27 Jewelers on the ‘Helpful’ Customers Who Drive You Batty

WHAT’S SOMETHING CUSTOMERS DO that they think is helpful but actually isn’t? They are usually well-intentioned, but the end result for INSTORE’s Brain Squad jewelers is often frustration, more work, or even worse — being totally icked out. From the “internet experts” armed with misinformation to the finger-lickers eager to remove a ring to the family historians keen to share a piece of jewelry’s provenance, you likely know many of these customers as well.

• “Pay with cash… Can I get a better deal with cash?.. NO… Cash is a pain, got to make sure it was counted correctly, then it has to go to the bank, the bank charged fees for cash too… no benefit in cash.” — Tom D., Warren, OH
• “The only thing I can think of is when people suggest some new design or style they think I should make. Usually they don’t consider whether it can be made in wire, which is all I do, nor do they usually have any idea how intricate or time-consuming the project might be.” — Janne E., Cocoa, FL
• “Diamond research. Everyone gets a GIA cert overnight once they start to engagement ring shop. They bring notes straight from ChatGPT or other stores that have educated them wrong. It’s ridiculous.” — Cole R., Bradenton, FL
• “She actually licks her knuckle to get her ring off… and here I am standing with our bottle of Windex that would do the job so much more hygienically!” — Eve A., Evanston, IL
• “We are currently buying a lot of gold. Some clients like to sort out things ahead of time. We have to inspect every piece anyway but they like to tell us what things are as we are trying to sort through them. It makes the process slower.” — Eric S., West Springfield, MA

“‘You know what you should do?!’ When they have absolutely zero knowledge of running a retail business.” — Monica L., Fond du Lac, WI

• “When they individually sort and bag all of the gold that they are trying to trade in.” — Amy H., Jacksonville, FL
• “Coming in with their own spreadsheet when they want to sell.” —Stew B., Natick, MA
• “The customer who comes in with a bunch of pictures of jewelry they like — usually with no common thread or theme — then says, ‘make me something like this!'” — Gretchen S., Sherman Oaks, CA
• “Being nice about a piece they don’t like instead of being honest. It won’t hurt my feelings but it will make finding what you love more difficult, ” — Jeff M., Knoxville, TN

• “When a customer claims they know someone’s finger size and requests that size. Ninety percent of the time they are wrong. I hate redoing anything and occasionally I convince the customer to present the ring and let us measure after the presentation. ” — Eileen E., Decatur, IN
• “Put the ring back in its holder with the tag sticking out.” — Angela C., Atascadero, CA
• “When they return used boxes.” — Lee K., Montgomery, OH
• “Try to help put the jewelry back in the case: “Don’t put your hands in the cases!” And then their sleeves drag all the jewelry around. ” — Laura K, Oak Park , IL

“‘I brought you a challenge!’ The real challenge is how to avoid that task.” — Steven W., Chatham, MA

• “Giving us their life history and the history of each piece of jewelry they own.” — James S., Lowell, IN
• “Research! Sometimes they do just enough to come in with great questions, but sometimes they over-research and are reading a lot of misinformation, or just don’t understand what they are reading at all. Re-educating can be a fine line.” — Becky B., Peabody, MA
• “They seem to think we want to hear the history of their inherited pieces — while asking you for free advice what to do with them. UGH!” — Drue S., Albany, NY
• “When they buy a gem or diamond and want us to set it for them. Or when they buy a battery for a watch and want us to install it for them. Or when they tried to solder a chain with lead solder and now want us to fix it. Get the gist?” — David B., Calgary, AB, Canada
• “The customer who arrives explaining they need a watch battery and produces a baggie full of dismantled watch parts.” — James M., Bedford, VA
• “Watching you type in their information in the computer.” — Brenda N., El Segundo , CA
• “Mansplain how to do my job. Our favorite term is, ‘All you have to do is …’ ” — Scott M., Jacksonville, MD

“Bringing a third baseman.” — Laurie L., Omaha, NE

• “Try to tell me how to do a repair… ” — Sue P., Escanaba, MI
• “Of course — everybody’s favorite — licking their ring.” — Nancy P., Swansea, MA
• “When they tell you that your showcases need to be arranged better. We switch them around almost every day, especially the case with our one-of-a-kind pieces.” — Tommy T, Perry Hall, MD
• Using tape or glue on broken pieces, as well as husbands using their lead soldering tools to fix pieces. — Earl G., Port Washington, NY