Tea Time: My Beauty Education and Gratis is Lacking

This post is not to meant to slander the Sephora or JC Penney name.  I am just speaking my mind and acknowledging some observations.  Just a few thoughts on the differences between Sephora stores.

First off, there is a pretty big differences between the freestanding Sephora and Sephora Inside JC Penney.  The obvious difference is the types of products available.  The freestanding Sephora carries a larger amount of brands.  But, there is a big training curve between the two stores as well...freestanding Sephora members get a lot more training.  They have brand reps that come and train members as well as education classes to update employees on new products.  Sephora Inside JC Penney has training videos each month and an educator visits each month to go over what was in the video for a couple of hours on the floor.  The training is can be a little distracting on the floor.  You may have customers needing assistance during the training session.  Also, we are not all present at once, so the educator often repeats the same thing over and over for several hours which can cause some information to be missed.  I expected a lot more beauty education just based on the training employees say that they receive on YouTube.  But, I was wrong... There are basic training sessions plus specialized training sessions that some employees are able to attend plus brand rep visits in the freestanding store.  My store lacks all of those.

Just like many other places that meet with brand reps, you get free products.  Theses are extra goodies in addition to your basic gratis.  JC Penney Sephoras do not get brand reps often.  So, we do not get to try all the new awesome brands like others.  Often times, we try brands and products that are not new releases.  Do NOT get me wrong, I love free makeup and products!  But, I thought the purpose of the gratis was to of course gift your employees but to give them access to new products or different products that they would not normally buy to improve the selling experience.  But, do keep in mind that that freestanding stores do not include JC Penney Sephora workers as employees.  We are JC Penney employees.  So, I am sure there are some politics as to difference in training and gratis. 

I love my store and what I do.  I have learned some great things on the floor already.  Hopefully, we will continue to move in the direction of growth.  Have you ever worked for a beauty company?  Did you notice differences between stores?  Based on area? Size?  Stay FABULOUS!