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| Cosmetic Woes - Part 1 |
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| Having worked in the Cosmetic Industry for more than 20 years, my area of concern has always been the dismal state of complaint handling, both at Retail and Company level. Even though they are aware of the serious problems that can occur with cosmetic usage, and are best equipped to handle them, most Companies continue to ignore the consumer once the product has been purchased. |
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| I have seen some really heart wrenching cases. It can happen with the best of products, even the ones that claim to be hypoallergenic, which merely means the product is ‘least likely to cause allergy’. Even if it causes a reaction to one in a thousand, you could be that unfortunate one. |
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| The most common ones are skin allergies after using hair color, skin and makeup products. These reactions range from mild to really serious, which can affect your entire body, eyes, scalp or skin and can last from a few days to months, sometimes causing permanent damage. |
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| This is not always due to a defective product. It can be your body reacting to a particular ingredient, like it can to certain foods, medicines etc. It can sometimes happen even with a product you have used for years |
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| These cases rarely see the light of the day, because in India, any media that receives large advertising revenues from these Companies, will shy away from generating adverse publicity for them. Also several Dermatologists, who can be a source of information on this, are sometimes directly or indirectly connected with this Industry. So consumers remain largely unaware. |
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| It is therefore advisable to test a product from testers available in the stores. For testing skin and make - up products, apply a bit of the product on the inner side of your elbow. If there is redness or itching after a couple of hours, don’t purchase the product. |
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| For home use hair colors, do the sensitivity test behind the ears, as advised in the instructions. If you are allergic to it, call up the Company and return product. That is your right, insist on it. All salons are trained to do this too, but rarely ever do it. Insist on this test, especially if you are a first time Hair color user. Better safe than sorry. |
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| In the next article I would attempt to share what could be done in case you have an unpleasant experience with cosmetics. |
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| Cosmetic Woes – Part 2 |
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| In my earlier article I had spoken about the problems that can occur with cosmetic usage and how to take the basic precautions for avoiding any such episodes. In this article I will attempt to give information on the consumer service scenario in the Cosmetic Companies in India. |
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| If you observe closely, in most developed countries, complaints are taken very seriously. The reasons could be : |
- Law makes it mandatory for the Company to be accessible to the consumer. Hence, e - mail ids and toll free numbers, dedicated to this service, are included in all product communication
- Most consumers are aware, complain to the Company when they have a problem with a product, and follow the complaint to it's logical conclusion.This could be, product replacement, reimbursement of medical expenses incurred or compensation for the trauma caused
- Unlike the general perception, it is not the compensation part that Companies are really concerned about. The possibility of adverse publicity is the worst thing that can happen to a Company. Precious years, time and expense in Brand building can be lost. Rebuilding this is an expensive and time consuming exercise. A recent case in point is ICICI Bank. A rumor which the Bank claims is untrue has cost the Bank so much. One can see the immense effort, management time and expense that is currently going into firefighting the crisis situation. Hence, any Company will bend backwards to stay away from any media exposure that may harm their image and business
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| What is the common scenario in India? |
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- Even if there are laws which make it make it mandatory for Companies to be accessible, these are not followed, because defaulters are not punished
- Most of us do not complain if the value of the product does not warrant the effort ,or we don't know where to go and are unaware of our rights
- Getting compensation is cumbersome and a long drawn out procedure and hence consumer's prefer to suffer in silence
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| This is the reason most local manufacturers don't have a complaint redressal process in place. Sadly, even though Multinationals have sophisticated systems in other countries, when they enter the Indian market, either they fail to have a consumer cell or when they have one, it is a poor replica of the original. |
| Most Indian Cosmetic Companies don't even bother to maintain a facade of Consumer Service. |
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| So what can we do? Even in the presently bleak scenario, there are a few things we can do: |
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- Buy your cosmetics only from reputed stores
- Be wary of stores which offer products much cheaper than the printed MRP on the pack. Fake products of reputed Companies is a huge business across the world
- Read the information on the pack carefully. Often, Companies have promotional offers which are not passed on by the retailer to us, because we don't demand it
- Insist on a receipt, that has the store details printed on it .Do not accept a piece of paper which is often given by the retailer. You do not have to pay anything extra for this
- This receipt is your only proof of purchase, so read what is written on it. It must have the date of purchase and the complete product details written in legible handwriting. Just mentioning the Company's name or a generic product name e.g. Moisturizer is not sufficient proof as a brand may have multiple moisturizers
- Keep the receipt safely, till you are completely satisfied with the product
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| In my next article I will speak about what can be done, if a cosmetic product does not live up to the claims made in the product communication. |
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| Cosmetic Woes – Part 3 |
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| In this concluding article, I will speak about what can be done, if a cosmetic product does live up to the claims mentioned in the product communication OR causes an allergic reaction. |
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| Cosmetic Companies make several claims while advertising a product. |
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| The most common ones are: |
- Fairer skin within a specified time frame
- Pimples disappearing
- Pores getting refined
- Wrinkles vanishing
- Spots getting reduced
- Dry skin problems getting sorted out
- Under eye problems like dark circles, puffiness etc. going away like magic !
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| If you find that a product does not live up to the promise, you can claim a refund from the Company. |
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| How can you do this? |
- The phone numbers and address of the Company will always be printed on the pack
- Call up or write to them
- Remember to keep a record of the conversations you have, e.g.. date of the call and the Company's response. If you are mailing, then save it or keep a copy
- This may seem cumbersome, but will be useful if you decide to approach a consumer court
- The important thing about the communication is to remain clear and assertive. If you get defensive , you don't stand a chance, as the representatives are well trained to handle consumers. But, an irate consumer is a Company's nightmare
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| In case of allergy to a cosmetic product , you can do the same as above. |
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| However, in case of a severe reaction: |
- Inform the Company immediately
- Get a friendly doctor to treat you and support you against the Company
- Take clear pictures with dates, of the infected area, everyday, till the reaction exists
- Send copies of the pictures and doctors prescription, to the Company
- Keep the product and bill safely
- DO NOT hand over the product to the Company, as this is your only proof
- Demand a compensation
- If you don't succeed, share it with the media
- Approach a lawyer and sue the Company for medical expenses, trauma, travel etc.
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| The general feeling is that it is too expensive to fight a legal battle with a large Company with resources. You can negotiate with your lawyer. Pay your lawyer, a percentage of the compensation you demand from the Company, in lieu of the legal fee. If you lose the case, the lawyer does not get anything either.
However, contrary to the common feeling, Companies do not like legal hassles. This is because, it is waste of resources and the risk of media getting a whiff of the case is too high. The damage a single negative media article can cause to the Company's image, is far greater than a mere compensation.
So go ahead and demand good service and products ! |
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Mrs. Sanjeeta Joshi has more than 20 yrs experience at Senior Management level in the Cosmetic Industry. She started with UNHCR and then joined Max Factor ( London ). She then worked in Lakme Lever and L'Oreal handling several functions, ranging from Project management, Brand Management, Merchandising, Salon Management, Events and Promotions, Training and Consumer Affairs.
She is the wife of Mr. R. C. Joshi, a 1973 batch IAS officer who is currently Secretary to the Government of India and Member Finance Atomic Energy Commission, Space Commission and Earth Commission. |
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