Death of a salesman/woman

So the other day Ricky and I headed to down to our reputable jewelry store to pick up my wedding band and look for a ring for him.  The store is a Provo landmark and the owners happen to be friends of the folks.  With much anticipation from my end we entered the store and asked for my wedding band that had been payed for a month before.  30 min later we were still waiting for the band that had been payed for a month ago.  Our concierge for the day was searching high and low for my coveted diamonds and still had nothing.  Receipts?  Check.  Log of where it was supposed to be?  Check.  The only thing we couldn't actually check was the ring.  And as he searched high and low for the missing band we had another peculiar experience; watching one of the worst customer service episodes ever.  

There was another couple in the store whom we shall refer to as husband and wife.  Wife was in the back of the store (which is really just a half-wall so you can hear EVERYTHING) speaking to the goldsmith in Spanish explaining exactly what needed to be fixed on the ring.  In the meantime Husband approached Ricky and asks if he is purchasing a ring from the store to which Ricky replied yes.  Then husband says all hushed and KGB-ish, "don't buy anything here.  Seriously man, do NOT buy anything here" and then moves on to keep his toddler out of the precious gem stones.  Ricky and I gave each other a look that was something between wow you are a bit over-dramatic and yikes, something bad must have happened.  

Then Wife and the saleswoman who was helping here, who we shall call Lady, came out from the half wall and took their places at the register.  I might mention that Lady is actually the mother of a school friend of mine and many of my siblings.  Lady proceeds to ask them questions about their ring maintenance and husband seems a little annoyed by the whole scene.  Lady then asks all sorts of questions she doesn't really care about to sweet talk them,  "So, you are moving soon?  Oh!  Law school will be nice.  Did you graduate from BYU? etc, etc".  Wife speaks most of the time while Husband chases after the toddler who likes to overturn stools..."thump, thump"," Stop it, thats enough!",  "Footsteps, footsteps, thump, thump...", "Thats enough!!"  Couple leaves, end of story.

Only it wasn't.  Lady heads back to the half-wall and proceeds to speak terribly about them and how husband is one of the rudest people and how she just killed them with kindness, blah blah.  Suddenly Wife comes back in with a question about the receipt which Lady answers and then Lady leans over the counter for a little heart-to-heart with Wife.  "So" starts Lady, "is your husband upset about something that happened here or is he generally angry?".  To which Wife explains that he is in law school and doesn't like to feel like he's being taken advantage of.  "Well, I want you to tell him" she continues, "that he is the WORST customer I have EVER had, and you have been the best". 

Aghast.  I was completely aghast.  No, no Lady.  No. No.  You NEVER talk to a customer like that.  At that point Ricky and I found ourselves taking bets on if he was going to storm through the door at any minute after Wife told him what had been said.  I never.....   I really could not believe that she had the audacity to say that to her.  And I can't believe the sweet wife didn't say anything back like, "well you are the rudest Lady I've ever had B.S. me before".  

And all this time I was STILL waiting for my band - which they never found BTW.  So I used that time to try and fanagle some free diamonds for my loss.  It didn't exactly work except I got a screaming deal on a replacement, that is if I want it.  They are ordering the other ring too so I can compare.  

Now I'm not saying don't go there if you have figured out where it was, just watch the Lady and the black holes in the back-room.