Whiteflash Diamond Mix-Up

[prs]

@prs ,
Thank you for that feedback. That is precisely how we are approaching this internally.

We have established some of the causal factors involved and have a plan for corrective actions involving both a potential system improvement and additional training.

Your item #3 is of particular importance to fully understand internally. In a sense there are two separate issues here. First is the initial customer-reaching error. Second is a response to a customer concern that should have resulted in action but did not. We are still exploring the details of that interaction.

Thank you again for your analysis. It is spot on.

You definitely have it under control. When we first got ISO certified I thought that having to do Corrective Actions and revise our SOPs was a sign of failure. However I came to realize it was actually a sign of success. Our system was catching problems and fixing them. This is what continual improvement is all about.

I also found that ISO recertification auditors like to see your Quality System is a living program, and not a document that goes unchanged and unread from year to year.

 

[Dmndsr4evr11]

I thought a loupe is always included with a diamond purchase from WF.

I received it with my original purchase. None with the several upgrades. I don’t know if my eyes are worse or the inscription seems smaller and harder to read. I had no issues seeing it with my smaller stones in the past Now I have tough time seeing mine even with a larger stone. I can barely see the inscription with a 20x Loupe I bought myself. I can see AGS in some angles. And the last few digits that look like they match my AGS certificate. I’m thinking of getting a 40x loupe.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

@Texas Leaguer , I do not want people to get in a trouble - that was never an intention of this thread as I was very happy to be a part of WF the minute I saw my diamond necklace (my first WF purchase). However, I would like to mention how flexible my associate Michelle was. When I called her regarding the tracking number for the second diamond, she said I would receive it in couple of hours (that would be 6:00pm your time). I did not receive the usual automatic WF response about shipping and tracking # and assumed Fedex did not pick up the package and the stone would be shipped on Monday. However, Michelle checked her emails (must have been around 7:00pm on Friday so she was off the clock already) and saw I did not receive the email with a tracking#. She contacted Vera who provided Michelle with the Fedex tracking and Michelle herself emailed it to me later that evening because she knew I was waiting for it. If it were not for Michelle's thoughtfulness, I would not have had an idea the package was coming for Saturday's delivery. I spoke with her on Monday and thanked her for it.

@daisygrl,
Thank you for the kind words about Michelle. Our consultants are conscientious like that. And do not think that by addressing a problem and determining that some additional training may be in order that anyone is going to get in trouble. Most of our staff have been with us for many, many years and we value them highly. And everyone here responds well to constructive criticism because everyone wants to learn and improve and to perform at the highest level for our customers. We all redouble our efforts in response to a situation like this. We know how important these purchases are.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

@prs ,
Thank you for that feedback. That is precisely how we are approaching this internally.

We have established some of the causal factors involved and have a plan for corrective actions involving both a potential system improvement and additional training.

Your item #3 is of particular importance to fully understand internally. In a sense there are two separate issues here. First is the initial customer-reaching error. Second is a response to a customer concern that should have resulted in action but did not. We are still exploring the details of that interaction.

Thank you again for your analysis. It is spot on.

In reconstructing the timeline of communications we have determined that appropriate and timely action was in fact taken internally upon the customer expressing concern about a mix-up. A call to inventory was made immediately at which point inventory checked and determined that the wrong stone had been shipped and the correct stone was still in-house. This was communicated to the customer simultaneously in a phone call soon thereafter as the customer had made her own determination, and arrangements were made to bring the first diamond back.

While there apparently was discussion about our multilevel QC and how it was hard to imagine a situation like this escaping detection, nobody was dismissive of the customer's concern or failed to take appropriate steps to immediately address that concern.

I thought it important that this be known.

 

[daisygrl]

In reconstructing the timeline of communications we have determined that appropriate and timely action was in fact taken upon the customer expressing concern about a mix-up. A call to inventory was made immediately at which point inventory checked and determined that the wrong stone had been shipped and the correct stone was still in-house. This was communicated to the customer simultaneously as customer had made her own determination, and arrangements were made to bring the first diamond back.

While there apparently was discussion about our multilevel QC and how it was hard to imagine a situation like this escaping detection, nobody was dismissive of the customer's concern or failed to take appropriate steps to immediately address that concern.

I thought it important that this be known.

That is an accurate description of what had happened and I had communicated nothing different. I had never said or insinuated that someone was "dismissive of the customer's concern" and I am sorry if it were "read between lines" as such. As I mentioned in my original thread, I made a first phone call about the wrong AGS report. I was told that they would send me the correct one. During the same phone call, I mentioned my concern that, perhaps, my diamond was not the correct one either. The response was "Three people checked the stone and there is no way three people would make a mistake."(since it is hard to portray one's tone of voice in a written word, WF was polite when saying it - just to clarify so there would be no more misunderstanding.) I hang up and checked the stone myself when I discovered it was, indeed not the same stone. I called WF again (30 mins later) and spoke with the same person. As soon as I told them I had received the wrong diamond, the WF person confirmed it. Direct quote from my original post: "So I called WF again and they confirmed that they have my purchased stone and that I received the wrong stone." One might also call it "simultaneous." There was no mention of any dismissal whatsoever.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I'm sorry @daisygrl . I did not mean to put words in your mouth. That was my adjective!

In trying to understand all parts of the situation one of my biggest fears is that we had somehow dismissed your concern, assuming we could not have made such a mistake, and not taken action. It took some time to put all the pieces together, but I was relieved to find that was not the case. But that possibility definitely needed to be explored.

 

[daisygrl]

I'm sorry @daisygrl . I did not mean to put words in your mouth. That was my adjective!

In trying to understand all parts of the situation one of my biggest fears is that we had somehow dismissed your concern, assuming we could not have made such a mistake, and not taken action. It took some time to put all the pieces together, but I was relieved to find that was not the case. But that possibility definitely needed to be explored.

That is completely understandable. It was apparent that WF immediately looked into the issue because, as I mentioned, when I called WF again (once I discovered the incorrect stone was sent), WF confirmed the mistake, which showed they had looked into the issue as soon as I had mentioned the wrong certificate. The original post was not meant to mislead nor to express malice or I would not have added last two paragraphs.

As for an update, I received the stone on Saturday, 48 hours (read quickly and not "slowly") after receiving the wrong one. It is absolutely gorgeous, was dropped off at DK today and is about to be set. The updates about beauty of the stone and appreciation to details were communicated to Michelle when I called her yesterday.

 

[yssie]

@daisygrl So happy you got your diamond quickly and that you love it!!

As a reader of this thread, my takehome is that WF totally messed this up, WF knows they totally messed this up, WF has now remediated @daisygrl’s situation to her satisfaction, and WF will take steps to ensure they don’t mess this up again in future.

I can’t speak for @daisygrl, but having seen many of her posts, I am confident she is a reasonable person and that the above were her primary goals in starting this thread.

Thanks to both OP and WF for keeping it classy

 

[gm89uk]

@daisygrl, glad this is sorted. On an unrelated point, you said you found the SI1 diamond perfect initially and only on close inspection did you notice the inclusions; was that with a loup or just a close look? And from standard viewing angles, around 10 inches or so, did the diamonds perform similarly?

 

[Dancing Fire]

Here's an idea: when I received my BG 5 stone ring, it came with a mini hearts and arrow viewer. Why not include an inexpensive jewelers loupe with any diamond purchase so the buyer can not only verify the diamond (even a newbie should be able to locate and read girdle inscription with a little practice), but also periodically check their set stone for damage? I have zero jewelry skills, but I've been able to do this fairly easily.

Just a thought...

Not an easy task with a cheap 10X loupe. In fact with any 10X loupe.

 

[Dmndsr4evr11]

That is completely understandable. It was apparent that WF immediately looked into the issue because, as I mentioned, when I called WF again (once I discovered the incorrect stone was sent), WF confirmed the mistake, which showed they had looked into the issue as soon as I had mentioned the wrong certificate. The original post was not meant to mislead nor to express malice or I would not have added last two paragraphs.

As for an update, I received the stone on Saturday, 48 hours (read quickly and not "slowly") after receiving the wrong one. It is absolutely gorgeous, was dropped off at DK today and is about to be set. The updates about beauty of the stone and appreciation to details were communicated to Michelle when I called her yesterday.

Glad you got YOUR stone. Can’t wait to see the final product, @daisygrl!