does anyone else get treated like this?

[cellentani]

You know what, vip? I''ve been to Khoury Bros. in Tyson''s with my DH, and while they weren''t exactly rude, they weren''t really trying to be as helpful as possible either. I swear, they all looked like sales guys that had been transplanted from a car dealer, and they took their sweet time in sauntering over to see what we wanted. Our guy seemed particularly uninterested in us, didn''t ask any questions, and wordlessly handed over the ring I''d asked to see. I''m sure they''re not all like this, but I was not impressed. Drag your BF to intergem - I think I responded about this on your GTG thread, but there are trays upon trays of semi-mounts. Not all of them have great diamond quality, but it sounds like you just want to get an idea for a setting anyway. Bring your camera and ask if you can take pics, just in case you see one (or five!) that you like.

And hey, do you have a pic of the setting you were trying to see? Just curious.

 

[D2B]

It is soooo annoying. I really feel for you.

A similiar thing happend to me in Bulgari, BUT I was really well dressed that day, had on my lovely diamond pieces and my Mullberry bag, yet this early 20''s something SA could barely be bothered to help me and gave me attitude as if I was wasting her preciouse time. Unbelievable.

Oh, well, doesnt do that brand or the store any favours, and as if I will go there to spend my hard earned and saved money..

 

[vip0802]

Date: 7/19/2009 4:51:00 PM
Author: cellentani
You know what, vip? I've been to Khoury Bros. in Tyson's with my DH, and while they weren't exactly rude, they weren't really trying to be as helpful as possible either. I swear, they all looked like sales guys that had been transplanted from a car dealer, and they took their sweet time in sauntering over to see what we wanted. Our guy seemed particularly uninterested in us, didn't ask any questions, and wordlessly handed over the ring I'd asked to see. I'm sure they're not all like this, but I was not impressed. Drag your BF to intergem - I think I responded about this on your GTG thread, but there are trays upon trays of semi-mounts. Not all of them have great diamond quality, but it sounds like you just want to get an idea for a setting anyway. Bring your camera and ask if you can take pics, just in case you see one (or five!) that you like.


And hey, do you have a pic of the setting you were trying to see? Just curious.

thanks cellentani! yes, i read your replies back on the other thread, and i'm hoping BF will be able to go too. besides, most of the people at Intergem have been pretty helpful about trying things on. i was hoping i'd be able to take pics too but the website said that no photos were allowed.

maybe if i ask the vendor, i'd be able to take some on my iPhone. here are some pics of a few of the Mark Silverstein designs i was eyeing at the store:

 

[vip0802]

whoops! not sure why the links didn't work...let me try again:

 

[vip0802]

here are a few more:

 

[cellentani]

Date: 7/19/2009 7:11:33 PM
Author: vip0802

thanks cellentani! yes, i read your replies back on the other thread, and i''m hoping BF will be able to go too. besides, most of the people at Intergem have been pretty helpful about trying things on. i was hoping i''d be able to take pics too but the website said that no photos were allowed.

maybe if i ask the vendor, i''d be able to take some on my iPhone. here are some pics of a few of the Mark Silverstein designs i was eyeing at the store:

Aww dang, you''re right about no photos - I forgot about that. Those settings are really pretty and very feminine. Would you wear a band with them, or just the ER?

I''ll try to touch base with you on one of your threads, probably right before the gem show. It would be great if we''re able to meet, but if not, I''ll definitely be thinking about you!

 

[joelly]

Yes, this is happened to us as well. And these ppl wonder why we go online.

 

[joelly]

Date: 7/19/2009 10:34:59 AM
Author: gaby06
One time we were just hanging around on Sunday, and we stopped at T&Co, wearing jeans and a T-shirt. No body came to talk with us, we did not care b/c we were just browsing. The next time we stopped after work, wearing formal clothes, after we got in the store, someone immediately someone came to help us.


So I guess, this is a pretty commun situation

this store should have a dress-code signage on their front door. "formal dress only"

 

[HollyS]

You aren''t the only people who have ever been treated rudely by a jewelry store.

Hubby and I went through the same thing. Our first experience, at the first store, was a major disappointment and caused us a lot of concern about finding good diamonds at affordable pricing. (This was before we knew of PS, BTW) We had a snotty saleswoman. To say the least. And that store had nothing to be snotty about.

When we found ''our store'', it was the best experience we could have had. So don''t get too discouraged.

 

[HollyS]

The Mark Silverstein design you like is available at topazery.com. So you definitely would not have to buy it from The Rude Guy.

 

[packrat]

I''m sorry that happened to you!

I went myself at first, and then took JD to look at what I''d found. One store wouldn''t let me try anything on (these were all mall stores) b/c what they sold was "very expensive" the saleslady said. She had the upper lip/nose wrinkle and everything, like I was some degenerate that crawled out from under a rock. Another place asked me what I wanted, if I could pick anything, and I said our birthstones (opal and pearl) with a diamond in the middle..I was told it would be too expensive to customize any of their settings and I wouldn''t be able to afford it. The 3rd place kept pushing for something over our teensy weensy budget, and the 4th place we did actually purchase from, and they were nice, until it came to sizing the ring, and they scratched it and were jerks about it.

My new set will be purchased online. I take JD with me to try things on and get a feel for how they look on me. He''s kinda mean looking so people are more apt to be nice haha! Speak softly and carry a big stick..He''s my big stick.

 

[mariel]

I'm so sorry about your experience, some people are just uncouth, they don't deserve your business! Find a nice reputable jeweler by asking your friends, looking online etc. We had the same encounter before we got engaged. This lady approached us and said "hello, how much money are you looking to spend?" without even asking us what we were looking for... can you imagine??

 

[musey]

OH my goodness, how awful!!

I never received treatment like this. I had an annoying saleswoman who was trying to convince me to go with a certain wedding band, when I was clearly in love with something else. She said "really?" when I informed her that I preferred the other, and went on about how it didn''t match, and couldn''t I tell that? Of course I could, but I also informed her straight off that I was looking to create a non-matchy look.

I ended up buying that ring that I loved, but not from that saleswoman or store!

Anyway, that was the height of rudeness for my jewelry shopping experience... nothing compared to your stories

I''m really sorry that they put such a damper on what really should be a fun experience, as you said. Hopefully the next trip will be better!!

 

[Dannielle]

I''m sorry, I don''t know where some people get off being so rude

When we started shopping we went to store that had custom settings and individual diamonds. We picked a setting that we liked and than went on to see some diamonds.. the sales lady pulled out around 0.25 of about I/J colour. I said that we didn''t want to go smaller than 0.75cts and the lowest colour H. She looked at me, smiled and said "Oh sweetie, you are both very young and i''m sorry but that will be way out of your budget. Diamonds aren''t cheap" She said it in such a condescending tone

FI and I just stood there with our mouths open..

 

[QueenB29]

VIP--That''s just plain rude. I can''t believe, in this economy, that they would treat customers like that! I know a lot of PSers don''t like Jared''s, but I have had nothing but great experiences at the Jared''s at Arundel Mills if you''re just looking to try stuff on. Some one always greets DH and I at the door, offers us coffee, water, etc, and they''re always happy to let you try on whatever. We got our wedding bands there, they reset my engagement ring, and one of my grandmother''s rings, and I am very happy about the quality AND service.

 

[geckodani]

Sadly, I get this all the time. I have kinda funky hair and look younger than I am. When I was looking for my reset last year, I was getting brushed off so badly that I ended up having to take my Mom with me. Don''t get me wrong, I had a blast looking at stuff with her, but even dressed nicely, I seemed to need her to add credibility to my search.

The same stores and salesfolk that blew me off when I was alone homed in on my Mom like nobody''s business. It was hilarious.

It''s not as bad now that I have my set back. But I hate that I feel the need to dress up to go look at jewelry. You shouldn''t need reinforcements to be taken seriously!!!

 

[LamborghiniGirl]

After reading all of these replies, it is no wonder that so many people are taking their business online. Not only for $$$ savings, but for respect and service. Stores like the ones described in this thread, in the jewelry business, should stop complaining about lost sales to online vendors if they are treating customers like this!

 

[geckodani]

Date: 7/20/2009 11:55:49 AM
Author: LamborghiniGirl
After reading all of these replies, it is no wonder that so many people are taking their business online. Not only for $$$ savings, but for respect and service. Stores like the ones described in this thread, in the jewelry business, should stop complaining about lost sales to online vendors if they are treating customers like this!

Yup.

 

[y2kitty]

I went to several jewelery stores this weekend wearing shorts, flip flops and WOOT tshirt (this is a website that sells tshirts with silly designs). I was wearing a BIRKS sapphire and diamond ring and a fancy light yellow I bought from an online vendor. Jewelry store #1 is a fancy store outside the mall, not a chain. Everyone was nice to me and the girl working said my fancy light was gorgeous and we discussed custom earrings. Then I went into Tiffany''s. I was ignored (like always). Then I went into Cartier, and the woman working told me she thought my shirt was cute and asked to see my sapphire ring closer. She was very nice as well (and now I can''t stop thinking about Panther rings). I was surprised by Tiffany''s, I mean, the economy isn''t that great and Cartier actually treated me like a potential customer. When will they learn??!

 

[Prana]

I was treated this way in a furniture store once. None of the sales associates acknowledged that I was there (and I was there to buy). All of the older people who walked into the store were greeted and asked if they needed help. I tried to get help and was pretty much ignored. Needless to say I thanked them for their lack of help and told them that they had lost a customer. Their eyes got wide and I just walked out of the store.

 

[jet2ks]

Date: 7/19/2009 2:47:55 PM
Author: vip0802

i think i will call and speak to the manager about yesterday, but then again all he/she can offer me is an apology. that's all well and good, but it's the principle behind the guy acting like a jerk. his manager could lecture him all he wants, but in the end, will he really learn his lesson? will it actually make all of his staff be more gracious towards customers? maybe, maybe not.

As a former retail store manager, this type of call can be invaluable. Too many times customers treated this way just walk out never to return and the manager is not aware of what happened. I had one assistant manager that behaved totally different when I was in the store than when she was in charge. Until I had a couple of customer complaints mentioning her name, there were very few clues about what was going on. The store always looked good and the registers were correct, it was just that she was treating customers poorly. The other sales staff didn't know all the problems, because they were too focused on their own customers to pay attention to her. After the complaints, I made a couple of surprise visits on off hours or days and she was soon looking for another job. Wonder of wonders, the store's sales started showing higher increases because we weren't offending the customers.

A mention of lost sales to a manager can go quite a ways. If they think that improving a person's performance or getting rid of them will help the store's bottom line, they will put forth the effort. If the manager is not very good (and this may well be the case, here) then no, it won't make a difference.

BTW, those settings are gorgeous!

 

[Ellen]

Great post, and point jet!

 

[Gypsy]

vip... I leave well enough alone for the most part. There''s no ''fighting the good fight'' left in me. The only reason I even bother the local independant is for repairs, the owner has a good bench, and so if I need something polished, dipped, replaced... etc. That''s where I usually go. And even though I correct them on something, others, no matter WHERE you are... just isn''t worth the trouble. Anything with colored stones makes my head pound if they talk to me about it. They have no idea what they are selling, what treatments have been used. The owner, even, looked shocked when my husband and I were in there and I tried on a sapphire ring, looked at the price and said, "that better not be heated for that price," and he said, "all sapphires are heated" and I was like... NO, but most sapphires AT THAT PRICE are. Which is why I don''t look at their colored stones anymore. Head just starts to pound.

For the most part I''m silent, pointing to things in the case and asking to try them on. When they ask me what my price range is, I say it depends on the piece. When they ask me what I am looking for I say, "Something pretty for myself, I don''t have anything specific in mind, so I want to see what catches my eye."

They do smell sale when my husband is with me. Tiffany''s in particular is much more attentive when you have a man with you, which is annoying.

Like I said, for the most part, I can''t be bothered anymore. Unless I am trying things on for scale or inspiration, or because I want to see a designer piece IRL... I don''t go to many jewelry stores anymore. I always visit Cartier when I am in SF and have time though. They have the lovliest staff and just are fun to talk to and will let you try anything on. Even if you are a woman alone.

Cartier in Palo Alto though, not so much.

 

[that_someone_special]

I must have "pathetic" written on my face because MOST places I get help right away. Wait, let me rephrase that- I must look criminal because most stores watch me like a hawk. I used to have a ton of piercings, funky hair, and tattoos (still do on that) and I would get stalked in stores. So rude. The only thing I''ve stolen was a piece of caramel from the store when I was 3 and I learned my lesson. Anyways.

The times that I''ve gone into Tiffany it was THE SAME EXACT WAY. Ignored. Ignored. We ended up spending $400 on a baby gift and a simple necklace. She treated us like we we wasting our time. Gar. This is before we got my ring and I AM SO GLAD we didn''t get my ring there. After our purchase we went to the diamond side of the store and although the lady let me try on a 2+ carat ring, she acted like we were idiots and don''t waste her time. That was my last purchase there. I don''t plan on going back anytime soon.


To OP. I would still call the manager. They need to know what kind of "employees" they have. Then I would contact the designer of the ring you were looking for and inform them of the type of stores their rings are in- they are losing business as well!
Speaking of business... contact the BBB. It works wonders.

 

[purelily]

Hi VIP
Ugh... sorry you had to be treated that way. A sales associate did this to me and my SO too. I''m all about forgive and fortget, so i went back in with him two months later and they did the exact same thing. I almost cried. It was a mess. I think I wrote about it in the LIW forum. My SO vowed he would NOT by from them EVER.


Not saying you should take the route my SO did, but you should feel comfortable with the people you buy your jewelry from as they will be very helpful down the line If you would like to purchase from them maybe you should request to speak with a manager and, if this doesn''t make you feel any better, you can write a note stating how awful they were. SAs should NOT be treating people like this.

I''m so sorry this happened again. Finding a ring should be fun! Look for somewhere that treats you with the respect you deserve!

Gwen I had this problem at Tiffany in Hawaii once. They didn''t tell me to come back with men, but they just flat out ignored me and my best friend. When my SO showed up they were sweet as pie. Gotta roll your eyes at that one

 

[Amandine]

Date: 7/20/2009 1:10:00 PM
Author: jet2ks

Date: 7/19/2009 2:47:55 PM

Author: vip0802


i think i will call and speak to the manager about yesterday, but then again all he/she can offer me is an apology. that''s all well and good, but it''s the principle behind the guy acting like a jerk. his manager could lecture him all he wants, but in the end, will he really learn his lesson? will it actually make all of his staff be more gracious towards customers? maybe, maybe not.

As a former retail store manager, this type of call can be invaluable. Too many times customers treated this way just walk out never to return and the manager is not aware of what happened. I had one assistant manager that behaved totally different when I was in the store than when she was in charge. Until I had a couple of customer complaints mentioning her name, there were very few clues about what was going on. The store always looked good and the registers were correct, it was just that she was treating customers poorly. The other sales staff didn''t know all the problems, because they were too focused on their own customers to pay attention to her. After the complaints, I made a couple of surprise visits on off hours or days and she was soon looking for another job. Wonder of wonders, the store''s sales started showing higher increases because we weren''t offending the customers.


A mention of lost sales to a manager can go quite a ways. If they think that improving a person''s performance or getting rid of them will help the store''s bottom line, they will put forth the effort. If the manager is not very good (and this may well be the case, here) then no, it won''t make a difference.


BTW, those settings are gorgeous!

Absolutely true! I currently am a retail store manager...and those phone calls are invaluable. But don''t only call when you have lousy service--call when you have great service, too! So often, people are happy to complain but forget to praise.

I don''t really remember having horrible service while we were ring shopping, but which sales associate you had certainly made a difference. Perhaps it was coincidental, but when I had female sales associates, they seemed more open to having fun and trying on items that were out of budget, crazy, or just not your style. I can only speculate that they like to have fun with the goodies when business is slow...

 

[vip0802]

wow, thanks for all the input everyone!

i had been meaning to call the manager today, but didn't get a chance to since i was busy at work. i'm planning to do so tomorrow though! as jet2ks mentioned, maybe the manager will do something proactive about his employees. it just boggles my mind how some of these sales associates act, wether it's at a jewelry store or any other retailer as some of you mentioned. i mean it's shocking that people have to be TOLD to be welcoming and gracious! many years ago, i worked at Zales (i know, i know...) and my manger would've had a fit if i ever treated anyone in that manner. i then worked at Ross Simons and again, i wouldn't have dreamt of snubbing anyone like that. i don't know...maybe it's because my parents raised me to treat everyone like how i would like to be treated, or mabe it's my experience with working in customer service/relations that it's just common sense to me. i was talking with BF about this, and said he was actually expecting to be treated like this and was upset because they were being rude to me. my BF doesn't have a lot of experience in jewelry, or shopping at jewelry stores and he already expected to be treated that way? how awful that jewelry stores have this reputation! i also talked to one of my girlfriends about our trip, and even she seemed unfazed by it. she was genuinely sorry that it happened, but she said, "yeah i'm not surprised.".

cellentani - i would want to wear a band with my e-ring, but since i didn't get to try those rings on, i can't say for sure how it'll look. i really love the look of sandwiching an e-ring with two bands! i plan on using the eternity ring that BF gave me as one of the bands, but again, i guess it'll all depend on what setting i choose. it would be SO great if we were able to meet up! you've been so wonderful to chat with and very helpful. even if we don't get to meet, i'll definitely let you know how it went!

HollyS - thanks for the heads up! after that day, i began to search for other online places that sold his line and Topazery was one of them. i just wish i could try them on before making a decision. Rude Guy will definitely NOT be making a sale from me!

packrat - that's too funny! maybe i should tell BF to make his mean face if we go anywhere else. haha! BF is my big stick too! well, he kinda has to be...i'm only 5'1 and he's 6'4.

mariel - seriously?! i think i would've said, "nothing if you insist on being rude". geez, how much more blatant can you be?

musey - good for you on buying the ring that you loved somewhere else! it bugs me when someone tries to sell me something that i'm clearly not interested in and/or isn't what i told them i was looking for.

Dannielle - how rude!!! man, i almost wish that guy said something like that lady said to you guys. BF is notorious for being a smart a** and i would've imagine him going, "get outta town! are you serious? diamonds aren't cheap?! what the heck are we doing here baby? we should leave!". haha!

QueenB29 - you know, i didn't even think of Jared's to go look. i've never been there so i have no experience with them whatsoever, but i'm glad you had great ones! if we ever venture to Arundel Mills, we'll definitely check it out.

geckodani - i totally agree with you on that you shouldn't need reinforcements! poor BF looked at what we were wearing that day and asked if we needed to change. heck no! to me, dressing up nice or looking older doesn't equal money. like i said before, the customers i used to have that were millionaires were the ones that were dressed down. stupid prejudices!

LamborghiniGirl - amen sister!

girlface - the exact same thing happened to me and one of my girlfriends! she had just bought her condo and was looking to spend on a nice dinning set. the guys there completely ignored us and she's a pretty bold person so she went up to each guy and told them off. she also took down their names, took the manager's name, called and sent a nasty-gram to their corporate office. they ended up sending her a ton of big discount vouchers, but she flat out refused to go back even though she saw a set she loved. oh well, serves them right IMO!

Gypsy - no wonder your head starts to pound! "all sapphires are heated"? wow. also, i will definitely have to use your answer the next time someone asks me what i'm looking for. that's a good one!

y2kitty - yes, when will they learn? hopefully, we'll get treated as nice as you did at that one store and Cartier the next we go.

swedish bean - that's a good point! i didn't even think of informing the designer about them. if i ever decide to go back, i'll have to be sure to see if those rings actually have his logo imprinted on the inside of the bands. even if it's not, i'm sure the designer would LOVE to know that they're representing his designs as theirs.

purelily - i'm sorry it happened to you too! i was literally in tears myself since it was our first ring shopping experience.

what IS it with Tiffany?! they should really have a sign up that says, "single ladies - DO NOT ENTER". sheesh! i've only been to a T&Co twice. first time was the one in NYC and i'm guessing most people are tourists (like me) and are there just to browse, so they didn't even bother asking if i needed any help. the only thing i remember from that visit was seeing a woman, who was draped in fur and jewels, try on a 5 ct ring. she turned to her poor husband and whined, "darling, look! it's wayyyyyy too small!"

PHEW! i hope i got to respond back to everyone. i'm sorry if i missed anyone, but please know that i really do appreciate the feedback! i have the day off tomorrow, and i'll be calling the store. i might be checking out some other places too so, i'll keep ya posted!