Cosmetics salesmen confused on how to approach customers

By DIANA AL-JASSEM
Published: Dec 18, 2011

JEDDAH: Cosmetics salesmen in Saudi Arabia are confused on how to approach customers. If they come on too strong or cute, they might insult their Saudi clientele. When they stay modestly in the background, expatriate customers will complain about a lack of service.

Fawzi Kharboush, a make-up salesman at a Jeddah store, said the art of his trade consists of being nice. Unfortunately, female customers often misunderstand his art, especially Saudis.

“As make-up sellers, we must tell a customer what suits her and offer her advice,” he said. “We try to be very pleasant while dealing with customers. Some of them consider our advice as being rude. We try our best to attract customers, without harassing them. When they feel offended, we don’t know why.”

Fadi Shu’aieb, an expatriate make-up salesman, said he doesn’t flirt with a customer, unless she starts flirting with him.

“We do our job with a big smile on our faces because that’s how we were taught to do it. Otherwise, we do nothing to attract the women. They do sometimes behave very nicely to us, in an attempt to get big discount or gift,” he said.

He added: “The other day, a woman bought cosmetics amounting to SR500. I then gave her a gift. Another customer, who was standing next to this woman, bought a SR170 mascara. She nicely asked for a gift. I told her gifts are exclusively presented with certain products, but she didn’t believe me. When I refused her a gift, her tone changed and she got angry.”

Fatima Abdulhalim is a Saudi woman who buys make-up every two months. She prefers to buy her products from older salesmen.

“I believe young salesmen talk the way they do, to favor the customer. This is their duty, but their talk makes me shy. They offer suggestions on what color would suit me best and what product would look more beautiful on me. These sentences are considered harassment in our society,” she said.

Ghada Khirat, a Syrian woman living in Jeddah, said that in Syria, salespeople in cosmetics stores were of both genders and both would offer advice to customers.

“I don’t consider it an harassment when a salesman suggests a certain product. In Jeddah, most salesmen are expatriate: Syrian, Jordanian or Lebanese. I understand them very well. They try to be nice and they never harass women,” she said.

Abdullah K. is a young Saudi man, who entered the cosmetics sales force six months ago.

“Young Saudi salesmen seem a little shy when they talk to Saudi women. In contrast, they look more comfortable when they deal with expatriate women. They believe that expatriates will accept compliments,”

He added: “If we give advice to a Saudi woman, she might misunderstand us. A Saudi woman will never accept compliments or even a suggestion, unless she wants a gift or discount.”