SEPHORA — Attraction in San Diego

Dear Sephora Management,

I am writing to formally express my deep concern regarding an upsetting experience I had today while shopping on behalf of a customer through Instacart. I was harassed and disrespected by a manager named Robin in a manner that I believe was not only unprofessional but also completely unacceptable.

As someone who frequently shops in Sephora stores, both for myself and as a representative of customers through Instacart, I have always appreciated the helpfulness and professionalism of your staff. However, today’s experience left me feeling targeted, disrespected, and extremely uncomfortable.

Two times I approached associates to politely ask for help locating items. Despite the fact that they were not assisting other customers at the time, Robin intervened and prevented them from helping me…It felt as though she was deliberately watching me and actively working to block my access to assistance.

The final incident involved a front-area manager who was kind enough to help me find a few items still within her department. Robin immediately approached her as well, seemingly reprimanding her for offering support.

I want to emphasize that at the time, the store was closing in 10 minutes, and I still had over 10 items to locate. I was working diligently and efficiently, and my order totaled over $450. I never ask for help unless absolutely necessary, and given how frequently product packaging changes and new items are introduced, occasional guidance is sometimes required. Sephora, as a retail environment, is not always easy to navigate quickly, especially under time pressure.

Robin’s comment implying that it was simply “my job to find the items” was not only dismissive, but entirely uncalled for. As a professional completing a purchase for a customer, I believe I represent not only myself but also the customer’s trust in the Sephora brand. I was shocked to be treated with such hostility and disregard.

This encounter has affected me deeply. I do not believe anyone—whether a customer or a third-party shopper deserves to be treated with such disrespect. I strongly urge Sephora to address this behavior. Managers should set the standard for professionalism, not act in ways that alienate and belittle people doing their best to support your brand.

Thank you for taking the time to hear this feedback. I hope this matter is taken seriously and that no one else will have to go through what I experienced today. Because if Sephora wants Instacart shoppers to keep coming and driving sales, treating us with respect is essential. We help move your products and bring in revenue and making our jobs harder only hurts your business in the long run.

EDITED:

What was the point of giving me this email (in the owner response) if no one even responded? Was it just for show - to look good in reviews? I find it incredibly frustrating and feel like my time was...

I frequent this store quite a bit as I'm a instacart shopper and have had some really great visits. Usually the staff is super helpful and really sweet. The last few times I've gone in, the staff was chatting in the middle of the store floor and when I asked for help I was pointed towards a product. This was only in the past few weeks. Normally I get a quick response and I'm approached for help finding products. They always do a great job in helping me locate the products or going to the back to check there as well. Overall this review is about my experience today. I had collected all my instacart items and went up to the counter to check out. I told the cashier, Thomas, that I was a instacart shopper. They had a rep for Paula's choice and that was one of the customer's requested items so the rep came over to chat. I told them that I don't personally use the product and don't need any samples, I use fenty. The cashier then said no honey, that's makeup, this is skin care. I said no fenty skin. Anyways, I didn't want to argue so I told him promptly that I'm in a hurry but it's a quick instacart. He did not take this well and proceeded to tell me that I was being rude and he would take his sweet time checking me out. I understand how that could have come off as rude. But his response was NOT professional. I'm not only a regular customer because of instacart but also a personal sephora customer. I really like this location and the employees there are the best, but this interaction rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not looking forward to going back if Thomas is working. I tried to apologize at the end by saying I was trying to tell him I'm in a hurry in a joking way (I really did not want to hear about a product I would not use) and he said yeah well you were pretty rude. And he also threw some samples in the bag to thank me for my patience but in a petty way. The entire interaction just felt off. Maybe he was...

I have gone to the store twice with completely opposite experiences. The first day, the staff was really helpful despite the store being busy. I found it super helpful and informative, especially since I don't have much time to shop for cosmetics.

Today the service at Sephora was terrible. I went around 6 and the customer rep was rude and focused on talking with other reps. When I asked for samples, she gave me so little that it wasn't enough for a day. When I mentioned that the sample was very little to try out, she said that's why Sephora has a return policy.

She seemed to think I wasn't a good customer. I told her I had sun damage from going to the beach the last three months (I was traveling in Italy, Spain, Taiwan, and Tokyo) and was looking for new skin care products to help with wrinkles and sun damage. When I asked if I could have duplicate samples for my friend in the store (who just got her PhD and a new job), she said she had to see her first. When my friend came over, the rep was so unhelpful that we just left and the rep continued talking with her friends. When my friend had earlier asked for a sample of a different product, the same rep sent her away and told her to use the tester (which is why she asked for a sample in the first place). Here is a photo of the sample size moisturizer she gave. It was a throughly unpleasant...