SEPHORA — Local services in San Francisco

I had such an awful experience with one of the sales associates this Monday just gone. I have been using my lunch breaks to come here as I am shopping for makeup for a special occasion. When I arrived around 1pm, there were practically no customers, but I couldn't find anyone to help me. Eventually I managed to speak to one associate and I told her I just needed someone to check if they had the products I wanted (because I couldn't find them in the drawers). So she told me she would find someone and ask them to meet me at the ABH stall. A whole 20 minutes later, no one came, and I had to leave. So when I got back to work, I thought I'll just order these products online and collect them from the store after work. So I ordered online at around 2:50pm. I got to the store around 4:30pm and I thought I would try my luck. So I found an associate who was at the ABH stall by the door. And I said "excuse me, would it be possible to check the status of my pickup order?" She looked up at me like I had personally insulted her, and then snapped at me "did you get an email saying it was ready." So I said no, and I started to explain: "I just placed the order and thought I would stop by---" she literally CUT ME OFF mid sentence and said "I don't know why you think the order is ready. If you didn't get an order it's not ready." Honestly, I felt SO attacked for NO REASON. I wasn't trying to tell her my order was ready, I was literally just asking if it was possible to check on the status. I was GOING to say that if it'll take another 20 minutes, I could just keep looking around until it's ready, but if it'll be tomorrow then I would just drop by during my lunch tomorrow. So I told her that "I was just trying to see if it's possible to check my status. There is no need to be so rude" and then she jabbed back "I'm obviously picking up for an order. I have my basket of products here. I don't know who told you your order was ready. They're wrong." And I said "I get that. I wasn't saying my order was ready." AND THEN she literally said "ok." and then turned away from me to continue grabbing products. She didn't apologise for losing it. She just shut me off. I can't even explain what happened, and I thought about whether or not I should write this because I get it, we all have bad days. But I just don't think that experience was ok. If you had a terrible day, that doesn't mean you can take your anger out on another person, let alone a paying customer. Anyway, after that experience I've decided to stop shopping at Sephora. Real shame that experience has ruined my view of the store. (Oh also, 2 of the 5 items I ordered to collect were not actually...

Ah, the hallowed Sephora. I was looking for a foundation, eyebrow gel, and dark lipstick. The non-artiste staff were very pleasant and welcoming. Two experiences are responsible for my rating:

1. Foundation: I was allotted an artist by one of the staff. This artist had previously greeted me with something of a half-smile and then completely ignored my existence. Fine, maybe that's not his brief. When I informed him I needed foundation, he thought it pertinent to pose the following question:

"Do you want one in your shade, or something lighter?" May I remind you, staff of Sephora, that the year is 2016? I am a dark girl looking for a dark foundation. I imagine that some persons of colour habitually look to lighten, but that is a customer request. It can never, ever come from the staff. After I refused a light shade in shock, the artist proceeded to show me shades a full 4 levels darker than mine- despite that I was telling him which one I knew I was closest to. Could he maybe have listened to what I was saying? Is that too much to expect?

2. Eyebrow gel - I went with a different artist for this one. She was competent enough, although lacking in pleasantness. The overall impression I got was of a fly being deftly swatted before moving on to fly no. 12 for the day. Call me a tough customer, but I have expectations. Like many other Sephora customers, I work in a company, and makeup is exactly half an hour of my day. Is it improper to expect that someone who spends 8+ hours of their day on makeup should be able to make their customers feel pretty, not just 'handled'?

After Sephora - where I didn't feel like purchasing anything, despite the eyebrow gel - I wandered into Bloomingdales, where I got put into a comfortable chair and lavished with products to make my skin "dewy". When I let down a really nice artist saying her dark lipstick was not dark enough, she offered me a spray of perfume just to make up for it. She even asked me what kind of perfume I'd like! I bought the foundation and lipstick I wanted from different counters at Bloomingdales, just cause service.

Take note, Sephora. Being nice is part of customer service, even...

I went to this location with three friends on yesterday evening with the intent to purchase the Fenty Beauty Collection that came out recently. All four of us wanted to get color matched but at least four shades were sold out and no testers were available. However I was able to get matched was turned out to be the wrong shade. I was matched as a 480 which is the 2nd to darkest shade (the other shades I'm sure I matched closely with was sold out). Now i don't wear makeup often but i do know that about the shade ranges and all of that. Now after being "matched anotger associate (a guy) helped me get the bridge and the primer and the color sticks. I honestly wanted the whole collection which included the lip gloss and the shimmer and color sticks. He just seemed to be in a hurry but fine whatever. Now the first lady who assisted me have himthe foundation she matched me with and he asked her what shade was it and her reply was "480" he seems confused so he repeated 480? As if he questioned what she said. At that point I further knew she hadn't matched me correctly. Now a day later I'm back in Louisiana and I finally decided to see how the foundation really looks and just like I suspected it is was too dark!! I've actually been matched as a 440 NOT 480. Now im upset becaue I waited forever for assistance than i was matched wrong! It's okay though becaue I plan on returning everything (about $200) worth of product and I'll re buy with the associate that helped me and actually educated me on the entire Fenty collection. Also, the guy who helped me was tfy9nf to get me to buy diffrent product brushes BUT I made it clear I On My wanted the Fenty collection. Never again will I shop at this location and I will also inform the reps from Fenty about my ordeal. I will also let them know that this particular location isn't intrested in pushing the branded Fenty Products together even though I stated exactly what i wanted and price...