5 Lancôme Beauty Advisers Share Secrets to Customer Loyalty

They are the critical link, the liaison between consumer and corporate: Beauty advisers are on the front lines of beauty, advising and educating clients to ensure they receive an optimal experience. Here, five of Lancôme’s top advisers from across the U.S. share what keeps their clients coming back.

Alba Ospina, Macy’s Dadeland

Alba Ospina’s career spans locations, brands and even industries. Since emigrating from Colombia in 1990, the Lancôme beauty adviser entered the category working with Prescriptives before moving to Victoria’s Secret and Children’s Place.

As for what took her to Lancôme, “it is one of the most respected lines in the industry,” she said. “And Macy’s Dadeland had the second highest volume account in the country. It was a great challenge for me, and I knew it was the right place to push myself to grow and prove what I was capable of.”

Over the past few decades, she’s seen a lot of changes in the beauty landscape. Most recently, “People are more savvy — customers really want to know about the product, and they go for ingredients,” she said. “Lancôme is able to research and put each of these ingredients in a single product and then make it accessible. The products really solve problems in one easy step.”

Ospina said her typical customer is “mature,” and psychographically, “is focused on improving the appearance of her skin. She’s always looking for products that help her achieve a more youthful look, but she wants to understand the science behind a product and why it’s effective.”

To that end, the Triple Serum from Lancôme’s Rénergie range is a hit. “It’s three serums in one, and it has three different chambers so the ingredients are always fresh,” she said. The recent retinol iteration of the serum is also performing well. “Those are the two major products people are coming looking for, or when you show them, there’s a real appetite.”

Bringing customers in — and keeping them — has also gotten a technological upgrade. “We have a skin diagnostic machine, we have the Génifique device and we have the first spa in the country. We can do skin and eye foundation matching,” Ospina said. “When you see the customer getting a skin diagnosis from a machine, they just are blown away.”

Kerish Harnett, Macy’s Menlo Park

Kerish Harnett’s personal connection to beauty mirrors her professional one. You could even say it runs in the family.

“My grandmother was my inspiration. She used to use Lancôme, it was all around her house,” said Harnett, a Lancôme beauty adviser at Macy’s Menlo Park. “It’s one of the few brands I was familiar with at a very young age,” she continued. “The relationship with the brand has grown over the years, and I’ve had a profound love and interest for Lancôme.”

That close connection means the job transcends the transactional. “I don’t feel like I’m selling something,” said Harnett. “It’s something I actually like. What I’m offering my clients are products I trust and believe that they deliver what they promise.”

Her go-to? The Absolue range, which she first tried when she started with Lancôme. “People used to say it’s not for you, you’re too young for this,” she said. “But I just love how it makes my skin feel. Now, the company has changed in terms of age. It’s about the skin concern instead now.”

To that end, Harnett doesn’t define her shopper by any one demographic. “My typical customer is interested in feeling confident in their own skin. They want to look more beautiful and they want to smell good,” Harnett said. “I have clients who come in, and they’re new to me, but they stay loyal for as long as I’ve been here. And they’re usually excited for the new products and upcoming events we offer.”

Skin care is a big category for Harnett, which also dovetails with her passions. “They want to meet with me and they feel my passion in helping introduce them to the products that help adjust their concerns,” Harnett said. “My approach is honest and understanding and it’s important to build long and lasting relationships.”

Charlene Smoot, Dillard’s Quintana Mall

Fifteen years into her career with Lancôme, Charlene Smoot is a bona fide beauty devotee.

“It has changed my outlook on beauty a lot,” Smoot said. “I never had thought or considered trying to take care of my skin, I would just wash my face with soap. But now I’m thinking about how I can prevent and protect what I have.”

Over the course of her career, Smoot has seen the cross-category appeal of the brand, from skin care (Génifique is her personal go-to) to La Vie Est Belle. “That fragrance, and also the mascara and skin care — those are good sellers at my counter,” she said.

Smoot always aims to relate to her clientele on a personal level. “I treat all my customers the same, whether they’re replenishing or whether they’re slipping in to browse,” she said. “That could turn into your best customer. My most effective way in sales is to use my experiences. My face is like a billboard, people always ask what I’m using. It gives me a chance to testify to how well the products work.”

Also in her arsenal is the education from the brand. “I love how Lancôme educates us. They keep us well equipped on what we need to know to be able to speak about the products we use,” she said.

Newness has proven to be a big trip driver for her customers as well. “They want to know what’s coming in, what the newness is, and they are always excited about something new that’s coming from Lancôme.”

Chun Mei Situ, Nordstrom Hillsdale

Chun Mei Situ’s path to selling beauty products has been less linear than most.

“Cosmetics is a totally new thing for me,” she said. “My career was in the medical field, but my friend introduced me to someone working at Duty Free, and I worked with Lancôme and all the high luxury brands, and I wanted to know more about this one.”

After stints at Macy’s and now at Nordstrom, Situ learned how quickly consumers evolve in a retail landscape.

“If I don’t educate myself or know what is trending, I will not be able to provide my customer the best service. You don’t want to recommend something that the client won’t like or has never heard of,” she said. “I keep myself updated.”

Génifique is her priority product, but she sees a lot of opportunity for other ranges in the brand’s skin care offering. “Absolue Longevity is going to be a game changer because of the ingredients used,” Situ said. “All women want to delay aging, and after you use it for a while, you definitely see the results. I prove it — it’s what I’m using right now.”

That being said, she enters a client interaction with an open mind. “I always try to greet the customer, no matter what they’re looking for, even if they’re not looking for Lancôme,” said Situ. “I’ll offer a sample, or demonstrate whatever we have for newness. It’s always good to at least give a little hint of what merchandise we have.”

On the brand level, the marketing is also proving effective. “We have a lot of advertisements for perfume, makeup and skin care,” she said. “Customers come up and ask for more information about those. We build up the clients, we add in the sales, we make the clients feel comfortable using the product, and after they purchase we want to make sure they are happy with the result.”

Francisco Melendez, Macy’s International Mall West Dade

Francisco Melendez has been working at Macy’s for 22 years. Having started with Benefit Cosmetics at a counter in Puerto Rico before moving to Miami, the last 19 of those have been with Lancôme.

“It has helped me grow on a personal level and I’ve gained more confidence in myself,” he said. “I empathize with my clients, recognizing their journey, which has made me feel part of the family and which helps me achieve my goals.”

That feel-good factor has also guided his approach to nabbing a sale.

“I give my clients confidence in the product and in me and make them feel empowered and secure. They always trust me and what I recommend,” he said. His customer, specifically, is “a middle-aged Latina who is very engaged with Lancôme’s social media content about skin care product development. This customer loves the antiaging, hydration and sun protection products.”

To that end, he sees the most appetite for the Rénergie and Absolue ranges, particularly with serums and sun protection. “The Absolue L’Extrait line is a luxury line that middle-aged women love thanks to the ingredients and advanced technology,” Melendez said.

It’s education around the technology, as well as his uplifting approach, that works the best for him. “I make them feel loved and empowered. It’s very important to always listen to what the client is looking for,” Melendez said. “What helps is the training I’ve received and speaking confidently to the client, so they know what you’re saying is real.”