My Experience with Rude Sephora Employees

[ameliaglasier]

I love Sephora, I go here every time I come to the mall and have purchased multiple online orders. But I have had to many negative in-store experiences to feel comfortable shopping in person. The first incident happened when I was shopping with my sister. I picked up a tester of a popular product. I was considering purchasing so I wanted to sample it on my hand to see what the consistency was like. All of the sudden an employee yelled, "Stop right now! Give that to me right now!" and practically grabbed it out my hands. I was confused and in shock but she just turned around and and with a smile on her face said, "Sorry about that, anyways this is the product!" to another costumer. My sister and I looked at each other in disbelief, and that day we left the store upset. The second incident occurred multiple times but I will just tell you about two that made me and the people I was with feel uncomfortable. The first happened when me and two other friends were just browsing in the store, an employee that had been following us since the second we entered the store offered us a basket. Me and one of my friends each put a product into the basket. We walked down about one or two isles when the lady that had been following us literally screamed, "Where is that body-mist!" my friends and I all looked at each other in disbelief this employee just full on screamed at us. My friend, who was carrying the basket, held it up to her with my product, and her body-mist in it. I kid you not this woman followed us all the way to the checkout, watching us pay and exit the store. We just laughed it off but we were still in disbelief. The second of these kind of experiences happened just a couple weeks ago when my friends and I were at the mall and we decided to go into a Sephora. I was just browsing a section when I decided to examine a tester. An employee offered me a basket but I declined as I didn't need one for the small product I was going to purchase. She kept talking to me insisting I take it and I felt so uncomfortable I just took the basket. I was comparing two testers of the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, one berry and the other vanilla. I decided on vanilla and put a box into my basket. I was heading to the checkout when the same employee SCREAMED at me, "Where is the berry one! I saw you holding it! Where is it!" I looked at my friends and then back to this woman. I showed her my basket with the vanilla one, I chose. "So where is it?" she asked giving me so much attitude. I pointed to the vanilla one, "I chose this one, the berry one was just I tester I was looking at." I was so angry because this woman actually thought I was going to steal something. I began to then explain how I looked at both testers than chose the vanilla one but this woman would not budge, she was causing the biggest scene. After my explanation she literally DISAGREED with me. She just said "I saw you holding the berry package." I truly did not know what to say to this woman. In disbelief I just said "listen, I'm going to go pay for this product, I was only holding a tester, which for your information is right over there!" I continued to check out and left the store feeling so uncomfortable. Employee's here have always assume the worst in you and in my experience, they have given me a very hard time. It is rare I have a pleasant shopping experience here, it is ridiculous I have to say this but I would never steal anything! Maybe this happens more in my area because lots of my friends and there friends have talked about this.

[Tinkgrrrbell]

This is really really weird. Even more bizarre that it’s happened to you more than once. I’ve been going to Sephora for over a decade and never once have I ever in my life seen or heard anything even remotely like this…like wtf?? 

[LaurieBT]

Hi @ameliaglasier,

I sincerely apologize for these experiences in store and thank you for reaching out to us about this. It's important that all clients feel welcome and have a pleasant experience during their visits, and I'm sorry for any disappointment this has caused. I'll send you a message shortly to assist further.

Warm regards,

Laurie