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| - The store is a little hit or miss, but I gave it a high score based on the service I ultimately got.
My fiance and I were looking for wedding china. We hadn't really planned to register, but my dad wanted to buy us china for a wedding present, and we realised that Daddy Knows Best. Anyway, we went to William Ashley and looked... and looked... and looked. And most of what we saw, we didn't really like. For some reason, there are a lot of patterns out there that would fit in more at an estate sale than on a modern dining table. We looked so much we eventually got confused, and had no idea anymore *what* we liked.
We got assistance from two of the women working there, but aside from showing us the dishes, they really weren't much help. Whenever we asked them what they thought of this choice or another, we tended to get an "Oh, that would be nice too." I'm sure we must have been frustrating too, but we had no idea what we were looking for at all, and seeking any kind of advice.
Then along came Vania. Ah, Vania. If Daria Morgendorffer were to get a job in a china store, she would be Vania. We explained the situation to her, and when I pointed to a fuddy-duddy setting I thought I might like, she immediately said, "I don't really see that for you. Maybe if you were thirty years older, I would recommend it." She explained the difference between what was available in porcelain and in bone china, what kinds of plates we might mix a setting with, and basically helped us find a setting that suited our lifestyle and that we were both really, really excited by. And to dad's delight, she shared his disdain for the bread and butter plate. Frankly, I found myself wishing I smoked so I could go out for a cigarette with her.
After thinking it over for a few days, we went back to William Ashley and bought the set outright. We had to wait a bit because she was on lunch break, and we didn't want someone else to get the commission, if there is one. Not only did she remember us, but she helped us save some money by having the plates shipped from the US plant, so as to avoid toll fees. And she told me how to examine each dish when it arrived, so as to make sure it's in perfect condition.
Anyway, the service we had at the beginning was spotty, but Vania, she of the infinite patience, helpfulness, and wry humour, made it work in the end. It's also worth mentioning that I've compared the price from William Ashley with prices in the US, and the deal we got was really, really good. (It was during the after-Christmas sale.) So it was a happy experience from all perspectives, though it began in confusion.
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