Tonight around 5PM I visited the Sephora in Skokie, IL at Old Orchard Mall. I went there to buy Bare Escentuals makeup. Besides me, there were three other people browsing in the store. We were all ignored by the salespeople. There were three salespeople that weren’t helping anyone. Two were very busy talking to each other, and another one that looked like she was the manager on duty was straightening. I was in the store for 20 minutes and not one of these three approached any of us. The one straightening looked at me as I walked by her and said nothing. I left and went next door to Macy’s. I spent $90 at the Philosophy counter. If the salespeople had been busy helping others I wouldn’t have minded waiting.
In this economy retailers assume that the reason their sales are down is because people aren’t spending money. That is only part of the reason. The other is because of bad customer service. My experience at Sephora is an example of bad customer service. I would have spent my money at Sephora if I hadn’t been ignored. Companies don’t understand the impact of bad customer service. I won’t go to Sephora again for anything.
And I bet these people would be the first to complain if they lost their jobs, due to under performing in terms of their targets and overheads. I think it doesn’t matter whether the economy is in a slump or a boom, customer service is the most important issue for any business whether retail, service or whatever.
i’ve had a similar experience, but i live in toledo, ohio. i went in at christmas to buy a lash stash (the store was sold out) and was ready to walk out until the manager offered to call another store and ship it to me — but i would have to pay shipping.
unfortunately for the sephora closest to me, an ulta opened up around christmas time. i’m always greeted there and people seem to want to help.
thanks for posting this. hopefully they’ll get it someday, but i’m not holding my breath.
Sorry you had that bad experience. Give them another chance and let them know you are not a happy camper.
I had a bad customer service experience at a yarn store recently. The saleperson was just very condescending. I wound up calling after I left threstore to let her know how displeased I was with her attitude. I also explained to her that retailers need to be very mindful of their customers these days.
Hopefully she got the message and will come down a notch on the snootiness ladder.
If bad salespeople don’t get the appropriate feedback from customers, then it just makes it bad for the next person who walks in and the situation perpetuates itself and never self-corrects.
No need to be nasty, just provide constructive criticism so they can try to get it right.
Hope this helps!
Ooo I really hate Sephora! None of us girls here in the Arabian Peninsula like the stores all that much because the quality of the make-up is horrible. I still won’t forget when I purchased one of their eyeliners; it lasted for just about five minutes before it started to run!
I really recommend sticking to the more professional outlets