AOS "Shaving Consultation"?
- Thread starter sid3000
- Start date
Probably some multi bladed silliness!
It's to sell you their products.
They did not try to ram it down you throat?
I almost felt attacked when I was in there last. The guy asked if he could help me and I told him I was looking for some soap. Instead of pointing me in the direction of the soap he started telling me about the 4 steps to shaving. He kept talking about what I need to do to get a great shave and blah blah blah... I wanted some soap, I really like their soap. But it got to the point where I became a little rude and told the guy I did not appreciate his attempt to tell me how to shave better. I was not looking for help shaving, I just wanted some soap.
I almost felt attacked when I was in there last. The guy asked if he could help me and I told him I was looking for some soap. Instead of pointing me in the direction of the soap he started telling me about the 4 steps to shaving. He kept talking about what I need to do to get a great shave and blah blah blah... I wanted some soap, I really like their soap. But it got to the point where I became a little rude and told the guy I did not appreciate his attempt to tell me how to shave better. I was not looking for help shaving, I just wanted some soap.
While I also don't enjoy stores with overzealous salesmen, look at it from the other guy's perspective. Many of the people who enter the store are probably uninitiated to the world of wetshaving and may not understand what some products are for and may need some instruction on others. That's not to say he's not trying to sell a product, of course that's his ultimate goal, but the method is most likely different from other industries. However, once he understood that you knew exactly what you were looking for he probably should have backed off a bit. Who knows though, maybe it was his first day.
That's probably accurate but the one time I visited the first thing she asked was how I shaved. I told her I wet shaved with a straight razor and she went straight to telling about the products. I appreciated that.
That way makes more sense. The only AOS store I ever visited was in the Seattle area. Nice young lady there, actually seemed to know a few things, not overly aggressive.
Geeno
Geeno
My only experience with AOS was at a local Nordstrom's store. The lady was very pleasant and gave me some samples. She asked me how I shaved and was aghast that I was using a DE razor rather than a Gillette fusion that had a built in headlight! http://www.theartofshaving.com/shop/product/92227/8 At that time the razor was just under $200. I thought she was kidding - but she wasn't.
In any event, she was not pushy - just not very knowledgeable. When I told her the names of the soaps and creams I was using she had no knowledge of them. Nor did she know anything about DE shaving.
In any event, she was not pushy - just not very knowledgeable. When I told her the names of the soaps and creams I was using she had no knowledge of them. Nor did she know anything about DE shaving.
Not trying to be sexist at all, but saleswomen talking about shaving products is like me talking about the attributes of pantyhose or how comfortable a certain bra is.
Until the blade meets the skin and the soap, you really don't have a clue.
Any apologies to the ladies here on this board. If you are wetshaving your legs with a DE, I consider you in the know.
Well, you can credit AoS for getting me hooked on wet shaving.
Yes, I have a Gillette Fusion multi blade because I travel non-stop (have flown 150K butt-in-seat miles this year already, and it's only early August). Can't travel with a DE, so I use this cartridge very happily.
AoS were the folks who first schooled me on how to wet shave versus my old electric. Sure, I got some of their products, and I like them and use them.
Realize that they may be the best and most public advocate of wet shaving in the USA today, being in almost every luxury mall in the USA. They are banging the wet shaving drum every day.
Did you know that they're owned by Gillette, so of course they're pushing those razors, which in my opinion work quite well, thank you.
Yes, I have a Gillette Fusion multi blade because I travel non-stop (have flown 150K butt-in-seat miles this year already, and it's only early August). Can't travel with a DE, so I use this cartridge very happily.
AoS were the folks who first schooled me on how to wet shave versus my old electric. Sure, I got some of their products, and I like them and use them.
Realize that they may be the best and most public advocate of wet shaving in the USA today, being in almost every luxury mall in the USA. They are banging the wet shaving drum every day.
Did you know that they're owned by Gillette, so of course they're pushing those razors, which in my opinion work quite well, thank you.
easy one: telling you that you're shaving wrongly and trying to get you to buy their products along with an expensively handled multi-blade monstrosity.
Other than that, I have no clue.
edit: +1 to Ackvil... my experience with AOS (Las Vegas locations only) has been that the sales staff isn't really so much pushy as clueless. I get the feeling that there's a standard routine they go through and any deviation or intelligent question just totally throws them for a loop.
All that said, their "software" (soaps & creams) are good stuff (tho not strongly scented), if perhaps a little pricey. Their EDTs (same scents as software) are entirely forgettable, IMHO.
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I shaved with a cheap bristle brush and soap from the drug store for 25+ years until one day, innocently seeking a TSA approved small volume travel shave kit, I walked into an AOS store in a mall in San Diego. Until then I was happily ignorant of badger brushes and fancy soaps and shaved with a twin blade cartridge. There was a lovely young lady there who gave me the sell on AOS sandalwood shave cream and badger brushes. She demonstrated hand lathering with AOS cream and a badger brush in a basin of warm water and I was impressed. I walked out with a travel set (good stuff except for the totally forgettable cheapy brush) and a $100 badger brush, which was more than I had ever spent on myself for grooming supplies.
I loved the shave cream and quickly got spoiled by the badger brush. When the cream got low I googled AOS to locate a source for more and lo and behold, stumbled into the wet shaving community in all its glory.
One thing led to another and now I own close to 30 vintage Gillettes and about that many vintage brushes, perhaps a bit more, that I have restored or cleaned up.
Now I know enough to know I could have had a brush just as good for half the price and the AOS gear is expensive, but I am grateful for that salesperson, her persuasive ability to talk me into buying an extravagant brush (the boar brushes I'd used cost $6) and high end creams and aftershaves. I still love AOS sandalwood cream and cologne and just invested in an AOS soap puck for an outrageous sum that lathers up wonderfully.
So for me AOS is a mixed bag. Yes they are expensive and yes the salespeople have some misinformation, but they opened the door for me and their products are really top quality. I suspect I'm not the only one with a debt to AOS for introducing me, inadvertently perhaps, to the wonderful world of shaving as an art form. Although the single biggest change in my shaving success was switching from canned goo to soap and a brush, and cheap soap and brushes at that, every step from there to a fine art deco Catalin brush, a selection of creams and soaps, and a short comb New with a Bob's razor works custom handle has been a steady progression toward enjoying the morning ritual more and more, and getting better and better shaves.
I loved the shave cream and quickly got spoiled by the badger brush. When the cream got low I googled AOS to locate a source for more and lo and behold, stumbled into the wet shaving community in all its glory.
One thing led to another and now I own close to 30 vintage Gillettes and about that many vintage brushes, perhaps a bit more, that I have restored or cleaned up.
Now I know enough to know I could have had a brush just as good for half the price and the AOS gear is expensive, but I am grateful for that salesperson, her persuasive ability to talk me into buying an extravagant brush (the boar brushes I'd used cost $6) and high end creams and aftershaves. I still love AOS sandalwood cream and cologne and just invested in an AOS soap puck for an outrageous sum that lathers up wonderfully.
So for me AOS is a mixed bag. Yes they are expensive and yes the salespeople have some misinformation, but they opened the door for me and their products are really top quality. I suspect I'm not the only one with a debt to AOS for introducing me, inadvertently perhaps, to the wonderful world of shaving as an art form. Although the single biggest change in my shaving success was switching from canned goo to soap and a brush, and cheap soap and brushes at that, every step from there to a fine art deco Catalin brush, a selection of creams and soaps, and a short comb New with a Bob's razor works custom handle has been a steady progression toward enjoying the morning ritual more and more, and getting better and better shaves.
Check if the 'shaving consultation' is with their barber, or just with a regular staff member.
Most stores have a barber who comes in on a scheduled basis to give shaves, and he/she could probably give you some good advice.
Most stores have a barber who comes in on a scheduled basis to give shaves, and he/she could probably give you some good advice.
My introduction to quality shaving soaps was via a visit to AOS in Las Vegas, when I was there about 10 years ago on business. I bought their Lemon soap in a bowl. For about 35 years prior to that time, I had only used inexpensive shaving soaps (Surrey - discontinued, Colgate puck - discontinued, Burma Shave puck - discontinued and Williams).
I was very pleased with my decision to buy their soap, although it was an extravagance I would not have indulged had I not been in Vegas. As has been said, AOS is the most visible advocate of traditional wet shaving (soap/cream and a brush) in the US. Plus, their soaps are top notch.
I was very pleased with my decision to buy their soap, although it was an extravagance I would not have indulged had I not been in Vegas. As has been said, AOS is the most visible advocate of traditional wet shaving (soap/cream and a brush) in the US. Plus, their soaps are top notch.
This is something I wasn't aware of. Their website states that AoS was bought by Procter & Gamble in June 2009. It does make sense then why their M3 and Fusion products are given more exposure than the DE stuff. This makes me wonder, though, why P&G doesn't attempt to expand the product line into grocery stores and the like. They might have to charge less money, but it seems like the potential volume would make up for it.
P+G gets to own both ends of the market (high volume/low price drugstore shaving supplies AND low volume/high price boutique shaving) without diluting either brand.
I suppose you're right. Philanthropy isn't in the nature of the beast. They could care less if everybody gets a good shave, so long as their bottom line is secure.
They won't do this because they want AoS to remain "high-end" and to have an air of exclusivity. Therefore they can't take it to "the masses."
They are already getting the money from the masses with their ridiculously overpriced Gillette replacement cartridges.
I'm a fan of the AoS creams as well. I always get a superb shave from the Lemon cream and a tub, while pricey, does last an impressively long time.
I've never been in an AoS store myself. When I'm out of cream I usually hit up a Nordstroms. No pushy sales staff there and they usually give me samples of other stuff as well.
I've never been in an AoS store myself. When I'm out of cream I usually hit up a Nordstroms. No pushy sales staff there and they usually give me samples of other stuff as well.
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