The Mystery of the Missing Client List

A top salesperson returns from medical leave to find her loyal customers reassigned.

By Megan Crabtree

Aurora & Co. was the kind of hometown jewelry retailer where generations of families returned year after year to celebrate milestone moments. They had been the trusted local source for engagement rings and special anniversary gifts. Most of the sales staff had been with Aurora & Co. for years, building the long-term relationships that kept customers coming back.

For years, Madison had been the store’s top performer. Her calendar was lined with client birthdays, reminders for cleanings, and notes about client preferences. When Madison went on medical leave in February, no one expected her absence to cause much of a ripple. She’d earned the time, and the team was confident things would run smoothly.

But jewelry retail moves fast during engagement season.

After Madison left, a few customers began to stop in asking for her. Without her there, other associates stepped in to help. Normally, the store’s POS system automatically assigned sales to the associate who rang them up, and commissions were calculated in the background. When payroll came through, the store manager, Vanessa, double-checked that sales were recorded correctly before finalizing payouts. But during the busy spring season with new product promotions, inventory changes, and a steady flow of customers, the usual checks slipped.

Several of Madison’s longtime customers came into the store asking for her. Since she wasn’t available, the associates on duty completed the transactions themselves. Those sales were processed entirely under the assisting associates’ names without splitting the commissions with Madison. The customers were served, the store met its sales goals, and Vanessa hadn’t raised any concerns about how the team handled Madison’s clients during her absence.

When Madison returned in late April, the store had changed subtly. There were new displays. The energy felt slightly off, but she assumed it was just her getting back into rhythm after being away.

She spent the first day catching up and printing her customer list, something she did every month to review who needed follow-up calls. The list was shorter than she remembered. Much shorter.

Names she knew by heart, people she’d personally helped choose engagement rings, anniversary bands, and heirloom resets … they were missing. The software showed them assigned to other associates: Evan, Jules, Tara. Each name carried new transaction dates, recent purchases, and even service notes written by the other associates. She noticed the timestamps were for sales completed in March and April while she was out.

That afternoon, she spent time comparing her old client list with the store’s system. Dozens of names were gone. She felt a strong sense of betrayal.

She asked Vanessa if they could talk privately. Madison explained she’d noticed several of her regular customers made purchases while she was out, but the sales were showing under other associates’ names. She understood that if another associate completed a sale, the system would automatically credit them. However, she also knew that when customers specifically came in asking for her, standard practice was to split the sale. In this case, several of her longtime clients had done just that, yet the associates took 100% of the sales instead of sharing credit. She was also concerned about the clients having been reassigned in the system, meaning future sales would no longer be tied to her.

Vanessa called a team meeting. Evan was the first to defend himself, saying he’d only stepped in to “keep things moving” while Madison was away. Tara admitted she hadn’t realized the sales should have been split and said she simply forgot. Another associate mentioned that some customers never asked for Madison by name, so they assumed it was fine to take the full sale. Jules just shrugged, noting that the store still made its numbers either way.

Madison wasn’t sure if the meeting would end with apologies or something worse. Vanessa glanced around the room, realizing too late that what had started as a well-intentioned effort to fill a gap ended up fracturing the trust that held the team together.