Don’t Forget to Provide an Experience to Customers, Says Indiana Jeweler

Published

7 years ago

September 22, 2016

Dean Brinker of Brinker's Jewelers

Dean Brinker, left, with his brother and co-owner Dirk Brinker, and son, Kyle Brinker, the store’s CFO.

Give an Experience. The most important lesson we have learned from being in the retail business is how important it is to give the customer an experience, rather than only fulfilling a need. It’s all about treating customers and employees how you want to be treated. That little extra step of free gift wrapping, offering bottled water or personally taking a customer back to the service center will go a long way. Giving the customer this experience creates loyalty and repeat customers. These are the people who will talk about you to all of their friends and family, and offer a form of advertising that is priceless! — dean brinker, Brinker’s Jewelers, Evansville, IN

This article originally appeared in the October 2016 edition of INSTORE.

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.”