Bad Experience in Sephora store

[Anonymous]

Long post ahead! I went in to the Sephora at Bloor & Bay (Yorkville) in Toronto today since I wanted to switch foundations and needed to get re-matched with the right colour. I also planned on trying stuff out in store and ordering online since I have an online coupon code. I honestly don't go to Sephora very often but I wanted treat myself - also start using better make-up/skin care.

I went in around 2 pm. And I want to say that the first sales rep who helped me with my foundation was absolutely amazing. It was the second person that...wasn't so great. I mentioned wanting to take better care of my skin and the first sales rep urged me to go to the skin care section afterwards and talk to someone there. Boy, do I regret that.

So I wandered over to the skin-care section after - there were maybe 2 other customers in the section. Two skin-care sales reps were talking to each other and ignoring me - and I try to get their attention but they didn't notice me. That's totally okay - I look around a little more. Finally, I saw one of the skin care reps from before at the centre table w/ mirrors filling up a couple of those small plastic sample bags with product. At the time I figured she was preparing a sample for someone (but now I think she was doing it for herself - samples don't go directly into the bag, they go in a little pot and her bag was filled to the brim). I approached her, said sorry for bothering her and I could wait until she's done helping someone else, but she said she could help me right then. I told her I know nothing about skin care (which wasn't completely true but I wanted foundational knowledge - who knows, maybe what I know is wrong) but I wanted to know more about where to start. She immediately starts walking towards one end of the store to the Perricone MD display. I follow her and she asks me what kind of skin I have, what products I currently use, etc etc. I felt like she was judging me for using drugstore skin care based on her reactions to what I was saying - which wasn't a good feeling. I didn't come to a beauty store to feel ashamed about myself - I buy stuff from Sephora to feel good. Besides, this was precisely why I was asking for her help. 

So we're in front of the display and she starts telling me about the different products and briefly explains what they are. I test them on my hand - they feel nice but I don't really know what is in them or what they're for or when to use them. She  ends with "and you need an eye cream" - immediately after which she points to a pre-packaged set and basically said I should buy that. She tells me about how great of a deal it is and how much money I'm saving.

She's only shown me one brand thus far (clearly one of the more expensive ones), and has told me next to nothing about skin care. It feels like she's only trying to get me to buy this set and go away. I ask for samples because I want to be able to try these products on my face to see how they work and not just on the back of my hand. She says, "I don't give out samples because everyone comes in here and puts their fingers in the testers" - okay fair most of the products have pumps, but whatever, she goes on "I always use a spoon but what if a homeless person comes in here and sticks their fingers into our testers, that's so dirty." At this point I'm appalled but awkwardly laughing along but she goes on to say that I should just buy it and return it if I don't like it because Sephora has a great return policy. I made up some excuse and left the section at this point, I was frustrated and furious. 

So, sales rep is making samples for herself while providing bad CS, making discriminatory comments, and essentially recommending for me to waste Sephora's resources by buying and returning. Most of the stuff I could have ignored, but the whole experience, including the offensive remark about homeless people was just too much. This store is on the Mink Mile and the snobbery and discrimination exhibited by this sales rep is ridiculous. Completely at odds with what I thought Sephora was about.

This has been really bothering me and I've seen people post similar bad experiences on here - Anyone have any tips for what I should do?

[keelybt]

Hi Aanaconda, I'm so sorry to hear about your experience! I would like to forward this to our retail division to review and will send you a message for more information.