partly about finland and partly about lime green nail polish

[cimorene]

The biggest kiosk in the mall recently converted to selling makeup. It's a kiosk, though, so it's still so small that it's impossible to look at the contents without attracting the attention of the salespeople. In fact, in that particular kiosk's last incarnation as a vendor of spa products made with Israeli sea salt, you couldn't even walk near them without being attacked by people wanting to offer you skincare.

I find it hard to imagine that this works for them, though. I mean, in normal Finnish stores, the salespeople don't accost you and ask if you need any help. The salespeople keep to themselves and let you accost them if you need anything, as a general rule, except in the stores where they hide from you on the salesfloor and abandon the cash register at a run if they sense a customer approaching it. Obviously the last example is a negative, but surely the other ones can't be a coincidence, right? I've always assumed that the reason Finland is the Land that Customer Service Forgot lies in the culture. A standby joke about Finns is that you can tell they're outgoing if they stare at your shoes when you talk. They eschew small talk. They don't smile when they take your order. And their national ideal is a cabin in the woods that's so isolated you won't be disturbed by the sounds of your nearest neighbors (I think there's a song about this). (Or, according to Wax's dad, so that you can wander around naked in your yard without being observed.)

For a couple of years now I've had a hankering for a lime or chartreuse-colored cream nail polish (with absolutely no sparkle), and I saw some at this kiosk, but I can't buy it because approaching a kiosk with products that don't have pricetags and being accosted by a facer with a sales speech is, for me, akin to sticking your entire hand in a hill of fire ants. Meanwhile, the same month it showed up (June), the makeup school and nail salon that I walk past on my way to downtown put up a huge display of nail polishes that includes the desired color, but with no information at all. It's not even clear if you can buy it from them by the bottle or not. Meanwhile, I haven't managed to find the color I wanted in the stores I usually visit or even Cybershop (which came the closest). It's hard even for me to believe that I could require several months just to get around to investigating the makeup on offer at Wiklund, and I'm used to a lifetime of not getting around to things. (I've also been trying to get around to buying a hot glue gun for over a month now. Can you buy those at Clas Ohlson, anyway?)

Comments

[laughingrat]

What is up with the no price tag thing? Just price the polish already!


Also, I clearly need to move to Finland.

[guinevere33.livejournal.com]

Approaching a kiosk with products that don't have pricetags and being accosted by a facer with a sales speech is, for me, akin to sticking your entire hand in a hill of fire ants.

Oh god, this! I DON'T have social anxiety and I'd still rather shave off my own eyebrows than come anywhere near a mall kiosk. Those people are rabid.

[pierydys]

Well, we'll be down to Turku for various shopping stops, including the mall, probably next week. Don't know the day yet -- we're still getting over a bad sore throat/flu thingy but want to go have lunch on a floating restaurant before they close for the season.

I will gladly accost would-be accosters for you, if you have not found the nail polish you desire by then :-) Need to pick up a few new colors for myself, anyway. Having spent most of the last several years dodge-talking and wheedling my way through the skeazier business sides of Hollywood, a Finnish kiosk salesperson should be just plain entertaining. ;-)

[aethel]

Finland sounds like my kind of country.

[daegaer]

The Israeli hand-massagers are all now in Dublin. Well, possibly one got lost and ended up in York, based on me seeing an alarmed lady getting her nails buffed apparently against her will.

[cimorene]

Hahaha. My hero!

I did notice Stockmann has some selection of OPI, by the way. Not the dark jade green color I was specifically looking for, but some others.

I'd be delighted to hit nail polish and bulk rice sources with you next week. Wax has the overnight shift Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights, Wednesday and Thursday to recover, and then afternoon shifts on Friday and Saturday. I don't know if she'll ever be up for shopping, though. :)

[cimorene]

This is what I wonder. You're a kiosk (or nail salon), not an upscale restaurant. Surely withholding information doesn't boost sales.

[cimorene]

It's even cruel to the facers themselves. Taking a job like that in Finland has to put you up for even more casual vitriol than you get as a telemarketer! Finns HATE being bothered. They even give you the "Why are you in my face" stinkeye when they're, say, manning the Help Desk and it's your turn and you ask them questions.

[cimorene]

HAHAHAHAHAH. Which brings me to wonder which is worst: a ninja hand-massager or a ninja facial? At least if they go for the face you probably have more time to back away.

[cimorene]

Having grown up in Alabama I'm a little disconcerted by getting customer service with a baleful glare instead of a smile, but overall, I think it's worth it to have the salespeople leave me alone, really.

[pierydys]

Hey! Just wanted to update you -- we're still pretty heavily medicated and T doesn't want to drive much until, y'know, we're no longer the influence.

So we're thinking of Sept 1st for shopping day, if that works for you? Probably arriving lunch-ish. You (and Wax, if she feels up to it!) are welcome to join us, if you'd like! We don't know which restaurant we're going for yet, might just wander down the canal and look at their menus.

As for shopping, we can hit up the mall first and then branch from there. Are there any fabric stores within that range or do we have to go further afield?

[cimorene]

That sounds fine to me!

The biggest fabric shop, Eurokangas, is in the next block behind the mall. I know there is at least one more (smaller) that I walk by on the way to and from downtown - I'll have to check what street it's on.

[pierydys]

Excellent! I'm sure the big place will be good enough -- I'm just going to get enough for one or two projects to start. I'll call you when we're in the area, but we're probably aiming for between 12 and 1 again. You guys feel up to getting lunch?

[cimorene]

Okay, cool. I'll just make sure I get up in time. :) Wax has the evening shift tomorrow, so she'll have to leave in the early afternoon. She probably wouldn't have time for lunch since it would be cutting it quite close to when she has to leave.