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Trusted Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-26-2010
On 6/30/2014 Queen Aud said: It's not you - believe me!! The hosts now seem to think that the louder they get, the more we will buy!! Not true!! I hate 'hard sell' and it's common now on QVC. One of my pet peeves is the female hosts that suddenly have to buy on the air. We all know they preview/research their show ahead of time. Last night Nancy Hornback, and even Antonella suddenly had to buy an item, also pointing out the models were also shopping!! Shame on you ladies!!

This "buying on air" behavior I find the most offensive of all. Do they really think the viewers are that ignorant? Of course they review all the products in their upcoming shows, meet with the vendors and have ample time to order if they truly want something so my respect level drops big time when they pull this act during the live shows. It's an insult to my integrity and intelligence and I much more respect the HSN hosts who comment that they hope to buy some item or another they are presenting after the show. And they don't say even that very often. It's just not part of their selling repertoire. thankfully.

All I can assume from the increase in QVC hosts doing this is they must notice a real increase in activity once they start to place their "pretend orders.". The tickers are right there in front of them and if this causes an increase on the phones, then they stoop to this selling strategy. LR is the biggest abuser and the very first to do this but I think she honestly feels whatever she personally thinks is worthy of buying will prompt a lot of viewers to follow suit and sadly many do. I am amazed that everyone doesn't see right through it but I guess they are just too mesmerized to give it real thought.

Commercials have always been louder than normal TV programming and QVC is just following their example - the louder they talk, they more attention they feel they will get. It has never been a popular concept with most of us regarding commercials so not sure why QVC feels it will appeal to their viewing audience but apparently they do. Sometimes I wonder if they think we are all just mindless idiots. {#emotions_dlg.scared}

Trusted Contributor
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Can you imagine trying to purchase something at a retail store, or even seriously considering something, then have the SA grab one right in front of you and go purchase it for themselves. Essentially that is what the QVC hosts are doing - they just have the advantage of not doing it right in front of us in person yet they are doing the very exact thing all the same. Very poor behavior and one that would get a brick and mortar retail SA fired.

I realize that the QVC hosts aren't really placing orders but their pretense to do so is as rude as actually doing it, imho.

Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎05-03-2014

I did notice that some of the hosts get rather noisy. I guess they're trying to sell the item as best they can.......but they can get rather loud about it at times.

~Nick Chavez is my favorite vendor on QVC and Alberti Popaj is my favorite QVC host.~
Nick Chavez now has his own sub-forum under the My Favorite Brand folder
Valued Contributor
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Registered: ‎04-10-2011
On 6/30/2014 Jayro said:

My theory for the shouting is that the beauty market is saturated, so they have to do more to get our attention. If they've sold 250,000 Perfect Prep Poreless Primers, how do they get us to buy more? Raise the level of animation in the presentation. If they've sold enough BE bisque to cover all the "third arms" in America, how do they get us to buy more? They have to convince us we need to keep covering that "third arm" so we need more of that product.

Since they are all doing the same thing from brand to brand, we totally know what's coming and are probably doing housework or paying more attention to our IPads than the TV. One brand has a roll up chubby lip crayon, then we all have some version of a chubby crayon, so it's not new to us anymore. How do they get us to buy another one? Get our attention away from whatever else we are doing during their presentation. One brand has the "exclusive" liquid foundation in the sponge compact, then all the brands have one, and they all claim to have this exclusive formula of foundation in the same component, but everyone already has it from another brand, so they have to be really animated to get us to budge.

There's the concealers in the tube that you squeeze out, then the concealers in the pan with the powder, then the concealers in the tube with the wand, then the concealer that squirts through the brush, and the concealers in the chubby stick - and one line will do several concealers of different types and after we've bought one or two, we know what it's going to do - how are they going to get us to buy another? Yelling, dancing, funny sayings, and twists on traditional grammar and wording. How many versions of highlighters do we need? There are only so many areas on our face to lighten and brighten, but by being louder, funnier, or different during the presentation, they think they'll convince us we need a stick that rolls up instead of a powder with a brush. I expect the next thing they'll do is the beauty form of "Brangelina", where they hybrid two products into one and start calling it bri-light so they can sell us yet another version of highlighting and brightening. Like Maureen did with "found-cealor". I can hear it now - "you're not really highlighting or brightening until you've Bri-Lighted!"

I also think the vendors must all go to "component market" every year and see the same bottle, compact, tube, roll up, double ended, or whatever the plastics companies have developed to deliver these products. Then a year or so later, they all hit the market with similar products delivered in the same component. Suddenly they are all doing gel eyeliners or chubby lip stains. How do they differentiate theirs from all the others? There's only so much you can do with a product going on the eye in a jar with a lid, or a pencil that sharpens or rolls up for the lip. The formulations can't be that much different from brand to brand, so how do they get us to buy another one? If they were calmly telling about their product, we'd be paying more attention to our laptops and the TV wouldn't grab our attention anymore - we've been hearing basically the same thing over and over for the last several years.

Don't get me wrong - I still watch and I do enjoy some of the camp and shawnisms that they all incorporate into the Q lingo. And sometimes you still get good tips and some of the goofiness is fun. Some of the hosts are better at the "entertainment" aspect of sales than others and we all have our favorite hosts and styles. I think Nancy and Antonella are truly hilarious and so is Jane Tracy, even though she's not trying to be funny with her "looking to the stars" and making paragraph long sentences laced with "my love" references. Pat Dementri is "afraid" of everything. She can't get through a presentation without telling us "don't be afraid, azzzzz well". And Mary Beth has to be sure we know "Here's the thing". It's all some form of entertainment.

Some things do really bug me. Such as, when an item is Sold Out, they say "Congratulations if you got that". They should be saying "Thank you very much if you got that". They are really congratulating themselves for selling it out, but they want us to think that we "scored". IMO, the sell outs should be followed by many thanks to all the customers who made a purchase.

And it bugs me when a caller says I bought this or that, the hosts/vendors clap like trained seals and yell Yay! as if we are in grade school and they are praising us as if we are good children.

Even though my post may seem somewhat cynical, I do watch and enjoy a lot of QVC and enjoy the beauty shows the most (and am always on my iPad, or ironing, or cleaning with Q in the background). I still learn application techniques from Laura and others, and find many of the vendors very genuine in spite of what they are probably urged to do during their presentation.

THANK YOU! You took time to write all the things I would have but had no time! Funny -- I'm just now watching Mary Lyn Meyer barely hold up the godzilla-size of AG duo !!! Always something NEW trying to grab our attention and pull us into making what is often a useless or overkill product. "OK -- I give in -- please send me a truckload of all the body wash & cream"! BTW --- I quit that stuff when the pumps stopped working & the fragrances thinned out. Now MLM is squealing at a caller because she ordered it! Those stories are never ending --- oh and all the callers LOVE & God Bless the hosts & presenters so I'm assuming the callers are heavily screened! Yes the clapping is just embarrassing! No wonder Mally lost her voice recently -- all the yelling & screeching! As you so well pointed out the main issue bothering some of us consumers is the OVERSELL. It's increased from years past when I actually enjoyed watching the beauty shows for practical purposes --- product info and usage & results. I have benefitted from live demos and new lines (such as Algenist & Argan by Josie) which have had a positive impact on my near 70 yr old skin. I got turned on to Spackle and BE (the original line) and the varieties of color cosmetics which I now have WAY too much of due to buying sprees several years ago. I now have no tolerance, like you, for the same product in umpteen components and configurations. You're right --- the Beauty Industry is bloated and probably reaching its zenith except for the youngsters wanting one of everything. I notice a sense of desperation to move the inventory out because most customers are probably trying to find room in their bathrooms for everything they felt was 'the newest latest improved best" product. I just tossed 3 large trash bags of old or awful products I had no room for. Now that I'm organized I find I have more than enough skincare & cosmetics for the next 2-3 years. To the previous poster -- DUH! I have a working remote control on both tv's and frankly get tired of on & off because I'm interested in information & demos from vendors but not so much the blathering of the hosts, much of which is inane & irrelevant & phony & exaggerated and LOUD. The hosts rudely interrupt the vendors all the time to SELL with whatever tactics they can grasp but I'm no naive 13 yr old. I can read and pay attention and either order or not. In a nutshell the Q's presentations are insulting to my intelligence and discretion. (oh goody --- more Dr. P products! How many are there now for one face day & night?) I'm also tired of airtime-filling by hosts about their engagements & vacations & anniversaries & weddings & new homes blah blah blah. I AM NOT INTERESTED NOR DO I CARE ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL LIVES OR PHILOSOPHIES/RELIGIOUS BELIEFS! It's all too much and I miss the old days of quieter reasonable watchable TV shopping on Q. I now rely on iPad or iPhone to see what's new & interesting on numerous online vendors.
Super Contributor
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Registered: ‎09-26-2011

They aren't drinking too much coffee, I think its scotch and water for most of them. lol

Valued Contributor
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Registered: ‎04-10-2011
If only it were good scotch & water! They're adding rd bul or something to keep energy levels up.......and UP! Listen for a second without words. Maybe it's in their contract -- never let a moment of quiet air time be on your watch.
Regular Contributor
Posts: 153
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

It's not you. The new hosts remind me of Shannon on HSN --they pitch like someone is pointing a gun at them off-camera and yelling, "Sell! Sell!" That's why I love Mary Beth. She's from the old school and can make you pick up the phone by the sheer technique of her sales talent. Sometimes low-key is the best key.

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Registered: ‎04-10-2011
On 7/2/2014 horseyak said:

It's not you. The new hosts remind me of Shannon on HSN --they pitch like someone is pointing a gun at them off-camera and yelling, "Sell! Sell!" That's why I love Mary Beth. She's from the old school and can make you pick up the phone by the sheer technique of her sales talent. Sometimes low-key is the best key.

I can watch a complete show hosted by Mary Beth. However too many of the vendors are now over-enthusiastic (an understatement!) and talk so fast I can hardly follow them or understand the item they're selling. The other host I respect is the soft-spoken brunette - long hair -- pretty but I forget her name & haven't seen her lately. Classy lady. I mute the rest or go online for products. Laura Gellers recent shows totally turned me off -- both Laura and the hosts were too loud and over-caffeinated. No thanks ladies & I usually love Laura's demos and makeup tips. I'm SO over that kind of "sales pitches". The products will speak for themselves and I'm neither hearing-impaired nor naive. I suspect the home shopping target demographic is lonely older women maybe home bound (& gullible) with considerable disposable income. We hear them on the testimonials right?
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Posts: 37,346
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I wish they would stop interrupting each other... not even long enough to take a breath. I watch on "mute," too.

~Have a Kind Heart, Fierce Mind, Brave Spirit~
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Take all of these posts and re-post them in the suggestion box or it will never change.