Ulta Beauty — Local services in Lynnwood

I am really dissatisfied with the sharp decline in the enjoyment and benefit of what used to be such a fun, empowering and valuable experience this store used to represent to me. I have been a loyal Ulta shopper since I first stepped foot in a Southern California store circa 2001. I have had delightful shopping and self pampering experiences at many of the California, Nevada and even Mississippi Ulta store locations. I have been an Ulta Beauty Club member as well as a diamond Ulta Credit card holder for many years as well.

Do NOT TRY TO BLAME the pandemic for the current level of incompetence + disregard the associates display towards store guests ,club/card members. The fact is that Ulta has been on a rapid decline in appeal, service, enjoyment and value well before this once innovative and exciting store became the joyless experience it now most definitely is. This Lynnwood store as well as the Federal Way and Redmond location are THE WORST. The associates are reliably CURT, UNHELPFUL, UNTHOUGHTFUL and mostly UNAPPRECIATIVE OF LOYAL customers like me.

Instead of walking the sales floor expecting every guest to be a shop lifter they could try walking the floor with the store guest to review and evaluate products. Especially when the customer has specifically requested guideance and advice about a particular product or cosmetic desire. I am so disgusted with the staff never taking as much time to help me as they do being parttime security guards. In particular there is a heavyset blonde manager at this Lynnwood location that gives the vibes of a disgruntled crooked cop. She insists on spying on me throughout my shopping adventure yet is unenthusiastic and reluctant to answer product questions or offer product advice. This store needs to figure out a different concept if anti theft is now the sole mission of the sales floor associate.

Also, I am really turned off by the cheap stingy way they have been about free samples since before 2020. When a diamond card member is making purchases in the hundreds of dollars range it would be cool to actually receive the promised free gift with purchase and useful samples. Today when i purchased over $300 in products including a full size designer fragrance I asked about any product promotions or free samples available. The clerk, Julia stated that she would "check and see' about samples but that I had a free gift with purchase not telling me which item qualified me for that ( I assumed it was the designer fragrance that was $123 per fluid oz). All she came back with was a low quality eyelash glue (my purchase contained already 2 other types of eyelash glue as well as magnetic lashes!!! DO I NEED MORE GLUE THAT COSTS LESS THAN THE ONES I WAS ALREADY BUYING????!!!!! NO!!!! My other "Freebie" to thank me as a guest today was a one use fragrance sample of a fragrance i do not wear, never bought, and I could tear a magazine open and smear myself with a comparable amount of the fragrance. When I asked the clerk again about free samples she said the two pieces of junk were the free samples. Then I asked about my free gift with purchase that she told me about at the beginning of the transaction. She stated those free samples were also the free gift with purchase. WOW THANKS FOR NOTHING! i In the past at Ulta I used to gladly be given samples. I did not get copies or lower quality versions of what I was purchasing . Rather the samples were inspired by the items purchased. In the good old days samples given at point of sale would always be upgrades and top of the line. The way Ulta used to treat loyal customers in regard to free samples made me feel as though the sales associate really paid attention to my tastes, trends needs and wants. Ulta has shown me for the last time now that to them I am invisible (unless its to catch a shoplifter), unimportant and disregarded.

ULTA YOU CAN GO TO THE PLACE WHERE ALL THE DEAD DUMB USELESS THINGS GO NOW. Although I miss the way we were. I hope the door hits you hard on the way out of business....

My friend and I walked in (she was looking to buy concealer and lipliner and I was looking to buy my usual pair of false lashes by Kiss that I always get) and when she got all the things that she was looking for, I was still looking for the pair of lashes, however when I looked at the website to see if they had any in stock, it notified me that they didn’t carry that specific style of lashes at the Alderwood location, so we just ended up deciding to head over to the Everett location as I was informed on the website that they had them there. Previous to us leaving, we already had a lady ask us if we needed help, to which we responded that we didn’t as we already knew what we were looking for. She just nodded and decided to walk off but both my friend and I had a weird feeling about the interaction so we just kept looking around. But after, when my friend and I decided to leave, we put everything that we were holding onto back on the shelves, and once we left, the same lady who had asked if we needed assistance stopped us before we reached the door holding a basket and asked us if we needed a basket to put our items into. I told her that we put everything back and that we were going to go to the Everett location to get our items since Alderwood didn’t have the lashes I wanted. However, she started to get very persistent, telling me “they had lashes” in this specific isle and that they could also order it for me online, but I just told her that Everett already has it in stock and on hand (plus I really needed it today since it was homecoming) and she just backed off after that. Once my friend and I left, my friend told me that the Lady (same lady who stopped us) was looking out the window and staring at my car while on the phone with who knows who. I came to the conclusion that she definitely thought my friend and I were shoplifters. I had already had my suspicions while I was in the store due to the way the Lady was talking and her overall body language, but I am still disappointed as I felt extremely uncomfortable and it completely ruined our shopping trip which is also a reason why we decided to leave. Overall, this was the worst experience I’ve had shopping at the Alderwood location, which is also why I prefer to shop at Everett instead (I did end up going to Everett Ulta right after this whole altercation and got what I needed.) Please fix your customer service and instead of looking around and assuming everyone is shoplifting, work on improving your customer service and making your customers feel welcome and...

This past Sunday, I recently went in and asked for assistance locating a product. I approached an employee who was at the benefit counter and asked if she was available for a question. I was meet with a heavy sign and was told “i have an eye brow app in 10 but what do you want.”

I apologize and told her i could ask someone else. as tone and delivery seemed to be inconvenient. She came around and said “it fine but i have to hurry…”

I quickly explained that was seeking product foundation that would help cover redness, to help cover some side effects of my health. I mentioned BB cream. She began explaining in a scolding tone on how BB is “no longer a thing” “its been discontinued because it didn't work” she has asked about what i had on and honestly i could remember and said “its just a drug store foundation” she made a face of confusion and was like “how do you not know what your wearing!?” -leaving myself feeling silly for asking my questions and not knowing.

She said “Its whatever, come on lets hurry!” and lead myself and my husband to the It cosmetics section-and recommended CC foundation. At this point i felt rushed & discouraged about the whole interaction and just said “Thanks”. She did offer to color match me but i think it was because she noticed i felt discouraged at this point. My husband declined as he could tell i was uncomfortable.

I did hastly make selection and checked out.

My husband encouraged this visit for myself as a picky me up, Living a ferry boat ride away & an hour away is no small trip to ulta. I came home to learn that BB cream had been rebrand into CC creams and products. however i wasn't left with the exciting feeling of wanting to go home and “play with my make up” and honestly haven't even tried the products I purchased even now.

as i write and reflect i do wish i would've just asked another associate for help.

To that lady, i remind you of the power of your job and platform, you have the ability to provided empathy and confidence in some who maybe struggling. More so am i writing to remind this employee that sometimes a 10 minute interaction can make difference and leave a...