Terrible customer service & Inadequate inventory!
For Christmas, My husband purchased my mom a Clinique lipstick (from Ulta on Market Place). Unfortunately, I purchased her the same exact lipstick (from Belks). Therefore, we needed to return 1. We decided to return the Ulta lipstick. My husband gave me the orange Ulta bag & the receipt and off we went to Ulta...
My mom and I arrive at Ulta and there is a large line at the register, so we try to find a salesperson on the floor to help us find a replacement color so that we can exchange the lipstick. Unfortunately, there was nobody around, so we hunted down the Clinique area and began to look through alternative color options. What a bummer! The shelves that hold the lipstick do not "pull out", therefore its very difficult to even see the products, let alone try to read all of the color names. We thought the selection was very limited and decided to stand in line to see if they had any additional colors.
We get to the front of the line and explain (to the manager) that we would like to exchange 1 lipstick for a different color but needed some assistance as we could not find anybody and there were limited options. She called over a salesperson (who was the most friendly of the staff there). She showed us the limited stock and said "i wish these shelves would pull out" (we couldn't agree more!). Then she mentioned that their supply was low and to come back at another time. Um, i asked - how long will that be? She replied a few days till the truck comes. At this point, we just wanted to get this over with, therefore mom picked one of the colors that were in stock. Next step...do a simple exchange (or so we thought).
Again we wait in line, as we were the next to be waited on (the 3 cashiers that were once there are now down to 1 - who had a customer). The manager asked another employee to open a register and continued to tell her about stocking products, somebody's lunch hour, etc. So once they were done chatting, i opened the orange Ulta bag with the Receipt and the lipstick to be returned.
The cashier asks me - what's your phone number? I gave her my phone number. She said No, you are not in the system. I said well, i do not shop here, so I am probably not in your system, here is the paid receipt, my husband purchased this lipstick for my mother and we just would like to do an even exchange.
She then proceeded to explain that the "correct phone number" must be given or else i won't receive the exact price for the lipstick - i will receive a "lesser amount". I said wait a minute - i have the receipt right here, it was only purchased a few days ago for A christmas present, just use the receipt, its just an even exchange for a different color lipstick.
Then the clerk tells me No, she must have the exact phone number to match the purchase. I am thinking to myself...my mom is a senior, if she came in here alone to exchange this, she would't know my husband's cell phone number and shouldn't have too to make a simple exchange.
The Manager steps in at this point and i explain my dissatisfaction about this "mystery phone number" process. She explains its their system, but tells the clerk to "over ride it" so that it can be processed. The Manager steps away and the clerk tries to process without the phone number, no luck. She has to get the manager Again and together they still can't process it! This is rediculous! Another clerk/manager (??) comes by and we have to explain again that its a simple exchange with the receipt - after a few minutes of manipulating the system it finally gets done. We felt very uncomfortable and frustrated through this process.
Along the way, the staff was not friendly, not helpful, seemed very cold, condescending and rude. The one manager tried to give a reason for this but never a true apology.
Attention Ulta Upper Management - you have a flaw in your process! A customer should have a seamless process to exchange a product with a valid receipt!
What you are basically saying is that any product purchased cannot be returned unless you know the "gift givers" phone number. Well, thats not always possible. What if you do not know the person's number?
We will take our business to Belk's. When i purchased Clinique lipstick there, the rep was pleasant and extremely helpful!
It should not take 3 Ulta employees to process a simple return.
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