SEPHORA — Attraction in Burnaby

Wow. Never have i had multiple negative encounters in one visit.

Im picking up an order, the front greeting person asked me for my first name and last name initial. So i said "(first name)", Y. He then said "can i get the pick up order for my first name, W?" He thought my last name was "why" or somth. i corrected him and i said Y. You asked me for my last name initial. I had to explain that my "last name initial" is letter Y. Honest mistake, its fine. Next he directed me to go to the cashier, skip the line to ask for my order. When i got there, there was a big line up, everyone was busy attending to people in line of course. I thought they had a designated spot for pick up orders, so i asked another staff on the floor, asking where i should go. She told me to skip the line and just ask for my order. Now thats fine, IF they had a designated person for pick up orders, they basically asked me to just cut the line. When every single cashier was busy attending to people in line. It would be better to have designated staff for p/u orders and dont ask customers to just cut the line cause that's obviously going to make us look disrespectful cutting the line.

I wanted to buy more items so i just looked around first before lining up to get my online order. I was looking for this kosas deodorant, website says they have it in stock, but i couldnt find it. So i approached one of the staff. His answer was immediately, oh no they dont have that in store.. without even check first. I said okay.

When i got to the cashier, i asked again (different staff) if they can help me find the kosas deodorant cause the website says in stock at metrotown. 2 mins later she finds it. Very grateful for that Sephora staff who actually helped. Not so much for the guy earlier who couldnt be bothered to even help me look for it.

Lastly, the pick up order i had has earned me enough points to get VIB status. Which means, for the current promotion, i can get 15% off instead of the 10% off for insiders. I was expecting to get the 15% off for my additional purchases. But the cashier told me that it doesnt work that way, if u started buying things at 10% off, all your additional purchases will only be 10% off, regardless of gaining vib status. Oh. Okay i didnt know of that rule so i just went forward with my additional purchases with 10% off, even though i was already VIB (15%off)

Guess what? When i got home and checked the sephora website, i am able to purchase items for 15% off, online and in store. Where did that rule of only getting 10% off if you started purchasing with that discount? Did the cashier just make it up on the spot to just get on with the purchase quick? Probably. Who knows.

Really...

If I could give it a 0 I would. Just left the store, overhearing an associate in a wheelchair behind me going on the radio “ there’s a girl in the store who seems super sketch” I turned around (not thinking she was referring to me) and suddenly 3 associates appeared right in front of me. All eyes were on me and I have yet to even touch a single item and was only in the store for a friend who was purchasing. Even right up to the cashier they barely looked at my friend and immediately at me. What I want to know is what singled me out? I was dressed well (shouldn’t matter but proved the stereotype to be true)and nice to the associates. Horrible service, would never come back here. Real shame as I loved Sephora way back then. Pick better sales associates to run a store, says a lot about Sephora in Metrotown.

Update: Called the store, manager says the reason is because I was holding more than one bag and yet I have not described what I was holding which means she knew exactly who she was talking to. Which by the way is such a invalid reason for the fact that we’re in a mall and the purpose is to buy items. Maybe next time I shouldn’t have bought an item prior to entering the store. They need to put a sign up “one bag in the store per person”. And you wonder why they down sized their store with the lack of proper customer service they provide. These “associates” are poorly trained and need better understanding on the term “discrete”.

If you actually consider to look into this; check the cameras and the recording on my call. Clearly they knew who I am based on how they did not appear surprise with my story and immediately apologized as it only happened within minutes prior to the call.

I’ve got absolutely nothing to hide and have every right to be infuriated with the way this was handled.

What a low class closed minded way of thinking these employees have and do not uphold the Sephora standard. It’s almost humiliating that these are the people they considered their best sales rep.

Never have I seen such poor service in my life, as I myself work under the federal government and have many years of experience with customer service and dealt with these issues myself. Appearance and what you carry clearly is an issue no matter which way you spin the story. If you want to satisfy my piece of mind. I highly suggest to reconsider finding a better approach to dealing with suspicion of theft and maybe then this specific location wouldn’t be losing...

I am writing this review a month late, sadly I was made to feel guilty if I were to report the incident. But after a month of feeling ashamed of the situation I must come forward. I won’t list the name of the guard but if Sephora wishes to know they can reach out to me as he gave me his card. About 4 weeks ago I entered this Sephora to see if my weightless false lashes were in stock, upon checking they weren’t so I went to exit the store. As I am walking I hear behind me stop, you stole?!? I didn’t stop as I had done nothing wrong , then it gets louder and he is right beside me saying you stole you need to stay right here and give it back to me. I was appalled , what made him think I stole, he said the Sephora staff dinged me because I rubbed my TUMMY. I couldn’t believe it, I told him I had nothing and he kept saying yes I do. After shaking my skirt out and arguing I said I was going to phone the cops to deal with the matter as I felt very invaded and embarrassed with what was happening in the public setting where people could see. After I said I will call the cops he backed off and went back into the store. Since he backed down I decided I’d call the store and report it, I had been put on a hold to wait for the manager, while I am on hold the guard had come back out, he started begging me not to call the store or the cops that it was a mistake, so I had hung the phone up as I was being guilt tripped into feeling bad for his actions. He then kept saying sorry I made a mistake, said he follows pretty girls with makeup because they’d be the ones to steal ?!? Like what kind of logic is this. Anyone, any age, gender ethnicity , rich or poor may steal. On top of this then he offered to buy me something to make up for it. This all was very unprofessional and I felt very uncomfortable, I tried my best to leave as soon as I could and declined what he offered. Anyways it’s been a month since this happened and I felt guilt tripped into not reporting it, but it didn’t sit right with me and I now feel it’s necessary to speak up as I don’t want the same happening for someone else. I am traumatized from this experience and feel afraid to enter Sephora now, I worry this will happen again and I will get embarrassed in public once again. I hope you will not take this lightly and really make sure the staff are trained properly and trained to be professional so someone else won’t be a...