David Geller

David Geller: Maximize Each Sale When Taking A Repair

When a repair walks in the door, don’t let a missed sale walk out shortly after.

Published

16 years ago

May 1, 2009

David S. Geller Instore May 2009 Issue

TO ENSURE YOU’RE getting the most out of every sale — and the customer the best service — be sure to cover all these points when the next repair customer comes in the door.

1. Suggest having all prongs tipped when only one is bad as the others are probably thin as well.

2. Ring sizings with a shank less than a millimeter thick probably should have a new thicker shank installed.

3. Show every sizing customer a sample of an arthritic shank (FingerMate, SuperFit, etc). You might sell one to every 10-20 customers.

4. When replacing a soldered pin in a tennis bracelet or other type of bracelet with pins, know that the first three rivets on either side of the clasp (six in total) usually wear and get thin long before the pins in the center do. Suggest replacing all the pins even if you have to give a 20 percent discount on the total of six. The customer will have a better job and you’ll make more money. Be sure and lay the bracelet on a photocopying machine (unless you have a camera) and keep a copy of a picture of the broken bracelet in the job envelope. This will prevent the customer later saying it’s the same pin you repaired.

5. Tell customers there is an extra charge of $20 to check and tighten stones in their jewelry above five (first four stones are checked free). For this fee, “we will check and tighten every stone, and make sure they are tight for one year. If they get loose, we’ll tighten them at no charge and if they fall out we will replace them at no charge.” Yes, you can limit size and such, but the customer should know this up front. Do the math. A typical store will sell 70 percent of its customers who are presented with this option. If you take in 5,000 jobs a year and 60 percent of the jobs coming in have five or more stones and 70 percent of those folks say yes, you’ll take in $45,000 a year in lost stones. This money goes right to the bottom line.

This story is from the May 2009 edition of INSTORE.

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.