Focus Question: Beauty Insider

[sephoraadmin2]

BeautyTalkers! We want to hear from you:

What can Store Employees do to make you feel appreciated and valued as a Beauty Insider while you are shopping in store?

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

[jxw200]

GROAN. that stinks lol. Clueless probably. Ok next time you should demand to be told what it is for and how you could qualify. (nicely, of course) I think i may visit the sephora by my work tomorrow and snoop around too lol 

[DesertRose0706]

Thanks for asking!  Here's my 2 cents:

• I wish the SA's would approach me more often - ask if i need help, tell me about the newest product they received, etc.
• I wish the SA's would offer to give me samples.  ask me if there is something I want to try, then give me a sample without making me feel guilty about it
• VIB's and Rouge's at least should be given 3 foil samples, just like would if we ordered online.  Ulta gives foil samples in-store, so why can't Sephora?
• More in-store gifts with purchase - The only time i ever go into a Sephora is if i HAVE to smell something before buying, or if I am returning something I bought online.  I feel I get more for my money when shopping online with Sephora than in store. However, all of Sephora's competitors offer gifts in-store AND online.  In-store gifts make shopping in store more fun. I would go to the store more often and buy more stuff if there were more benefits in doing so.
• Clean the testers - There have been so many times where I wanted to swatch a product at Sephora, but decided not to since the tester looked so unclean and unsanitary.
• Clean the products on the shelves and don't try to sell me old products - There have been so many times where I reached for a product at Sephora, only to find it covered in dust - i dont want to buy an old product that has been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long - Even the Dior has dust!  This is another HUGE reason why I shop online - I can tell the products are fresh and in excellent condition.
• Make the point perks WORTH it - The points perks are usually worse than the free perks as far as value.  I get a greater value in the free gifts I get from other major department stores, which is very disappointing.  I like to be loyal to one store/company/etc. whenever possible, and I want Sephora to be that store... but if other stores are offering better gifts I wont hesitate to shop with them instead.

[SallieSunshine]

The testers - yes, yes, yes - please clean the testers!

[DesertRose0706]

I thought of another thing - I wish the SA's were better trained at applying makeup.  On numerous occasions I have asked for help in selecting a foundation color, and when they apply the foundation to my entire face, it looks terrible - it is streaky, doesnt cover all of my skin, etc. And this is every single time, with different SA's. I cant tell if I like the foundation because the application is so bad. If you sell makeup, please have your employees know how to apply it properly.

[sn22]

Ugh yes, I really don't enjoy that. Looking for new foundation is one of the main reasons for me to actually go into Sephora, but they literally like slap it on and don't really take the time do it right. Just because I am not there to have a makeup job done, doesn't mean I don't have places to go afterwards if I am shopping. And I don't want to walk around looking like my face is two different colors.

[DesertRose0706]

I also want to add that the SA's need to be more aware of Sephora's current promos, products, new products, etc.  The employees barely even know what products Sephora sells, let alone what new products will be out soon, just came out, etc.

[bfuller]

If you think it's surprising about the SAs not being in the know about promos and new products, how about the fact that NONE of the SAs (at either of my two Sephoras) even know that Sephora online has a beauty forum!!!  😮

[DesertRose0706]

I am not surprised!  I wont even mention BT in a Sephora because I dont want to have to try to explain it to them - I know they wont know!  There seems to be a huge disconnect between the stores and Sephora online - the stores should be better informed about Sephora as a whole.

[bfuller]

I'm much too outspoken when it comes to being on the "same page", per se... so I actually DO inform the SAs at my stores.  Now whether it does any good or not, I don't know.  But if they were aware of BT they would see that about 95% of all customers (especially VIB/Rouge) would feel much more connected to their SAs by simply being acknowledged.  From years of experience, I know how difficult and unappreciative working in retail is... but ultimately it is, and will always be about the customer which means exceeding their expectations.

[sn22]

I don't shop in store at Sephora very often, but from the times I have, I feel like sometimes the SA's don't even bother to greet you. I think that the best way to make a connection w/the customer is to smile and greet them so they feel comfortable asking you for help. Half the time I feel like you have to be chasing someone down to ask for help. (This isn't an issue for the SiJcp)

And as most others have said, offering samples wouldn't hurt. If they have samples to give out they should just ask a customer if they're interested. 

[HawaiianEyes7]

I would like to see more sales/coupons. I was a VIB last year and there was some kind of glitch that resulted in me not getting emails about the VIB sale in November, and I didn't get my gift card either. I don't think it's fair that we spend money, get a rewards card, and then only get two sales/coupons from it. I would shop at Sephora more if I got some good coupons/sales and felt like my Beauty Insider card was worthwhile.

On that note, I think that after accumulating a certain amount of points, we should have the option to take 10% off of our purchase or something like that. I would much rather save money on something I'm buying anyway than receive points that are only good for little samples that aren't that great. I love the 500 point perks, though. Saving money is important to me, and I've missed out on things I really wanted because they were too expensive. Being able to save 10 or 20% would be really helpful.

[Geminichilde]

I agree with the others who have said not to be judgemental. I hardly ever go into Sephora stores because I'm tired of being followed like I'm trying to steal when I only want to shop and browse. I'd like it if I was actually offered a sample without having to ask.

[tehprincessjenn]

Happened to me in the Stoneridge location (Pleasanton, CA). Another Facebook friend of mine was complaining and took it to headquarters. I mean I try to throw them off to make sure they aren't following me. Just because I'm a 22 year old that looks like a 15 year old, bare faced, doesn't mean I'm probably going to steal something! 

Oh and by the way- I would buy something expensive. Lost my business, though most of the time I usually don't buy something. 

[jojobe]

Have all palettes available for swatching at all stores. They don't have to carry the product specifically but if the larger Sephoras have them or they are available online, there should be a stand for swatching items available online. It cannot take that much to stock 1 item for swatching in the store. Treat my teenager as a client not just me. She will soon be spending her own money on beauty products and I should think you would want to pull her in not push her out. 

Sample promos similar to online, not necessarily  the same. SOMETHING for Rouges, to say THANK YOU for spending half of your annual salary here. 

[jxw200]

I was at a store in California and it was SO cute, a woman was waiting near me in the check out line and someone was helping her. her daughter found some lipstick she wanted to try on (and she couldn't have been much older than 8!), and the mom asked her to ask a person or wait for her to come show her how to clean a tester. The little girl ended up asking an SA and the lady was SO nice. sat her down nearby, cleaned the tester, applied it, and even moved a mirror so the little girl could see how it looked on her. it was SO CUTE. I was impressed by that lol. but the stores in california i've been to seem to have better service than the ones around here lol. That store even handed out samples to the checkout line as a thank you for waiting when the line got long! So smart of them!!

[gingerblack]

I can only speak about my local Sephora. I would really appreciate if SA reccommended products more. If I ask them for something and it is out of stock I would like for them to point to something similar, or if I say I love an item I would like for them to reccomend others. I think it is so weird that my Sephora doesn't try to add onto sales or show my other products. I am up for trying new things, and I would like for the sales associate to also show me their passion about makeup by pointing things out they think they I would like.

Furthermore, I would like if the sales associates would approach me more. I usually get 1 lady who quickly asks if I need help, then I literally have to stand around searching for someone. They don't approach me when I obviously look like I need help and it makes me feel kind of unwelcome or like they don't care about me. Truthfully, I feel like the sales associates judge me and feel like I'm wasting their time because I look young and not that rich.

I would also like to see more consistency with sample giving at the till. As a BI (let alone Rouge), I think all sales associates should give out the same amount of samples at the till.I have seen so many times where women next to me get 4 samples, and I get none. I shouldn't have to ask for any.

I do have one SA at my store I like though. The two times I approached her she walked me through application, listened to my concerns, and offered products. I bought the foundation she showed me AND came back for the 50$ brush she used 🙂

[katief241981]

amen on the no judging what we're wearing!! Haha.  I can walk in there in sweats and hair in a pony tail and spend $500.  But if you treat me rudely or ignore me…. forget it.  

[Anonymous]

I will never forget the day I walked in to Sephora bare-faced because I wanted to try out some foundations... The SA looked at me like I was crazy and was slightly rude. Come to find out she assumed that I had never worn makeup before because I walked in there without foundation. Seriously? I thought I was doing her a favor by not asking her to remove exsisting foundation first 😕

[katief241981]

Agree with many of the people below about in-store perks.  Essentially, there are none!  I can get samples with every order online.  No gifts with purchases bum me out when I see Nordstroms and others offering them.  Also, most of the times my store does not actually have the point perks I want in stock.  yet another reason to buy online.  While online is super convenient, I feel that when Sephora encourages customers to shop this way they probably end up with less impulse buys and more returns.  Both of which seem bad for business!  

[marydiva]

I have amazing in-store experiences at my Sephora in JCP. I usually shop online – but I have started making exceptions. What’s so different about that location? Here’s what makes the instore experience so special:
1. A SA always offers me a sample – I think that location trains their employees to do that and it’s GREAT! She asks if there’s any products I’m interested in that she could make a sample of for me. I’ve been able to try several things that I ended up buying because I loved so much. Shyer individuals like myself often have difficulty approaching someone to ask for a sample – it’s FANTASTIC when a SA offers.
2. Even foil samples help! I’d love to get a few foil samples in my shopping bag the way that we get foil samples online. I get those at my SiJCP and it feels great! 😄
3. Recognition and perks for being Rouge. SiJCP put a mirror in my bag the other day when she saw my Rouge card – she was like “Oh! We love our Rouge Customers! Would you like a complimentary mirror?” So sweet. I wasn’t able to get one online, so I was very happy about that.
Shopping in-store should be something that I love just as much as shopping online. (And trust me, I love shopping online!) How about promo-code-like perks that you can only get instore? That’d be fun! Maybe a mini lipstick with a minimum purchase of $25? You could probably keep track on BI cards as to whether or not a customer has already been gifted one or not.
Exclusive Rouge shopping bags (I’m thinking RED!) would be totally adorable. A little goes a long way!

[garnett]

My favorite Sephora here on Long Island is probably the smallest one in the area  but has an outstanding staff.  They are always so pleasant and greet everyone that way.  Very helpful and they do refer you to a particular SA if they know she/he  is better with the questions you have.  I guess the only request I would have is more samples and some special ones for those of us who are BI,VIB, and Rouge.