Mystery Shopper From The Platinum Guild

This shop is an imposing building of Georgian brick style set on a corner, and approached up a short flight of steps and through a security door, similar to that at some banks. At the base of the steps, a greeter/security guard was standing.

On entry, the immediate impression was light and airy, with long counters and many display cabinets. I was greeted immediately by an associate. I was asked if they could help, and I outlined my enquiry in reply to subsequent questions - an engagement ring, white metal, cost around £4,000, with a sapphire if possible.

A tray of possible rings was selected and produced for me to examine - the prices varied considerably.

At around this point, we were joined by another associate who took over the conversation and who was able to help guide my selections - in particular, they had some settings which were very different from those I had seen elsewhere.

We discussed various features of these rings for some time, before the subject of which metal was raised (by me) as it had just been mentioned that white gold was always rhodium plated, which would need regular replacing (cost - £30 or so) to maintain the whiteness of the metal.

When I enquired about platinum, I was told that the wedding-ring would need to be of the same metal, to avoid uneven wear, and that the additional cost would be in the region of £1,000 and that copying one of the rings on show in platinum would take around 4 weeks and that my fiancée would be needed to get the ring resized/made to the right dimensions.

Very little more was said about the subject of platinum - it was heavier, harder, more durable, and rare; however, the associate did appear to be enthusiastic about it.

The numbers of the rings for which I had stated a preference were then written down for me and we were invited to return together to make our final selection and to commission the ring.

No other platinum jewellery items were mentioned, beyond the wedding-ring(s) themselves being also in platinum - some discussion took place about the appropriate dimensions to balance the two rings together on the same finger.

This is a select and up-market retail establishment, with skilled craftsmen employed on-site and a wide selection of rings (and other items) from which one can make a selection.

I was certainly made to feel both welcomed and valued, and I would have been most happy to make a purchase there.

Location Avg Y2011 (1 evaluation): 88.00%
Survey Avg Y2011 (520 evaluations): 81.12%

Scoring Rules:
* N/A answers are omitted from scoring
(Total possible points will vary from shop to shop)