Bailey Banks and Biddle????

[bae7]

I ran into a girlfriend last night and come to find out her and her husband have also been diamond shopping. They went to this store and she was telling me how furious she got at the salewoman who was VERY snobbish, lacked in customer service, and when my friend wanted to try on a ring she said, "You aren''t allowed to try them on. I will try it on so you can see what it looks like." What the heck is that? How can you decide on a ring if you can''t try it on? By the way, my friend''s husband is an orthopaedic doc and she owns a VERY successful gift store in our town. What''s the deal?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/19/2006 9:25:25 PM
Author:bae7
I ran into a girlfriend last night and come to find out her and her husband have also been diamond shopping. They went to this store and she was telling me how furious she got at the salewoman who was VERY snobbish, lacked in customer service, and when my friend wanted to try on a ring she said, ''You aren''t allowed to try them on. I will try it on so you can see what it looks like.'' What the heck is that? How can you decide on a ring if you can''t try it on? By the way, my friend''s husband is an orthopaedic doc and she owns a VERY successful gift store in our town. What''s the deal?

Yeah I wouldn''t drop a dime in there... I went in there and asked if they sold semi-mounts and there was NO ONE in the store, so the guy sighed a lot and was very like look around ::yawn:: and I kept asking questions and I''d already told him I had the stone picked and the size but I don''t think he believed me. Thought I was pulling his chain. So he says, "well I really think you need to narrow down your stone choices before you bother looking at settings" and I looked at him and said, "I told you I''ve already bought a stone" and he said "oh" with kind of a pinched look and I said, "do you want to see it?" and he sighed and said "sure" so I handed it to him and I ignored him while he took out his loupe and inspected it and looked and looked and finally when I stood up again he was ALL SMILES and like "Oh what can I show you? do you like this? what about this? we could make something for you... this would look great, let me show you this..." and I''m like ya schmuck, meet my dimpled friend, thanks.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/19/2006 9:25:25 PM
Author:bae7
I ran into a girlfriend last night and come to find out her and her husband have also been diamond shopping. They went to this store and she was telling me how furious she got at the salewoman who was VERY snobbish, lacked in customer service, and when my friend wanted to try on a ring she said, ''You aren''t allowed to try them on. I will try it on so you can see what it looks like.'' What the heck is that? How can you decide on a ring if you can''t try it on? By the way, my friend''s husband is an orthopaedic doc and she owns a VERY successful gift store in our town. What''s the deal?

oh and don''t bother with ben bridge either... saw a 3+ carat I wanted to look at, loose stone, she wouldn''t even let me hold the *box* and it was in a freaking box with a plastic window! I''m like can you take me to a back room or something and she''s like oh the back room isn''t for customers and I''m like you expect people to buy a 40k ring that they can''t even HOLD first? sorry, policy. So I pulled out my stone and I''m like don''t I look serious enough? and she''s like I''m sorry, no one can touch our diamonds. I didn''t even bother looking at mountings there... just walked out. I can see not handing me a diamond or even a diamond in tweezers (sort of - they should have a safe place to do *just* that) but won''t even let me look at it in the box? BTW she did conceed to place it in the H&A finder thingy, face down to look at hearts and I looked and two opposite hearts were just BADLY wonked out and I told her, wow, the symmetry on this stone is just haywire.

oh gawd I''ve become a diamond snob LOL!!!!!!!! (proudly)

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Salespeople don't seem to realize how much business they drive away and how many commissions they cheat themselves out of when they behave like that. I've bought lots of things at BBB, and they don't act that way at the one in the King of Prussia Mall. They're very eager to show their merchandise to people there. Maybe it's because the competition is so intense in that mall. The best thing to do when a salesperson acts condescending is to say "If it's too much trouble for you, let's get your supervisor out here and we'll discuss it."

 

[onedrop]

This is not an uncommon experience at BBB actually. An ex-boyfriend and I got similar treatment during an engagement ring shopping trip. Funny enough Madame Bijoux it was at the King of Prussia location. This was maybe 8 or 9 years ago, and I have not been able to set foot in a BBB since!

ETA: There are probably several threads on this topic.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/20/2006 9:22:37 AM
Author: onedrop
Funny enough Madame Bijoux it was at the King of Prussia location.

Something tells me jewelers scramble to assist Madame Bijoux

 

[Odilia]

I thought they were snobby years ago when I was in high school or something, and for that reason didn''t go there when I got engaged - until after I got my original setting that I hated. I wish that hadn''t been the case, because they have good designer settings and I must admit they have always been extremely nice to me and practically begging me to buy a setting with their 30-day return policy (a ring with the CZ in the center like Scott Kay or Ritani, so there''s no harm done if I returned it). I''ve been to King of Prussia, others in PA, MD, VA, and they have all been very helpful to me.

 

[Odilia]

Date: 9/20/2006 10:26:28 AM
Author: Cehrabehra

Date: 9/20/2006 9:22:37 AM
Author: onedrop
Funny enough Madame Bijoux it was at the King of Prussia location.

Something tells me jewelers scramble to assist Madame Bijoux

LOL! Someday I want to see her jewelry!!!

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I''m working on getting some pictures together. I don''t have a digital camera, but I found out that color slides can be scanned onto a CD, so I''ll have a camera store do that. Then I can introduce my "family" here.

 

[devientdrow]

Yea i''ve had mixed issues with BB&B, most of the time they are polite enough but eithier ignore me, assuming I can''t afford anything OR follow me around like i''m going to steal something, assuming I can''t afford anything.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/20/2006 10:41:56 AM
Author: old-fashioned girl
I thought they were snobby years ago when I was in high school or something, and for that reason didn''t go there when I got engaged - until after I got my original setting that I hated. I wish that hadn''t been the case, because they have good designer settings and I must admit they have always been extremely nice to me and practically begging me to buy a setting with their 30-day return policy (a ring with the CZ in the center like Scott Kay or Ritani, so there''s no harm done if I returned it). I''ve been to King of Prussia, others in PA, MD, VA, and they have all been very helpful to me.

Oh I''m sure going in with no makeup and convertable-dried hair and sweats doesn''t scream "I can afford this stuff" but IMO I shouldn''t *have* to go dressed up in order to get service. Even casual people like bling hehehe It still cracks me up how much the guy''s demeanor changed with me once he louped my stone LOL All smiles and practically laying out the red carpet @@

 

[brt_mbl]

Just as a side note... BBB is owned by the same company that owns Zales... I had a friend that used to work for the latter and she said- they sell some of the same level of mall quality jewelry (with a few designers thrown in) and add higher price tags and "snootier" sales associates.

 

[asscherisme]

I bought one thing in a Long Island BBB and they were very nice. Its a platinum princess antiquie looking pendant. It is just amazing. it was priced at $2,500 and I negotiated down to $1,700. It appraised elsewhere at $3,000. Recently I changed inusrance companies and had to have appraisals older than 5 years redone for them to accept and it appraised at $3,900. Makes sense since platinum has gone up and it is heavy platinum setting.

I have never bought rings there or diamonds. Generally I stay away from mall stores and hate them. This piece caught my eye when I was killing time waiting to meet a friend and I kept visiting it for weeks before I bought.

It was represented as a G/VS1. It appraised as an F/G, VVS1-VVS2, ideal cut. Its not certified. And its set in a square halo of round diamonds. Its 4 princess invisibly set with a round halo and miligraining. Its just beautiful.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/20/2006 12:56:09 PM
Author: brt_mbl
Just as a side note... BBB is owned by the same company that owns Zales... I had a friend that used to work for the latter and she said- they sell some of the same level of mall quality jewelry (with a few designers thrown in) and add higher price tags and ''snootier'' sales associates.

the bbb here IS at the mall, and so is zales LMAO! We have I think 8 jewelry stores at the mall and of all various grades. BBB is not the best one there either. I should look up and count, there are a ton!

 

[Cehrabehra]

Okay I looked it up - there are 11 jewelry stores at the mall. It''s hard to find them NOT at malls here except for a downtown area. There are also two starbucks in the mall and one right next to the mall lol

 

[kcoursolle]

I am personally familiar with this kind of treatment. Even though I am in my mid-late twenties, I have a young face and people believe that I am 18-19. When I go to jewelry stores alone, they don''t even talk to me unless I talk to them. Then, they are rather condescending and say how things are probably out of my budget...plain rude. So, they get none of my business. I usually shop online. I have found a couple of local jewelry stores who treat me well, and I have purchased a couple of settings from them, but never an expensive purchase.

 

[Stone Hunter]

I went to BBB a couple weeks ago and looked at settings. The lady was very nice. I didn''t even have a STONE in my pocket, like Cehra did!

Of course I didn''t buy anything from them.

Kcoursolle -- I used to look super young. I guess that has changed! And it''s a nice change.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/20/2006 4:15:49 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
I went to BBB a couple weeks ago and looked at settings. The lady was very nice. I didn''t even have a STONE in my pocket, like Cehra did!

Of course I didn''t buy anything from them.

Kcoursolle -- I used to look super young. I guess that has changed! And it''s a nice change.

I used to look young... I remember getting carded for cigarettes (not mine) at 27! I haven''t even been carded for alcohol for a very long time and I''m only 36

Kid #3 aged me something fierce!!!!

 

[Oleander]

I don''t think it''s a store-centered problem, but rather a sales associate issue. Some profile customers too much and then let it affect their demeanor when assisting (or not assisting, as the case may be).

My husband was completely ignored when he went with cash in hand (a large sum) to buy my engagement ring (he never uses credit--drives me crazy because I have to WAIT to buy things when we can afford it

). He was a bit sweaty from riding his bike to the store, had a backpack on, and shorts and a T-shirt. He could not get the salesman to take any rings out to see, and the man kept walking away from my husband.

So he left, and went to the store''s other location, wearing the same clothing and holding the same cash, and sweating even more. That sales associate was kind and helpful, didn''t bat an eye at his graduate school looks, and he bought that day, paid in full. Same company, just a good sales associate who doesn''t profile.

It only hurts them.

 

[TravelingGal]

Well, profiling happens because they think they are correct the majority of the time.

I get attitude from quite a few jewelry stores in Los Angeles. But when I went to the BBB in Seattle, the sales associate was great to me. I even told her I was not buying that day, but just getting ideas for my FI''s wedding band. She showed me all kinds of stuff...both for me and him, and even let me know there was going to be a 20% sale in a few weeks.

And back to profiling...I was at a Roger Dunn golf store with my FI last week. My FI was off looking at clubs, and I was just wandering around. The store was PACKED and it was mostly men who were getting the sales folks attention. I noticed an older gentlemen salesperson look at me and walk quite a ways over to see if I needed help. I smiled, pointed to my FI and said "he''s picking his engagement gift...he chooses whatever he wants and I foot the bill." He took really good care of us and got a $1500 sale within an hour.

 

[annesophie]

Its terrible when salespeople don''t want to wait on you because they "think" you can''t afford their products. However, I had the complete opposite experience at a high end jeweler in Sacramento. My friend and I walked in with starbucks in hand and told the sales people we were just looking. It was obvious we weren''t going to buy anything and I was wearing sweats and a tee shirt. The salesman was soo nice. He sat down with us and let us try on anything we wanted .... $200,000+ rings are sure fun to wear! He even gossiped a bit on who bought what... he couldn''t name names, but he gave us enough hints to figure it out.
It was such a possitive experience.

 

[Stone Hunter]

I think that they profile because they are lazy and don''t want to wait on you if you won''t buy.

One store I went into the saleslady checked out my shoes as she was walking over to me!!! She wasn''t very helpful. Another day I went back wearing the same shoes and the owner spent alot of time with me and never once looked at my shoes!!

If I ever buy there I''ll ask for the owner.

 

[Cehrabehra]

The other day I was at shane co looking at settings and this woman begrudgingly helped me (everyone else in the store was a couple and I had a 12 year old with me lol) for maybe 5 minutes and then put everything away and said, "well if you see anything else" and walked away and I was like OH KAY. So I found something, couldn''t find her... found something else, still couldn''t find her. I didn''t like her anyway, she was sighing a lot and huffing and phoney smiled... so I turned to a man just kinda hanging out in the middle (thought he was waiting for the next person maybe) and asked him if he could show me a couple things, and he said, "Was someone helping you?" and I said, well... and I''m sure my look gave it away... but I said well... she kinda abandoned me and I was... and right then she walks up, "oh did you find something else you want to look at?" and I literally sighed and smiled at the man and smiled at the woman and showed her a few things. Then the guy was gone and the girl was being a twit again... and behind her another woman walks up and asks how we''re doing and ''my'' girl says oh she might be able to help you more and left... apparently the man expressed my displeasure and went to the mgr and she came and helped me even though she doesn''t typically sell things. She spent a lot of time with me, she used to be a grader for the GIA so she really went over my stone (was the first time someone was able to find my inclusions and she even showed a couple to me!) She gushed about my stone, thought it was wonderful I was ''doing something different'' and was a very REAL woman. I would buy from her in a heartbeat, I dunno about shane co, but maybe for settings?? Anyway, the best part was toward the end, new paragraph for that hehehe

So I ask her about her setting... and I say, "Are those pink diamonds or sapphires?" and she said, "They''re diamonds" and I noticed how rich the color was and said, "Are they austrailian" and she smiled and said Yes! She and her husband were there for the proposal and bought them there. I told her I''d always wanted to see an argyle diamond and she grinned even bigger! She said most people don''t appreciate them and I said are you kidding? I''d bet that those two diamonds (each about 1/4-1/3 carat) cost more than all the other diamonds on your hand LOL She nodded and we laughed LOL Her main stone was like a carat I think and she had a few others... it was just so cool to see those gen-u-ine argyle diamonds... gorgeous color and perfectly matched pair! Okay so that was a little off topic, but hehehe

 

[codex57]

Date: 9/20/2006 3:40:16 PM
Author: kcoursolle
I am personally familiar with this kind of treatment. Even though I am in my mid-late twenties, I have a young face and people believe that I am 18-19. When I go to jewelry stores alone, they don't even talk to me unless I talk to them. Then, they are rather condescending and say how things are probably out of my budget...plain rude. So, they get none of my business. I usually shop online. I have found a couple of local jewelry stores who treat me well, and I have purchased a couple of settings from them, but never an expensive purchase.

I have the same problem. Jewelry stores haven't been too bad tho. I guess they figure a young looking guy like me is prolly looking for an e-ring and would be an easy mark for the crap they sell. My worst shunnings have been at car dealerships. The worst was at a Toyota dealership in my hometown. I was looking for my first car and my buddy drove me. Sales guy came up, asked our ages and then just stopped, spun on his heels, and walked away. A manager saw and yelled at him, "What are you doing? Can't you see they pulled up in a BMW? It means they can drive. Go give them a test drive!" We were pissed at that point and took off to another dealer. The giant Mercedes dealership in Orange County gave me a bad experience too. Snooty bastards. Sales people watch who pulls into the lot and usually one person gets the right to go out and chat them up. Well, they saw me pull up in my old Civic (wasn't even that old at the time) and the whole crowd freaking scatters. Couldn't chase one of them down. It was like 4 or 5 of them and they all saw me too. Couple BMW dealers in Sacramento and Mountain View did that to me too, but at least it was only 1 or 2 salespeople. They have no problems talking to me now if they see me pull up in my BMW. Rat bastards.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 9/21/2006 1:48:31 PM
Author: codex57

Date: 9/20/2006 3:40:16 PM

Author: kcoursolle

I am personally familiar with this kind of treatment. Even though I am in my mid-late twenties, I have a young face and people believe that I am 18-19. When I go to jewelry stores alone, they don''t even talk to me unless I talk to them. Then, they are rather condescending and say how things are probably out of my budget...plain rude. So, they get none of my business. I usually shop online. I have found a couple of local jewelry stores who treat me well, and I have purchased a couple of settings from them, but never an expensive purchase.

I have the same problem. Jewelry stores haven''t been too bad tho. I guess they figure a young looking guy like me is prolly looking for an e-ring and would be an easy mark for the crap they sell. My worst shunnings have been at car dealerships. The worst was at a Toyota dealership in my hometown. I was looking for my first car and my buddy drove me. Sales guy came up, asked our ages and then just stopped, spun on his heels, and walked away. A manager saw and yelled at him, ''What are you doing? Can''t you see they pulled up in a BMW? It means they can drive. Go give them a test drive!'' We were pissed at that point and took off to another dealer. The giant Mercedes dealership in Orange County gave me a bad experience too. Snooty bastards. Sales people watch who pulls into the lot and usually one person gets the right to go out and chat them up. Well, they saw me pull up in my old Civic (wasn''t even that old at the time) and the whole crowd freaking scatters. Couldn''t chase one of them down. It was like 4 or 5 of them and they all saw me too. Couple BMW dealers in Sacramento and Mountain View did that to me too, but at least it was only 1 or 2 salespeople. They have no problems talking to me if they see me pull up in my BMW. Rat bastards.

The car dealership problem seems to be pretty universal, LOL. When we went shopping for our last car we drove up in our 7 year old Honda Accord. No diamonds or other displays of overt conspicuous consumption. Looked at Jags, BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus. Lexus, without a doubt, gave us the most serious attention and the best service. Now we drive an RX 330.

Funny story: The founder of my company is worth MANY millions of dollars. He and his wife went to the Bentley dealer with the INTENTION (i.e., checkbook in hand) to buy one. They were dressed in jeans and tennis shoes and the salesperson would even''t let them sit in the display car. The salesman said he was afraid they would get it dirty. Needless to say, no Bentley in their garage right now!

 

[bae7]

Okay so that was a little off topic, but hehehe

Funny! But very interestin story.

Well, I hate snooty people no matter where they work...

 

[Rod]

Date: 9/21/2006 2:05:15 PM
Author: bae7
Okay so that was a little off topic, but hehehe

Funny! But very interestin story.

Well, I hate snooty people no matter where they work...

It''s amazing how many people judge a book by the cover. And if someone makes a living from commission, it''s a foolish practice. So, this is off topic too, but a zillion years ago, I sold high end audio/video products in one of the best stereo (now there''s a term you young ''uns don''t hear too often) store in the D.C., area. So, one day, this man, horribly dressed walks in and was standing in front of one of the first ever remotely controlled systems from Bang and Olufson. So, I decided to play with the remote and each time he moved near the system, I made the volume go up. And when he backed away, I lowered the volume. All this, with the intent of showing how cool remotely controlled toys were. Now, all the other salespeople had ignored this guy because he look''s like couldn''t buy a hamburger from McDonalds, but I figure he came in our store, maybe he needs something. So, finally he looks bewildered and I walk up and introduce myself.
So, here''s how the conversation went:

Me: Isnt'' this cool, it''s a remotely controlled audio system from Bang and Olufson.

Him: How much is this?

Me: $8,000 not including speakers

Him: What kind of speakers would you put with this?

Me: How about a nice pair of B&W (Bowers and Wilkens from England)?

Him: How much are they?

Me: Anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 per pair

Him: Can I hear the $20,000 ones?

Me: Sure

So, we listen and he says.....OK......I''ll take the system with these speakers. And with voice cracking, I say, "how would you be paying for that today?" And he says, "will cash work?" So he goes to his car, walks in with a bag ful of money, plunks down $28,000 on the counter and we load the equipment in his Mercedes and off he goes. By the way this was 1981, so $28,000 was a lot of money for a stereo. Still is.

So, no one should ever judge a book by how it''s dressed. Great books sometimes don''t have great covers at all.

 

[codex57]

Date: 9/21/2006 2:23:45 PM
Author: Rod

So, we listen and he says.....OK......I'll take the system with these speakers. And with voice cracking, I say, 'how would you be paying for that today?' And he says, 'will cash work?' So he goes to his car, walks in with a bag ful of money, plunks down $28,000 on the counter and we load the equipment in his Mercedes and off he goes. By the way this was 1981, so $28,000 was a lot of money for a stereo. Still is.


So, no one should ever judge a book by how it's dressed. Great books sometimes don't have great covers at all.

Sounds like my dad. Dresses like a bum, carries way too much cash with him (cuz he doesn't trust banks and other people holding 'his' money even tho we tell him we're scared to death he'll get mugged), and is too easily convinced to buy crap he's mildly interested in if he thinks it'll make me and my sister happy (even tho he has no idea what we like or even my sister's age... but he means well). He got bored one day and wandered into a car dealership to kill time. Came home with a sports car cuz he heard me mention that I liked how some cars' headlights popped up. Said he thought I would like it. I was like 10 at the time and he doesn't even like cars. We coulda used the money somewhere else.

Oh well, at least he drove that car into the ground and got his money's worth.

 

[teetee]

This thread just shows how important customer service is and how rare it is to find good service. We also had a bad car buying experience lately. The guy at the Honda dealer didn''t even let us test drive the car. He wanted "a commitment" from us first...how do you make a commitment if you don''t even know you''ll like the car? Whatever, we left. Ended up buying an Acura.

On the other hand, we went to BB&B this weekend and the person that helped us was wonderful. Even though he knew that we were just looking, he spent a lot of time with us... letting me try on rings, even placing the loose diamonds into settings so I could see what it would look like. I would totally buy from him if I decide on a setting that they carry (which I am seriously considering one that they sell.) He spoke highly of the company and how happy he was working there, which meant a lot to me to know that he''d be there to take care of any maintenace or service issues with the ring in the future.

If you get a bad sales person the first time, just go to another store or come back another time and hopefully get someone else that is more willing to help you. It''s not even worth the time to deal with someone you don''t like, especially when it comes to spending your hard earned money.

 

[ladykemma]

i went into a new BBB dressed scruffy with stained hands, after doing sloppy labs with my students all day. i went to officially buy my mikimtoto''s - celebrating the last week of school.

the ladies were courteous and kind. i asked to wash my hands before touching the pearls. they seemed surprised. i spent at least an hour selecting my bracelet. i spent 1.6k that day on superior M pearls with lots of orient.

it took a while to check out. i was sitting at the register chatting with another bored saleslady. she mentioned that she thought I was a lookiloo and didn''t wait on me. Then she noticed the huge diamonds on my hands, in spite of the stained, scruffy clothes. And the other lady got the commission.

so those guys do pick and choose whom they wait on.