Vent: Bad experience at Sephora a couple of days ago

[scorplove]

I work at the Beverly Center mall where Sephora is located. I usually go in there to spray on CD's Almond Cookie spritz, then browse around to play with the makeup.

Well, a couple of days ago, I stopped in there BEFORE I went to work. I didn't have time to drop my bag off anything, but I wanted to put spray some Almond Cooke spritz and moisturizer on before going to work. So, one of the salespeople ask me if I need any help, I shake my head no and she leaves me alone. I walk down to where the Stila makeup is and as I'm looking at the lipstick colors I wanted to try ANOTHER salesperson comes over to me and asks me if I'm waiting for someone. I'm like WTF?

So, I ask her to repeat herself to make sure I heard her correctly. She asks me again if I'm waiting for someone.

This is how the convo went (as I'm looking at the Stila cosmetics):

Salesgirl: Are you waiting for someone?
Me: What did you say? (no attitude)
Salesgirl: Are you waiting for someone?
Me: Why are you asking me that?
Salesgirl (with slight attitude in her voice): Because you're walking around looking at products.

(Duh? And?)(In my mind I'm like Yeah, like EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE STORE, but WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME if I'm waiting for someone?)

Me: I work downstairs. I come in here to sample the CD Almond Cookie Spritz, then look around at the colors.

Salesbitch smiles, then walks away real fast.

Not less than a minute later, they send a black salesgirl over to me with a big smile on her face saying "Hi", like we're friends. I'm literally like WTF is going on here? I've never experienced this before - EVER.

For the record, I'm black and the first two salesgirls were not. The third one was, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm still very pissed at what went down. I was targeted as a potential thief. I'm not going to assume it was because of my race, but what else could it be? The fact that this chick asked me if I was waiting for someone made no sense. When I questioned her on WHY she was asking me she catches a freakin tude, then quickly changes up. Not cool. Not cool at all.

I thought these people had diversity training?

I'm calling their corporate office and reporting them. Somebody was telling them to do what they did in their headsets.

I was clean, dressed in black with a white collared shirt (the uniform of my store), carrying a big black bag. I wasn't the only one with a big bag in the store, so WHY was I targeted?

 

[sofabean]

that's strange. "Because you're walking around looking at products." Well, duh, it is a STORE lol! what was the salesperson thinking?? hahaha lmao.

this one time a sephora salesperson said kind of the same thing to me only i was like 13 years old. i think i was still in middle school at that time. he asked if i've ever been there before and i said no because it was my first time... but it was still weird cuz he made it sound like a person that looked like me did something bad in the store and was "on to me" like i was that person.

 

[MiCHiE]

Maybe they're onto the fact that you go in just to "freshen up", have a problem with it and don't know another way to approach you. The whole scenario just seems.....weird. Ofcourse, the samples are there for use, but it's my understanding that store/counter employees don't really care for people taking advantage of them.

 

[scorplove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofabean that's strange. "Because you're walking around looking at products." Well, duh, it is a STORE lol! what was the salesperson thinking?? hahaha lmao. this one time a sephora salesperson said kind of the same thing to me only i was like 13 years old. i think i was still in middle school at that time. he asked if i've ever been there before and i said no because it was my first time... but it was still weird cuz he made it sound like a person that looked like me did something bad in the store and was "on to me" like i was that person.

Yeah, well I'm not thirteen and to have not one, but THREE salespeople bothering me all in a span of like 10 minutes is ridiculous.

I'm going to go in there every time I'm working just to see if that *ish happens again. I've never, ever had anyone treat me that way in a store. It was very strange. I did nothing suspicious. Wasn't looking over my shoulder or checking for cameras. When I'm in Sephora I'm totally engrossed in whatever product I'm looking at. I may not always buy them, but I love testing.

Like I said earlier, I will be calling their corporate office on Tuesday to let them know what happened. Sephora is not a racist company, but this is LA and besides that ONE GIRL, this store (nor many others in the area) have that many black salespeople working for them. It was completely uncalled for. It's taken me TWO DAYS to settle my anger down enough to type this.

 

[scorplove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ♥MiCHiE♥ Maybe they're onto the fact that you go in just to "freshen up", have a problem with it and don't know another way to approach you. The whole scenario just seems.....weird. Ofcourse, the samples are there for use, but it's my understanding that store/counter employees don't really care for people taking advantage of them.

I can't be the only one in the mall that does this. When I worked for Prescriptives at Macys, people would stop by all the time that worked in other stores to use the samples. It was no big deal.

No, it was something else. I know I completely threw that chick off when instead of answering her question I asked WHY she was asking me that mess in the first place. I thought she was going to tell me that somebody came in the store looking for their friend and they thought I might be her. But when she said that her reason for asking was because I was standing around looking at makeup made no sense at all.

They can explain it to the corporate office.

ETA: For the record, I don't stop in there that often. Maybe once a week. I would also go to the The Body Shop and BBW too. The girls at those stores visit MY store as well to use samples. If Sephora is uptight with me using their samples then they need to say something instead of approaching me the way they did. That *ish pissed me off majorly. I'm still not over it.

 

[SingFrAbsoltion]

Most Sephora salespeople love to follow people around, they get on my nerves. I don't want people staring at me when I'm putting on makeup or looking around! I understand they're uptight about stealing (understandably) but give me some space!

I actually mentioned this to a friend who used to work at sephora and she told me "yeah, they all do that, and they also like to talk shit about customers through headsets" Nice to know I guess.

 

[scorplove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SingFrAbsoltion Most Sephora salespeople love to follow people around, they get on my nerves. I don't want people staring at me when I'm putting on makeup or looking around! I understand they're uptight about stealing (understandably) but give me some space! I actually mentioned this to a friend who used to work at sephora and she told me "yeah, they all do that, and they also like to talk shit about customers through headsets" Nice to know I guess.

I don't care if they follow me around. Just don't ask me stupid a$$ questions.

If you think I'm stealing then let me steal whatever it is, then stop me at the door like you're supposed to do. Yeah, and if you know you f'd up, don't go sending the black girl to try to make up for your dumb ass mistake.

That chick ain't my friend and her fake smiling just makes me even madder.

 

[Lizzie]

That's so ridiculous! I've know a few people who've had bad experiences like that at Sephora, including myself.

A few years ago my friends and I were in a Sephora (the one in down town SF) and although we were obviously just browsing, a few people came to ask us if we needed help with anything (even after we had said we were just looking around). A little while later we were looking at some stuff and I put my cell phone in my pocket and a sales women rushed up to me and was like "What did you just put into your pocket???!!!!?!?!" and I was like "uh, my phone?" and I pulled it out and she was hella embarrassed and walked away and didn't even apologize. She practically rushed me like I had a bomb or something, called me out for no reason and then walked away like it was nothing!

I haven't been there or bought anything from Sephora since.

 

[janelovesyou]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scorplove If you think I'm stealing then let me steal whatever it is, then stop me at the door like you're supposed to do.

Well technically in retail if they thought you were stealing what they would want to do is stop you before it happened (by offering you assistance and making you aware that they are near) rather then stopping you at the door and accusing you b/c if you really didn't take anything then they could have a major lawsuit on their hands.

But yeah, that story is extra awkward. I've never even had 3 people offer me assistance at Sephora in all my time of going there.

 

[sparkler]

this thread is in the wrong forum, methinks...

eta: and now it's been moved

 

[browneyedbaby]

I've had this happen lots of times, in various places... I've never read much in to it at all... it just happens, no big deal for me really more than a minor annoyance as I'm actual just having a quiet browse.

 

[prinzessin784]

They probably misinterpreted your comment that you weren't planning on buying anything. Loss prevention training alerts sales people to customers who frequently browse without buying. So as harmless as it was, what you were doing could have been a tipoff to them. Sometimes stores offer bonuses for catching shop lifters so it makes them want to see nefarious intentions in every customer who just wants to look. It's silly and they should have better loss prevention training!

 

[scorplove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by browneyedbaby I've had this happen lots of times, in various places... I've never read much in to it at all... it just happens, no big deal for me really more than a minor annoyance as I'm actual just having a quiet browse.

There are WAYS to do things.

The second salesperson KNEW she was wrong as soon as she got defensive and came out her face incorrect when I asked her WHY she was asking me that.

I'm going to go in there again today on my break and do the same damn thing I always do. I want to see if I'm asked who I'm waiting for again. And AGAIN I will ask "WHY?"

They'll probably send their one and only black employee over to me again. This time I won't be so nice.

 

[Beauty Mark]

When I read that, I honestly thought they were on to you sampling things rather frequently. I think it's an awkward thing to approach someone about. Even if you're not the only one who does that, we don't know if they're approaching everyone who does that, if their manager has observed certain customers (which may or may not be linked to race; I get recognized in stores if I frequent them enough) are taking advantage of the sampling, etc.

It may be a weird question to ask if you're waiting for a friend, but if you're in there once a week or so and don't purchase anything, I may assume that you're waiting for someone.

 

[Shimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scorplove There are WAYS to do things. The second salesperson KNEW she was wrong as soon as she got defensive and came out her face incorrect when I asked her WHY she was asking me that. I'm going to go in there again today on my break and do the same damn thing I always do. I want to see if I'm asked who I'm waiting for again. And AGAIN I will ask "WHY?" They'll probably send their one and only black employee over to me again. This time I won't be so nice.

What if they sent a white employee? Or a Hispanic one? What if an Asian walked up and asked the questions?

The product testers are there not for touch ups during the day, but for customers seeking certain items to have the opportunity to try it prior to making the purchase. They're not there as a buffet line for people who forgot to put something on during their regular makeup routine.

 

[Willa]

Throw rocks at me for that, but I don't really the racism in that case?

 

[scorplove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shimmer What if they sent a white employee? Or a Hispanic one? What if an Asian walked up and asked the questions? The product testers are there not for touch ups during the day, but for customers seeking certain items to have the opportunity to try it prior to making the purchase. They're not there as a buffet line for people who forgot to put something on during their regular makeup routine.

They came at me the WRONG way.

I feel very offended by what happened and whether or not race played a part in it doesn't matter. The whole experience made me uncomfortable. I don't play the race card. I don't believe Sephora is a racist company.

If they had a problem with me using their samples then they should have said something. By asking me who the hell I'm waiting for, because I'm just walking around the store looking at the testers smacks of stupidity. If this was their way of getting me to not come back to the store anymore, then it worked. I won't ever be going back there.

It's only THIS location that treated me like this. I've been to others (Hollywood/Highland and Santa Monica) and the energy has always been positive. What it boils down to is I (the customer) felt disrespected and didn't deserve it.

Regardless, I'm still calling the corporate office to let them know my feelings.

 

[scorplove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lizzie That's so ridiculous! I've know a few people who've had bad experiences like that at Sephora, including myself. A few years ago my friends and I were in a Sephora (the one in down town SF) and although we were obviously just browsing, a few people came to ask us if we needed help with anything (even after we had said we were just looking around). A little while later we were looking at some stuff and I put my cell phone in my pocket and a sales women rushed up to me and was like "What did you just put into your pocket???!!!!?!?!" and I was like "uh, my phone?" and I pulled it out and she was hella embarrassed and walked away and didn't even apologize. She practically rushed me like I had a bomb or something, called me out for no reason and then walked away like it was nothing! I haven't been there or bought anything from Sephora since.

Okay, this must be a widespread thing then.

See? Look how their jumping the gun lost you as a customer. No telling how many others they did that too and felt the same way.

 

[scorplove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by prinzessin784 They probably misinterpreted your comment that you weren't planning on buying anything. Loss prevention training alerts sales people to customers who frequently browse without buying. So as harmless as it was, what you were doing could have been a tipoff to them. Sometimes stores offer bonuses for catching shop lifters so it makes them want to see nefarious intentions in every customer who just wants to look. It's silly and they should have better loss prevention training!

There was no comment. The first chick asked me if I needed any help, I shook my head NO and kept doing what I was doing. I never gave them any inklings of my purchasing intentions. Now, if I was about to buy something I was so turned off by the second chick's comment that I wouldn't have bought anything.

 

[scorplove]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauty Mark When I read that, I honestly thought they were on to you sampling things rather frequently. I think it's an awkward thing to approach someone about. Even if you're not the only one who does that, we don't know if they're approaching everyone who does that, if their manager has observed certain customers (which may or may not be linked to race; I get recognized in stores if I frequent them enough) are taking advantage of the sampling, etc. It may be a weird question to ask if you're waiting for a friend, but if you're in there once a week or so and don't purchase anything, I may assume that you're waiting for someone.

Never assume. I also believe you would have handled quite differently from these chicks.

Like I said before, THERE IS A WAY TO DO THINGS.