On Jewelry Services: Repairs to Rave About
Here’s one service your competitors likely don’t offer
BY JENNIFER FARNES
Published in the September 2013 issue
Many stores spend years building their business relationships to be able to provide every service their customers could request. If your location does not have a bench jeweler, you surely work with (or recommend) a local jeweler for basic repairs. If you have a jeweler, your store may not be able to do custom design or casting on site. Whatever the case, you find alternatives to make your business valuable to your customers so they will return time and time again.
So, how do you service customers with gemstone needs?
One example almost all of us have encountered is the customer with a vintage ring that they want to restore. The ring is in good condition except that the prongs should be re-tipped and the colored stone in the center is heavily abraded. What service do you offer to perform in this scenario? Many locations can only provide re-tipping, and once completed, the customer is happy to be able to wear the piece without the worry of losing her heirloom gem.
What if you could be the exception? What if you could offer to fully restore the ring to its original glory? Your customer would go from being simply happy to being overjoyed. You could be the hero by not only giving your customer confidence in wearing the ring again, but restoring the brilliance and polish to the center stone. She will rave to all of her friends, and you will have a client for life.
The best part is that you do not need to ship her heirloom overseas to have gemstone services performed. There are lapidary artists all around the United States. It takes some research and time to find a specialist near you, but it is time well spent and is a relationship worth building. If you cannot find someone through an Internet search, call jewelers you trust and ask about their connections.
The benefit to working locally (or domestically, at least), is the underlying fear over whether you will receive the same stone in return is greatly diminished. Our industry is tightly knit, and reputations are built on credibility and integrity. Sending stones out of the U.S. means the accountability goes only as far as the package you ship, and often those on the receiving end know they will never meet you face-to-face.
Taking a creative approach to your business will keep your doors open for years to come. Seek out new repair services to offer your clients that your rivals may not be able to compete with. Stay a step ahead. Let your customers know that if you cannot provide a certain service, you are keeping it within your community or within the U.S. Additionally, by returning pieces that exceed expectations, your referrals will grow by leaps and bounds.
Jennifer Farnes is the owner and master faceter at Revolution Jewelry Works in Colorado Springs, CO.