I was accused of stealing from a customer today, well not a customer any more.  Apparently I took his diamond and switched it with another diamond that looks just like the original piece of shit he gave me to set, except for one big black crystal right in the center of it that wasn't there before.

A couple of weeks ago I was accused of this.  He brought the stone in for me to set, he didn't buy it from me, went cheap on the mounting and I about had to cut my throat to make the deal.  I should know better, almost every time a situation like this occurs it turns out bad for me.  Anyway, he picked it up then came back an hour later and says that isn't his stone.  I pull the stone out right in front of him put it on the scale and it comes up 1.07ct, clue one that I got the right stone, I haven't seen another 1.07ct stone in I don't know how long.  I told him when he picked it up the weight, clarity (I1-SI2) and color (H).

He then pulled out an EGL grading report on the diamond and I cringe.  EGL reports are notoriously inaccurate and I just know the stone is going to be high graded.  I lucked out, it matched the report almost perfectly.  EGL says it is an SI3 and H color, just exactly what I told him.  The plot is even accurate and I show him, under the microscope, how the many inclusions in his diamond match up to the inclusions in the plot, including the big black crystal in the middle.  He insists that crystal wasn't there when he picked it up, I tell him I can't open up the diamond and put a crystal in it.  I left the stone out of the setting because he wanted a second opinion.  

Came back in today, picked up a couple of diamonds I was to set in earrings (I don't do work for people who don't trust me so they weren't set) and still bitched that I switched his stone.  He thinks I broke his stone and ordered another one that looks just like it for replacement.  Anyone who knows anything about diamonds knows that no two stone look alike, especially when they are heavily included, and there is no way I could find a stone so close to his.  Also, I'm a big boy, I've broken a few diamonds over the almost 20 years of doing this.  Ya know what?  I will tell you if I break your diamond, then I will replace it with one of equal or greater value.  But no, he's been to a few jewelers around town and only one said the diamond he had matched the report.  I just said I'm sorry we can't agree on this and that I understand you won't be doing business with me.

Problem is I know the jewelers around town, so I called a couple of them.  Both remembered the guy coming in a told him the report matched the diamond.  So now he's bullshitting me.  I won't get shit done the rest of the day because I'm pissed and have a rule that I don't work on delicate stuff when all I want to do is break things.  This job would be a pleasure if I never had to interact with people.

TLDR? Guy accused me of stealing, lied to me is no longer a customer (if he ever was one) and my day is shit.

Blow it off.

The Dude abides, but dicks abound.

Repeat after me ..

" He's an asshole and I'm not."

Repeat 10 times ...... It always helped me.

The fact that this is getting under your skin tells me it doesn't happen very often, which kind of amazes me.

This. Just soldier on. He is not worth your time.

Had the same scenario with an AR and bolt carrier.   Some dude claims I switched his bolt carrier since it didn't match the "new" one his brother had in the same brand rifle.   I ask where he bought it, says parking lot at Cabellas(ahaaaaaaa).   I proceed to show them my BOX FUCKING FULL of new bolt carriers to prove that I have no need for his shitty used BCG as I have my own.   Booted them all out of the shop and never will work on or do business with them again.

Alot of people are garbage.  Unfortunately you have to meet them more frequently than most, because you interface with the general public as a part of doing your job.  It's not your fault he's an asshole.  Give yourself a little time to be mad, then put him out of your mind forever.  Don't let him occupy your brainspace.  He's not worth it.

Haha man you should work with small business construction contractors. Theyre great fun.

Heres my job in a nut shell.

Customer breaks machine.

Uh yes hello chase45? I need x and y to fix my machine.

Okay what machine do you have.

Fuck if I know, Case backhoe.

Can you please provide me a serial number and correct model number?

Are you fucking serious? Youre going to make me drive 10 miles to the job site to get a fucking serial number?...... Heres the fucking serial number goddamnit

Okay, no problem, Itll be xxxx and yyyyyy price, and y item I will have to order for you.

Are you fucking serious, goddamnit, what the fuck, why the fuck don't you have that. I don't even know why I fucking do business with you motherfuckers.

Okay would you like me to order it?

What the fuck do you think, yes. Get it here tomorrow. I don't care what it takes

Okay I can do that, It will likely be xx in special freight is that fine?

Fuck no that not fucking fine, fuck you guys are you serious? Just fucking get it here on a stock order so I wont be charged fucking freight.

Okay will do sir, have a fantastic day






Literally Monday through Friday. 7am to 5pm. Its a blast.

I can't wait to no longer deal with customers.

Isnt there a technology where you can take a photo of the diamond and its inclusions at drop off and again at pickup?

That sucks, seems to me you'll hear from him again

I was just going to post this. If they tell you "Good Morning" you better look out the window to make sure the sun is really coming up.

Sounds like you know the struggle is real

There is but most jewelry comes in so filthy that a picture wouldn't help.  Besides the industry in general prides itself on its integrity and despite what some jackass on 20/20 shows you the chances of an independent jeweler robbing you are pretty slim.  If you get screwed in the jewelry industry it'll happen when you buy your jewelry, not when it is repaired.

Good advice. I get my panties in a wad over assholes for a short time, and then always move-on... as I refuse to let them have any more of me than they already got when they pissed me off.

Try this. Next time a customer says "Are you serious?" Say "Naahhh, I'm just fucking with you" and then raise the price 10 percent. Bonus points if you get him to ask if you are serious after the 3rd time you raise the price on him. It should look like this:

Fictional price set at $1000.00 to make the math easy.

Customer: Are you fucking serious, goddamnit, what the fuck, why the fuck don't you have that. I don't even know why I fucking do business with you motherfuckers.
OP: Nahhh, I'm just fucking with you. The price is $1100, now.
Customer: Are you fucking serious, goddamnit, what the fuck?
OP: Nahhh, I'm just fucking with you. The price is $1210, now.
Customer:"...... errrr ..... OK .... go ahead and order it."
OP: Okay would you like me to order it?
Customer:What the fuck do you think, yes. Get it here tomorrow. I don't care what it takes
OP:Okay I can do that, It will likely be $100 in special freight is that fine?
Customer:Fuck no that not fucking fine, fuck you guys are you serious?
OP: Nahhh, I'm just fucking with you. The price is $110, now.

If he asks if you're serious again, add 25 percent. See if he catches on to the game.

I am the consummate business man and I *love* money but, I'm not going to let some redneck jackass talk to me like he's doing me a favor by buying my shit.

It can be quite satisfying actually, if you do it professionally and let them be the assholes.

 

And on top of it I didn't draw my Wyoming antelope tag so that kinda fucks my vacation this fall.  Hell, I might wreck the truck on the way home just to top things off.

Meh the above conversation is rather normal. Just is. I literally deal with filthy rednecks all day, who just broke something and are pissed off, that's just how some are and communicate. We literally prank call new guys and cuss them really good and make them work hard for info to make sure they wont crack on real customers.

But yes, if you are a large dick for no good reason to me, you get what I like to call an idiot tax. It is only reserved for the largest of assholes.

Ive even been threatened with physical violence after I came in on a holiday to try and get a customer going. Didn't have the part for a 40 yr old machine. Dude cussed me, threatened me, threw a chair across the room,  everything but actually physically touch me. I ordered his part and he never would come in and get it, then management was mad at me that they had to eat the return fee

Just another day!

You don't have a hair on your ass if you don't run your truck into the nearest WalMart just for giggles.

Hand in there Op, don't let the one assclown ruin your day.

being honest here but this happened to my uncle who worked for lance thomas the antique watch dealer.

Same bullshit.

Amen, Brother!

Man i work in the industry as well. Except i'm a manufacturer rep. So you guys yell at me all day when you call to check on you're special order 14k piece....that you forgot to order

Its all good man, go have a beer and hang in there!

There are plenty of ignorant boobs and there are plenty of fraudsters looking to stick you.  You're better off without them.  Fire them.  I would.  

I would have zero problem putting a customer in their place accusing me of theft and dishonesty.  I'd tell them to their face; you accuse me and now I don't trust you either, you should do business with someone else.  Oh and you're wrong, that's your diamond with the huge flaws.

Just keep your nose to the grindstone and you'll forget all about it.

[sorry, I had to do it]

One of my previous jobs was as a closure administrator for a document storage company. I would explain the terms of their contract and the cost to close it. Sometimes I would get one who would balk and refuse to pay anything since they did not need the stored materials anymore. Usually they would call in a few months later, pissed that they were still getting invoices. It would get passed back to me, and I would give them the new cost to close which would now include the additional past due invoices. This would sometimes go for over a year and cost them thousands due to their stubbornness.

That being said, for every asshole who earned it; there were many who was screwed over by the company's trap contracts and unscrupulous business practices. Worst job I ever had, was so glad to leave.

(FYI, if you are a NY resident and ever stuck in a contract, look up your state law regarding contract automatic renewal notification. My former employer and other companies will pretend their auto renewals are valid until called out on their non-compliance).

Don't let him get your goat as they say around here.

How about posting a pick of the most expense thing you have in the shop. Maybe on of our basement dwellers will make an offer.

This.... x1000000

Not gonna happen.  I don't believe in jewelry as an entire concept.

"This job would be a pleasure if I didn't have to interact with people." I know exactly how you feel and I've said the same thing. Anybody that deals with the public on a regular basis has been there.  Myself included. Some people are assholes. It's that simple. Doesn't matter what you do or how well you do it there will be people who are intolerably rude, unreasonable, and ill tempered, among other undesirable traits and behaviors, and they will visit that on you. Sometimes it can be turned around by not responding in kind. Since I started trying to be helpful even as someone is bitching I've been able to turn things around sometimes.  I won't be a doormat for bad behavior however, and if they keep it up I'll say there's no use in discussing this any further and walk away.

I used to have a guy in Hawaii ship his reserve parachute to me for repacks, with the rig opened up and stuffed in a box.  I finally called him and asked him why he was popping it before sending it to me and he said it was to ensure I actually repacked it and couldn't "pencil pack" it.

I was pissed and told him, "If you don't trust me to actually do the work, you need to find another rigger. Don't send me your rig anymore."

The world is full of assholes, idiots and lying worthless sacks of shit.
I am so glad I work on machinery and do not deal with either the general public and only rarely with coworkers.
I do feel bad for the rest of you guys though.

And here I was, not knowing you could accidentally break a diamond.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Not my style, you can see some of the stuff I make on my website though.

www.stilesjewelrydesign.com

Yup, diamond is the hardest substance known, but it isn't that tough.  One plain in the crystal will actually cleave pretty easily.  Think of it as a glass vs. steel thing.  Glass is harder than steel (generally) but if you drop a piece of steel onto a piece of glass the glass will break.

About 20 years ago I did jewelry work. I was taking a fairly large diamond from a ring and setting it in another. When I pulled the prong it broke in 3 pieces . The customer was a big mean looking biker from the Highwayman . When I told him he said no worries, went out to his car came back with a different diamond and said use this. For a few minutes I was like fml this might get real bad for both of us.

I would take a fair amount of guff from folks, but if they were abusive to my staff I fired them instantly.

I had a new patient once that I asked, "What brings you in today?"  He answered in such a snotty malicious tone, "You're the expert, you tell me."

I looked at the guy and got up and said, "I think you'd be happier with another surgeon, and I guarantee I'll be happier with a different patient."

The dude was just dumbfounded as he was escorted out.  I think many folks are shocked when consequences are applied to their rudeness.

Know how I know you're an ARFCOMMER????  

Gun shop owner is one of my good customers and she wanted something that said "shooting" but was a little more subdued than say a rifle or a bullet.  I think I nailed it.

Try providing 24 hour in home services to a heavyset mentally challenged gal recovering from hip surgery who does nothing but scream at you and your employees, throw her walker and refuse to follow any of her post care guidelines or therapies. But it's still your job to keep her perfectly safe and healthy.

Most days I feel like my job is mostly getting yelled at and trying to calm people down.

I feel the same way.