Management: Too many managers or "DICs". You are told by one DIC that something is okay and then an hour later you're getting pulled aside and scolded like a child because the next DIC apparently doesn't think that is how something should be done. Management was extremely unapproachable. There method of managing involved public humiliation and looking at you like you're crazy for daring to ask a question or bother them. Then they act super confused and irritated when mistakes are made.
You are treated like a criminal. Bag checks anytime you leave the store. Apparently bag checks are common in the cosmetics world, but too bad they would steal your lunch time by checking the bags once you've already clocked out. And since a DIC has to check your bag; good luck finding one. So you've already lost about 5-8 minutes of your lunch break looking for a DIC to check your bag and then the physical act of going through your purse/jacket/wallet pocket-to-pocket.
Favoritism is very prevalent. Once the holiday season started to slow down hours were cut tremendously depending on whether you were "liked" or not. Some girls were working 35+ hours still while others who weren't liked as much were getting as little as 5-10 hours a week. Luckily they didn't hate me as much as they did other girls so I still had about 17-20 hours once holiday season slowed down. You can tell who the DIC's like and who they don't. They make it very obvious.
Since taking a 15 minute break isn't a law; except to get a lot of attitude if you darn ask for one. Eventually I stopped asking because I was tired of constantly being treated like I was a lazy employee. Fifteens should be encouraged so people who want one don't get treated differently for asking for one. Sometimes after standing for 4 hours it's nice to sit down for 15 minutes, but according to Sephora that is asking for too much.
Customers are not first at Sephora. I can’t even tell explain how many times I, and other seasonal workers, were snapped at because we darned help a client. One day I was asked to be a greeter. A woman walked in and asked me where Bare Minerals was (She clearly said she had never been in this Sephora before). I walked her towards the direction of the brand (Didn’t even walk her the entire way) and turned right back around to go back to the door to greet. I was then pulled aside and told I needed to POINT people in the direction and not move from the door. Another one of the girls I worked with was also greeting and a woman walked in asking her about a YSL lipstick, and so she briefly told the woman about the lipsticks, and she was given the same lecture and to send them in the way of the Color Experts. Remind you; this is during Holiday season when ALL of the employees are busy. A few hours later a woman came in and asked me about a primer. Since I was told I couldn’t move from the door, and pretty much told not to speak to customers I tried to find a Color Expert that could help her (Even though I was knowledgeable about the product) which to no surprise was pretty impossible so I went to the DIC and her response was “Tell her its going to be 10-15 minutes until someone can help her”. I was seriously asked to tell a customer to wait 10-15 minutes for a simple request. Of course the clients get annoyed and you're the one that has to deal with the attitude.
Inconsistent schedule. The schedule had been changed, without notice, on more than one occasion. Luckily I never missed work or came in late (just 3 hours early one day, which I was told since I was already there start working so that turned into an 11 hour shift), but I know a few other people who missed work because they were following the original schedule made since no one informed them about the change and they were given a lot of attitude even though it wasn't there fault.
Hard-work is not recognized. I don't need constant recognition, but if someone goes beyond for a client or doing a good job; recognition should be given. I, personally, was very good at signing people up for the Beauty Insider cards. On average I would get between 15-20 a day. Which is a lot, since most of the other cashiers didn't seem to ask if the client wanted to sign up; if they didn't already have one. Not once did any management take knowledge of this. In my interview I was told the Beauty Insider customer spends $50 more dollars a month than someone who isn't... So, if I got 20 BI a day that could be $1000 a month. But, they didn't care or didn't feel it was necessary to give recognition.
Overall; it was an awful experience. I dreaded going to work everyday which was very disappointing because I was a HUGE Sephora customer before I started working there. I don't even feel like shopping there anymore since I know how horrible the in's of the company are. I resigned and went back to my previous employee where I was making $1.50 less, but at least it wasn't a hostile work environment. Very disappointed.
