Phoenix Mystery Shopper Exposé

Article posted by BR Natalie

Question answered by BR Member Skingeek

Being one of our three Superheroes has some perks. The most enviable (other than the cape) has to be the chance to mystery shop a beauty counter, salon or shop.  Oh yes, we give our Superheroes some spending money and send them undercover to get the scoop.

We sent Skingeek, aka, the lovely Kathryn, to Phoenix Cosmetics in Ponsonby - here's how she got on! 

What was the assignment you were given?

To book in at Phoenix cosmetics to have on of their custom foundation blended, and matched with a concealer for my skin type and colour.

Describe your first impressions when you walked into the store?

I walk up to a really cute old Villa, inside, it's pink and smells like peppermint candy! Then, Hello...? There's one lady here and she's with a client. I'm standing there, feeling a little awkward for a wee while before she acknowledges me with "Do you have an appointment?" I understand that she's busy, but there's no "Hello", or "Good afternoon", I just kinda felt unwelcome.. I also felt a little awkward because there was one very smell, decorative looking chair in the front room. Should I sit? She didn't tell me to sit.. What do I do? Am I allowed to go and get a magazine? I was early for my appointment, but I felt uncomfortable.

The room itself was very pretty, there was lots of make-up on display, and the beautiful crystal chandeliers light the room, bouncing off the gold framed mirrors. It really is very, VERY pretty.

What questions did they ask you before commencing your consultation?

If I preferred dewy or matte finishes.

Describe what happened during your consultation. Talk about the environment, how you felt during the appointment, your consultant’s attitude:

When she was finished with her client, she asked me why I was here. Her response was "Oh? Only a foundation blend? I have one client before you but that will only take fifteen minutes". That made me feel awkward because I was early and didn't want to jump the line, but she insisted. She said it right in front of the client who was booked before me, and I felt bad. I wasn't sure if she was really okay with it or not, because of course she wasn't going to say "No".

She didn't introduce herself, I had to ask her name, and I felt like she was really rushing me out. The phone kept ringing and she made a couple of remarks on that, she clearly wasn't having the best day. She wasn't unpleasant, but obviously just stressed and really busy, but the whole "just a foundation?" etc attitude made me feel really unimportant, and like she was trying to rush me out.

I was asked one question, and wasn't given a seat. I stood at the counter while she mixed, and occasionally dabbed on my face. She made a few comments about how pale my skin is, and how she would have to add more lightener. When she asked me if I preferred dewy or matte, she was out of stock of the dewy. That was fine, I was okay with Matte, but it just made me realise she hasn't checked her stock levels. I work in a clinic, and have worked in a salon environment my entire professional life, and it was quite surprising to see this during a consultation.

How experienced/professional did you think they were?

She was a nice girl, but she was obviously very stressed and very busy. I felt sorry for her being alone in the salon, and she clearly was not coping. Having said that, I came home with a beautiful foundation, which matched my skin colour very, very well. The finish is gorgeous, and she spend a bit of time adding in lightener to get the shade right, so she knew what she was doing, and despite clearly being stressed, she cared about the end product, and explained to me that if I needed to lighten it more or warm it up I had two weeks to do so at no cost.

What did you like about your experience?

I was introduced to a gorgeous make-up line which I had never used or heard of before (I though Phoenix was beauty therapy). When I paid, she entered me into the system, and noted down on my file which shades/colours were used for my blend, so I could come back any time and have it re-made (which I will definitely do!)

Anything you didn’t like?

I wasn't "unhappy" but I felt rushed at first, and didn't feel it was a warm, welcoming environment. I wasn't made comfortable or spoken to and if she had been less stressed, it would have been a much more pleasant experience.

Were you happy with the outcome from your experience?

I have two, beautiful new products and got to discover a whole new range, so yes, very! The foundation is lovely and looks gorgeous on, and it's not greasy and doesn't slide down my face!

Would you visit this place again, if you were paying for it yourself?

Yes. I love the make-up

Would you recommend this experience to a friend?

For the make-up, yes, You pay the same as you would for a foundation at a decent department store or counter, but it matches perfectly.

What products did you buy with your spending money? I purchased my custom blend foundation, and an undereye cream concealer which my consultant recommended.

Is there anything else would you like to add?

I hate that this sounds so negative! She made a great foundation and she was really nice, just stressy! She was obviously just very rushed and very busy. This has really made me think about how I may come across to clients when I am busy in clinic. I will make sure they never feel rushed or unimportant!

So there we have it - another Superhero Mystery Shop - big thanks to the lovely Kathryn for going undercover for us!