L’occitane

I also feel I’m being transported to France when I walk in these lovely stores. Love their products, though they are pricey, but you get what you pay for. As Ashley said in her review, it’s such a refreshing change from Bath and Body Works where they have cheap stinky products and have become SO pushy — wanting you to take a shopping bag the minute you walk in to «fill it up.» With L’Occitane, If you want cheap, don’t shop here — the products are high end and pricier as would be expected. Much of the staff seems very young, spacey, and ill-​trained, as if they WANT to help, but aren’t sure how. There never seems to be any consistency to how they deal with customers walking in. There is a great little guy who works at Park Meadows store (he’s very short and sweet) and he is wonderful. He will approach you to offer help, but knows when to back off too, and he knows his products. It would be nice if they offered more samples.

Love L’Occitane. Got what I came for paid and left. No help, no samples and lied to about a product being discontinued. Called my regular store in Hawaii to ask. She could have just admitted to being out. Won’t come to this store again when in the area — I will order online or go somewhere else.

Okay full disclosure — this is a rant! If I could give «no stars» I would. Here’s my most recent run-​in with clueless retailers: I bought a tube of men’s shaving cream, as I’ve done several times a year for several years now. The tube is big, (expensive) and lasts a long time. However, this time the metal tube just split down the middle, mid way into my using it. No real option other than to exchange/​return as the product seeps out of the middle of the tube. Okay, I think (I’m an optimist), I’ll just bring it back and they can give me a new one or credit my partial use in the form of a discount on future merchandise. I go to the Cherry Creek Mall and talk to the brain stem behind the counter and explain my situation. No surprise — she’s «not authorized to take returns or offer any discounts without a store manager.» Wha? Okaaay — here’s your first opportunity to retain me as a customer with a good experience. Blown. I’ll be sure to give your information to the store manager. I’ll call her Brooke because that’s her name. A week goes by. No call. I call and speak to Brooke. Second opportunity for customer retention. Blown. «Company policy» I am told, is not to take back used merchandise. I go to their website and find that the question of whether to return an item is at the store manager’s discretion. Hmmm. I think I was just given the stiff arm by someone who had the authority to give me a credit, but opted not to. I contact corporate customer service and am told that indeed I can send the product back and receive a replacement. Several days later, I return to the store to pick up the shaving cream. I tell Brooke about the customer service email, and in fact show her the email. Heisman. Again. 3X and you guys are out! I’m not going to spend more $$ sending back a defective product to the company. Here’s hoping I get better service from Kiels or any of the myriad high-​end cosmetics shops around town.

2012 Review #150:
As Tracie said in her review, this place does not smell like frilly soap. For that, I almost want to give it 4 stars. After having my olfactory sense completely assaulted by Bath and Body Works, it’s lovely to walk into somewhere and not have it smell crazy strong. I also like the layout and feel of L’Occitane stores; they’re sort of dimly lit, they’re quiet, etc.
I normally get things here as gifts, and I find their prices to be just a bit too high. Their soaps are $ 8 – 10, and many body washes will run you almost $ 20. You can pay similar amounts at other stores, but L’Occitane is not as generous with the coupons. However, probably the biggest thing that put me off today was the incredibly manic service. When I walked in I was greeted, and I told the employee I was just browsing for gift ideas for my mother. He then said, «oh well I’ll let you shop,» which relieved me, but then proceeded to try to sell me the very most expensive items in the store. One of those items was a $ 100 2 oz pot of a «miracle» cream for older skin. He was trying hard to sell me this fountain of youth in a jar, to which I wanted to scream, «I am twenty-​freaking-​five years old! I do not need to look any younger or I will be put into day care. And how do you know what my mother’s skin needs? You’ve never met my mother!» In reality, I said nothing, but when I didn’t seem keen on the $ 100 product, he tried the $ 75 product, then the $ 50, etc.
Then, strangely, when I actually picked up something to buy, he sort of vanished. He went behind the counter and wasn’t really present. When I was ready to buy he said, «oh sorry, I was supposed to have all this stuff put away hours ago and I sort of waited until the last second.» Why he didn’t use the time trying to shove fancy Oil of Olay down my throat to accomplish this task, I don’t know. Then he gave me a sample of «look like a baby» cream, so perhaps I’ll go put it on and see if my face gets so young it just disappears completely.

I’m not into stores that sell lots of smelly candles, lotions and potions. My eyes start to water and I feel the need to sneeze whenever I walk by Bath and Body Works. Gazoontight!
Not so L’Occitane. I love this store. It’s like being transported to a small town in France. Fragrances, lotions, shampoo etc that smell of lavender and honey. I especially love their lavender bath soap and hand cream. They even have lavender branches — mmmmmm.
The staff is very friendly and helpful.