okay... here we go...

Now, you all know that I love my job... but like any job, there are always issues. And I have been spending lots of hours trying to put out fires, and some days it easier than others.

You see, even though I spend hours designing and fabricating my pieces, and try to have complete control over every step, sometimes I need to send pieces out to be worked on by another jeweler. Sometimes it's for casting, other times for 'fancy' stone setting... but it's always to very very responsible and respectable companies. But no matter how amazing these companies may be, issues can arise.

So, back on March 3, 2008 I sent a set of wedding jewelry (necklace and earrings) to a master stone setter down south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The setter has set for some of the most amazing jewelry companies, including Van Cleef and Tiffany. Before I shipped it I got the 'no problem kid, it will be in a week or two.' Great! But, unfortunately, that was just the beginning.

A fairly standard turnaround time with a stone setter (for a normal job) is approximately 2 weeks, so I didn't follow up till about 2 weeks passed. At that point, I was informed that he was in the middle of moving his shop, didn't get a chance to start it, and just needed a little more time... till next Monday. Okay, everybody needs a little leeway sometimes, fine. So, I made an appointment with my client... Monday came and went... no jewelry. Another phone conversation too place, just one more week... okay... made another appointment with the client another Monday passed. Crikies. This was when I told my client that I would contact her when I had the jewelry in my hand... because a when I receive a series of excuses, it drives me nuts!

That was now a month ago.

So, as the time kept passing I started leaving annoyed voice mails, emails, etc., asking if I was going to have to head out there to pick it up... and I just kept getting back a string of excuses. Everything from my phone isn't working, my shop isn't up and running to I was waiting for the cable guy and my dog got loose. Ugh. I asked if he enjoyed getting pissy voice mails from me.

Anyway, the day came when the jewelry was finished and it was going to be shipped to me. Thank the Gods! I have a special account with FedEx for handling jewelry... all I had to do was find out when he was going to ship it and I would email him a label to print and put on the package... easy enough, right? But did he ship it that way... of course not, because that would be way too easy for everybody. He sent it along with his wife to work and had her ship it out from there... through the post office. Well, I wouldn't ship jewelry through the post office... BUT as long as it was insured and had delivery confirmation, fine!

Well, a week passed... no package. He finally called and informed me that he knew where my jewelry was... AT A HOMELESS SHELTER IN N.C.! Apparently his wife mixed up the shipping address. And all he said was 'Well, these things happen.' NO! NO THEY DON'T!

So, for over a week I got message about how they were going to pick it up, bring it back, ship it to me... blah blah blah. Seriously... I was about to jump in my crappy car and drive down there to go kick somebody in the shins and get my jewelry back! It's not that it was effecting just me (and wasting way too many hours of my precious time)... it's my client. And I make promises to my clients and this was killing me to know that I let my client down.

Well, after another 2 weeks, it was finally shipping to me. Again, he didn't tell me he was going to ship it and I didn't get a chance to send him a FedEx label. But he promised me on a Friday that I would have it Tuesday morning at the latest... or he would jump in his car, drive up here and hand it to me. Okay... I was going to spend another morning waiting around for the package (I have spent MANY MANY mornings waiting for this package!)

As Tuesday morning came and passed, no package. When he called I answered with 'So what time should I expect you, I'll put on the coffee.' He didn't find it funny, but neither did I. He missed the FedEx deadline, but I would get it on Wednesday morning. Fine... so, I sat around for another morning waiting for the package.

As I was waiting, I thought I would look it up on my FedEx account... and guess what... HE SENT IT TO THE WRONG ADDRESS! You have got to be kidding! This wasn't even close to funny anymore... I was honestly angry at this point! So I called FedEx, I made him call FedEx (which he did manage to send it to the correct town and zip code and along with my name, it was the street address that was incorrect), and it came down to the fact that it was probably going to have to be sent back to him and shipped out for a 3rd time!!! Dear God... I was going to snap!

But my salvation came in the form of a FedEx delivery man. A couple months ago I was baking Whoopi Pie Cup Cakes, and gave one to my FedEx man... and that made him remember my name. And when he saw the package with the name and the wrong address, he thought he would try me! Thank all the Gods! My package was finally delivered!

So... now it's here, it's safe... and I have to come up with some way to apologize to my client! But whatever I come up with, I'm bringing her cup cakes!