Why the New DavidYurman.com Is a Beautiful Disaster

If you're reading this blog, chances are you've already visited the new DavidYurman.com. The site underwent an interface and online store reboot back in mid-October, and yes, the new site layout and product images are, well, beautiful. Let me ask you a question, though: Have you attempted a purchase using the new checkout system? If so, I'm sorry. I bought over this past weekend, and let me tell you what: The experience was bewildering at best, frustrating at worst.

BEAUTIFUL

Yes, the new site design stuns, but enter the checkout process at your own risk because, at the time of writing, it is a...


DISASTER
Of course, I wouldn't expect you to take me at my word. Allow me to explain. To begin, there's this:

Mmmhmm. Evidently all DY product goes for the same amount these days. That bronzite tablet that runs $575 according to its list price? No, no. Once you enter the checkout process, the price inflates to a grand. Conversely, check out the Armory crossover ring with black diamonds with a list price of $2800. Well, it just went on deep discount because now it's available for $1000... just like everything else. OK, so obviously this uniform pricing is the result of a bug in the system but a bug that need be squashed, unless DY wants its customer care staff besieged with false-advertising accusations.

Moving on, let's see what happens when one attempts to take advantage of the site's "complimentary" shipping. Here is what's offered:

Here is what the system computes:

And here is where it gets good. When I reached out to customer service, I was told (via online chat), "We apologize, there is not a free shipping promotion at this time." How does one respond to that? "Yes, actually there is"...? "I'm right now looking at the language describing said promotion"...?

Anyway, once that matter was dealt with came this:

First, why am I, the customer, required to reach out? If there is an issue, why do I have to take the first step to resolve it? Second, OK, I suppose I would not have minded calling customer service once. The thing is, I was required to make not one, not two, not three, but four calls to green-light my pending order. A service ticket was never opened, and so guess what? Every time I rang I had to start over again with the agent with whom I was speaking.

REFLECTIONS
Allow me to be the one to say this: I recognize these gripes as minor inconveniences. In the greater scheme of things, nothing mentioned here is a proverbial big deal. I concede that fact. And so why did I produce and publish this blog? I'll give you two reasons in the form of three statements:

1. Shopping should be effortless and elegant at an upscale retailer.
2. David Yurman is an upscale retailer.
3. The old site, though dated in design, just plain worked.

Insert here a comparison to healthcare.gov that I haven't the will fully to make. I'm guessing DY had a choice to make: roll out a beautiful, buggy site for the holidays or debut a duly-debugged one in January. A decision was made in support of the former. While I'm sure the site is--to use government verbiage--"getting better every day," I have to say this: That most-recent transaction sure proved a bumpy ride.

UPDATE:
I've spoken to David Yurman corporate and have been assured that swift action will be taken to remedy the issues described above. It was explained to me that the company deeply values its customers and recognizes they deserve only the best. So there you have it.