Crack the whip EJM.

So I had a bad experience yesterday.  I took DD into a local jewellers here to buy her a new charm for her bracelet.  Now, I have been dressed down all week and seeing as making my hair look remotely styled requires two fully functional hands, I've taken to just twisting it back off my face.  Anywhere, the point here is that I wasn't dressed to thrilled the sales clerks.  So we walk in closely followed by a rather well to-do couple.  The sales lady smiled warmly at the couple and then you could see her expression falter when she realized she would have to wait on me instead.  We were perfectly polite even though as the seconds wore on she was rubbing me further and further the wrong way.  Now bear in mind here that I was wearing about $40k of jewelry which would easily cost vastly more in euros.  She seems oblivious to this or simply thinks it's fake.  She pulls all the boxes of charms out and says, "You just want the normal ones?"  By this she means, the cheap ones.  So I say, "No, she knows which one she wants and it has the 14k accents."  The nose remains tipped upover as she gets the catalogue out as she doesn't have the one we want in stock.  I get a sneery, "Are you going to pay for it today?" as she fills out the form, and I hand over my card.  Then I ask for a tax form.  Well, that wasn't met with a happy face.  She filled one out for me but was obviously less than pleased that I was taking up her time.  I smiled a great big grin, said thank you and left.........and I will NEVER buy anything from them again.

Having said that, when I go back to pick up the charm, I will be dressed to the nines and dripping with my largest pieces while tipping my very own nose upover at the miserable cow.

I have a jewellers in the UK that I would trust with anything.  Even though they know I spend copious amounts with David, they never look down their noses at my pieces - quite the contrary.  They always compliment my DBL pieces and still treat me like their number one customer when I walk in the door.  The owner came and sat down with me for a chat last time I was in there.  And guess what?  They don't care what I'm wearing and they never have.  I HATE SNOTTY JEWELRY SALES CLERKS!!!!!

UGH DJ!  What the H*ll is wrong with people anymore?   I would think with all the competition out there,  people would be bound to go the distance.    Also, no one should ever be judged on there appearance.   They are the ones that will lose in the end.   Good for you for remaining dignified DJ... especially in front of your daughter.   Speaking of....  did your daughter say anything after you left the store???  These young minds are so impressionable, I can't imagine that she didn't pick up on the snootiness from the .... "COW'! LOL!

Even better pay in small bills and unrolled coins and make them count it.  HA! 

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one.  I was in the nicest local jeweler shortly before Christmas.  I asked to be shown the largest eternity band in the store.  My purpose was to determine whether the 3.66 ct Asscher band that David has/had would be comfortable, because I'm thinking of saving for one.

  Mind you, I'm sure I was in jeans and a t-shirt, but also wearing my diamond studs, pear pendant, asscher halo, and radiant ER/princess anniversary band.  Almost 7 cts. of diamonds-- really gorgeous diamonds, if I may say so myself <G>.  And in truth, that shouldn't matter.

So the guy shows me a 1ct or so band, which as you can imagine, is quite narrow.  Pretty, but not what I was looking for.  He then rushes off to wait on someone else, and I look around a bit.  In the "expensive case," I see JUST what I was looking for-- a 5 ct. Asscher band.  Lovely.  When he finishes with the other customer, I ask to see the larger band.  It was pretty clear that he hadn't considered it worth his while to show me that band.

This was a pretty foolish choice.  I get that he's on commission, that he is pretty sure I'm not going to buy an 18K band for myself that day.  Now, of course odds are I'd buy from David to start with.  HOWEVER, this guy really tarnished the way I feel about this shop.  He shouldn't make me feel guilty and small for coming in his store just to look at one specific thing, even if it was a few days before Christmas. 

So the next time I'm thinking about, oh, a new watch for DH or a gold chain or whatever, I would rather drive to The City or just order something off the 'net than buy from them.

BTW, the big eternity band felt great  .  I think I'll start saving to buy one... yes, for myself  , but from David, of course.

The funny thing is that in LA I think it is pretty much expected that EVERYONE will be in jeans and a t-shirt.  I think they probably check out your handbag and manicure and jewels.  Maybe your shoes, but flip flops are ubiquitous too.  Y'all should just move here and you'd be fine!!

I am not a clothes hound...BUT I AM A JEWELRY HOUND!   

I`ve read parts of this thread and it actually makes me smile. I reckon I must be some kind of oddball because I`d think nothing of going into ANY shop dressed as I please and minus jewellery and anywhere in the World. I`d also think nothing of quietly but firmly fronting any sales assistant if I wasn`t happy with their manner and have done so many times.
I usually receive a lovely apology and now and again the sales assistant insists they didn`t actually realise how off putting their attitude has been.
The last time it happened I did my usual thing of looking the sales girl straight in the eye, smiling nicely, asking her was she having a bad day because if so, then it was just about to get worse if her attitude didn`t change and if I felt inclined to speak to her Manager.  All said with a smile and in a low quiet voice but with that look in my eye which says don`t mess with this lady.
At this point they usually do a double take and I receive the apology so that`s the time to let it drop and I say ok, no problems, let`s start again and this time let`s do it the right way shall we.
I actually returned to the last place this happened, the sales girl remembered me and actually came over smiling and seemed genuinely eager to serve me, in fact we had a lovely time.
Sometimes it`s just education, education, education and I don`t hold grudges and have never been treated badly in yhe same place twice over and if I was, then God help them !

AMEN to that!!

DD didn't pick up on anything but I was quick to point out to her that the lady wasn't very nice or polite so we would not return again.  She needs to understand that she should expect better treatment no matter what.


Sam, you don't know what it's like here!  Most stores seem to think you should be undyingly grateful that they have opened a shop for you to be in - not that they should be grateful of your business!  I am not sure how much they would care if I complained. 

Oh, I have to add here too that this particular store does not have ANY larger pieces - not one.  They have no reason to be snobs as their main sales come from sterling silver designer ranges.  It's not like this is a top class jewelers - far from it. 

Awestruck, next time you're in Holland, I would be delighted to introduce you to the snobby cow.......I'll bring the camera so the moment can be captured for CDI history........heck, I could probably sell tickets too........