True Tales: She’ll Get It When She Starts Acting Right

Published

15 years ago

January 6, 2009

A couple came into the shop for an engagement ring. The man, speaking to anyone who was listening, commanded: "We need to find my girl-friend a big diamond engagement ring!" I directed the young lady to our engagement rings and worked with her for an hour. She finally settled on a ring and marched it over to her boyfriend, who was talking on the phone near the entry. They spoke for a few minutes. Then the man came over to me. With a stern tone, he said: "This is not big enough! I want bigger!"

With this, I enrolled the help of another sales associate. We all worked for at least another hour to find a ring that met the boyfriend's approval. When we finally settled on the proper ring, he slaps his credit card on the counter … "Sold!" Upon hearing this, the woman smiled from ear to ear. I scooped up the credit card and began to process the transaction. The other sales associate cleaned the ring and prepared the packaging. I then brought everything over to the couple, making sure to have the ring box open, just in case he wanted to seize the moment … and slip the ring on her finger.

The man plucked the ring out of the box and strung it on his gold necklace. He said: "I don't need all that packaging. Keep it.” Puzzled, I asked: "Aren't you going to put that beautiful ring on her finger?" "No", he replied. "I ain't going to give it to her until she starts acting right!" — BILL M., WAYZATA, MN

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.”