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The Big Survey 2024: Operations

Hours, policies, tools and new technology — here we look into the true nuts and bolts of a jeweler’s operation.

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Which of the following tools do you have in your shop?

The Big Survey 2024: Operations

What days is your store is open and what are your busiest and slowest days of the week?

The Big Survey 2024: Operations

What’s your return policy?

The Big Survey 2024: Operations

Jewelers offer generous return conditions, but our Thrivers tend to be even more generous. The implication is that customers like the option of being able to get their money back (even if, according to other polls we’ve done in the past, they don’t ask that often).

Compared to the past, are you opening more on …

The Big Survey 2024: Operations

Traditional retail holidays
7%
Sundays
2%
Mondays
3%
Evenings
4%
None of the above
86%

Are you using any of the AI-powered large language models such as ChatGPT, Bard, Co-Pilot, or Claude to help you with your business?

Yes, almost every day
10%
Yes, but infrequently
22%
I’ve played around with them but haven’t used them for the business
11%
No, not yet
57%

What other AI-powered technologies are you using in your business?

None of the above
69%
Chatbot/customer support
16%
Inventory management
3%
Design functions
3%
Automated bookkeeping
1.5%
Targeted advertising
15%

If you are you employing them, what areas are you using them for?

To help design jewelry
13%
Marketing and sales
67%
Online content creation
64%
Admin/as a personal assistant
14%
Research and decision-making
13%
Write code
6%
Communications with clients/employees/vendors
37%

Now that you’ve had some experience with AI, do you worry about the future of mankind?

Yes, we’re doomed
16%
Yes, but my concerns have lessened
13%
No, I feel less concerned now
6%
No, I was never worried
16%
I’m not sure; my feelings are mixed
48%

AI is another area where the Thrivers are stealing a step on their Struggling counterparts, with about 50% already at least tinkering with LLMs such as ChatGPT and using AI-powered apps such as chatbots, compared to about 25% for the underperformers. They clearly see AI playing a constructive part in the future, whereas more than a third of Strugglers think AI will be the end of us.

Tell us about a use of an AI app that has markedly improved your business life.

The Big Survey 2024: Operations
Most respondents use AI primarily for composing social media posts, responding to reviews, and creating product descriptions. Not everyone is a fan though. “AI is a weapon, not a tool, and I don’t plan on using it for anything. Ever,” said one.

  • It is a useful tool for challenging my thought processes, i.e., seeing if there is another creative idea I hadn’t considered yet.
  • If I need an email that expresses concern for a client’s situation, or I need to be professional with handling a vendor issue, I tell ChatGPT 4 what I want, give it the factors, the issues, and the preferred outcome. Once I’ve finished, I inquire about where the weakest statements are and how to either reinforce or change that attitude to achieve my desired outcome.
  • I prefer ChatGPT for writing certain content but always review and edit what I create. I have used both ChatGPT and Copilot to create images and logos as well as Suno for music. You could easily create jingles using AI tailored to your needs.
  • AI Photoshop, such as Photoroom, took my photos to the next level. I also love templates like CapCut, a video editing and graphic design tool.
  • I use ChatGPT, but I love Claude.ai. Claude is more personal, picks up my “voice” quickly, and understands what I’m asking for from an artisan perspective without too many prompts.
  • I love ChatGPT 4; it’s hands down the best wordsmith out there. The input is beyond important; tell it what you want, how you want it to sound, what is the most important or vital part of the message, and have it craft a rough draft so that you can clean it up and send it out. The time it saves is freeing!
  • I use it to write code to create custom web pages.
  • Responding to customer reviews, writing product descriptions and reminding me of things that might have slipped my mind, like asking me if I received an answer to a question I asked in an email.
  • AI-generated Google responses and Clientbook messaging.
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Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success

After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.

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