I'm a "thief" because I open stuff.

[xphoxbex]

Well, I wanted to share my story with everyone to see your thoughts on it (Hopefully I'm in the right area).

As some of you may know, I don't have access to a Sephora, and I have to drive about 2 hours to get to one. I was very excited since, I was going to purchase my first blush from NARS. (I know I could've ordered online, but I am picky, and need to see the colors in person). Anywho, I went into the store and I went to the NARS section. I was looking at the blushes, and I have to admit, they are very nice. I made my decision and was going to pick up Sertao. There were only two more boxes left, so I grabbed one, and I noticed on the box that there were fingerprints, and sparkles all over it. So I assumed that someone must have opened it and used it, and I opened it (because if I waited to get home to open it, I couldn't go exchange it cuz there I don't have easy access to a sephora, and as a customer, I feel I have every right to know what I'm buying right??). And sure enough, the blush was scratched up and wasn't smooth like a new one was supposed to be. So I picked up another Sertao, and the same thing happened. Fingerprints on the outside, scratched up on the inside. So one of the guys who worked there came up to me and said.. umm.. you don't have to open it all the colors are already displayed for u to try on. I was like okay, and I explained to him why I had to open it. He was reluctant to hear my explanation and was like well... don't open it. That didn't bother me too much so I let it go. Then I continued to look the blushes, and I noticed that he was standing there, watching my every move. I felt uncomfortable so I decided to go to a different section (smashbox) to look at the photo finish primer. And again.. he followed me and watched my every move. Now I know it wasn't a coincedence, the smashbox section was on the other side of the store. I was getting irritated, so I went back to the NARS section to get my blush (the last box of sertao, which looked clean to me) and leave. Again... he followed me back there to watch me. Then this is the wrong part. I forgot to tell u guys I was with my friend. She was looking at makeup while I was checking out. Right when it was my turn to check out, I noticed the cashier had laughed when he heard someone say something on his headset, but I didn't care much. Got done paying etc. Then my friend and I left the store and she told me that when I was checking out, that guy that was following me around said on his intercom "Did that chinese girl steal anything, look at her body closely." I was INFURIATED. OMG, I have never experienced anything like that in my life. I was like OH HELL NO... I'm gonna fucking tell the manager on that bitch, then my friend said.. I think he is the manager, I heard him tell people to go to lunch and shit. So I was like shit, man I guess theres nothing I could do.

So, just from me opening one of the blushes, the guy portrayed me to be a thief.

What an unpleasant experience at sephora.

 

[CantAffordMAC]

that really sucks. I was going to say "go to the manager or write the company" I'm sorry u had a bad experience there. I can see where he's coming from, because if I was a manager/employee and someone was taking something out of a box, I'd probably think they were stealing too. But once you gave him your explanation, he should've understood.

sorry you had a bad experience. maybe if you start viewing someone's swatches of products then you can make your decision (since seeing swatches is sorta like seeing it "on") and purchase online

 

[Hilly]

write a letter to the corporate office

 

[ms_bloom]

That is really not on ... the salesperson should have HELPED you find a clean, untouched blush. I don't remember where I learned this, but that is how you avert actual thieves from stealing, by being helpful and attentive. And it stops them from being rude, unhelpful, and off-putting to real customers like you. I get distressed when that sort of thing happens to me, it takes me awhile to realise it is the other person's problem.

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

Yeah manager or not I would have gone back and created a fuss. then wrote to corporate. naughty words would have been exchanged since i'm that way.

 

[MAC_Pixie04]

While I do agree that the way he treated you was horrific; I've caught people in our drawers helping themselves to samples and opening things, but I would never speak to them that way.

However, as a Sephora employee, I can't describe how obnoxious it is when people touch live product and put it back (I'm not saying that was your intention, this is a general statement). We have to damage out thousands and thousands of dollars in damaged product and eventually it gets really old, especially when there should be a tester of every product. Yesterday, a girl opened up a lipstick, used it, didn't like the color, and put it back on the shelf. If I hadn't seen her, the next person to come over and buy that lipstick would have gotten a damaged, contaminated lipstick. Because all the boxes look the same, there would have been no way to determine which one she touched without opening all the others, so I watched her carefully to make sure I could get the right one and damage it out.

I don't think you should have been treated that way, but I know I personally stick pretty close to someone who has done that or someone who has gone into the drawers to make sure that they don't do it again, as a way of protecting another client from picking up and purchasing a potentially damaged cosmetic and putting it near their eyes or mouth (Most people dont' know how to look for usage on a product.) However, I would never speak to someone the way he did to you, and I would never intentionally make someone feel uncomfortable.

I completely agree with you and am sorry that you had such a lame experience, but at the same time I can see where he's coming from. Its the same annoyance I get when someone disgustingly uses a mascara tester without a separate wand, and I have to throw it away. But there's a nicer way to talk to people; if he didn't want you to touch live product, he should have put it nicely: "Did you wanna see that blush? Let me show you the tester." "That would be a great color, let me try the tester on you." These are phrases we call softeners, it's our way of getting a point across without being abrasive or offensive; this particular consultant had obviously never been coached on using them appropriately.

 

[alien21xx]

Man, that really sucks.

I gotta say though, I think cosmetics retailers need to show their customers what they're buying before the final checkout. Just at the very least to ensure that there's no mixup of colors being bought. It's worse in your case because those boxed NARS stuff actually looked tested/used.

In Singapore, this is the practice of all make-up counters, probably stemming from the fact that the consumer population here is very very vocal about bad customer service from sales reps. If anything like your experience happened here, it would be all over the next day's newspaper in the letters to the editor, and that manager would probably be out of a job because of how he has treated the customer.

 

[blindpassion]

Honestly, I've had a really bad time with Sephora as a whole. We dont have any where I live so when I went on a trip to the states I made sure to go to different sephoras, and I got some really bad treatment at one of them. The people were talking over their headset about me and my mom and stuff it was ridiculous and we were the only ones in the store and they kept looking at us and then saying things again. And I asked a lady if she could put something up at the front for me ( because I got vibes like they thought I was stealing, so I figured it would shut them up if I asked them to put something at the cash for me) and she looked at me like I was crazy and what I was asking of her was just unheard of, and then she rolled her eyes. Like come on! I just asked her to put something at the cash for me while I looked around some more. I honestly would have been prepaired to spend a LOT of time and money in that store but I bought one thing and I left and never looked back. Horrible experience.

 

[glamdoll]

Write to corporate. Not only for the way he made you feel, but for what he said about "that chinese girl" wtf. That is so wrong. If I were you Id raise hell and write to corporate as well.

 

[alien21xx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blindpassion Honestly, I've had a really bad time with Sephora as a whole. We dont have any where I live so when I went on a trip to the states I made sure to go to different sephoras, and I got some really bad treatment at one of them. The people were talking over their headset about me and my mom and stuff it was ridiculous and we were the only ones in the store and they kept looking at us and then saying things again. And I asked a lady if she could put something up at the front for me ( because I got vibes like they thought I was stealing, so I figured it would shut them up if I asked them to put something at the cash for me) and she looked at me like I was crazy and what I was asking of her was just unheard of, and then she rolled her eyes. Like come on! I just asked her to put something at the cash for me while I looked around some more. I honestly would have been prepaired to spend a LOT of time and money in that store but I bought one thing and I left and never looked back. Horrible experience.

Man these stories sorta bum me out. I'm really looking forward to my US trip next year because I want to shop at Sephora.

 

[MAC_Whore]

Yeah, I had someone follow me once. It was after I just spent $260 in the store. I realized I forgot something and went back in to purchase it. This guy was on me like white on rice.

I finally asked the guy if I could help him with something, because the way he was following me was making me uncomfortable. I felt more like he was some creepy dude following me, as they didn't wear nametags or uniforms there. I thought he was some perve.

When I realized who he was, I asked to see the manager. He didn't get the manager, but he shut up and went away.

I think the best way to deal with people behaving like that guy was in the OP's post is to just call them out. You don't have to be rude or mean, but just be frank about it. As the customer, you shouldn't feel harassed or stalked by a salesdude. That's not asking too much of the sales staff.

ETA: This happened at a boutique that sold bed and bath items.

 

[MAC_Pixie04]

^^I agree.

We get some bogus complaints, but when there's a real one, I personally like hearing about them, because then it gives me a big push to make sure that I'm giving 110%. I know in other threads I've bitched about some lame people that have come into my store and given me hell, but thats me verbalizing frustration, I would never intentionally make someone feel uncomfortable in my store, because I've been that shopper in the neighborhood where they hardly see a face of color, so they make a point to follow me around and make me uncomfortable.

I agree you should email in a complaint. It helps if you recall the exact store, date and time if you can remember, and give a good description of the person who offended you, that way instead of their store director giving one big announcement of a complaint, and everybody saying "it wasn't me!" and blowing it off, that person can be coached one on one and managerial action can occur.

 

[STolEn_KisS]

Well, my experience wasn't as bad as yours but the first time i went into Sephoras, I asked one of the people that work there if the eyeliners were allergy free and tested. The girl looked at me like I'm crazy and acted really confused. Come on! I was asking a simple question. She made me feel frustrated and mad and made Sephora look bad. If she can't answer that simple question of if the eyeliner's tested, why the heck is she working there!

 

[xphoxbex]

my gosh! i never knew that so many people had problems with sephora. Like seriously, I came there all excited to give them business, and they treat me like this. I feel like we ALL should write a letter to corporate. But, does corporate really do something about this? I have heard before that sometimes they don't even care.

 

[xphoxbex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by glamdoll Write to corporate. Not only for the way he made you feel, but for what he said about "that chinese girl" wtf. That is so wrong. If I were you Id raise hell and write to corporate as well.

yeah gurl! that is so effed up. and I'm not even chinese! Man I should've brought my whole asian gang up there with our chopsticks.

 

[blazeno.8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by glamdoll Write to corporate. Not only for the way he made you feel, but for what he said about "that chinese girl" wtf. That is so wrong. If I were you Id raise hell and write to corporate as well.

I agree with this. I used to work at Victoria's Secret and one of the things we learned is that you don't use race or physical features (unless it's directly related to the bra sale) to describe your customer. Even when I was working at a pool... we never did that, not even when I caught someone stealing admission and we were still able to catch the person before they got into the building. When you say something like that it just sounds like there is a general distrust of anyone with that feature. But something like a ponytail or a green t-shirt... now that's a little more neutral.

I have to second the comment about being overly helpful. I've done it and it works great. I had a coworker who did it to the point of absurdity and it was even better!

 

[MAC_Whore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xphoxbex my gosh! i never knew that so many people had problems with sephora. Like seriously, I came there all excited to give them business, and they treat me like this. I feel like we ALL should write a letter to corporate. But, does corporate really do something about this? I have heard before that sometimes they don't even care.

I have had tons of great customer service from Sephora. It is just a random small amount of people who can be jerks, just like anywhere else. Sadly, it's just a part of life. You will always come across a few jerks. What matters is how you deal with it and how you let them affect you.

 

[xphoxbex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC_Whore I have had tons of great customer service from Sephora. It is just a random small amount of people who can be jerks, just like anywhere else. Sadly, it's just a part of life. You will always come across a few jerks. What matters is how you deal with it and how you let them affect you.

yeah i know... but i'm just really mad of how he treated me. it was totally uncalled for.

 

[ginger9]

It's too bad you had a bad experience, so far my experience at Sephora has always been positive to neutral. Interestly enough, much better than at MAC.

I think what he should have done was to offer to check the item for you to make sure it was undamaged. This way you get an unsullied item and he gets to ensure that the product is not being used inappropriately (not that you were). So it really could have been handled much better

 

[NLoveW630]

OMG I thought I was the only one..
MY STORY//
I'm a product junkie..I shop there all the time..


I went for the 20% off deal in the store..I went in to get a new facial cleansing line..and just to try out new products..mind you..I shop there all the time and my info is in the system..I have my 100 points right now..
Ok so, the lady directed me to another sales rep..s
she sold me a travel size Caudalie facial kit..
Then I brought UD 24/7 eye pencil..here's where the table turns..
The first rep told me on UD products I'm intitled to 30% off
on the Caudalie 20% off..
So, when I went to the counter..a rep came from no where and was like "NO", don't ring her up!..She's not getting 30% off on UD..I mean loud..
I just looked at her and was like whatever..it's not that serious lady..anyway, who was talking to you..That lead me to believe she was watching me and the other rep the whole time..
Ok, I get home and I'm feeling the new face line..Caudalie is so wonderful..
The next day I take back the travel kit and opt to get the full line..Now this product is costly..but hell, I'm worth it and then some..When I take it back with my recepit..the girl is asking me a million and one questions..also I took back some UDPP because it's drying out my lids..mind you my info is in the system..When I walked away to get my face stuff, I turned and saw 3 girls watching me..I don't carry a purse, you have my recepit in your hand, with all my personal info in your data base..
I get my product, then the manager comes over and question me too..I was like, this is silly..to make a long story short..I'm never going back to sephora again..I rather order on line then be watched and talked about right in front of my face..they are rude.. I spent over 150.00 in the store yesterday..what a sad store with sad people..