Is this inappropriate

Wrong to put her on the spot like that. Pore form.

Boards is known for people saying whatever it takes to be dismissive of the OP - not full-on trolling (only one person has done that on this thread) but this thing of being "no-nonsense" just in order to be kinda tough to the OP, even if it defies logic. As if it's just a no-no to show empathy. And it's not just "only in Ireland" that teenagers get upset over these things - what sort of idiocy...

They were in the area of a make-up counter. So. What. Everyone knows damn well a sales assistant doesn't just start their sales spiel with random people in the area, without "opening" first. They have to start with "Can I help?" This is standard. People should stop pretending it isn't.

The kid is 15 years old and the sales rep said "that sore-looking stuff on your face."
Of course it's ****ing inappropriate - and everyone knows it is, including the "tough love" brigade.
I'd take steps to let her know she shouldn't have been so tactless, and to soften her approach from now on. She may not be a right **** at all, just needing to be a bit more thoughtful.
Your sis though, poor young one - awful sensitive age, and as if she doesn't feel crappy enough about it if it's so severe she's on meds for it. Don't feel guilty for bringing her in there though, you could hardly predict it.

Pwindedd wrote: »

"Is there anything I can help you with today Madam?"

"No thanks I'm just waiting for my friend?"

The conversation should have ended there.

Were you there? Is that what was said or are you making stuff up to support your opinion?

Tzardine wrote: »

Simple fact is that the girl is standing around a make up section with some problem with her skin. Sales assistant come across and tries to help her out and the OP wants to make a complaint.

Not the sales assistants fault that somebody is overly sensitive.

People need to cop on honestly.

Do you wear much make-up yourself?

Tzardine wrote: »

Nope. Mostly because I have fantastic skin. Partially because I am a man.

Thought so.

If you did, you might be aware that putting make-up on top of an acne break-out is usually a bad idea which will only exacerbate the problem. A person selling make-up professionally should certainly be expected to know this.

Not only was this salespersons advice extremely rudely given, it was very bad advice.

Never, in my 34 years on this planet, has a sales assistant given me "advice" on anything in any shop without asking if I wanted their assistance first. I've been to a million make up counters in my life and no one has ever given me unsolicated advice on my complexion or appearance. Even when I ask for advice, they've been tactful and polite...as they should be.

As an adult, that woman should've known better.

To have so little cop on and tact to say something like that to a teenager is just...what kind of fool was this woman?

And slapping make up on acne? Ah yeah, that'll sort it out alright. Not!

Poor girl. It's ****ty enough being a teenager without that kind of run in.

Strawberry Swan wrote: »

It's insensitive to the extreme and very much not the normal way of beauty assistants to behave. Your sister was very unfortunate to be standing near this particular woman who doesn't seem to have any scruples about how she goes about making sales.

You weren't wrong to leave the shop and not say anything. You saw your sister was upset and brought her out. That was right in my opinion. Like another other poster said, an argument would probably have made your sister feel worse. Now you can help her write a letter of complaint that will express her feelings clearly and articulately. This may illicit an apology from the sales assistant's boss but more importantly, it will help your sister get over the incident. She will hopefully feel good about standing up for herself, let go of the negativity and realise it belongs to the sales assistant not her and if it happens again she'll have the words to stand up for herself.

Great post, really good advice.
I actually feel really saddened by this incident and the idiotic reaction to it, especially when she was crying.
I don't know why - I was lucky not to have skin trouble as a teenager, but I guess it's just remembering being vulnerable and self conscious at that age, as most teenagers are.
The fashion of being heartless and uncaring really is a scourge of the internet - I'm so glad there was no internet when I was a teen, but at least the same people who act all bad-ass re others' feelings would usually not dare to behave like that in real life.
She'll be ok with lots and lots of positive messages to her, OP.

Not really surprised. Those makeup counter jobs are all sales and high targets, and women, usually very conscious of their apperance will be easy to sell to if you can find their insecurity. Once they're making a sale, people's hurt feelings won't matter.

It's the same in a lot of beauty salons. We were always told to look out for women with engagement rings as they were easier to sell to with their wedding coming up. Body wraps/laser/facials. It's a horrible pressure to put on people but you'll get the people who won't care what they say or who they offend once they're meeting their targets.

I went to get my eyebrows done years ago, before I was in the industry (and didn't know how sales driven it was) and I was only about 19, but I had a dehydration line on my forehead that I was horrid paranoid about. Your one doing my eyebrows starts going on about how terrible it was and that if I left it untreated it'd get much worse and I'd need fillers in it. She recommended a course of 3 chemical peel facials to start with. 250 euro for the 3 of them.

She would have quite happily sold 3 peels to a 19 year old with sensitive skin and with not one blemish apart from a dehydration line. I would have bought it and all only my boyfriend at the time was waiting in reception for me, and when I got upset in the car telling him how terrible my 'wrinkle' was, he wanted to go bank into her to tell her off, but in the end we just left it and I never went back