Complaint

[MeRob]

I cannot believe I just became a racism victim. I had the worst customer service experience at the Sephora store inside JC Penney in Glendale, CA. I tried to return 2 items I purchased from another Sephora with the receipt. When I got to the counter, the cashier told me that they could not take my return because their receipt is different and I have to return my items at another free standing Sephora. I asked if this was a new policy as I felt as though I had been able to do this before and inaddition, there was no mention of such policy on the back of my receipt. She said it was not a new policy and the only thing the only thing theywould be able to do is an even exchange. As always, I asked for her name just in case I needed it as I was planning on contacting Sephora regarding this. As I walked away, the cashier stopped me and offered togive me a copy of their written policy and I gladly accepted and thanked her.However, as I walked away reading the paper she gave me I realized, it also had no mention of the policy that she explained to me. So I turned around and went back in line to point this out to her, but instead she called her manager and loudly announced that she was pretty sure I had a question regarding their store policy. At this point, the manager comes over and as I start explaining to her what had happened and pointed to the paper the cashier gave me, the cashier started to blurt out that it didn’t matter because she explained the policy to meover and over. That was true, but the issue is that she stopped me after that and offered a copy of their store policy to me that clearly didn’t support the policy she told me about which is why I wanted to bring it to their attention. The manager apologized and explained to me that the problem had to do with differences the barcode and as we were talking the cashier kept mouthing off in front of other customers saying she already told me what the manager was explaining to me. Yes, she did and I wouldn’t have questioned it had she not stopped me after and given me an irrelevant piece of paper. At this point, the customer she was helping turned to me and said she heard her explain it to me & that she was the one being helped now so I was being rude to her. I told theother customer that she was not included in this conversation and infactthe cashier was the one that kept speaking over her while I spoke to her manager. The manager even told the cashier “to be cool” and as I tried to walk away again, I heard the cashier and other customers startspeaking in Spanish and giggling followed after. I told the manager that they are now speaking in their language and laughing so I’m pretty sure they are talking about me which she of course denied. I had enough so I asked for the cashier to give me her name again because I forgot to write it down the first time & she refused and became even more combative. Another customer stepped in and told me that the cashier had the right to speak in her native tongue and I agreed w her however, I told her as a customer I felt it was rude as I don’t understand the language. Then another male customer started yelling at me while the rest of the customers & employees just stared at me. I honestly felt I was being attacked because I was the only one there of a different ethnicity. I felt so degraded, humiliated, alone & was in total shock that this was happening to me. What’s worse is that the whole time, the cashier continued to laugh and giggle as I tried to defend & explain myself to several people who have rallied against me. I have never feltso discriminated upon. I have never been treated this badly by any store representative and I especially never expected it to happen to me at Sephora where I have been a loyal customer to for several years. Although the manager and another employee who checked my items out for me apologized to me, I cannot just let this go. I don’t believe someonelike that cashier should be representing Sephora or any retail store for that matter. To be set off because a customer is trying to clarify a store policy is unacceptable. I am going to file a formal complaint and I know that the surveillance cameras will support my concerns. I willdemand that something more than just a slap on the wrist will be done in this case. I also will no longer shop at Sephora and will heed others recommendation to go to Ulta from now on.

[DaneeBT]

Hi @MeRob,

I am truly sorry to hear about your experience at our Glendale, CA Sephora inside JCPenney store and thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention! I'm going to send you a PM to assist you.

Always,

Danee