If a customer returned to your store and said the pendant you made
for her and she received 3 days prior, as a gift from her husband,
was gone off the chain…she still has the chain…what would you
do? She also said she had been trying on clothes. She doesnt really
say, she lost the pendant or actually accuse you of a faulty product
but just shows you the empty chain…What to do? I really would
appreciate your input. I made the pendant but I wasnt in the store
when the boss handled the situation. By the way, the pendant was
fabricated, the bail was one piece of stock bent into a U shape and
soldered on, and there was no bail on the chain, nor was the clasp
or findings on the new chain broken.
“I am so very sorry You lost your pendant, the best thing I can do to
help you is ask our jeweler if he/she would provide some type of a
discount for a second one, if it is possible for him/her to make”.
Knowing that it is one of a kind, there may be a slight variation
however, he/she will his heart in it.
In Australia, it would be an insurance matter. The customer would
have to report the item missing to the Police, and then the insurance
company would pay out (maybe).
It would be tough luck and a lesson for the customer to take better
care of their property.
She also said she had been trying on clothes. She doesnt really
say, she lost the pendant or actually accuse you of a faulty
product but just shows you the empty chain...What to do? I really
would appreciate your input.
Sometime we learn about business in the places we expect the least.
I was on vacation in remote area of Adirondack. When buying fishing
supplies in the local gun shop, I witnessed the conversation.
One of the locals ordered a custom made hunting riffle, with fitted
stock and special optics. He tried the riffle for a few days and
decided that sight had to be moved. He approved sight position prior
to order by trying out other riffles. The gunsmith accommodated his
wishes.
The conversation I was witnessing was when this client, after all the
trouble the gunsmith went through, decided that he does not want the
riffle at all. I was expecting that gunsmith would through him out.
Instead he calmly took the riffle and said.
This is fine. If you cannot use, you shouldn’t. Can you give me a few
days to think about how to handle this, since I had some expenses in
regards to your order.
I do not know how is was settled, but I was impressed by how
gunsmith managed the situation.
Hey Mary, If the clasp and chain were undamaged and the bail a
soldered on U shape, then it seems to me that either the piece was
taken off the chain and the “buyer” is trying to get a free
replacement or it was a weak solder joint on the bail and the
pendant fell off. If you used easy solder for the bail I would
suspect the latter.
Did she use a “premium” credit card for the purchase? Many of them
offer reimbursement for loss in the first 30-60 days as a part of
their premium services. Also, some homeowner’s insurance policies
cover all risks on jewelry under $500, $1,000, $1,500, etc. She
should check her policy.
3 days? Chain not broken? I’d redo the pendant for free. It sounds
like the bail snapped off. how thick is the chain? If she tugged too
hard would the chain break?
I would keep her goodwill, especially if she is nice about it being
lost.
This is what I did once due to a very suspicious loss: “Sorry you
lost it. I would be happy to provide the police and your insurance
detailed about the piece I made, and value due to the
amount of gold, stones and time required to create.”
She doesnt really say, she lost the pendant or actually accuse you
of a faulty product but just shows you the empty chain...What to
do?'
A man that worked for me many, many yrs ago told me a story of a
personal event. Seymor managed a Zale’s store in the late 50’s-early
60’s. One day a lady stormed into the store with a larger diamond
ring purchased just days before in his store. She slammed the warped
twisted ring down on the counter in front of Seymor, and spewed out
something about ’ What are you going to do about it?’ Now to really
get the full feeling of what happened next, it would be nice to know
what Seymor looked like. At the time I knew him, I secretly called
him Mr Milktoast(in my own mind-not out loud). Seymor had a very pale
whitish complexion, with small pouty lips. His look was quite timid
but Seymor had a bite to his style that you would never see coming,
based on first impressions. Seymor leaned on the glass counter, with
his elbow, to get closer to the ring without ever actually touching
it. Never saying a word, only staring intently at the damaged ring,
bent and distorted. The lady was bothered by his silence and
reiterated ’ So what are you going to do about it?’ Seymor remained
silent for a short while longer and finally, in the best of Seymor
Pinkus style(somewhat Porky Pigish), said ‘Well, I guess if it got
that way by itself, eventually it’s gonna change back, so I’ll just
wait.’ The lady was stunned and finally admitted that the ring had
been closed in a car door. Definitely not a warrantee type situation.
3 days? Chain not broken? I'd redo the pendant for free. It sounds
like the bail snapped off. how thick is the chain? If she tugged
too hard would the chain break?
That might make sense if the pendant’s bale was such that the chain
could not normally be removed from the pendant (ie, the ends, clasp,
etc, are larger than the bail opening). In that case, the only way
the pendant could be lost is if it was intentionally removed (usually
needs tools, etc), or if the bail broke. So then perhaps an argument
could be made for replacing it or giving a reduced replacement price.
And if there seems some reasonable chance that the pendant actually
broke, allowing it to fall off the chain, then this too might be
good reason to offer to replace it. In short, if it seems the pendant
was faulty, then perhaps replace it. Be very careful about suspecting
the customer of attempting to defraud the jeweler. It can happen, but
accusations of that suspicion offer a nasty mine field.
But if the pendant bail is such that the chain can be slipped out of
the bail without tools, then it’s the customers responsibility not to
loose their jewelry. I would expect any reasonably intellegent person
to be aware that pendants are often made so they can slide off a
chain if one isn’t careful. I don’t see this as some automatic design
flaw or something the jeweler should have to avoid. many pendants are
made this way. If the customer lost the pendant, the fact that they
still have the chain is almost irrelevent. They weren’t careful with
it, and lost the thing. And since such losses are most likely when
taking off the chain or putting it on, it’s a fair bet the lost
pendant is still sitting in a corner on the floor, under the cushion
of the couch or dropped into some crevice of a purse, all ready to be
found again with a bit more looking around the house. Any bench
jeweler can attest that little dropped items have an amazing ability
to be hard to see sometimes… It’s less likely to be permanently
lost out on the street somewhere…
Now, if one wishes to replace the lost pendant simply as a matter of
good will, even noting that this is no fault of the jeweler or
jewelry, well, then that’s another matter. But that’s a personal
decision made on the basis of good will, kindness, friendship or
marketing, etc. It’s not ethics or a responsibility to cover the
loss, liability, or anything like that.
If the chain is unbroken and there’s no bale, that does not equate
to a faulty product. She was trying on clothes. The pendant could
have slid off the chain somehow in the process. This is what’s know
as ‘mysterious disappearance’, meaning nobody knows so nobody’s at
fault.
I wouldn’t be quick to take the blame nor to suggest the customer is
trying to chisel you. Stuff happens.
If the chain is unbroken and there's no bale, that does not equate
to a faulty product.
My understanding by her description was that the bale was too small
to slide off past either end of the chain. I was basing my faulty
bale assessment on that.
Lisa, (Taught a Red Cross class today to 23 students. Thought it was
a good way to commemorate today) Topanga, CA, USA
This reminds me of a story that actually happened to me about 30
years ago. I had been making jewelry for a short time and I made an
engagement ring with a single heart shaped diamond. The guy picked it
up and was happy with it. About a week later, I get a call from the
guy that the stone had fallen out. I told him to bring it in.
The guy’s fiance came in and showed me the ring. It was smashed
flat. The prongs were all bent together. I asked what happened.
They had a fight and the guy had beat it with a rock. No kidding.
The ring was beat to death.
I called the guy and told him there was nothing I could do for the
ring. He paid me to make another mounting…
if one wishes to replace the lost pendant simply as a matter of
good will, even noting that this is no fault of the jeweler or
jewelry, well, then that's another matter.
What I haven’t read on this thread (haven’t read every post, maybe)
is the value of the pendant. If it’s $20 worth of materials or even
$50, regardless of labor and profit, then it’s not that big of a deal
to replace it, and it’s cheap goodwill. There’s plenty of $50,000
pendants out there -even if it’s a thousand dollars then it’s another
ballgame.
If the chain is unbroken and there's no bale, that does not equate
to a faulty product. She was trying on clothes. The pendant could
have slid off the chain somehow in the process. This is what's
know as 'mysterious disappearance', meaning nobody knows so
nobody's at fault.
I’m not following, the pendant slid off the chain while the chain
remained around her neck?
I too would like to know the value of the pendant.
Did she use a "premium" credit card for the purchase? Many of them
offer reimbursement for loss in the first 30-60 days as a part of
their premium services.
yes, they will reimburse the buyer but the seller will be out the
money. The credit card company just doesn’t give money away for
free.
They had a fight and the guy had beat it with a rock. No kidding.
The ring was beat to death.
I had one like that a while back. It looked like the ring had been
put through a garbage disposal. Twice.
I did my best to fix it the first time, but the second? no.
Especially since he was blaming the damage he’d done on me!
My best guess is that he had buyer’s remorse, and hoped he could get
his money back by trashing the ring- twice. This time, that didn’t
work for him. It’s made me more cautious, though.
yes, they will reimburse the buyer but the seller will be out the
money. The credit card company just doesn't give money away for
free.
It is not a charge back like you are assuming, it is an insurance
policy offered by some cards at the premium level. The loss would be
paid by the insurance to the consumer.
I'm not following, the pendant slid off the chain while the chain
remained around her neck?
Where was that said? The customer presented a chain and a story about
trying on clothes. That’s it, that’s all the info we have. We don’t
know the necklace was never taken off, we don’t know that it did or
did not get snagged on a collar label and go shoosting across and
maybe out of, the fitting room. All we have is the chain. Any
assumptions about why/how the pendant became lost are just that,
assumptions.