Sometimes Complaining is Good - even about makeup!

So, I know this is a little off-topic (it’s makeup related I promise!), but I really wanted to write about my experience of putting in a complaint against the UK luxury shop chain Debenhams, more specifically the Chanel counter there.

I’ve been shopping at the Chanel counter for at least 6 years and on a regular basis.  I’ve always found the staff to be really lovely and helpful.  So this occasion I knew was an exception to the rule.  Here’s what happened.

I’d been sent an email by Chanel inviting me to come into the store to pick up a large free sample of one of their new lip glosses (a lot of people had this email, probably everyone on their newsletter list which anyone can subscribe to).  Three days later I managed to go in to grab my sample, but as the lovely chap told me, they hadn’t had them in yet.  I went back the next day and was greeted by another lady who was looking after the counter.  She was not nice.  She went searching through the drawers only to find perfume and skincare, then she found a drawer and exclaimed ‘nope, makeup in this one’, to which I replied ‘ah, that’ll be the one then’ (thinking to myself, lip gloss is makeup, so that’s the right one).  At this point she replied, very abruptly ‘no, makeup, for your FACE’, I replied that considering your lips are on your face, I assumed lip gloss was also ‘makeup’, the error of my ways was swiftly pointed out that no, foundation is makeup, not lip gloss.  So, why do we call it foundation ?

Either way, I put out a ranty tweet @debenhams who swiftly replied to send an email to them, which I did.  After a little bit of chasing and some patience, it got passed on to Chanel, who got back to me today.  They were amazing!  The lady I spoke to  (on email) apologised several times, offered to send me a lip gloss sample (yay!) and a free consultation (and more samples)!  I jumped at the chance of both, graciously accepting.  It turns out, the consultation is with one of their 6 UK makeup experts, even better! 

So to put a long story short, Debenhams and Chanel together really turned my complaint around.  I’m really happy and won’t hesitate to go back and spend more of my money at the Chanel counter, as usual J

Pixi3 out

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