True Tales: A Fine Thanks
Published in the May 2014 issue
A FINE THANKS
I sold Eddie a few pieces of jewelry and over time he became a regular customer of mine.
He came in one day and bought a necklace (his most expensive purchase yet) and shared with me he would soon be shopping for a new diamond engagement ring.
I followed up the sale by mailing him a thank-you card, saying something like, “I’m sure she loved it, can’t wait to see you again soon.”
Soon after, a woman came into my store and asked for me by name. She had a photocopy of my thank-you note and accused me of having an affair with her husband, Eddie.
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I told her she was mistaken (not giving many details), and she got even more irate. Since she was making a scene at this point, I asked her to leave the store.
But she had just one more question for me: “You’re telling me that you send a hand-written thank-you card to every customer of yours?”
I reply: “Yes, actually I do.” And I showed her my stack of receipts and cards for the week.
She left.
I saw Eddie many months later, and he mentioned that he was going through a divorce. — Jen Foster, David Douglas Designs, Marietta, GA
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
