I know we hear this all the time, but as we prepare for what we hope is the holiday rush, it's still important to let inexperienced staff members know that the shopper they perceive as the most unqualifed just might surprise them.

 Briana Collins of Collins Family Jewelers in San Diego, CA, still remembers the Christmas season when an elderly gentleman came in looking to buy four engraved sterling silver charm bracelets for his granddaughters. He wanted them to cost no more than $100 each. “He was extremely stuck on the price and told me that he couldn't spend any more than this for each bracelet, given his holiday budget.

 I was ringing him up for the bracelets, and while I was doing this he was looking into our "Seasonal One of a Kind" case. Everything in this case is at least $20,000, and there are maybe five pieces in the case total. He interrupts me as I was about to finish and asks me about the value and price of a 2.5 carat yellow-diamond ring flanked with smaller white diamonds, in the case. I was sure he would run for the hills when I gave him the price, given how "thrifty" he was on his granddaughters’ silver bracelets. So I took a deep breath and told him we wanted  $45,000 plus tax. Unbelievably, he asked me to give him the best price. I crunched the numbers and told him the best I could do was $40,000 plus tax. He said " I'll take it." He handed me his credit card, which was approved with no issue and left with the ring. After the holidays, about a week later, I met his wife, who loved her gift.”

 Another example from Lou Gerace, Gerace Jewelers, Runnemede, NJ: The first holiday season my wife and I were opened about 22 years ago, a man came in one night about 8 o'clock. He was of course dressed for the cold and his clothes were very, very dirty.  He asked to see a pearl necklace and we obliged him.  He asked about the price and we told him. I think it was about $1,500.  He asked about earrings and a bracelet to match. We of course showed them to him and gave him a price of about another $900. We offered to gift wrap them. He then told us that he had just come from a well-known jewelry store in the mall, where he had intended to buy his wife a Christmas present of pearl jewelry.  He said that when he entered the store the salesman saw how he was dressed and went into the back room without  saying a word.  "They ignored me because I look like a trash man. I know I look like a trash man, but I own the company! I left there and came directly here.” He proceeded to pay for the Christmas gifts in cash and thanked us for not judging him by his clothes. As it turns out, his wife owned a beauty salon near our store and from that time on, we regularly saw new customers as a result of her recommendations.”