Send Birthday Cards? Fuhgeddaboudit!

question:

Do you send birthday cards or gifts to customers?

Yes: 30%
No: 70%

THE MAJORITY OF INDEPENDENT JEWELERS do not send birthday cards or gifts to customers — and many say they have never felt the need to start.

In INSTORE’s latest Brain Squad survey, 104 store owners and managers were asked whether they send birthday cards or gifts to customers. About 70 percent said no. Time, cost and a lack of measurable return were the most common reasons cited. The remaining 30 percent said yes, and several reported that well-executed outreach had generated meaningful sales.

For many in the majority, the practice simply never made the cut. “Not enough time in the day,” said Barry Fixler of Barry’s Estate Jewelry in Bardonia, NY. Tommy Thobe of The Village Gem in Perry Hall, MD, put it more pointedly: “We were a small business that was crazy busy. Just did not have time to do it. Never had a customer ask why we didn’t send them a birthday card.”

Several jewelers said they had tried birthday outreach and abandoned it. Shannon Preston of Crown Jewelry in Altus, OK, ran the program for years. “We used to year after year, but returns got less and less,” she said. Annette Kinzie of Leonard Jewelry in Stillwater, OK, drew the same conclusion. “We used to, and stopped several years ago without any comments or complaints,” she said.

John Przeclawski of Monarch Jewelry in Winter Park, FL, still sends automated e-cards but says the impact has faded. “Used to get better responses to this, but with social media providing the information, everyone is a little jaded about it,” he said.

Among the minority who do send cards or gifts, the most successful programs tend to combine a personal touch with a clear, no-strings offer. James Messier of Arthur’s Jewelry in Bedford, VA, sends handwritten, hand-addressed notes and follows up with a phone call. “We also call to wish Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary with no mention of sales or marketing,” he said. J. Dennis Petimezas of Watchmaker’s Diamonds & Jewelry in Johnstown, PA, takes a similarly understated approach. “Just a card with ‘no gimmicks.’ Customers love it,” he said.

Others have automated the process through platforms such as The Edge, Clientbook and Drive Retail, pairing messages with discount offers. Eric Stevens of Stevens Diamond Jewelers in West Springfield, MA, sends a $100 gift card with no minimum purchase required. “This has generated some nice sales,” he said. W.J. Smith III of Smith Jewelers in Franklin, VA, tracks returns carefully. “I probably get back about 25 to 30 each year, which is enough to pay for doing it,” he said.

A handful go further for top clients. Tim Wright of Simply Unique Jewelry Designs in Yorktown, VA, sends a $1,000 gift card to his highest-spending customers. “When she comes in she usually spends between $8,000 and $12,000,” he said. Amy Hunnefield of Pickett Brothers Jewelers in Jacksonville, FL, texts an unconditional $50 credit within two weeks of a customer’s birthday. “The response is small, but of all the techniques we have tried, it is the most successful we have had,” she said.

Overall, it’s a matter or return on effort, and for the majority of jewelers, sending best wishes on birthdays or other occasions doesn’t justify the time or expense. However, for those in the minority who have found the right format — whether a handwritten note or a no-strings gift card — it can be an effective marketing practice.