It's funny, I think a customers experience here may be very much based on who ends up serving them. My shopping experience was actually five star, you have to read on to find out why it's a 3 (actually 2 1/2 ;).
I couldn't have had better service than from Jake. He was helpful, patient, gave fantastic advice, but was never the least bit pushy. I listened when he gave some strong recommendations, even purchasing something I wasn't originally interested in, and it turned out to be one of my best makeup purchases, ever. Mostly I knew what I needed when I arrived so I mainly required help finding them (although it's pretty easy as the shop is well laid out).
The review would have been five star if one little issue hadn't alerted me to some problems. Later on as I was going over my receipt, I noticed that Jake had run up one of my products under a different product name. It was only a $4 difference between the products, but hey, that's my $4, so I called the shop hoping to a. Thank him for his awesome recommendations, and b. Mention the different product to the one I bought on my receipt and see how he would want to handle it (I live 1 1/2 hrs out of the city). Maybe I'd have let it go, but I'm not in the habit of throwing money away, and that $4 is a nice new powder puff or a third of a jar of RCMA powder.
Well, Jake wasn't there, so I explained to the guy on the phone that I was calling to thank Jake for his excellent service yesterday and to mention that one of the products on my receipt was different to the one I purchased and gave the names. This guy told me that they were more or less the same price, there's really no difference between the two pricewice so it's no big deal. He didn't tell me the discrepancy in price (I already knew the price of the foundie). So I said 'yeah, I think at most it's like a few bucks, not a huge deal', at which point he worked out I knew the prices and he immediately got an attitude and told me 'well, there's nothing I can do unless you come back in so I can see a receipt and your credit card'. I told him I wouldn't be able to come in as I don't live in the city, and his response was 'well I can't help you then'. It truly seemed ridiculous - like a throwback to times when companies could get away with poor customer service. I mean, my money was just effectively stolen (doesn't matter that it was a little), and the guy is actually acting as if I am causing him a hassle!
The kicker however was when he said he was so happy I had gotten such great service at the store, and that he'd really appreciate me writing a review on Yelp! I couldn't believe the total lack of self awareness.
Perhaps it would be better if Alcone gave some training to their staff. Real simple stuff like: treat customers as you'd like to be treated. Bare bones. Then again, if it truly is policy of Alcone to require a customer to travel back to the store in person should there be a mistake with their bill, then we know why Alcone has trouble giving decent customer service. With companies, the mindset/attitude/problems nearly always come down from the top. How easily I could have photographed my receipt and unopened box and faxed, emailed, texted it to the shop and given my credit card details over the phone then and there and had it fixed in minutes if the store and/or salespersons position was about serving customers vs protecting the store from evil customers trying to do the store ill.
That all said, I would definitely go back and shop in store, although I will thoroughly check my receipt next time. They have many of the great products I love (some of their stuff is overpriced - especially the Le maquillage or rebranded for consumers Limelight or whatever they call it- PAM in the U.K. is much better) and the range and organization is fantastic for a quick stop in for seeing things in person you've been weighing up about buying online for a while. I actually have no problem with a NY attitude when shopping, I just take it that there is pride in the product/brand that the salespeople really absorb and feel a part of which is cool with me. Try living in or visiting Paris for a reality check. I do take exception to dishonesty and total lack of interest in refunding overcharged bills. read more