An Illinois woman was left upset after refusing to provide her information to Sephora employees, only for them to try to give her points to strangers.
The customer shared a video online showing her speaking with two Sephora employees. It appeared that the employees wanted to give her points to other customers, prompting her to say that she did not know them and question why they would want to give them her points. She also wrote over the video, “Is this ethical?”
The next part of the video showed her inside her car as she explained what happened. She said she was in a hurry and had gone to the store to buy sunscreen. The cashier then asked her to provide her phone number, but she said she did not want to and did not need a receipt.
The employee then asked the customer to provide her email address, which she also did not want to do. “I can tell she was getting mad,” the woman said, referring to the cashier. She alleged that the cashier then approached other customers and asked if they wanted to receive her points. She allegedly requested their email addresses so the points could be added to their accounts. “Without my consent,” she wrote over the video.
What the cashier said left the customer confused. She questioned why the employee would use someone else’s information for her purchase. The customer claimed that the manager then told her they did this regularly. The manager alleged asked, “what’s the big deal” if other people earned her points. She also claimed that customer service told her the manager was wrong and that corporate would contact her.
As she continued explaining the situation, the customer wrote over the video that what happened amounted to “harassing & intimidating customers.” She then asked viewers, “tell me I’m wrong.” She also claimed that the customers the cashier approached began providing their information to receive her points.
The upset customer also wrote that she “didn’t mean no harm.” She then accused the staff of preventing her from completing her purchase. The woman then shared a continuation of the initial video showing her confronting the cashier. “She refused to let me purchase without an account,” she wrote over the video, referring to the cashier.
What Happened Next
As the woman again questioned why the employees wanted to give her points to strangers, the manager asked her, “does it matter who gets them?.” The customer then claimed that the cashier told her it hurt her if she did not sign up or receive her points. When the woman questioned the cashier again about what she planned to do, the employee smiled and told her, “because it helps me.”
The situation continued as the manager told the customer, “I think you’re putting too much thought into it.” The woman responded, “You should know better,” as the argument continued. The video ended with the manager arguing back. The woman also wrote over the footage, “Manager acting like she didn’t hear or say what she said.”
Along with the video, she shared a lengthy caption about the incident. She tagged Sephora and wrote, “Do you train your stuff [sic] to harass, intimidate and bully paying customers whether or not we have an account?.” She also accused both the cashier and the manager of bullying her. It was unclear how Sephora would handle the situation.
Viewers Divided After Seeing Illinois Woman’s Video
Viewers online were divided over the incident involving the Illinois woman at Sephora. Some sided with the employees while others believed that she had a right to be upset. “It’s the principal. Both the cashier and managers attitudes suck. Your name and last four digits of your CC would have been on that other customers account if they would have processed it. You have a valid reason to question their behavior,” one person wrote. Another person questioned why the employees made such an issue out of the rewards points. “So you can’t just pay and go? Why are they making a big deal about rewards,” they said.
On the other hand, several people sided with the employees, with one person asking, “Am I the only one on the employee side?!” Another person agreed, responding, “Nope! People give other people points and discounts all the time. This lady is being extra.”
The video left viewers questioning how much personal information customers should be expected to provide when making a purchase. It also brought attention to the issue of who should have control over rewards points. This is in addition to whether employees should be able to redirect points to other customers.
