Tale End: Jamison’s Revenge

Published

15 years ago

September 2, 2009

“I believe the customer is always right, except when they’re wrong, and when they’re wrong I will fire them.”

Tale End: Jamison’s Revenge

[dropcap cap=I] had a customer who bought several fine watches from me — among them a Patek Philippe — but he could be miserable at times. On one deal he got bad enough that I was done with him. The next time he came in I handed him a check and said, “Jamison (not his real name), here is a check for $100.” (A lot of money to me back then).
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“What’s this for?”

“You have been unreasonable lately and I am finished. That’s the first hundred dollars you are spending at your next jeweler because you are not shopping here anymore. You are not allowed in my store anymore. Bye, bye!”

He looked kind of stunned, took the check and left. We didn’t see him for some months but then one day he called in on a Saturday and asked, “Is Leo in?” The person who answered the phone recognized his voice and turned to me covering the phone. “It’s Jamison, and he wants to know if you are in.”

Curiosity and dread were killing me.

“Tell him I am gone for the day.”

I waited in my office, one hand holding the blinds open just a crack. Maybe he had snapped and was gunning for me?

He dashed in to be helped by Lisa, and she played like it was totally OK that he was there. Like nothing was wrong at all. He quickly spent about $45,000, which was a fortune for us back then! After everything was wrapped up and paid for he leaned close to Lisa, smiled and whispered, “Hah! I just screwed Leo!”

Leo Hamel
Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers, San Diego, CA

[span class=note]This story is from the September 2009 edition of INSTORE[/span]

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”