight when I walked into AoS, but I at least expected the salesperson to finally relent on "teaching" me and accept that I had some level of skill and understanding of wetshaving and perhaps give me some kind of sample or two. Insulting me or what I do is not how you sell something to me.
I did not think of bringing a small sample container to put some shave cream in to sample, that would have been a good idea, someone above suggested that.
Either way, that AoS lost my business forever. Look it, wet shaving has become way too popular to settle for a retail store that doesn't appeal to me. As I mentioned earlier, artisans are on the rise, shave websites are on the rise, and this particular hobby is looking like it is exploding. Just since I started in January many of the sites I visit provide many more soaps and creams than ever before, along with various razors, brushes, straight razors and so forth. In addition, many more artisans are producing wet shaving products. What we have available to us and the amount of incredible customer service is just too fantastic to ignore, to go somewhere and have an individual belittle you.
I'm not just an artisan type guy either, I love Cella, Pre de Provence, Proraso, St James of London and other more mainstream products but AoS just might not be for me.
What's frustrating about the story is that it could have been a pleasant experience if the salesperson had half a brain.
It's true, AoS is selling a lifestyle - one that isn't particularly mainstream. So it makes sense for the salesperson to assume that maybe you needed to be introduced to this new lifestyle. Once it became clear that you were already there, the whole approach should have switched - and it could have been "us" looking for the right product for you as a team, instead of having some sort of battle. Perhaps an inexperienced sales clerk; or intimidated by the fact you already knew more about this than she; or both.
It's true, AoS is selling a lifestyle - one that isn't particularly mainstream. So it makes sense for the salesperson to assume that maybe you needed to be introduced to this new lifestyle. Once it became clear that you were already there, the whole approach should have switched - and it could have been "us" looking for the right product for you as a team, instead of having some sort of battle. Perhaps an inexperienced sales clerk; or intimidated by the fact you already knew more about this than she; or both.
Personally I've been to two stores when I first got into the hobby. The first store, the salesman was more than helpful, spending over 45 minutes explaining everything and helping me look at and decide on scents. Got my first brush, cream, and aftershave there. Love the performance but I agree I do feel it is overpriced now that I have learned more about other products.
About 2 weeks later, I went to another AOS in a different city (I was at a conference) with another friend who was interested in getting into the hobby as well. Experience was completely different. My friend was wearing a suit while I had just come in from the airport and was in jeans and a polo. Salesman wouldn't even acknowledge my existence. I was interested in getting a travel shaving cream but left without it. He basically didn't give me the time of day, trying to upsell products to my better dressed friend. Bad taste in my mouth from that experience. I haven't been back to one after that.
About 2 weeks later, I went to another AOS in a different city (I was at a conference) with another friend who was interested in getting into the hobby as well. Experience was completely different. My friend was wearing a suit while I had just come in from the airport and was in jeans and a polo. Salesman wouldn't even acknowledge my existence. I was interested in getting a travel shaving cream but left without it. He basically didn't give me the time of day, trying to upsell products to my better dressed friend. Bad taste in my mouth from that experience. I haven't been back to one after that.
GOOD ANALOGY! I stopped in one of their stores, saw the prices, listened to a sales pitch and left. Glad some find useful products at AOS.
