I was a Rouge member for many years, but I’ve since dropped to VIB, not by choice, but because I’ve gradually reduced how much I spend at Sephora due to repeated negative experiences.
First, the store itself is beyond filthy. It’s not just the displays, even the hygiene/toiletry stations (makeup remover and disinfectant bottles, tissues, cotton pads, sponges, cotton swabs, spatula containers etc) are consistently dirty and frankly disgusting. Overall hygiene is far below acceptable standards. I’m not even going to address the makeup stations. For a beauty retailer, cleanliness should be a basic requirement, not an exception.
Second. Nothing says ‘happy customer’ like spending hundreds of dollars after being served with attitude. It’s not just a lack of knowledge or expertise, including from makeup artists and skincare “experts”, it’s also a lack of professionalism and basic customer service conduct. Several employees, including management, come across as rude and outright hostile. There is one employee who stands out though, I don’t know her name but she’s very kind and helpful, with amazing brows and long brown hair. It’s always nice interacting with her.
There is also a recurring feeling of being watched and judged while browsing, as if customers are being profiled. The way some employees look at you and follow you around creates a heavy experience. I should not have to be fully dolled up just to shop in peace. I should have the same experience whether I come in dressed to the nines or in a messy bun and sweats.
I also had a concerning experience: I asked for a specific shade product and was given the wrong one, which I realized after leaving. When I returned the next day to exchange it, I was told it had to be processed as a return and repurchase, which would have caused me to lose my points/money, even though the mistake was theirs. I was also expected to pay a price difference because I had used my $10, 500-point discount. In other words, I would have been penalized financially for an employee’s error. That’s crazy work. After a long back-and-forth, they processed the exchange properly but acted as though they were doing me a favor. The audacity.
On my latest visit, I was told the store was closing soon and asked to proceed to checkout, which I promptly did. While doing so, I was asked to wait to order an out-of-stock item online. I also mentioned I had been sold a used product the day prior, the last one available, handed to me by an employee and would like to exchange it. The box had smudges and a fingerprint on the tab, and once home, I found a finger smudge on the pan itself! While the packaging was already concerning, I still gave the benefit of the doubt that the product inside was untouched. Dirty packaging on expensive products is wild work to begin with.
As the situation became "complicated", I mentioned that I would simply go to another location that had it in stock for exchange (I had given up). However, when I tried to complete the rest of the purchase I had been asked to wait for, I was told the store was now closed and their system wasn’t working. Sephora offers in-store ordering with free shipping, yet I was left to order from home, where free shipping requires a $50 minimum. Regardless of the amount, I should not have been put in that position.
For context, in over 12 years of shopping at Sephora, I rarely return products simply because I don’t like them, I usually give them away. I was given the wrong shade, and the product was unused upon return. I should not be expected to absorb the cost or inconvenience of an employee’s mistake. Likewise, I will not use an unsanitary “brand new” product that was already compromised.
Altogether, poor cleanliness, negative staff interactions, mishandled products, and disorganization made for consistently disappointing experiences. Customers should be able to shop comfortably, be treated with respect, and trust their purchases, without having to fight to protect their money or rewards. This does not reflect the standards Sephora claims to uphold.