I would strongly urge you NOT to patronize Tiempo on Capitol Hill. I went there two years ago to get a simple crystal replacement (the glass faceplate of the watch). I dropped my watch off and was told that the repair would take about one week and cost $45. I thought the price was steep considering that it was a 7 year old watch that retailed for less than $100 but being a small business owner and fellow member of the GSBA (Greater Seattle Business Association) I wanted to patronize a business whose ideals seemed aligned with my own. I was required to prepay for the repair, which was no problem; they took my name, number and credit card info and told me they would call me in a week to pick it up. I didn’t hear from them the next week or the following week so I stopped by their shop the next time I was in the neighborhood. \r
\r
Upon arrival, the very brusque and disagreeable owner Jody Laine presented me my watch. As any reasonable consumer, I inspected my watch before leaving and observed that there were glue bubbles on the inside of the crystal and on the actual metal face of the watch. When I remarked about the glue to Ms. Laine, she informed me that is the best you can expect from a crystal replacement and that I should know that. I asked her how I would have known that given that: I was not in the watch repair business and/or was not informed of this BEFORE they charged me the $45. She proceeded to insult and genuinely (with a real, actual raised voice) yell at me because I wanted her to remove the new crystal and clean the rogue glue before I would accept my watch back. I was stunned, hadn’t I just paid for a service that I did not receive? Why was I being accosted for a mistake that Ms. Laine had made and had been paid for? \r
\r
Ms. Laine likened the crystal replacement to the replacement of a car windshield. She asked me if I had ever had my windshield replaced when I told her I had and that there was not glue on my dashboard or steering wheel when the repair was complete she said, “I don’t think you’ve ever had your windshield replaced.” Excuse me? \r
\r
How could a watch repair shop or a windshield repair shop be a moneymaking industry if the items cannot be repaired to their original condition? If repair weren’t possible wouldn’t people just buy a new watch? I know I would have and, if I had been privy Ms. Laine’s propensity for temper tantrums, I would have gladly given a large cash donation to the charity of my choice or my first, second and third born children in order not to commerce with her. She continued to castigate me, shouting several times, “So you just want me to eat it?” (meaning the cost of the repair to her) I told her, yes, not only did I want her to “eat it” but that I expected her to. That is the cost of doing business; if she screws up a customer’s property it is her responsibility to ameliorate her mistake. \r
\r
Cut to the end of the story, after professing for 20 minutes that a crystal repair was impossible to complete without errant glue I came back to the shop a week later and picked up my newly, re-repaired watch, looking a s good as new and devoid of surplus glue. Funny, didn’t Ms. Laine try to convince me that this was beyond the bounds of possibility? \r
\r
Long story a little bit shorter, I would not under any circumstances recommend the services of Tiempo. I would much rather support “the man” (and just so you know, I don’t like “the man” and try my hardest everyday to drive out “the man” by supporting small, local independent shops.) and get my watch repaired at the most elephantine chain watch store that pays low wages and out sources to 7 year olds in Viet Nam and hopefully drive Jody Laine out of business. \r
\r
Final outcome Jody Laine is a d. bag and is in serious need of a skilled watch repair technician and a customer service representative so she can sit in the back and work on waxing her face.\r
\r
Pros: can't think of any
Cons: the owner, Jody Laine
more