a little watch story

In 2006 I was working and had a very good job.

I buy a Chopard Happy Sport watch at Tourneau.  Eight years later and I still love this watch.

Recently my watch stops running.  I bring it into Chopard.  There they service the watch, as well as clean and polish it, inside and out. It’s an expensive endeavor but it comes back looking and acting like new.

When I pick up the watch a few weeks ago, I notice that the serial number on the Chopard receipt is different from the serial number on my original Certificate of Origin (COO) from Tourneau.  After some investigation, it turns out that while both serial numbers pertain to the same model watch, Tourneau originally matched my watch with the wrong Certificate of Origin.  And then, to compound the problem, my original salesperson inadvertently spelled my name incorrectly when he entered it into the system. It takes Tourneau days (rather than minutes) to now verify the original purchase. 

I go to the store and ask for and get, the floor manager — an unsmiling and officious man named Michael G.  He is “willing” to re-issue a correct appraisal and COO.  And nothing more.  He is dismissive and not once offers an apology.  In fact, he seems inconvenienced by the whole mess.

Two days later, I follow up with Michael G. He sends me the revised appraisal via email.  It is unsigned and includes the odd phrase, site un seen.  I am sure my insurance company would love an appraisal where the appraiser claims to have not seen the item they are appraising!

I write back and tell Michael to delete the phrase and to sign the appraisal.  

He does, but begins his email:  I’m sorry for any confusion regarding the Appraisal...

I write back: Just to be clear, there is no confusion, as you note in your email. What I was sent was sloppy (words like site un seen on the appraisal) and unsigned (again, careless).

As a retailer of luxury items, I doubt this is the way the new CEO wants his store run.  So I email him and detail the problems.

The very next day Andrew T, Tourneau’s Regional Director, calls me.  He does everything right.  First he apologizes.  He says he is speechless, and actually sounds it, as he stammers over his words.  He makes no excuses.  And then he tells me he will pay the $540.02 for the servicing of my watch. 

Today I receive the check.  And then, in a separate envelope, I receive a letter from Ira Melnitsky, the CEO.  It is a lovely letter to a now, very satisfied, customer.