Tag: customers

Why Not: The Rhetorical Question

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Like every other (good) retailer, we aim to please. From goods to services, providing the very best we can to every customer is what keeps us in business.

Go ahead, say it. Duh. Of course that’s what keeps the doors open!

But what happens when we can’t — for whatever reason — satisfy a customer?

It seems to me that in an increasingly instant-gratification-focused consumer world, the inability to meet an immediate demand is an automatic black mark. Regardless of how difficult, unrealistic, or downright impossible the request may be, the potential provider’s perceived lack of ability becomes an issue.

It so happens that occasionally a customer comes in and asks for something we don’t have. We’ve never had it. It’s possible — though unlikely — we’ve never even heard of it. We can probably get it, or our fabulous designer/goldsmith can make it, but none of that is going to happen in the next 10 to 15 seconds. The customer huffs something to the effect of “Everywhere I go, they say the same thing. You don’t have it. Well, why not?”

There’s a brief pause, and a moment of silent mutual understanding arrives: they already know the answer. We know the answer, and they know we know. We don’t have it because the buyer(s) for the store didn’t buy it. The reasoning behind that decision is moot, because it won’t change the status of this customer’s elusive desire.

I was totally bewildered by my first Rhetorical Encounter. Did that customer really just get upset that I couldn’t show those white gold earrings in yellow, rose, and two-tone? Is she seriously asking for a reason why we don’t carry her favorite XYZ designer?

I’ve learned a few things since then, thank goodness. I learned that sometimes a customer has an objection or just wants an easy “out” of the sale or store, and isn’t capable of saying “no, thank you.” I had to learn that a customer insisting on one specific item is well aware that we won’t have it, and they really want some alternatives. I also figured out that some customers take pleasure in name-dropping to employees of stores that aren’t Big Names, either as a test (yes, we’ve heard of that Big Name) or to impress (yes, your Big Name watch is lovely).

I used to feel like a failure when I couldn’t produce, magician-like**, the exact white (gold) rabbit each customer wanted. Thankfully, through careful observation and a deeper understanding of the consumer, I have managed to overcome that feeling and learned to confidently represent the products and capabilities we do have. It’s a necessary skill in an on-demand world, and one I’m happy to say only improves with every Rhetorical Encounter I have.

** Okay, occasionally we’re like real magicians, coming up with brilliant plans with perfect execution for last-minute, do-or-die situations. That’s called… hard work and getting lucky.

Tongue (Ring) In Cheek ;-)

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{Disclaimer: people are nuts. We’re all nuts, and we all have those days. I love people and the inherent challenge of meeting their needs each and every day, but to quote my favorite Jimmy Buffett song, “if we couldn’t laugh, we’d all go insane!”}

Service-type industry workers the world over know that there are universal truths: the holidays will be exhausting. The customer is always right, except when they aren’t. Under-promise and over-deliver. Staying open the extra 10 minutes is almost never worth it, except that one time (urban myth), but we’ll always do it. And so on, to infinity. We’re united in the ability and willingness to serve others in some capacity, and we really do try our best to take the masses as they come.

Consumers are a notoriously fickle bunch, pledging firm allegiance one moment and turning their collective backs the next. We know this, we expect this, and as consumers ourselves, we forgive it. But it is the individual, rather than the group, that can make or break our day — and I really, truly don’t mean by how much money is spent. It’s how you act (or react) to the world around you that makes all the difference, so the following is but a brief summary of Dearly Beloved Consumer behavior & attitude.

— I want you to look at my ring because _____________ but it can be tough to get off the finger. So obviously, sticking my entire finger in my mouth, swirling my tongue around it, then pulling it off and handing it to you is the BEST idea. You’re obviously eager to embrace the totally unsanitary situation, including when you must bring said ring up to your face to inspect it with a loupe.

— Do you clean jewelry? Great, because I was just outside all weekend gardening, spreading mulch, shoveling out the horse barn, and painting the shed. Can you get all that out of my ring right now, and by the way it’s 22K gold so don’t use a brush and scratch it!

— I’d like to purchase 15 of these little charm bead thingies, and have each one wrapped individually. But I’m double-parked in a no-parking zone during a snow ban, so why aren’t you hurrying? And since I’m buying so many, can I have a discount?

— I want this sterling silver ring my now-married daughter gave me when she was five sized up from a 6 to a 10 right now so I can wear it to her baby shower in ten minutes. Your goldsmith isn’t here, and even if she was she can’t do it on the spot? What kind of jewelry store is this?!

— I can’t wait two weeks to have my grandmother’s strand of faux pearls restrung for my cousin’s wedding in three months.

— I’m looking for a 1.63ct E, VVS1 round diamond. I have a friend with a buddy in the jeweler’s building in X city but I wanted to see if your prices were as good as his. He said I could probably get close to what I want for {ridiculously low price}.

— I found a ring EXACTLY like that one over there online for half of your price. Obviously you guys have a HUGE markup and you’re bad business people and scammers.

— If it isn’t made with 100% recycled, fully sustainable, zero-carbon-footprint, conflict-free materials and locally-sourced labor, I’m just not interested. You guys should work on that.

P.S. Yes, the featured image is my very own Maine Coon. Meet Perkins, doing his best sleepy/grumpy cat impression. That’s the face he’d make if he heard a customer ask, in all seriousness, why we aren’t open until at least 11pm 7 days a week.

The Business of Business

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In my line of work, the face the consumer sees is often very different from the reality behind-the-scenes. The client receives calm and unwavering patience, forever a smile, as much romance as they can stomach, and a general sense that the world is full of beautiful things that they (obviously) should want to buy and give and wear.

And why shouldn’t they? The role of consumer in the luxury market is to enjoy everything — service, gracious transaction, the piece itself, admiration from peers — as a complete package. It’s my job to figure out how to deliver that experience in such a way that will impress and retain that client, but also maintain best business practices that allow equal attention to future clients. As my grandmother used to say, it ain’t worth anything if you give it away.

I will confess that I’m far more a novice of business than I am of creating that customer experience. I have been in some form of sales for many years, but have begun to participate in the business side relatively recently. Thanks in large part to the small business environment and wonderful owners of the store, I have been introduced to the inner workings of this industry and am just as hooked on the finer details of number-crunching and term negotiation as I ever was on closing the sale.

To that end, I’ll be diving head first into analysis and data processing, product and vendor assessment, supplier strategies, and a host of other topics in order to assist in balancing performance in the store. Translation: training in business stuff should lead to better business.

On a personal level, I admit to a little apprehension. This is not only a new field of interest but an entirely new facet of the industry, and I’m determined to acquire as much knowledge for practical application as I can get my little paws on. Between this, my already personally-driven sales goals, some additional business courses I’m taking outside of work, and the general day-to-day operations already in place, I feel I’m in for an exciting period of growth. Maybe if spring pokes its nose out from whatever hole it’s hibernating in someday soon, I’ll really feel ready to face it all.

The Valentine Gifting Myth

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Every year around Valentine’s Day, kindhearted customers ask us about business and being busy. They assume we’re swamped with men seeking last-minute sparklies for their wives/girlfriends/mothers/daughters, and that the days preceding the holiday are almost as busy as the other winter holiday season.

No retailer will ever admit to being slow — it’s bad for business, right? — but in my neck of the woods, at least, February is not a top-dollar month. The weather has a large role to play in this, particularly in years where we get slammed with storm after winter storm (like, y’know, this year). But you can’t pin all the blame on Mother Nature and Old Man Winter, so I look to regional and cultural trends in an attempt to figure out why V-Day sales aren’t so hot.

There are some obvious factors to list as a starting point: post-holiday spending dips as bills come due. Holiday bonuses have been spent, and most folks haven’t filed taxes yet to get their returns. Winter is an expensive month for heating and electricity bills, not to mention snow removal, automotive repairs, and home maintenance. February also has the lowest average number of birthdays in the calender year, removing yet another reason to shop.

But I like to look at the slightly bigger picture as well, and consider the financial planning that many people and families do around this time. Summer vacations tend to book up this month (our local Travel Show is always in February — not a coincidence), and deposits must be paid. Spring and summer weddings are announced and invitations sent, often sparking a furious spending spree on dresses, suits, gifts, and the various travel arrangements required. And let’s face it, dreary days that cause a whole lot of staying home with not much to do causes an uptick in our-family-is-growing announcements. Yep, I said it.

Culturally speaking, periods of high-dollar spending tend to be followed by more conservative habits as the guilt and buyer’s remorse (not to mention plain old exhaustion and burn-out) set in. We’ve had advertisements attacking us on all fronts since Halloween, and by now we can barely suppress collective eye rolls at Superbowl puppy commercials, let alone the sweet romance of kisses and hearts of Public Enemy #1: the Hallmark Holiday.

Frankly, we’re in a unique position here because we do a constant, year-round business with custom design and repairs. This gives us the opportunity to show new merchandise to existing customers because they’re already coming in with a purpose, and can bring in new clientele looking for a more relaxing atmosphere than the madhouse malls. But the overall percentage of customers coming in to shower their loved one in diamonds is on a level with the temperature — lower than average.

Do you give or receive jewelry for Valentine’s Day? Do you want to?

A Professional Opinion

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Doctors. Law enforcement officers. Judges. Manicurists. These professions require a range of qualifications, but to practice them ethically (and legally, minus the manicures) the chief requirement is the ability to tell the truth. Always. Regardless of a person’s feelings, other wants and needs, or how that truth may impact the lives of others.

But for many other professions, telling the (whole) truth can be a risky business practice indeed. I’m not talking basic factual information here — yes it’s cashmere, no it isn’t leather, yes, it comes in green, etc. — but the part of a business transaction that involves an opinion.

From your hair stylist to your jeweler (hi there!) to the people who run those fun little wine-and-painting parties, they’re all still in business now because they’re able to walk a fine line between truth and a bit of stretched, um, fiction. The proverbial little white lie can be incredibly useful, when deployed with tact, diplomacy, and integrity.

Wait — integrity, you ask? Isn’t a lie of any kind, by definition, totally devoid of such a thing? Allow me to use an example straight from a day in my life.

Customer: What do you think of this bracelet? I’d like something to wear on special occasions.

Me: I think that piece can certainly be dressed up. The gold accents and high polish finish already give it a more formal look.

Customer: Yes, I think so too. And I really love it. But… (she turns to face me straight on) I really want to know what you think about it. Does it look right? Isn’t it gorgeous?

You all know what I said here. You know I told her that she loves it, it fits her description of what she wanted, and it’s a versatile piece she’ll wear often. You also know that I uttered not one peep about whether I personally think it’s gorgeous, but that it’s gorgeous on her. And of course she purchased the item, because everything I said was true.

What I didn’t say was that I think the bracelet is gaudy and clunky, and that I’m so glad she loves it because it’s been in the store for what feels like forever and I’m sick of looking at it. That’s a personal opinion that is totally irrelevant to both my customers in general and that sale in particular, and it has no business getting in the way of… business.

The fine jewelry industry has long been plagued with what I’ll call the bad apples. There are still places and people who are only out for the buck, and would happily sell a professional rockclimber an emerald eternity band to wear as an “everyday ring” just because they could. This kind of practice has no place in this business because it only comes back to harm the integrity of the industry as a whole, and I categorically condemn any business that allows or encourages used-car-salesman tactics. Those bad apples are telling lies — harmful untruths that stem from laziness, a total lack of integrity or ethics, and that ultimately serve to undermine the trusting relationship the good apples work so hard to build.

Our job is to educate consumers and help them navigate a highly emotional, mostly blind purchase. My professional opinion gets time in the spotlight when asked if a ring is too big, a setting is loose, or a chain is too light. It stays tightly locked behind my teeth in most other situations.

Yes, those earrings are very pretty. No m’am, I don’t think those galoshes make your calves look too big. That will be an interesting 10-page-paper topic, Jimmy. Your engagement ring is beautiful. Honey, this chicken tastes great!

Do You *Need* That Piece of Jewelry?

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“Yes honey, it’s beautiful. But do you really need that ______?”

The above question, though almost exclusively used rhetorically, is possibly one of my least favorite customer habits. It’s taken years of practice with sarcastic students to maintain a neutral expression whenever I hear some version of this, mostly because we all know the answer:

No.

It took me a while to come to terms with it myself, but the answer is no. A person does not need jewelry, at least not in the sense that he or she needs the basic necessities of life. Or even in the way we might need a job, a car, a cell phone or computer.

Jewelry is the frosting on the cake of life*. It’s there to make what you already have a little brighter, to serve as a symbol of whatever you want it to, and to mark momentous or even everyday occasions with something tangible (and, let’s be real, something beautiful).

Jewelry does not generally possess meaning, it is given meaning by you.

Merely for the sake of satisfying my internal former teacher, I’ll support my claim with a counterclaim (a.k.a. The Exception): I do own a piece of jewelry that is necessary. My medical ID bracelet is as frankly ugly as you could imagine, but I wear it every day. Its utilitarian stainless steel and practical, no-frills design could potentially save my life, in the event I’m unconscious or unable to communicate with a medical professional. I resisted owning — let alone wearing — this bracelet for many years because I feared the stigma that I felt came with wearing one. I am not ill, or infirm, or in need of any special attention. But this little piece of chain link and engraved bar could be the difference between coming home and not, and so I wear it. I need it. It will save my life whether it’s made of steel or platinum, whether the red enamel has been retouched or not. But it still has meaning (and lifesaving properties!) only if I wear it.

I encourage all of my clients and customers to consider their jewelry purchases in light of the sentiments they will attach to them, and frequently acknowledge that ours is a luxury industry in truth — even the smallest token can be assigned the greatest meaning.

*Ahem, the {karat} cake of life! 🙂

Selective Sparkle: Holiday Gifting Guide Part 3

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Everybody loves a trilogy, so I’m pleased to present the third and final installment of my gifting guide. ICYMI, head over here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

I had originally planned a humorous little cheat sheet for what to buy each person on your list, but I honestly can’t say I could do it better than this post right here from one of my favorite industry blogs. So please settle in for a chuckle and read her post — trust me.

So here’s the Plan B post instead: a motley assortment of tips & tricks for buying that special someone a little special something.

— Those beautiful diamond studs you chose for your girlfriend of 6 years are lovely, but you might want to ask for something other than a small, square-shaped box that’s going to look a whole lot like the kind of box something else with diamonds might come in. Catch my drift?

— On the other hand, keep him or her from sniffing out a surprise proposal by using something other than a ring box. A good friend used one of those Danish butter cookie tins and placed the ring inside the center paper cup. She chose not to open the tin until dessert.

— A diamond will survive a champagne bubble bath, a pearl might not. Potential choking hazard aside, seriously consider your presentation before drowning your jewelry in your drink.

— Before investing in those five golden rings, try to get a finger size. Please.

— You know the holiday classic, “I Wonder as I Wander”? Don’t let that be you. When we ask what we can help you find, it’s not so much a sales tactic as a way to make life easier for you. A couple once walked in the door, glanced quickly left and right, then the woman turned to the man and said, “they don’t even have any pearls here! Let’s go!” Had we been given more than 3 or 4 seconds, we would have shown them the two large cases of beautiful pearls… located towards the rear of the store.

— Don’t let your budget hold you back. We respect what you want to spend, and can often find something your giftee will adore without breaking the bank. On the other hand, we are neither miracle workers nor magicians, and we can not, in fact, “make a few of those zeros disappear.”

— Many wish list items can be found at different price points: those diamond studs I mentioned could cost anywhere between $500 or $25,000+ so please ask before you cross an item off the list.

— While it is a customer service standard to under promise and over deliver, we’re pretty upfront when it comes to timing a gift for Christmas. There are some things that simply take too much time, and many vendors or other services get backed up or even close early at this time of year. We will always, and I mean always, do what we can for you, but we can’t control every factor (see above comment re: miracles).

— No, that $10,000 ring will not be on sale for $2000 the day after Christmas. Or ever.

— Yes, I really do think that pendant will make your mother extremely happy, especially since it’s a thoughtful gift. Yes, I already removed the price tag. No, I don’t recommend telling her you got a “killer deal.” (Yes, that was a real conversation).

— Please be patient with me if both point-of-sale terminals are in use and I can’t swipe your credit card for another minute or two and it feels a little warm in here and you forgot to call your nephew and the candy store ran out of fudge and the kids singing carols outside are out-of-tune. I will happily wrap your gift in beautiful paper with a big golden bow while we wait for the system, clean your rings and earrings until they shine, and validate your parking so you can continue to shop downtown worry-free. I will do everything in my power to make you happy and comfortable. I will wish you and your family a very happy holiday season, and I will hope you’ll wish me the same.

Coming soon to POKC: The Twelve Gems of Christmas!

Decked Out

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Well folks, there’s no escaping it now: the calender has changed, snow has fallen, and summer’s golden tan has faded away. The holidays are here!

I always wonder what will be the surprise hit of the holidays. Rubies the color of candy apples, emeralds set in halos of gold, sapphires that rival a winter dusk and the starlike diamonds that surround them… how will people deck the halls and deck themselves out in the jewels that shine just as bright as the twinkle in old St. Nick’s eye?

I posses a somewhat unique viewpoint on the season as a whole, stemming from a very culturally mixed childhood and my own approach as an adult. Fortunately, I ended up mostly on the ho-ho-ho side of celebrating, rather than the humbug.

My family is a religious mixed bag, which has made for some fascinating dinner table conversations and not a few weddings. I was raised in a very secular household, but spent a few formative years going to temple, Sunday school, and becoming b’nai mitzvot, We always had a tree and a menorah, Purim costumes and Easter candy. In my heart. I have always known that life is better for everyone when we coexist with peace, love, fellowship, kindness, and a general will to follow the Golden Rule — everything else is just a different verse in the same song.

(Speaking of music, I am unapologetic when it comes to my devotion to the sounds of the season. My mid-2000s-era iPod carries a pretty hefty mix of both secular and sacred holiday music, and you can bet your bells it’s been set on shuffle since yesterday.)

You already know that a mention of food is inevitable around here, so I’ll spare you some of the gooey, sugary, spicy, scrumptious details of the planned goodies for now (but only for now). Baking the yummy stuff is never a chore at this time of year, as my family and co-workers (my best victims testers of all) will tell you.

Wait a second — isn’t this a jewelry blog? Don’t worry, you’re still reading the right page. I wanted to share a taste of how I approach this time of year because it forms a solid foundation for how I try to remain true to myself and my family’s happiness even as I work longer and longer hours and the stress levels rise as we inch closer to the single digits of the shopping countdown I keep on my home screen.

Holidays and retail are all but inseparable in this modern age, and we can probably agree that’s not for the better. But I choose to spread goodwill and cheer by helping the excited, nervous, happy revelers who become my clients to celebrate the special events in their lives. Every person who receives something chosen with care and love, wrapped up and shiny and so perfectly hidden until the big reveal, is a way for me to put a little sparkle back in my own life. If giving is receiving, then I have wonderful people to thank for sharing their joys with me.

Ducky Weather

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Blech. Ick. Blah. How many onomatopoeic words can I find that accurately describe this week’s weather? Rain, a chill wind, and wet leaves all mix together to create general misery for anyone unfortunate enough to be outside. Even my umbrella seems to have given up — I felt a distinct lack of enthusiasm as I tried to snap it open this morning.

I once read an article written for salespeople and retail workers that cautioned against using the weather as a talking point with customers. The author claimed that discussing something as banal and commonplace as the weather was uninteresting, unoriginal, and ultimately a huge turn-off for consumers who are already overloaded with extraneous information. Why waste one more precious second of their day?

On the surface, I agree with his premise. Why bore your customer with a useless conversation that distracts them from their real purpose — hopefully, of course, buying something. (I would probably get a little annoyed if my barista attempted a full-fledged conversation about the heat index if it delayed my iced coffee for the duration of our talk.)

On the other hand, I have a feeling that author is not a resident — or even frequent visitor — to New England. Around here, the weather as a subject of conversation can lead to very serious (and interesting) revelations about your customer. We have Weather with a capital “W” that can change in an instant, and it influences everything from what we wear and how we drive to whom we vote for (really).

When working for my former Big Guys company — a purveyor of outdoor gear/clothing and very well known around here — the weather was prime material for figuring out just what a customer needed and wanted. In jewelry retail, I would argue that the weather shapes the type of jewelry we wear and sell. Short chains and chokers do well when the weather is warm enough to warrant an appropriate neckline for them, but long dangly earrings are likely to get caught in scarves and hoods. A bracelet is a beautiful accessory at any time of year, but perhaps the one with the dainty clasp should be left at home when jackets and gloves are removed all day long. And I defy anyone to sell an anklet, no matter how beautiful, in the middle of winter.**

I helped a customer select a chain for her new pendant just a few weeks ago, and one of my first questions was, “do you plan to wear this necklace with a turtleneck?” The woman paused for a moment and said, “you know, I was planning to wear it for my niece’s wedding next month with a dress I love, but I do normally wear high-neck shirts and sweaters when it’s cold out. What should I do?”

Simple solution: 16″-18″ adjustable chain. Sold!

If I hadn’t considered the weather and how a customer might dress for it, her original choice might just have ended up back in our stock. I’ve lost count of how many potential returns we’ve avoided just by asking whether the recipient has long or short hair — it matters, gents! — and showing merchandise accordingly.

It’s chilly and rainy out there today, but I have high hopes for tomorrow (music cue…).

**Okay, if that person is lucky enough to be headed for a tropical island, MAYBE they’d buy an anklet. But I still doubt it.