Some customers are too attached to “NO”.
[dropcap cap=MY HUSBAND GEORGE AND] I have a shop by the name of Diana Heimann Jewelry Salon located inside the Ritz-Carlton in the Manhattan suburbs. We see many things here: lots of brides, rare royalty, crazy pets and lots of “runaway” couples on romantic weekends. [/dropcap]
It is a unique opportunity in a jewelry store to see so many men and woman together, and with some regularity we hear men say to their spouse or companion “Pick out whatever you want!”
Wow! Music to our ears and, of course, when they do, we are all thrilled.
What is striking, though, is when the woman declines. These are women looking at a wide variety of beautiful jewels, designer collections and custom options and many times focused on one they like when he says “Get it!”
When a woman refuses jewelry, it should be noted that her refusal is usually not passive but a real in-your-face “No!”
My husband and I are perplexed. George’s take on it is that sometimes when put on the spot, these women are being responsible for their spending and want to do the right thing for their household. OK. Don’t want to be the one to burst that bubble.
For me it is not a stretch to imagine they are ticked off about something, but who are they punishing? What happened to the multi-carat apology?
“I will not take jewelry from you.” Wow, you really showed him. Other strategies for unwanted results include:
[li]Withhold and you will ultimately get what you want.[/li]
[li]Hold your breath till you turn blue. [/li]
[li]The Silent Treatment [/li]
[li]“I wish you poked my eye with that thing, then you would really be in trouble!”[/li]
Can it be she is not a “jewelry person?” Not possible here — I thought there was some kind of device excluding those sort of people from entering an establishment such as ours. Or “I have so much and don’t need a thing” reminds me of my Aunt Hedi saying she could not eat a thing. This was always followed by several plates of sampling. I know there are gaps in every jewelry wardrobe.
Woman, thou doth protest too much! Just say yes. Then work out the details, and by all means, enjoy the jewels! He just wants you to be happy.
[smalltext]Diana Heimann is owner of Diana Heimann Jewelry Salon in New York, NY.[/smalltext]
[span class=note]This story is from the June 2011 edition of INSTORE[/span]