Let me be very clear - I'm not reviewing L'Occitane's products in this review, but the store…read moreitself. I love L'Occitane, and I love the stores, but upon visiting the Broadway Shopping Centre outlet, I have experienced something called "too much customer service".
I walked into the L'Occitane outlet in Broadway to buy my regular bottle of shampoo.
I was immediately approached by one of the sales women...let's just call her "D". She asked me if I needed any help? I said no thanks, I knew what I wanted. She left me alone and walked back to the cash register.
I approached to cash register to pay for my $42 bottle of shampoo (maybe I should also review how damn expensive their products are!). D asked me if I needed anything else? No thank you, I replied. She paused, and then said asked me if I had ever used anything from their skincare line? I mumbled yes, and asked her to proceed with my payment. Which ones, she asked.
Holy f***...is this a test? I am not prepared.
I mumbled some product names. She pursed her lips and corrected me. No ma'am, those aren't from our skincare line...those are from our body line.
Yeah because I have scales all over my body, not skin doh!
She insisted I review some skincare products. Okay, I sighed. She pointed to about six products that I could use, rattling off their uses one after another. I stopped her after cream/foam/exfoliator number 6 and said that I already had a skincare regime. I had a moisturizer, an exfoliator, a make up remover, a facialist, a masseuse, a manicurist, a pedicurist, a chauffeur, a food taster, a bottom wiper, a proxy voter, and an Asian kid in my basement who does all my math homework for me. See??
She was not impressed, but gradually began to realize her chances of making a sale began to diminish. As any good salesperson would do, she focused on what I did not have, or what was "missing" from my regime. Ahh! You don't have a toner, she said. And this sublime cream thing. And that moisturizing thing that does other wondrous things to your face.
Like what? Will it make me look exactly like 'Yonce or Kimmy K? If yes, then I'll buy it. No? I'll still look like me? Oh well then f*** off.
She then offered to do a 'on-the-spot' skincare demo for me...on me. I was not okay with this and muttered an excuse saying I had to head to Coles downstairs to pick up some groceries.
She said okay. But then changed her mind immediately and said "Look it's not going to take much time." Upon which she cracked open a bottle of something, poured it into her hands and rubbed it all over my face before I knew it.
OH MY LAWRD. WTF. PERSONAL SPACE LADY! Too late, the demo had begun. Oh what the hell, I might as well go through with it now.
I humored her until the end, but she wouldn't let me go until I bought something. L'Occitane is a very pricey store (unless you're buying their $8 soap bars) so I ended up walking away with a $56 bottle of cream and a $42 bottle of shampoo.
Finally...having made it to the cash register, she beeps my items. I was screaming with joy inwardly, having almost escaped the floral prison. She stops and says "Oh my goodness, you qualify to purchase this lovely gift bag worth $120, but you only get it for..."
NOT BUYING IT. I cut her off curtly. I've had enough. It's my fault, I'm a shy person... and often intimidated by the likes of sales people and wait staff. But D is not ready to give up yet. She is disappointed I did not purchase more than one extra bottle of cream/foam/moisturizer thingy. So she gives me three free samples in my pack and tells me she wants my details, all while holding my card hostage. I give her my details.
She finally returns my card, packs everything in a lovely bag and I escape with the vow of never returning.
Three weeks later, I receive a telephone call from a private number while at work. I don't answer. The missed call is followed with this text message:
"Bonjour Ketki, this is D from L'Occitane Broadway just following up on the samples you received 7th March, ultra matt fluid...how was it? Would you like to come in for a complimentary skincare consultation? Love to hear your feedback...sent from my personal phone...store ph 92111537."
There is selling, and then there is just being persistent and irritating. I was not impressed. Throughout the sale, D's demeanor was polite and understanding on the surface, but with a clear disregard for what I was saying. I appreciate that she wished to make a follow up call, but found the text message from her personal phone a bit too personal.
In conclusion, I will not be returning to this particular outlet. If this is the standard across L'Occitane, I strongly recommend they revisit how they train their in-store staff.
