Overall, the store is nice, staff pleasant, and the selction is among the largest around. And, based on a number of these reviews, many people have positive experiences. However, our sales associate, Dixie Carmichael-Rosser, provided us among the worst customer service I have ever experienced. I'm not being dramatic, it was that bad.
I argue for a living, so I know quite well that there are generally two sides to every story, but trust me when I say this: the following account is EXACTLY how our experience transpired. And, for some context, we actually are normal, pleasant, easy to get along with, ex-service industry people.
We were greeted at the door and offered a drink, which we accepted. After being ushered to the men's rings (what we came for) we were greeted quickly by Mrs. Carmichael-Rosser. She was polite and began showing us various rings. She selected a variety of very nice bands, but the majority were far above what I wanted to spend on a ring for myself. After being shown one too many $2-3,000 rings I explained to her what my budget was. At that point, she twisted her face and said "may I ask why you don't want a nice ring?" If I had not been so caught offguard I wouldn't have validated her comment with a response. However, I politely explained to her that we were paying a substantial sum for the wedding and that I didn't think overspending on my ring was a wise financial decsion. I also explained that I tend lose rings, and I didn't want to make such a big mistake. She appeared nonplussed and finally said, "well, we don't really have much for you then." It is true rings in my price range were few, but after we continued to look, there were 4-5 options that were suitable. Once I settled on a ring I liked, she spent several minutes explaining to me the various reasons why I would not like that particular metal. I told her it was just a starter ring, and that we were okay with the downsides, since we had researched them prior to coming in.
At this point, I was put off by the experience enough that I wanted to come back and purchase the ring when I was in a more jovial frame of mind. We were picking out a ring for the biggest and happiest commitment of my life, right? We tell Mrs. Carmichael-Rosser that we appreciated her help and that we were going to sleep on our decision and that we woudl be in touch soon.
After she handed me her business card with my preferred ring along with my size, she asked what my fiancée was interested in looking at for herself. My fiancée told her that I had already purchased her engagement ring and the wedding band as a set. Mrs. Carmichael-Rosser then asked to look at her ring, and she said (I'm seriously not making this up) "even though it has three stones, it's really nice." It's relatively difficult to offend me, but that did it.
I spent months researching and viewing to find the perfect ring to purchase for her, and it wasn't inexpensive, hence part of my desire for a low cost ring for myself. And, the ring actually is really nice. That's not important though, even if it was a 1/4 carat faux diamond, who makes a negative comment about a woman's engagement ring? And, when they're in your store trying to spend money??
I really hope Yelp doesn't filter my review. Cheers, world.