Your Letters to the Editor for August

On “Culture Club”

• The July issue is excellent. The company culture story opened my eyes to some better ways of working with employees, how to talk with them and how to be a little more patient. — Holly McHone, Holly McHone Jewelers, Astoria, OR
• Culture is huge, and finding people who want to work in your culture and love it and treat it like their own is key. Each employee needs to have that ownership mentality! — Stephenie Bjorkman, Sami Fine Jewelry, Fountain Hills, AZ
• It’s always a surprise/shock of how I perceive our culture in comparison to how employees perceive it. For example, they feel owners come and go as they please more than they are allowed. We’re at meetings, volunteering, coaching little league, socializing at lunch, dinner, etc. They do not see us there when we are closed. And we’re uncomfortable stating our case. Some is misunderstanding, possibly a little jealousy. We hate that there is the disconnect. — Christine Matlack, E.G. Landis Jewelers, Boyertown, PA
• Company culture is the most important aspect of your store. If your people are happy, that will translate to increased sales — happy or sad, we are here to celebrate! — Trevor Williams, Leitzel’s Jewelry, Myerstown, PA

Hurray for Trade Shows

• So glad shows are starting up. I am starving for seeing new designs, products and advances in technology! If I have to wear a mask, it’s not the end of the world, but starvation is worse! Thank goodness there are magazines like yours to keep us engaged. — Susan Eisen, Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry & Watches, El Paso, TX
• How To Can A Customer
• Please provide insight on how to gracefully and respectfully decline doing business with people who can never be a customer. I have refined my response over many years, but it continues to be a puzzle each time I am asked to make chicken salad out of chicken xxxx. Reputation is everything. — J. Mason Cutchin, J. Mason Custom Jeweler, Chapel Hill, NC

Lab-Grown Love

• The aggressive attempt by the mined diamond companies to water down lab-grown diamonds has not worked to dampen enthusiasm or consumer awareness. Now with recent price increases for mined diamonds, those mined companies may see that as a value proof for their product, but it only serves to put mined diamonds further out of reach of some consumers. This makes the lab-grown option an even more attractive one. Jewelers may be able to offer lab-grown for less cost and actually make more profit doing so. With all that, I think it may come to a point where the mined companies may have to go with the “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach. In doing so, I think both the lab and mined would benefit. — Alex Weil, Martin’s Jewelry, Torrance, CA

Worry Over Future Spending

• I’d like some good (NEW!) ideas for staff gifts. I am also worried about what will happen when the world reopens for travel and more experiential spending again and all these customers realize they have already spent a lot on jewelry and watches lately and move the money elsewhere … I don’t think this boom for our industry is going to last forever. — Jennifer Hornik Johnson, Miller’s Jewelry, Bozeman, MT

INSTORE Raves

• It is wonderful the way you constantly introduce us into more profound parts of the business. Keep it up. — Alexander Rysman, Romm Diamonds, Brockton, MA
• Fantastic as always. Full of learning ideas! — Kim Thu Nguyen, Unique Jewels, Webster, TX
• Your magazine is still very worth reading each and every month! I really enjoy my subscription! — Steven Reiner, Houston Jewelry, Houston, TX
• Your magazine gives me so many great suggestions and motivates me every time to be better ? — Karen Hollis, K. Hollis Jewelers, Batavia, IL

ERRATUM: Chic Pistachio’s email address, sales@chicpistachio.com, was incorrectly spelled in our August issue. We apologize for the error.

Share your thoughts with INSTORE. Email us at editor@instoremag.com