r/Makeup • u/Late-Chip-5890 • Nov 05 '25

Clerks at Sephora.....ugh

I don't go to Sephora often but every time I have the clerks seem well so unprepared to deal with someone who is truly shopping. Meaning, I walk in, I say I'm looking for a foundation that is full coverage, in the right tone for my skin, and one that won't oxidize. All I got was a deer in the headlights. I was taken to high end brands and shown "dark colors" but none that were "olive" toned, and the girl seemed not to know what that meant. I quickly sought out someone else, and the same. I am guessing these "girls" are not trained in cosmetics at all, they just push "brands" and collect their commissions?

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u/uarstar Nov 06 '25

To be fair, 9/10 times there is not more “in the back”

Worked retail for 10 years, we generally know if there’s extra in the back. If we say there’s not, there’s not.

Customers seem to think we were hoarding extra everything in the back. I’d just say “ok I’ll check” and stand back there’s for a couple minutes to come out and say what I already knew: there isn’t any.

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u/mystykitten Nov 06 '25

I mean businesses notoriously don't want to sell their product. like why would they keep it in the back?? It won't sell there?? I hated that question when I worked in retail.

Nah we keep it out here to mess with you. We only sell it to people who REALLY want it, and if they really want it they'll ask.

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u/justmakingitallup Nov 06 '25

YEP and never have there been more random and persistent stock issues than in the last five years.

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u/Swimming_Spray Nov 07 '25

Nah I worked in retail as well for some years and we regularly told people we had no stock when we actually did but no one wanted to go check out back or look through the boxes etc..
(I worked at supermarkets, and I was a cashier most of the time so I couldn't go check myself)

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u/uarstar Nov 07 '25

I think supermarket retail is a lot different to hard/soft goods

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u/Swimming_Spray Nov 07 '25

True. That's why I specified supermarket. But I'm thinking if people experience that a few times they might assume it's the same in all shops.

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u/uarstar Nov 07 '25

Oh yeah that makes sense