experience at GOG

[ljs45]

I''''ve been lurking around this site for a couple of months now, as my boyfriend and I have been looking at engagement rings. I''''ve read such wonderful things about Good Old Gold, that we decided to take a trip there this past weekend from Connecticut.

Wasn''''t expecting a strip mall store, so we were a little surprised when we pulled up. Anyways, when we entered the store, it was crowded and very busy, and we couldn''''t even get to the counter to see the engagement ring settings. Finally, after about 10 minutes, a woman greeted us and asked what we needed help with. My BF explained that we were looking for some education on diamonds in the 1.5-2 carat range, and she handed us a pricelist (which I thought was so tacky) and said she specialized in repairs, but she would send someone over. After another 15 minutes (still nowhere near the ring section) a different woman approached us with a 1.5 and a 2.0 diamond. She put them out so we could compare them, and when we started to ask her question about diamonds, she admitted that diamonds were not her specialty and we would have to wait for a diamond expert. (btw, my BF was fuming by this point).

After about 10 more minutes, the "diamond expert" came up to us, in a low cut shirt, chomping on gum and blowing bubbles in our face, her attention across the room as she brushed off our questions and concerns and basically told us that all their diamonds are perfect, and the prices that are listed on the sheet are non-negotiable. With that, we thanked her and left.

I was so disappointed in this experience, and now my boyfriend has such a sour taste in his mouth about a diamond search.
Just thought I would share this with everyone so no one else has to waste their time at Good Old Gold.

 

[Kaleigh]

Total posts: 1
I smell a rat.

 

[ljs45]

I may be a lot of things but I am certainly not a rat. My posting above was the honest-to-God truth. Hopefully when Jonathon comes back (when I asked for him at the counter, one of his employees said he was on vacation this week) he takes this seriously, because it was an appalling business experience.

 

[Cath]

I am sorry you had a bad experience at GOG. It sounds like they were very busy when you went and you did not get the service that you deserve.

While it''s in the past now, I would suggest that if you plan to go to other jewelers, call them in advance and see if you can make an appointment. This will give you the opportunity to get more one-on-one attention (in GOG''s case, you would have found out ahead of time that Jonathan is out and you may have decided to postpone your visit until he returned).

 

[valeria101]

Growth pains ? (at GOG)

They have surely reised expectations tremendously on the forum... especially counting the story of a couple of appointements. ''Guess that is not the norm.

Sorry to hear about the dissapointing visit.

 

[Kaleigh]

ljs,
I apologize sincerelry!!! There are so many people who come on here briefly and put down a company, and then leave. I am truly sorry for you experience at GOG. I have only heard of good things about them so was suprised to hear about YOUR experience. Hopefully jonathon will be able to clear things up for you. Again I am sorry for being wrong about your post.

 

[bluedawg]

That is too bad. I would have had high expectations, too. I think Rhino is awesome on Pricescope.

I wouldn''t care about what a salesperson wears or if they chew gum, but it would be a shame to feel as if your business wasn''t needed.

Have you been to any other stores for comparison?

 

[ljs45]

Thanks guys....

BlueDawg- my boyfriend had been to a couple of smaller stores in New York City before we went to GOG...I suspect he''ll probably head back to the city now.

One question, though- Does "Hearts and Arrows" mean that all ideal cut diamonds are hearts and arrows? Or is that just one kind of cut?

Thanks!

 

[Angel7]

Here''s a positive story from Good Old Gold.
Sorry your''s didn''t go as smoothly.

I guess along with the good comes some bad experiences.
Good luck at your next store.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 4/25/2005 11:15

8 AM
Author: Angel7
Here''s a positive story from Good Old Gold.

Sorry your''s didn''t go as smoothly.

I guess along with the good comes some bad experiences.

Good luck at your next store.

Never using GOG myself, I think the difference between this link and ljs'' post is that ljs and her BF went to GOG while the link showed a positive experience via email and dealing with Jonathan directly...never any other inbetween sales rep. Ljs, you may want to contact Jonathan via email and let him know of your experience...my guess is that he''ll want to rectify the situation immediately, as he''s really responsive (based on what I''ve read on these postings) to his customers'' needs.

Good luck!

 

[Angel7]

Date: 4/25/2005 11:20

3 AM
Author: AChiOAlumna

Date: 4/25/2005 11:15

8 AM
Author: Angel7
Here''s a positive story from Good Old Gold.

Sorry your''s didn''t go as smoothly.

I guess along with the good comes some bad experiences.

Good luck at your next store.

Never using GOG myself, I think the difference between this link and ljs'' post is that ljs and her BF went to GOG while the link showed a positive experience via email and dealing with Jonathan directly...never any other inbetween sales rep. Ljs, you may want to contact Jonathan via email and let him know of your experience...my guess is that he''ll want to rectify the situation immediately, as he''s really responsive (based on what I''ve read on these postings) to his customers'' needs.

Good luck!

Either way, through email or an in-store visit, both are a reflection of the store and type of work and service provided. Yes, the two buying experiences were done differently but it helps to see there is good and not all bad.

 

[belle]

hey ljs45,
sorry to hear about this experience.....how very frustrating

here''s a link that should answer your question about hearts & arrows

best of luck in your diamond search!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 4/25/2005 11:29:28 AM
Author: Angel7

Date: 4/25/2005 11:20

3 AM

Author: AChiOAlumna

Date: 4/25/2005 11:15

8 AM

Author: Angel7


Either way, through email or an in-store visit, both are a reflection of the store and type of work and service provided. Yes, the two buying experiences were done differently but it helps to see there is good and not all bad.

Angel...

No disagreement here...The only reason I brought up the difference is that the online link dealt directly with Jonathan where ljs had to deal with someone else. I''m hoping that if ljs can work with Jonathan directly be it online or in-house that she''ll get more desireable/positive results...

 

[Angel7]

I hear ya ACHIOALUMNA.
(I can''t relate(to ljs post) what so ever so I thought maybe a positive story would be nice)

Maybe I should get work instead of surfing the internet!

 

[aljdewey]

LJS......sorry you had a disappointing experience, but I think part of it was perhaps not having realistic expectations going into it.

"It was crowded and very busy and we couldn''t get to the counter to see the settings." As an overall rule, Saturday is THE busiest day for shopping for *anything*....and that includes jewelry shopping. Just as you would expect mall stores to be most crowded on a Saturday, so too should you expect a jeweler to be busy on a Saturday.

I''m sure you wouldn''t expect to go to a restaurant at prime time on a Saturday night with no reservation and be seated right away, right? You wouldn''t expect to walk-in with no appointment to a hair salon on a Saturday morning and get a haircut within 10 minutes of your arrival, would you? Just like a jeweler, restaurants and hair-salons do take "walk-ins", but we all understand and accept that a walk-in basis might mean a wait, right? Why should this be different for the jeweler?

Oh, and FYI......that "everyday Saturday" busy is compounded when you choose to go shopping on a RAINY Saturday as it was in New England/NY this past weekend. When folks cannot go to the beach or otherwise play outside, they flock to the shopping malls. That makes it even worse....it would be like going to the aforementioned restaurant on Mother''s Day or Easter without a reservation, or like going to the hair salon the week before school starts and expecting to be waited on immediately with no appointment. Not gonna happen.

"Finally, after about 10 minutes, a woman greeted us and asked what we needed help with......she specialized in repairs, but she would send someone over.

After another 15 minutes (still nowhere near the ring section) a different woman approached us ......when we started to ask her question about diamonds, she admitted that diamonds were not her specialty and we would have to wait for a diamond expert. (btw, my BF was fuming by this point)"

What I get from this is, two people at least tried to help you instead of leaving you standing there for 25 minutes without even being approached. They gave you information about pricing. Since you couldn''t get near the ring section, they even tried to bring rings *to you* in the sizes you said you were interested in. But they were being honest in saying they weren''t thoroughly versed in diamonds. I don''t understand why that''s upsetting. If you were going to a salon to learn more about selecting hair color, would you expect the nail technician to know about hair color? Of course not. Would expect the dishwasher at the restaurant to explain how they prepare tonight''s house special? Of course not.

After about 10 more minutes, the "diamond expert" came up to us, in a low cut shirt, chomping on gum and blowing bubbles in our face, her attention across the room as she brushed off our questions and concerns and basically told us that all their diamonds are perfect, and the prices that are listed on the sheet are non-negotiable. With that, we thanked her and left.

This part I can understand your being disappointed with. When I''m buying an upscale item like a car or a luxury item, I expect the salesperson to be presentably dressed and professional looking. I don''t expect them to smack on gum and blow bubbles in my face.

It just sounds as though you expected the service equivalent of a 12-course dinner but were only willing to give the time schedule equivalent of a fast-food pit-stop. A 12-course dinner is an event and takes a couple of hours.....a burger at a fast food joint takes 15 minutes. You cannot get the 12-course dinner in 15 minutes.

Buying a diamond is a major outlay of money, so it''s something that you should give more than 10 minutes to doing.

On your next outing, I''d suggest booking some appointments in advance....and if possible, try scheduling in non-peak periods (one night after work or early, early Sat a.m....maybe even before they normally open.) Good luck.....I hope you have better success next time.

 

[strmrdr]

My 2c.
Keep in mind we are only hearing one side of the story here.

The only thing I can fault GOG on is this part if that is what happened and at this point I dont see anything pointing to that it didnt.

"the "diamond expert" came up to us, in a low cut shirt, chomping on gum and blowing bubbles in our face, her attention across the room as she brushed off our questions and concerns and basically told us that all their diamonds are perfect, and the prices that are listed on the sheet are non-negotiable."

Unprofesional at best unfortunatly.
Rude at worst.



The lesson is make an appointment!
If you had spent an hour, one on one, with Jon it would have been a totaly different experence.

 

[pqcollectibles]

The lesson is make an appointment!
If you had spent an hour, one on one, with Jon it would have been a totaly different experence.

Dittos to both ALJD''s and Strm''s comments. Saturday''s are busy shopping days, especially for jewelers, and especially at certain times of the year.

The type of visit you suggest you were wanting to make,........... an educational trip, to look and see, compare, and learn for yourself,....... It would have been more beneficial to have scheduled an appointment in advance so Jonathan could set aside time to spend with the both of you. Strm is totally right. Your visit would have been totally different spending the same amount of you already have in the hands of a master like Jonathan.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 4/25/2005 2:34:46 PM
Author: aljdewey
Saturday is THE busiest day for shopping for *anything*....and that includes jewelry shopping. Just as you would expect mall stores to be most crowded on a Saturday, so too should you expect a jeweler to be busy on a Saturday.

Agreed!

Saturdays are a nightmare no matter WHERE you go. I went shoe shopping at Macy''s and it took the sales girl 15 minutes to find me ONE pair sandles in my size, but this was the only chance I had to get in on their sale, so I endured this inconvience.

I definetly would not go into a store planning to spend thousands of dollars if the place was packed. I''d have waited until a quiet evening when I could think clearly. . .

(but, to side with you on the gum chewing part. . .this would have turned me off enough to leave and shop elsewhere

)

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Whenever my DH and I plan a day to go to the LA Jewelry District, we always shoot for midweek. The booths and stores all open about 10

0 am and we get there just about that time. The stores are practically empty and we make a day of it...the last time we went, we took in the Metrolink to the Red Line and it dropped us off literally 1 block north of where we needed to be! It made for such a stress-free day and knowing we didn''t have to return to face the afternoon rush-hour traffic made it a pleasure!!

How I wish the west coast had subways like NYC...but alas

, we don''t...the Metrolink is the next best thing...but I digress...during the week is the best time to go...I can''t imagine what a weekend there would be like!

And we also make appointments for the stores we KNOW we want to go to...in between appointments (if there is time), we''ll stop off at other stores/booths just for comparison-sake...

 

[luvmysparklies]

ljs45-
I am sorry that this was your experience as this has never been the norm for me. The key, as others have posted, is to make the appointment. Jon always gives me his undivided attention and even though he is really the diamond person in the store he has taken the time to show the wonderful antique jewelry selections that they have as well (It'd put fay cullen to shame if he ever put all that stuff on the net). Anyway, the staff really does try to synch up and get everyone served and it is more difficult especially on a saturday. The first time I met Jon, he was in the middle of a phone interview that this magazine was doing featuring his website, and Jon made sure that my then boyfriend and I were being helped as he had to dash back and forth between us and the interviewer. He spent about 4 hours with us because he felt bad that this interview thing came up unexpectedly. We were not left "orphaned" and his assitant showed us settings and other things while we waited for the interview to end. I have made subsequent trips to his store (once I made an appointment and was running late, so I called and his assistant forgot to tell him I was coming) and he still carved out considerable time for me. Anyway, Jon's pretty much the boss around there and he doesn't tolerate folks standing around not getting helped (believe me, I've seen him in action). I am sorry your experience was not good,

but if you send him an e-mail he definitely will make it right.

This is not the norm!
Luv

 

[moremoremore]

Doesn''t it say on GOG that appointments are encouraged? If not I would think this is obvious...especially if someone is driving from CT to meet with Jonathan or one of his other diamond people specifically.

 

[bopitaddict]

i purchased from GOG online, so i don''t have knowledge of their store... but my experience with them was very positive. actually, at first, i had a little bit of a misunderstanding with them (not jonathan personally), but jonathan more than made up for it. he answered any little trivial questions i had (which were a lot) and gave me his opinion on certain matters... he totally gained my trust and i love the diamond i purchased from them. and now so does my fiancee. link

jonathan is a true professional and i''d advise you to let him know what you''re looking for and when you''re going into his store. they ARE very busy. but i''m sure he''ll be very accomodating in answering any questions you have if you give him another chance. i''m glad i did.

 

[chazmataz40]

Hey there:

I will be there tomorrow (without an appt) to see if this happens to me at GOG. Should it be busy, I will make an appointment as the website directs, and come back another day

 

[RockDoc]

I want to inject some information here.

If this was the past Saturday that you visited, Jonathon wasn''t there.


I only know this because he was going to Orlando with his family, and since he was fairly close we were going to get together to say hi. First he was stopping in Jacksonville, so not sure if he even got to Orlando yet, as he was supposed to call me when he got there so we could arrange seeing each other.


There is no one who cares about the business besides the owner. This is why I rather work twice the hours and not have employees.

Jonahton I believe has demonstrated well his outlook on his posts here, so I think a combination of him not being there, a crummy day, and them being short staffed, and very crowded, along with probably picking the worst day of the week to go shopping all contributed to your experience

I am sure when Jonathon gets back he will turn himself "inside out" for you. Generally they are really good at following up.. but I guess the timing wasn''t the best for either of you.

Rockdoc

 

[chazmataz40]

Hey all:

I had a more than positive (in-person) experience with GOG today. I had no appointment, and was greeted by multiple persons that worked there, including Tim and Charlie to name a few. They were going to give me as long of time as I needed--and there was ample traffic in the store. I spent well over 2 hours there today. There were no unprofessional staff members or actions at all!

I really can''t say enough good things about the service that I received there today--what a positive experience! Tim took care of everything

You think that GOG does a lot education-wise on the web????---Try calling them or visiting them in person if you are semi-local---you will not be sorry. I have been lurking here for months---and everything I ever questioned was explained VERY, VERY thoroughly.

Hats off the GOG. If I choose to go forward with the pieces I placed on hold today, I know that I will not be sorry.

 

[Chrisk327]

i bought from GOG in person after finding them on the web. From what i remember, on the website they say an appointment is almost required.

I made an appointment, spend about an hour and a half there with amy and jonathon. It was a great expereince, They were both very helpful and fantasitic. However, trying to get either of their time during a saturday without an appointment isn''t that likely. They do have a bunch of salespeople for the normal jewelry, but they don''t really do engagement rings.

I wanted to purchase our wedding rings from there, but basically didn''t find what i was looking for, nor are the normal salespeople as helpful.

I would definately recommend them to people.... but i would urge them to read the website, and know some before you go, it will make things easier. And they will give you the time you deserve for such a large purchase, but ya gotta make an appointment.

 

[Chas!]

I have to say that this sounds exagerrated. I work here and worked at GOG on saturday. I am mainly the lab tech and I also help customers.

point 1 - All our trained staff was already helping a customer that had an appointment. On saturdays it's very busy and we do mention on the web to call ahead of time to set a time. Past 3PM we had no appointments so the person could of still been helped in a proper manner by our trainned staff if they just called ahead.

point 2 - I don't think it would of made any difference if Jonathan was here. It wouldn't of helped the situation. They would of still been stuck waiting for a diamond salesperson because there was no appointment made. Everyone on our diamond sales team is well trainned and professional just as much as jon (well.. very close

). People on this staff and in the store have been working here for years; 5,10 even 20 years.The people who commented that "if Jonathan was here" I'm sure had the best intentions for us and I know love us, haven't nessasarily been to our store before so don't really know

that it wouldn't of made it a better experience.

point 3 - I personally don't think that was true about the low cut shirt. The owner would of never allowed something like that. No one even recalls wearing something like that. Or blowing bubbles for that matter. I personally think that was exagerrated or straight out untrue. I think the strip mall comment gave it away because it was apparent that they were turned off by that before they even entered our store. If everything didn't go perfect from there then they were not going to be happy. I may be wrong but that's my assesment.

point 4- We are also a jewelry store so not everyone is fully trained in diamonds. We have other things going on in the store and certain people trainned for diamonds and certain people trainned for other things. Although we can be crossed trainned to do multiple tasks, it is not always possible for everyone to be trainned in everything. We don't pretend to have people not trainned helping in diamonds especially in the detailed information that we provide on the web. And we don't just throw some pretty girl at someone untrainned and blow smoke at them saying "Oh that's perfect for you". We DID in fact place someone not very knowledged in deap details but does have a general knowledge of diamonds to help considering the circumstances.( It was clear up front) We did tell the customer that she can start with them in the mean time.

We are open to critisim and did in fact look deep into this if we were at fault with any of these points the customer made. We are not perfect and strive like any caring business to learn from our mistakes and different experiences. I personally think the lesson learned in this is to think about what to do when we are booked up on a day and walk in diamond customers come in. We haven't fiqured out what the solution is yet but we will certainly talk about it this week.

Thank you all for the comments. I honestly appreciate hearing feedback (good or bad) It keeps us on our toes because we always have something to learn. -Chas!