Wednesday Woes

I don’t know if this is a “woe” as much as it is a general complaint / issue I have, but I wanted to mention it here at least for MY future reference, and perhaps for the benefit of others as well. As you may or may not know, I am something of a makeup fanatic. I don’t always wear makeup (especially these days; if I have the energy I do something I call my “5-minute” makeup), but it does make me feel good when I can do it and it definitely makes me feel more “normal.” At any rate, I try as frequently as I can to buy directly from the “manufacturers” as possible; if I can buy Bond No. 9 from Bond No. 9, I will not buy it from Saks; if I can buy YSL directly through YSL I will; the same goes all the way down to brands like Urban Decay and Too Faced. I have also found that these companies often run “better” promotions more frequently than larger “chains” like Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Saks, &. &c. If you are a “beauty junkie” like I am, you know Too Faced has been running some pretty good promotions recently, perhaps gearing up for the Holiday Season.

I have placed 3 or 4 orders with Too Faced (that is, Too Faced DIRECTLY) over the last few weeks. Up until orders 3 and 4, they have been handled well and quickly. HOWEVER, this past order was listed as “being processed” for 12+ days – something I addressed several times via email and on social media. I never received an actual response – I got a “form letter” in response to my first email regarding how it takes 3-5 business days for orders to process (this was 7+ business days – and it gets better!); subsequent emails and inquiries were ignored.

This morning, I opened my front door to a pink Too Faced box at my door. I was thrilled! I grabbed my scissors, opened the box, and tore through the pink packing worms digging for my ordered items … they were missing! I immediately went into a panic – I PAID for items that they forgot to include in my box?! Then I transitioned from REACT mode to RESPONSE mode and looked at my packing slip which informed me that the two items I had ordered (one as a gift, mind you) were not included. I went back to check my email, social media accounts, &c., to see if there had been some kind of cancellation notice or an email notifying me that my order couldn’t be fulfilled because the items were out of stock (by the way, they were IN STOCK FOR DAYS AFTER I HAD PLACED MY ORDER! THAT IS, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO TOO FACED, IF THEIR PROCESSING HADN’T TAKEN SO LONG, I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE ITEMS! I COULD HAVE ORDERED THEM SEVERAL TIMES OVER IN THAT TIME FRAME AND PERHAPS ONE OF THOSE ORDERS WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH IN A TIMELY MANNER!). I was not charged for this order and I did receive the “promotional” samples, but I had no way of knowing that I would not receive my items (again, including items for a GIFT!) until I opened the box at my door.

I do not like to complain about such trivial matters as this – it is trivial, at best. HOWEVER, I do not believe the way Too Faced has conducted business is fitting for such a “large” company – I can guarantee that if I were some quasi-“famous” for a hot second “influenster”-type person, I would have received my items. At the very least, I am quite sure I would have received some notice or perhaps even a RESPONSE to my inquiries about my order. One does not list an order as “being processed” for about 2 weeks only for said order never to have needed “processing” because the items were not there to process! If I ran any “business” like that, I can guarantee I would have NO CUSTOMERS.

I suppose what I am driving at what this one is what I believe all interactions with others should focus on – I know it sounds cheesy and hackneyed at best but I firmly believe in the mantra of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If I ever treated a customer in this kind of a way, I would want to be called out on it (I pray to God I never get that wrapped up in myself that I could do that to someone, at any rate!). I do not think it is right to treat people in such an “unfair” regard and I hope that this doesn’t come off as me just “complaining” because it really does come down to how one treats others. So I didn’t get some of the items I wanted and that I wanted to give away – not the end of the world, I will find something else. HOWEVER, not being notified of this and being actually ignored is not just bad business, it is bad behavior in general.

I hope to be back later in the day with a more “uplifting” post (I am not sure about that one because I have an actual “woe” I want to discuss here regarding certain people vs. ME in the “chronic illness community …”); regardless of the post, please treat others as you want to be treated! As I have said here and elsewhere MANY TIMES before, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT OTHERS ARE GOING THROUGH! Lately in my own “business,” I have come across several individuals who donate rather costly cosmetic items to individuals who are suffering from various causes – illness, poverty, abuse, &c.; I commend them very much for these actions because you never know when that shoe might be the one you’re wearing. Be kind if only for kindness’ sake and for YOUR sake – even on your worst day, if you feel like the world is terrible, be kind because someone somewhere (perhaps someone you’re dealing with that day) is having a MUCH worse day than you are.

Thanks much for taking the time to read this! I hope you are all having a happy and healthy day wherever you are in the world! My heart is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS with you!!

❤ Always, Beth

*SIDE NOTE! LAST YEAR I WENT TO RETURN A TOO FACED WHITE CHOCOLATE PALETTE TO SEPHORA; I HAD ORDERED THE ITEM ONLINE AND IT WAS NOT CARRIED IN THE STORE AND I HAD NO RECEIPT. SINCE I HAD NO RECEIPT AND THE STORE WAS INSIDE A JCPENNEY, I HAD TO BASICALLY COERCE THE SALESPERSON TO LET ME SWITCH THE PALETTE FOR ONE I DIDN’T ALREADY HAVE (I RECEIVED ONE AS A GIFT) – A FAIR TRADE SINCE THE PALETTE I HAD WAS BRAND NEW. IT TOOK A LOT OF CONVINCING BECAUSE APPARENTLY WHEN YOU RETURN AN ITEM WITHOUT A RECEIPT IN THIS KIND OF WAY YOU ONLY GET BACK THE “VALUE” OF THE ITEM … THE “VALUE” OF THE TOO FACED WHITE CHOCOLATE PALETTE, FULL-SIZED? UNDER $4.00. THINK OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY ARE PULLING IN ON JUST THOSE PALETTES! IT IS JUST MY BELIEF THAT YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS PROFESSIONALLY AND KINDLY – ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED AS MUCH AS I HAVE AND FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE! THAT IS ALL ON RECORD ON “MY ACCOUNT” ON THE TOO FACED WEBSITE! END RANT!*