Tale End: Inflation

Published

12 years ago

September 27, 2011

Tale End: Inflation

SOME TIME AGO, we did a battery and water-seal on a customer’s watch. I don’t recall the particulars, but something happened to displease her, so we refunded her money and sent her a letter of apology offering her 15 percent off her next purchase from our store. Sure enough, she came in recently looking to purchase a watch. When she finally made her selection, she reminded us of our letter and claimed that it offered her 20 percent off. Good thing I was able to produce a copy of the letter, 12 years later, to show her that she was entitled to 15 percent off! With customers like that, coming in once every 12 years, we’d all be out of business! — GINA WALLACH, WALLACH JEWELRY DESIGNS, LARCHMONT, NY

[span class=note]This story is from the October 2011 edition of INSTORE[/span]

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”