Encounter #3

"The truth shall set you free, but first it will piss you off." - Grace Quiton.

this encounter is one of the saddest. i am not upset with this client.. but i feel so bad having to say things that i never wanted to say, and having to make her hear it.
i can only imagine how it hurts to be deceived... by someone you love.

young woman enters store, asking for cleaning of jewelry item.

*taking out the item with pride* "Miss, i'd like to request cleaning. please let me know how much and how long it will take."

with one look at the item, it was so easy to tell that the item was a copy. (we like to use the word copy over fake. it's less... rude?) but then again of course you do not say this right away, so i decided to ask, "ma'am where did you get this item from?"

young woman replies with pride gleaming on her face, "i got it from my mother. it is a graduation gift."

for a moment, i didn't know what to say. but i just have to sigh and be prepared for whatever consequences will come my way for telling the truth...

"Ma'am, i sincerely apologize. this is one part of the job i hate to do. i do not know how else to say this but ma'am the item is copied."

"what do you mean it is copied?" she asked, voice raised.

"ma'am, it's a fake."

i thought she was gonna jump accross the counter and kill me with her bag. i'm glad she did not. whew!

She goes, "really? are you sure?"

trying not to rub it in her face but just to give her confirmation, we showed her the original version of the item to be compared side by side to her item.

she then decides to give her mom a call and goes, "Mom, where did you get the graduation gift from? *short pause, muffled voice on the other end of the phone* ok..."

i assumed the mom said something like, "anak, pagusapan nalang natin pag-uwi mo." (Translation: "let's talk about this when you get home.")

young woman was nice enough to say thank you and left.

*i do not intend to place her in a very uncomfortable position. but i really do feel bad. all this time, she was thinking that her graduation gift was real that she was willing to spend for the cleaning service herself only to find out that it is a copy.. and it had to come from us. but i am glad that this young woman took it gracefully.