Inbox: November 2015

Published

9 years ago

October 27, 2015

GIFT OF THE HEART

Have I turned into one of “those” consumers? I found myself asking after ordering an electric toothbrush online recently. I decided no, an electric toothbrush is an electric toothbrush. But a diamond, a ruby … that’s different. It requires romance, touching, trying on. We need to keep jewelry a gift of the heart. We can’t compete with mass production, but we can be a friend, a confidant, a supporter of a dream, “their jeweler.” Never lose that. — Amber Gustafson, Amber’s Designs, Katy, TX

This article originally appeared in the November 2015 edition of INSTORE.

Left on the hook by Liability Shift

To ensure we’re compliant with the new credit card rules, we bought a new PIN pad — one that would let customers slip their cards in themselves. The new PIN pad arrived but the software update was not ready. I called and was told the update from Mastercard/Visa is still not ready. I find it crazy that: a) they have pushed so hard to ensure the U.S. was ready for this change (in payment processing) and now they are not ready; and b) they throw the liability back on us when we are ready and they’re not. — Tom Nelson, Nelson Jewelry, Spencer, IA

Rethinking Service Vs. Price

I read recently the industry has lost a net 400 or more jewelry stores this year. In our local newspaper’s readers poll, Costco was named the third-best jewelry store in our area. What that tells me is the public’s view of what a jewelry store is may not be what we in the industry see. I try to price my comparable items in step with Costco’s prices — items like stud earrings, etc. But the online and big-box stores are still perceived to offer better value. It seems to me that more and more purchasing jewelry is all about price and nothing about service. I read and hear that if the independent jeweler is to remain viable it will be all about service. I’m thinking more and more that may not be the case. Forty-some years ago when I was first in the business an old jeweler asked me the question, “Where do you buy your shoes, from the cobbler or from the shoe store?” His question is making sense more and more. — Murphy McMahon, Murphy McMahon & Co. Fine Jewelers, Kalispell, MT

Send your letter to INSTORE’s editors at editor@instoremag.com.

She Wanted to Spend More Time with Her Kids. She Called Wilkerson.

Your children are precious. More precious than gold? Absolutely! Just ask Lesley Ann Davis, owner of Lesley Ann Jewels, an independent jewelry store that — until the end of 2023 — had quite a following in Houston, Texas. To spend more time with her four sons, all in high school, she decided to close her store. Luckily, she was familiar with Wilkerson and called them as soon as she knew she wanted to move on to bigger, better and more family-focused things. Was she happy with her decision? Yes, she was. Says Davis, “Any owner looking to make that life change, looking to retire, looking to close, looking for a pause in their career, I would recommend Wilkerson. Hands down!”