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Survey Says... May 30th, 2012
- Your skin tone/coloring:
- Beauty store with the best return policy?
- Beauty store with the best customer service?
- Beauty store with the worst customer service?
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Skintone/coloring: Light, true neutral.
Best return policy: I’ve only returned to Sephora, so I don’t know of any others. I also like the fact they enter your info into a computer, so they can track how often you return, and why, to keep people fom abusing the policy.
Best CS: Again, Sephora. I really only go to two on a regular basis, but the SAs at both have gotten to know me, and they know what I like, so they don’t try to sell me anything. They just offer me a basket, and tell me what’s new, and let me browse on my own. Of course, they’re available if I need them.
Worst CS: I would have to say MAC. While there are some amazing SAs, the problem is that every time I’ve gone to a MAC store, it’s always understaffed. This wouldn’t be an issue if I could just grab my item(s) and pay, but everything is kept away from the customer, and I have to wait for someone to get it. Also, product is *always* understocked, and they never seem to clear off the displays, so I’ve stood around waiting for an SA, only to be told they were out. Again, many of the SAs are wonderful, but there are never enough.
1. Med beige/olive 2. Sephora 3. Sephora 4. MAC
Your skin tone/coloring: Olive Fair.
Beauty store with the best return policy: Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service: Sephora
Beauty store with the worst customer service: MAC had more issue over the years with them then anyone else.
Your skin tone/coloring: pinky/red
Beauty store with the best return policy? Nordstrom’s, Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Nordstrom’s .. there are tons of gals ready to help you
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Ulta. I swear, it took me three times to explain to a gal that was trying to ‘help me’, that I already had the Tarte Amazonion clay makeup and that I wanted the Tarte tinted moisturizer.
Your skin tone/coloring: fair with warm, pink undertones (NW 20)
Best return policy: Sephora
Best customer service: Mac, as long as it isn’t too crowded. Very rarely do they guide me wrong.
Worst customer service: Ulta isn’t great. But I’m also not a huge fan of the counters in department stores. The people who work there don’t seem to take as much of an interest and storefronts do.
Your skin tone/coloring: fair/cool undertones
Beauty store with the best return policy? sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? nordstrom
Beauty store with the worst customer service? BLUE MERCURY. came to post only for this. This place is so crappy, which is unfortunate because I can get my chanel there without having to travel all the way to the department stores, but everytime I go in there I am blatantly IGNORED. This isn’t a sometimes thing, it’s everytime. I don’t know if I’m dressed poorly or look homeless (im sure i don’t) but I am a paying customer and I deserve to helped. The worst is their snobbish attitudes when I do ask for help. Claiming they’re busy or whatever. The only time I can get them to get me anything is when I go in, stand around aimlessly for 20 minutes, go up to the counter, ask them to get me the product and get a miffed worker stomping off. They were convenient. Now I make the trip to nordies.
@MIRIANV I wonder if it is just that particular store. I’ve had great experiences with customer service at a blue mercury near me (really attentive, answered questions, helped me find specific products etc).
it was the store in Princeton. I really expected great service from them, but they treat me like I have cooties when I walk in.
Your skin tone/coloring: Light-Medium/Neutral
Beauty store with the best return policy? None with any after you’ve opened them here in Europe.. At least not that I know about? If I’m wrong please let me know! 🙂
Beauty store with the best customer service? Illamasqua
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC stores (everywhere) and the Nars counter at Selfridges (London)!
Your skin tone/coloring: Very fair with pink undertones
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Nordstrom
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Sometimes Ulta, sometimes Sally’s Beauty Supply
i am pretty surprised by everyone saying sephora as the best return policy since in me country we cant return any makeup anywhere, not even in sephora. i am very curious about how this actually works, if someone could answer me i would appreciated!! you can return an item by simply not liking it?
@greensocksrocks yeah, they let you return anything. for pretty much any reason. and you can return after a really long time too! like more than 90 days i think. it is really great. so sad that it isn’t like that were you are! 🙁
@greensocksrocks Yes! In the U.S., at most cosmetics stores you can return anything, even if it is opened, for any reason, really. As long as you have the product and the packaging, and some sort of proof of purchase. Most places just end up destroying the returned product, even if it’s sealed.
@greensocksrocks , you have 90 days to return something basically…even if you order it online (they provide a pre-paid shipping label for returns). I believe after a certain point you get store credit only, but the fact that they will even accept something used without question is amazing! It’s been great to not have to lose an insane amount of money because some product pissed off my sensitive skin. 🙂
I’m fair/medium with brown hair and eyes.
I love Sephora’s return policy, because I can return without a receipt – I lose them immediately!
Nordstrom probably wins for customer service overall, though – with Sephora as close second.
Worst that I’ve had personal experience with is the ELF online store – they shipped my package to the wrong address and were just a total pain to deal with!
Skin tone: nw/nc 15
Beauty store with best return policy: murale
Beauty store with best customer service: MAC Pro Store on queen street in Toronto, always so helpful, knowledgable and super sweet.
Beauty store with worst customer service: Ive never had a horrible time with customer service.. Maybe the bay, but even then it isn’t bad, just not as good as others such as sephora and Mac pro!
Your skin tone/coloring: very pale with warm undertones, burn easily
Beauty store with the best return policy? Nordstrom, hands down. They are wonderful.
Beauty store with the best customer service? Beauty store with the worst customer service? I live in the southeastern US (I am originally from the northeast) and I have rarely had bad service in general here, and have never had bad service in a beauty store in this area. Southerners where I live are very kind and polite, which I love.
skin tone: neutral
best return policy: SEPHORA!!!!
best costumer service: hmm depends…
worst service: most of the time, Mac
Your skin tone/coloring: Tan/Brown
Beauty store with the best return policy? Nordstroms
Beauty store with the best customer service? Sephora
Beauty store with the worst customer service? drug stores…they really need to step up their beauty customer service.
Skin tone: fair, tending a bit warm, almost yellow. I hate how my skin looks without a tan.Best reutrn policy: Sephora, hands down.
Best customer service: I’ve actually had great luck with the closest MAC counter – I’ve heard horror stories, but the guys and girls who work at mine are FANTASTIC, especially one girl who has remembered me for years, even though I rarely make it out there!
Worst customer service: One Ulta store I went to made me feel like they thought I was trying to steal something :/ I don’t go there anymore; the others I’ve been to are fine.
Your skin tone/coloring: Dark- NC50
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Sephora. I enjoy being greeted at the door and receiving personalized attention.
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC. I find myself waiting around a lot of times or being ignored.
Your skin tone/coloring: Dark Olive
Beauty store with the best return policy: Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Probably Sephora depending on the location
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC. I barely use MAC because of the horrible experiences I’ve had with their associates.
Your skin tone/coloring: Deep
Beauty store with the best return policy? Both Nordstrom and Sephora have excellent return policies. However if I had to pick one, I’d say Nordstrom is better.
Beauty store with the best customer service? Nordstrom.
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC MUAs at their counters. I had one particular experience recently when I was looking for Heroine l/s 2 weeks after the Reel Sexy Collection came out. I saw it and asked if they had anymore and the girl said no. I went over to the Bobbi Brown counter where I had a friend who had just moved from the MAC counter to BB. I told her I was interested in the l/s during our convo. She went back over to MAC and looked at the tester, which looked fairly new. She asked the girl I originally talked to if they had any and she replied no. My friend said the tester looked new and if an extra shipment came in. The girl said she didn’t know but told my friend to look. My friend looked and there were like 7 tubes of Herione and Pink Popcorn l/s. That lazy heffa just didn’t want to take the time to look for it. Horrible service. Thats why I use one person (with 2 back up people depending on who is available) from whom i purchase my beauty products. I can’t stand half-***ness.
Your skin tone/coloring: Light Olive, basically. I usually have to mix a pale creamy yellow shade with an olive shade to get the right mix.
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora.
Beauty store with the best customer service? MAC PRO in Texas!
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC. My MAC has only ever had one or two girls that were great. I can’t even stick around there for long because the service sucks so bad. They never have shit, they act rude as fuck, and they never know what they are talking about. I can’t take it. It actually makes me angry to go there, lol.
fair with pink undertones
Sephora
Nordstrom. Sephora is very good too!
Dinair Airbrush makeup. they were rude and it took 3 months to process my return!!!
Your skin tone/coloring: Medium brown/Mac NC50
Beauty store with the best return policy? Nordies
Beauty store with the best customer service? honestly, none of them have impressed me.
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Sephora. Too snobby, pushy to be that ill-informed.
Your skin tone/coloring: fair to medium
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora!
Beauty store with the best customer service? Sephora!
Beauty store with the worst customer service? For me, it’s been Ulta. I always get a slight attitude from the associates at my Ulta & if I try to return something there it’s VERY UNCOMFORTABLE! So I only go to Ulta if I know exactly what I need & don’t plan on returning it!
Store with best return policy: Sephora and CVS. Sephora has always been good about returns, but then they try to talk you into buying something else. CVS though never asks questions. They just do their thing. I appreciate that.
Store with best customer service: I’d have to say Sephora. I have never had a problem with anyone at any of the Sephora’s I’ve been in. They are sometimes a little too helpful in pushing products on you and I wish more of them would give me honest opinions. For the most part everyone is helpful though and willing to give you samples and test products.
Store with worst customer service: Pretty much any of the beauty counters in department stores. Most people say MAC counters, but I’ve found the customer at most of the counters aren’t too great. MAC people do drive me crazy though because they always want to argue with me about my skin coloring and what works well with my skin type.
Your skin tone/coloring: Medium and warm.
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora or Macy’s. I’ve returned things at both places, and they never gave me any sort of problem or made me feel guilty for returning it.
Beauty store with the best customer service? Probably Sephora.
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC. As someone said before, there’s never enough people, and when they’re all doing makeovers, you know you’re never going to get any help. Like, they won’t even make eye contact with you. I know they can’t run away, but a “hi! I’ll be with you in a moment” couldn’t hurt. And I feel like every time I go, they’re out of something I need. And on top of that, they can be rude, which is disappointing, because some of the employees are really nice. But I had one girl once make me feel like a liar when I wanted to exchange something. Ever since then, I’ve stuck to the people who work there who I know will treat me fairly.
Your skin tone/coloring: NC50
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Sephora
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC cosmetics. I only visit MAC counters to compare the colors of products in person, but I always shop with them online. Of the many MAC stores and counters I have visited, I have consistently found that MAC associates are by far the snobbiest and least helpful. I have had the worse beauty store experiences with them from being ignored to being treated like a common criminal. If their lipsticks and tinted lipglasses weren’t my favorite lip products, I’d honestly never shop there!
Your skin tone/coloring: Medium olive
Beauty store with the best return policy? Nordstrom! Although Sephora is a close second
Beauty store with the best customer service? Nordstrom, definitely!
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Ugh, Ulta. I go out of my way to avoid Ulta at all costs. Too many bad experiences
Your skin tone/coloring: light with yellow undertones.
Beauty store with best return policy: Sephora
Beauty store with best customer service: Sephora, at least every location I’ve been to so far.
Beauty store with worst customer service: Ulta – specifically the Palmdale, CA location! I’ll never set foot in any of their stores or shop online at Ulta ever!
Your skin tone/coloring: fair with gold
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Sephora
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Ulta – they only seem to hire idiots at minimum wage…these girls can’t seemto even find the shampoo isle when asked. I always hear “well i am new, so I don’t know…” i can’t wait forthem to fo out of business!
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair, ruddy cheeks, yellow undertone
Beauty store with the best return policy: Nordstroms, Wilmington, DE
Beauty store with the best customer service: It’s a tie between Nordstroms, Wilmington, DE and Houppette in Greenville DE. Excellent CS in both places. No fuss, no hassles, they know their stock, they keep an eye out for my faves and what they think I might like and give me a call. Top service and stock.
Beauty store with the worst customer service: Ulta – not REALLY bad, just so sub-par when compared to Nordstroms or Houppette. Basically have no idea what they have, and are usually too busy talking to each other or their friends to gave me more than a second glance.
light to medium skin, Nordstrom best returns and Nordstrom best customer service
Worst would be Saks, they are in serious need company wide to step up there cosmetic customer service.
Your skin tone/coloring: I’m fair in the winter/ light-medium in the summer with neutral undertones.
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora, for sure.
Beauty store with the best customer service: I would say my local MAC girls. They are so nice and they are friendly and helpful but not hovering and pushy.
Beauty store with the worst costumer service: The Clinique counter at my local Macy’s. They are super slow and I was once waiting for 20 minutes before I was acknowledged!
Skin ton/coloring: Fair-light with neutral undertones
Beauty store with the best return policy: Sephora
Best customer service: I would say Sephora or Ulta. I found it surprising that people said that Ulta had bad customer service. A few months ago, an Ulta opened up in my town and they were very nice to my mom and I. But maybe that’s because they’ve just opened.
Worst customer service: MAC in Macy’s. They always turn their noses up at me because I’m young thinking that I don’t know/won’t buy anything. One of the reasons why I’d rather shop online.
Skin tone/coloring: Light with pink undertones
Best return policy: Sephora
Best customer service: Hands down is Nordstroms….I love every single person that works there. They are amazing always.
Worst service: Sally’s beauty. At the one near me, the SA’s all seem deeply depressed and mope around the store being unhelpful. If you do, God forbid, need to be rung up they act as if they are doing you a favor, plus they are so slow and clueless that it’s ridiculous. Last time I even gave up my discount just to get out of there as the girl could NOT figure that whole thing out. Really sad. I left there feeling depressed for like an hour afterwards….it’s like it catchy and they send some out with you…..yikes!!!
Your skin tone/coloring: fair with pink undertone
Beauty store with the best return policy? sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? nordstrom
Beauty store with the worst customer service? sephora (the “how can i help you?” enquiries an incessant)
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair Olive with Pink and Yellow tones.
Beauty store with the best return policy? I’ve never returned a beauty product.
Beauty store with the best customer service? Sephora!
Beauty store with the worst customer service? I don’t like cosmetic counters and I’ve gotten attitude from Ulta workers before. I went in 5 minutes before closing to grab something and the woman got really snippy with me for coming in so late. I applied to work at a new store, so hopefully I can change the perception a bit; at least at this one store!
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair with cool undertones
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Right now I’m pretty underwhelmed with MAC. I sent a brush in to be exchanged because it wouldn’t stop shedding dye – they were quick to respond to my initial email, but it took almost a month for them to actually process it and send me a new one. All I received was an empty envelope because the brush broke through the packaging. I e-mailed on Friday afternoon and haven’t heard back a response yet about getting them to send me a new replacement. Feeling real underwhelmed now.
Skin coloring? Light-ish medium with yellow undertones. After years of trying to make myself fairer and pinker, I’m finally happy with my natural tone.
Returns? I’m not a returner.
Best customer service? Almost any Sephora I’ve visited. A few exceptions here and there, but almost always helpful, knowledgeable, resourceful and friendly. Not true, however, when it comes to Sephora.com – general culture there is “pass the buck to the next person.” Wish its online service would catch up with its brick-and-mortar version.
Worst customer service? Ulta, by far. Been to many Ultas and the staffs have been disinterested (they tend to avoid eye contact), rarely helpful and – hate to be judgmental here but – don’t have the personal style that would inspire me to ask their advice. Website’s not good either: not easy to navigate, never quite works right. And Ulta’s member rewards program promotions and discounts have more qualifiers attached than an airline’s. I wish they’d figure out how to get their act together and give competitors a run for the money.
Your skin tone/coloring: Medium Tan – Tan skin with yellow undertones.
Beauty store with the best return policy: Sephora and Nordstrom.
Beauty store with the best customer service: Nordstrom
Beauty store with the worst customer service: Urban Decay – they are so pushy and judgemental when you try to exchange something.
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair with cool pink undertones
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Mac / Sephora depending on location
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Macys – especially the Clinique counter / Saks
Your skin tone/coloring: very fair, neutral-leaning-cool. (foundations i wear: l’oreal true match in N1, MAC matchmaster in 1.0, MUFE HD in 115, Lancome Teinte Idole 24 hr in 110C, Tarte amazonian clay full coverage in Fair, Clinique in Calming Alabaster) Blue-grey eyes. I’m naturally a very ashy dark blonde, but I’ve gone brunette and looked good too, and am currently redhead and look alright that way too! I think I look worst in my natural color!
Beauty store with the best return policy? Nordstrom, probably – no time limit, if I remember right!
Beauty store with the best customer service? My local Lush or my local Nordstrom MAC counter. Always very friendly, and they remember me and my preferences.
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Probably the Sephora downtown. I’ve wandered for fifteen minutes without anyone even saying hello. :/
Your skin tone/coloring: Illamasqua 4.5 (fair w/cool undertones)
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Estee Lauder counter
Beauty store with the worst customer service? My local Dior counter
Coloring: Very Fair with pink undertones.
Best Service: I’ve never had exceptional service at any store or counter. I tend to either order online or if I do choose to go in-store, I know exactly what I’m looking for and don’t need to much assistance.
WORST Service: One of the few times I went into Ulta needing genuine help, I asked one of the makeup-artist/Prestige cosmetic assistants to help me find a heavy duty foundation/concealer to cover a tattoo. She was short, snippy, and didn’t give me time to explain my particular situation. She then proceeded to grab my arm, try and cover my tattoo even when i asked her to stop. The icing on top of the cake? She put aerosol foundation on a BRAND NEW SCAR on my arm, one that hadn’t healed over yet, just to see how well it would cover. I felt like a test dummy, and had to ask her to remove it once it began to burn.
Beauty store with the best return policy? I try not to return so I dont know. Nordstrom?
Beauty store with the best customer service? Macy’s…I am easy going so I dont really know.
All the dept stores are always so nice to me. Nordstrom is good too.
Beauty store with the worst customer service? I must say SEPHORA. Sephora is not like the dept stores. Those people hovering around dont help you…they are only making sure you dont steal. There is a prevailing attitude with Sephora. Why do you display all the product if you wont let me choose which one I want? The dept store sales people help me choose what I want….not lecture me when I am choosing. I may test products at Sephora, but I will not buy from Sephora again…not even with Friends and Family sale. Sephora can keep their “free” samples.
Skin tone/coloring: Fair with cool, pink undertones
Store with best return policy? I very rarely exchange anything, so I’ve never quite had a problem with any particular store. Sephora is surprisingly lenient, to my memory. They were willing to return a used foundation from a friend of mine who just had too many breakout problems with it.
Store with best customer service? My local Sephora and Ulta are actually quite nice, and the majority of the counters at my Nordstrom’s are well run.
Store with worse customer service? There’s acutally no single store I’d single out as terrible, but I do tend to find the MAC counters where I live to occasinally have understaffing issues, which becomes a bit irksome when you have a questin and everybody is tied up doing makeovers. It’s not by any means awful, though, since they do staff properly on LE launch days.
Your skin tone/coloring: MAC NC20-25; a little darker in the summer months
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora, definitely! Although I really try hard not to return things and to make sure I love it before I buy it.
Beauty store with the best customer service? Sephora once again. I’ve rarely had an issue, but when I have, it’s been handled wonderfully.
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Blue Mercury. I’m not sure if they’re just local to where I live (Philadelphia) but they have easily been the most nightmarish of all my beauty experiences!
■Your skin tone/coloring: Olive/Medium
■Beauty store with the best return policy? Hmm…Not sure. I rarely return anything. HA!
■Beauty store with the best customer service? I’d say my local Ulta, Sephora and Nordstrom MAC counter.
■Beauty store with the worst customer service? My local Macy’s MAC Counter. They are AWFUL. They never acknowledged me when I’d go in there. Now, I don’t even bother going there anymore. I may stop by and browse, but then go to Nordstrom to make my purchases.
Your skin tone/coloring: Quite pale, neutral but almost cool. Beauty store with the best return policy? I rarely return anything.Beauty store with the best customer service? Lush, always very friendly and willing to do demos and give samples. Gloss is good too, the girls that work there are friendly and not push when it comes to sales. Beauty store with the worst customer service? Sephora. The sales associates are always quite rude and act suspicious of me =
Your skin tone/coloring: Dark
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora
Beauty store with the best customer service? Murale
Beauty store with the worst customer service? Sally Beauty Supply
Your skin tone/coloring: very fair with neutral undertones
Beauty store with the best return policy? Nordstrom-I recently exchanged a Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua that I had bought in the wrong color LAST MAY for the correct color with no issue
Beauty store with the best customer service? Nordstrom counters, some sephoras
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC I absolutely loathe their return policy. No in-store exchanges for online purchases? WHAT?
Your skin tone/coloring: Tan with minor gold undertones
Beauty store with the best return policy? Sephora, Nordstrom would be a close one, but I rarely return items from Nordstrom compared to Sephora. (Nationwide)
Beauty store with the best customer service? Neiman Marcus Guerlain counter at San Francisco, California. I love Mina Kim a lot and she’s really good at doing my make up! (She’s there Saturdays and Thursdays. She is really good at doing natural looks and everyday looks, nothing too dramatic though.)
Beauty store with the worst customer service? MAC counter Walnut Creek, California, they really don’t pay attention to you, I only go there to take advantage of a lower sales tax in Contra Costa, but normally I would go to Pleasanton to buy my items.
1. Medium beige or Light medium
2. Sephora
3. Sephora & Mac Store
4. Macy’s Mac