A very pertinent question.

Thank god the snow has gone!
Two children, six individual wellies, all the extra washing, the digging out of the car....... it was endless After three days of joy, the children sulked in their bedrooms complaining about having nothing to do because of the snow. Well it's gone now and is anything any different? No, it is not.
Next year they will receive a picture each, of disadvantaged children enjoying the Tiny Hands Christmas presents, in a lovely frame. That should teach them not to sulk in centrally heated bedrooms surrounded by tat.

And what has this to do with Cosmetics and the Hall of Plenty? Well, every year I get a holiday after the money flinging season. This year I decided to menace the washing pile and terrorise my dusty crevices. (Ooh - er madam!) Whilst doing so, I listened to lots of people on the radio and TV telling me that retail did better than predicted, with many companies making a bigger profit than expected.

Hmm!

My very pertinent question is......
If everything went up before Christmas, yet people still spent on luxury items and the companies still made a profit, why have the cosmetics companies frozen the consultants pay?

If  those of us who actually put the money in the till, stand up for eight hours at a time and deal with the public cannot keep our wages in line with inflation, where is our incentive to sell?

Is it my imagination or are we, the highly trained, well groomed representatives of  historic brands in cosmetics, being taken for granted? It is hard work learning  benefits and selling techniques. It's not easy  to apply make up to a customer with a face like a Brillo pad, whilst still inspiring her and making it a pleasant experience. Some of us are not trained to put large numbers into tiny boxes and fax it to people in offices, but we do it.
Listening to stupid questions  like, 'Why haven't you sold enough ?' They are not in the job description. But we soon learn to flatter the ego's of those who's job it is to ask, especially whilst standing in a deserted shopping hall with twelve inches of snow outside.

You know, if we are the people who make the sale, take the money and stick it in the till, then it is really not us that should take the hit. Maybe somebody else with a petrol allowance would be the place to start!!!!

Just a thought.