[componentheading]Yes, I Do[/componentheading]
Everyone wins in a negotiation. I call it customer appreciation. I even sometimes initiate it. — Buddy Bear; Buddy Bear Jewelers, Merion, PA
We buy right and concentrate on perception of value. We discount and are able to maintain a 62 percent gross after the fact! — David Abrams; Grand Jewelers, Ontario, Canada
I don’t have prices on the tag, so customers have no starting point to see how much you did or didn’t come off of a price. — Ben Brantley; Ben Brantley & Co., Shelbyville, TN
A code on the tag indicates the maximum discount, but we’re flexible on really old items. — Bill Elliott; Ross Elliott Jewelers, Terre Haute, IN
We discount slightly in dollars rather than percentages. For example, if we tell a customer that we will take off $100 on a $1,100 dollar sale rather than taking off 10 percent, we come out a little better. — Alex Weil; Martin’s Jewelry, Manhattan Beach, CA
Each month we give the salesgirls a couple of “discount coupons” they can use to close a sale. It is up to their discretion as far as which client they use it on. — Stephenie Bjorkman; Sami Fine Jewelry, Fountain Hills, AZ
Sometimes a customer just wants to negotiate. It can be a psychological thing. If you give a little discount, it can really help close the deal. — Jared Nadler; Levy’s Fine Jewelry, Birmingham, AL
It depends on the age of the merchandise: 20 percent for something newer (six months or less) to 40 percent off of old inventory. — Dana Danford; Megagem, Anchorage, AK
[componentheading]No, I Don’t[/componentheading]
We just explain that we price everything very competitively and offer something similar in their price range. — Linda Griffiths; Hoover Jewelers, Kearney, NE
I do not discount. I believe it is the only honest way to do business. Like I tell my customers, “We put the correct price on to begin with so we don’t have to fix it later.” — David Mell; The Goldsmith Jewelers, Lawrenceville, GA
We have a closeout case. If you want bargains they can be found there. — Don Unwin; Sterling Jewelers, Wethersfield, CT
This month I gave out $35 and $50 gift certificates to a local restaurant instead of giving a discount. — Stew Brandt; H. Brandt Jewelers, Natick, MA
We have never had a sale in 112 years. Our merchandise is priced right. Fifty-eight stores have closed in our town during our store’s lifetime. We think we are doing it right. — Vic Hellberg; Hellberg’s Jewelers, Marshalltown, IA
I look them in the eye and explain that these are not simply things we buy and sell, like fish or bicycles. These are the work of my design imagination, they are the fruit of hand labor, and the price is exactly what it needs to be to compensate us fairly, but not excessively. — Eve Alfillé; Eve J. Alfillé Gallery & Studio, Evanston, IL
Our spiel: “You know, in our studio we are all craftsmen — not wheeler dealers.” — Steven Wardle; Forest Beach Design, Chatham, MA
[span class=note]This story is from the June 2010 edition of INSTORE[/span]