I was so excited for the new Pacific Commons Sephora that I dragged my poor boyfriend out on a Friday evening to their grand opening. The DJ, mini cupcakes, macaroons, and booze were a nice treat. The perfume employee was very attentive in helping us discover new scents based on our preferences and packing samples. Although the skincare employee was obviously busy, she still helped point me in the right direction of Laniege's lip sleeping mask. Lots of others were also helpful, occasionally asking whether I needed help or if I needed a basket.
What started out as a great experience then went downhill fast. The e-mail invitation we received mentioned a purchase of $25+ for a complimentary tote bag, and I noticed some customers swiping them out of the bins as I browsed the store. Not just one single bag, some people took more without the employees saying anything. As expected, there'd be long lines; however, it wasn't clear that a separate line had formed for customers who wanted to pay by card.
Finally, I'm next for the register, and they run out of bags with the customers before me around 6:50pm. Big scene and upset customers. I get up there and I'm told ApplePay doesn't work when her card reader clearly says ApplePay. Then I'm told my card is declined. I try it again. Declined. And I'm sooooooo embarrassed, because it worked earlier at lunch. Now I'm holding up this long line digging through my wallet. Not enough cash, so I frantically grab my debit card. Then I'm told a bag is 10 cents instead of offering it in lew of the tote. I felt rushed and wasn't asked if I wanted to use my reward points.
I left fuming with the 3 Dr.Jart+ rubber masks in hand without my credit card's cash back rewards, reward samples, nor a bag. I immediately call up my credit card about to cuss someone out, and they tell me they never even received a transaction and that it was the merchant's POS machines. I try my card again elsewhere, and it works.
All in all, Sephora needs to get their POS together and should have anticipated that they didn't have infinite bags ahead of time. Looks I'll be doing my shopping online for a while. read more