Ring Rage

[flamingoezz]

I spent a month researching rings and found that what i wanted to get my GF didn't exist. i reached out to a well-known online jeweler to design a ring. the person assigned to me was very informative, patient and helpful. i worked with her for over 2 weeks getting the specs together, pricing, picking a diamond. i wanted to wait until after xmas to put the ring into production and I informed her I would be ready to start on the 26th -- which would still allow me 2 extra weeks from expected arrival time to my proposal date in case of delays.

Today I emailed over to let her know we're ready to roll and check if she could speak to the designer personally to convey the ring we'd been discussing and i get....out of office auto-reply until dec 31. REALLY?! this is one of the most important purchases of my life. i told this woman a week before christmas when I wanted to start and she takes a vacation and doesn't tell me?

If it was a stock item, i wouldn't be upset, but i personally helped design this thing and had been dealing with her alone for 3-4 weeks. Speaking to someone new at this point could lead to a lot of things going wrong or being lost in translation. I want it to be perfect. am i over-reacting about this?

 

[ascari_2]

 

[SB621]

Hmmm that is a tough one...yes and no?!

If this was an online PS vendor then they probably have a file with all your email communication that someone else can access. And while this is crappy customer service these things do happen. It is the holiday season after all. But I agree she should have told you she was going to be out of office. Have you tried contacting someone else from the vendor?

The reason why I say no- so we can just be clear- is because it is December and even though you were up front and honest with the sales person they probably have a million other clients who are ordering/ doing rush purchases/ g-d knows what else so everyone can have Xmas or NYE proposals and presents. This 3 weeks is probably the worst time for you to say "Ok I'm ready to order but I'm going to wait till 12/26 to contact you again"- once again I agree it is bad customer serivice but at the same time if you have a timeline you are trying to follow then you need to take into consideration the holiday season.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I imagine many benches will be closed through New Years. I'd call on Jan. 2. I believe they will be sure your deadline is met.

I do think you should have put your deposit down to have gotten your order in the stack, though. You have to realize the number of people who probably call to discuss projects and never call back due to changing their mind or going with another ring maker.

 

[flamingoezz]

I can understand her taking time off. it is the holidays afterall, but my expectation would be that if i told her i want to go into production on this date, and she knew she wouldn't be here, that she would at least inform me of that and ask ensure that both me and the designer are settled on what the next step is..

she even went so far as to tell me the business' schedule over the holidays (1/2 day xmas eve, closed xmas and new years).

i have seen an invoice which details the width of the ring, and some other details, and she may have very well already relayed specifics to the designer, but some peace of mind goes a long way with such an important purchase.

@seeker - I filled out their credit card authorization form and faxed it, and also emailed copies of my license and credit card..i was committed to the purchase, not just scoping out prices

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Okay, then that is good that you had the paperwork done to proceed. I still say new projects probably aren't being started this week. If the bench is working, they are probably finishing any projects for New Years Eve proposals.

I do understand why you are upset, but I also think you are slightly overreacting. Anyone can probably pull up your information. It all has to be written down for the bench. Just call and ask to speak to someone else. Tell them the problem and simply ask if the delay in beginning your project in early Jan. is going to be a problem with your deadline. Make your deadline a week before you need the ring.

 

[decodelighted]

YOU have picked the absolute least convenient time to proceed. NO ONE ELSE. YOU. Hold your damn horses man. Some people spend six months or a year researching a ring -- and many rings take 6-8 weeks to complete and STILL aren't correct the first time. So - keep that in mind when formulating your expectations.

 

[Enerchi]

I can appreciate your frustration and feeling like you've been 'left in the lurch' because your SA has gone on a vacation, but... this is the season for A) plenty of jewelry purchases all around the world and B) Christmas holiday's where stores/manufacturers have altered their hours to accommodate staff to spend time with their families.

I'm sure the SA will get right on it as soon as she returns and sees your email. If not, and you prefer to contact the company directly before Dec 31, I agree that there would be a client number/record of your contact and the details, so another agent could get this going for you.

It is a stressful month what with all the seasonal emotions that run high at this time, plus your excitement about becoming engaged soon, but I'd suggest that just take a moment, calm down a bit and start it up again when she returns. That's what I'd do. It is not a personal thing against you at all, this person just took vacation. That's it.

Hope it all runs smoothly for you...!

 

[Deucer]

Hey Guy,

Some people put up out of office replies on their emails during the holidays, then keep working on critical items. Ask me how I know.

Chill out, and don't assume things are FUBAR because you got one automated email.

 

[flamingoezz]

YOU have picked the absolute least convenient time to proceed. NO ONE ELSE. YOU. Hold your damn horses man. Some people spend six months or a year researching a ring -- and many rings take 6-8 weeks to complete and STILL aren't correct the first time. So - keep that in mind when formulating your expectations.

someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning..

my proposal isn't planned until late feb. i don't think my expectations are too high given that i allowed several weeks longer than my expected completion date for delivery. im not asking them to jump through hoops or rush my job...i'd just appreciate communication as a paying customer on a custom project.

@enerchi - thanks...i think your comment makes alot of sense.

 

[leeac]

Large vendors need to be able to interchange customer service reps seamlessly for efficiency purposes, so I would be surprised if the specs that you specifically agreed to with your original customer rep wasn't already input into their database. Without a database for information, even your original customer rep would have trouble remembering or pulling up your details (especially 2 weeks later) after she has spoken to hundreds (if not thousands) of other 'prospective' clients in the interim.

I would recommend that you call there, speak to another customer service rep, and find out what they CAN do for you.

Good luck!

 

[CharmyPoo]

Hey Guy,

Some people put up out of office replies on their emails during the holidays, then keep working on critical items. Ask me how I know.

Chill out, and don't assume things are FUBAR because you got one automated email.

That's me too I am taking time off but still working on important things - just want to minimize the volume and prioritized.

 

[CharmyPoo]

someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Don't mind her - I think she wakes up on the wrong side of the bed most days.

 

[distracts]

If it was so important that you continue working with this SA, you should have said so. She probably had no idea it mattered to you which person you worked with as long as your ring got done.

 

[JDNJ]

YOU have picked the absolute least convenient time to proceed. NO ONE ELSE. YOU. Hold your damn horses man. Some people spend six months or a year researching a ring -- and many rings take 6-8 weeks to complete and STILL aren't correct the first time. So - keep that in mind when formulating your expectations.

LOL

I hope you arent a business owner. You couldnt be more wrong.

 

[Niel]

As someone who works in a large company as a costomer facing individual, here are some reasons ive specifically seen ehy soneone did not live up to there quoted timeline with an idevidual
Sick
On vacation and someone else is doing her follow up... In whixh case youd probably get an email from someone else
Unexpected time off for funerals etc( lets hope not)
Gave you wring information.

Really only one of those things are reasons worthy of you to be mad at

 

[04diamond<3]

YOU have picked the absolute least convenient time to proceed. NO ONE ELSE. YOU. Hold your damn horses man. Some people spend six months or a year researching a ring -- and many rings take 6-8 weeks to complete and STILL aren't correct the first time. So - keep that in mind when formulating your expectations.

HAHAHAHA - Well said. A bit harsh, but true.

OP - This IS the busiest time of year and people aren't expected to give you notice when they plan on taking time off and sometimes it can't be helped. HOWEVER, if he/she did plan this and was good at their job, they would have had this ready for production today so maybe you should check with the store and ask about it. The thing is, while this is a big purchase and you have a lot of attachment to this, the jewelry world doesn't revolve around you or any other customer. Go in prepared, and expect somethings to change/be different. I'd rather you be pleasantly surprised than outraged because you didn't think about it before hand. I hope they respond to you quickly and your ring gets finished on time!

 

[CharmyPoo]

The way I see it .. the OP's beef is that he didn't tell her she was going away. I would be upset too. If I was told, "I know you want to start after Christmas but I am going to be away from X to Y. Would you be comfortable working with someone else? Or do you think we can start earlier / later?" If a conversation like this was had, the OP can set his expectations and make his decisions accordingly.

It's almost like a wedding planner taking 2 weeks off before your wedding without telling you.

 

[tuffyluvr]

This is an inconvenience, but I don't think it's cause for rage... Irritation, maybe... Like others said, they might be taking time off, but working on a few projects. If you don't get a response by tomorrow I would call the shop and ask if your project will be started before the persons return after the new year. Most importantly, don't let yourself get emotional.

 

[flamingoezz]

The way I see it .. the OP's beef is that he didn't tell her she was going away. I would be upset too. If I was told, "I know you want to start after Christmas but I am going to be away from X to Y. Would you be comfortable working with someone else? Or do you think we can start earlier / later?" If a conversation like this was had, the OP can set his expectations and make his decisions accordingly.

It's almost like a wedding planner taking 2 weeks off before your wedding without telling you.

If they told me they were going away, i would have still started the same date.

the project was turning over to the designer, so the person who had been helping me would have a lesser role after yesterday. the transition is what worried me, since i had told only her about my vision for the ring and i only get one chance at an edit without cost to myself and delays that could cost me my deadline if the ring was completely off in their first attempt. if she had said, im going away, but i spoke to the designer...they have a clear view of what you want and they will reach out to you shortly with a CAD or any questions, i would be totally ok..my issue was that they kinda left me without knowing what was going on at a critical point.

i have since spoke to customer service. they billed my card yesterday and will be starting the CAD any day now. the designer will email to notify me when starting and I should have a design 2-3 weeks later.

 

[SB621]

YOU have picked the absolute least convenient time to proceed. NO ONE ELSE. YOU. Hold your damn horses man. Some people spend six months or a year researching a ring -- and many rings take 6-8 weeks to complete and STILL aren't correct the first time. So - keep that in mind when formulating your expectations.

LOL

I hope you arent a business owner. You couldnt be more wrong.

Actaully JDNJ I hate to say it but deco is actaully very much correct. Most people spend several months researching for the right diamond and then if want a custom ring the timeline is typically 4-8 weeks depending on the vendor, time of year etc. And if you read any of the custom threads on RT you will see that many times mistakes are made during the process that need to be fixed- hense adding even more time to the timeline.

While deco was a litte harsh with his comment he was 100% accurate with his assessment.

 

[TC1987]

YOU have picked the absolute least convenient time to proceed. NO ONE ELSE. YOU. Hold your damn horses man. Some people spend six months or a year researching a ring -- and many rings take 6-8 weeks to complete and STILL aren't correct the first time. So - keep that in mind when formulating your expectations.

LOL

I hope you arent a business owner. You couldnt be more wrong.

Well, you are already sending your ring back for repairs and adjustments (including a diamond fell out and the center diamond is set crooked), aren't you? 6-8 weeks is typical time for design and completion of custom rings. Keep in mind that benches, like some home remodel and repair contractors, might have several customers' rings or other projects being made concurrently. And that a delay or revision in any one of those could affect the progress on yours or the others, either positively or adversely.

 

[04diamond<3]

The way I see it .. the OP's beef is that he didn't tell her she was going away. I would be upset too. If I was told, "I know you want to start after Christmas but I am going to be away from X to Y. Would you be comfortable working with someone else? Or do you think we can start earlier / later?" If a conversation like this was had, the OP can set his expectations and make his decisions accordingly.

It's almost like a wedding planner taking 2 weeks off before your wedding without telling you.

The only foul would be if everything stopped and nothing was done while he/she was gone. Which is what I stated earlier. People have lives and things happen. But if this person he was working with didn't put his order through prior to her leaving, this is the problem and I would also be upset.

OP - YOU still need to call the store and check up on this. I personally would have done that immediately after getting the email.

 

[Doc_1]

May be a blessing in disguise!
If someone did not give a damn about a well discussed plan (you already committed to it and did your end of the deal), then it could be a warning sign to look for another vendor that respects his word. Better now before going through the process than later with OOPS!