Zales — Local services in Spokane Valley

Update (May 9, 2025): Following this experience, the issue was escalated to Zales corporate, who acknowledged it was mishandled. The store manager, Kristen, personally reached out, took responsibility, and resolved the situation professionally. I was able to return, complete the purchase I originally intended, and left satisfied with how she handled the follow-up.

While the original experience was unacceptable, I respect when a company — and especially a manager — owns the problem and makes it right. My frustration was never with Kristen, and I appreciate the way she restored confidence in the store.

Avoid Store #1670 – Spokane Valley Zales is unprofessional, petty, and lost a loyal customer

I came into Zales on May 5th interested in purchasing a Bulova 98A179 watch. The manager, Kristen Wilderspin, was helpful, and I followed up that same evening with a respectful, detailed email asking if the store could work with me on the price or warranty — since the exact same watch was over $200 cheaper online with tax and coverage included.

No one ever replied.

Still, I returned to the store on May 8th to purchase a necklace my wife had noticed and have the watch (which I had to buy from Amazon due to the silence) sized. I had already PAID for the necklace — receipt in hand, they were boxing it up — when I asked if they could size the watch. The associate’s entire tone changed the second I mentioned it wasn’t purchased in-store.

I was informed there would be a $30 charge to size the watch. When I calmly responded that it seemed petty considering I was literally paying for a necklace at that moment, the associate chose to take it personally, accused me of being rude, and stormed off into the back — refusing to finish the sale.

I canceled the necklace on the spot and took my business to Tracy Jewelers down the street, where they treated me with actual professionalism.

Zales had two sales in hand and lost both because of silence, attitude, and an associate who clearly didn’t understand the difference between personal offense and policy criticism. This store will never get my business again, and I will strongly advise others to steer...

Zales Spokane Valley Mall was very interesting to say the least. Entered store because that's what you do when looking to make a jewelery purchase however I won't go there again nor will I go to any Zales based on this experience; as I entered the store and was searching display cases for a specific item a lady was on the phone and said to me "Hello, Welcome"...then stopped and ended her call with "I'll call you back". It was a cell phone so perhaps she was making a personal call on company time? I do not know. Irrelevant to my experience, in any case she asked if I had a face mask (I wasn't wearing one- my personal information isn't for public consumption as to why I was NOT wearing a mask) and I told her "No". She went on to explain that the mall requires face coverings and the store requires face coverings, etc. etc. And then continued to press me on offering me a mask, questioning whether I had a mask and on and on. Now, I can appreciate that there are rules, and I certainly understand people's concerns for personal health issues however the Zales Mask Enforcer never offered an alternative to shopping in the store, she did not offer to help me, and she was not getting off my back about my wearing, or lack there of, a mask. Za I es was the ONLY store to question, then subsequently harass, me over mask wearing. I spent several hours in the Valley Mall, along with countless other unmasked rebels, and visited dozens of stores and not one person or establishment questioned me about the absence of a mask. In the end I DID purchase the item I was after but at another jewelery store. Great job Zales. Your employees are more concerned about "guidelines" rather than helping people and then making a sale. I'm not here to speak for or against masks, that should be left to individual freedom of choice, however I am very disappointed and dissatisfied with Zales lack of customer care. Unfriendly, unwilling, unable, yup, that's Zales in Spokane...

I brought my Swiss Army watch in to have the band replaced and a new battery installed. It was on April 10th. I pre-paid for the services. The day I brought it in I was told it would be done May 1st. No problem. I was called after May 1st and was informed that I would need to pay for a $284 pressure test on my watch. I reminded them that they promised May 1st it would be done and no one mentioned a pressure test, so no thanks. They called several times after the initial call to continue to try to sell me the pressure test, I continued to decline. I was told they couldn’t do any of my requested repairs without the pressure test. I replied that was okay and let me know when my watch came back. It was a week later they called and my watch was ready for pick-up. When I got there the battery had been replaced, which didn’t match the story I got on the phone from them. I asked for a refund for the extra I paid to replace the band...miraculously they had no record of me pre-paying and so they couldn’t refund me. I was told I would need to return to the store with my receipt to get my refund. The weird part was that although they showed no record of me prepaying, they were happy to let me leave with my watch without paying for the battery to be replaced...very interesting. I pretty much paid $72 for a battery to be replaced in my watch and waited three times longer than it would take anyone else. I didn’t get my watch back until June. The moral of the story is to stay the hell away from these guys when it comes to watch repair and go to the nice guys on Broadway & Pines rd in the Spokane Valley. The day I got my watch back from Zales I went and saw these guys about the band, it was the next day I heard back from them and my watch was ready. I learned a hard lesson but I’m thrilled that right here in the Spokane Valley is a professional watch...