I had to write this because I am so irritated at my industry! As a person, I believe in “say what you mean, mean what you say”. A couple days ago I am emailing with a customer, and we got into a discussion about a ring. The ring was a really simple yet beautiful ring. When they asked the designer of the ring if they could make the ring to fit a smaller center stone (since the ring had a 3ct center in it and carried a nice big price tag), they told my customer that it was a hand made piece that was impossible to remake because of the artistry.
So I suggested that perhaps we could make the ring, and was there anything that they would change in the design since we can make pretty much anything. The bottom line is that within 24 hours, we had a perfect 3d model drawn up for the customer of the ring. The second revision is being worked on now adding the customer’s personal touches.
My point is this…if the other jeweler did not want to make a new ring WHY DIDN’T THEY JUST SAY SO!!!!! Lying to the customer is so base, so low, so ridiculous! There is no rule that says a jeweler must make something they don’t want to make, so if a customer is asking the jeweler to do something they don’t want to…they need to just SAY that they don’t want to do it!
What angers me about my colleagues is this. Jewelers know that many customers don’t have a real solid knowledge of jewelry, and they use this to their advantage!!! Instead of EDUCATING their customers so that the customers can make an informed decision, they prey upon the ill-informed customer. There is a saying in the diamond industry, that “Every diamond has a buyer.” The problem is that many of the buyers are simply unaware that they have purchased a sub-standard stone or lower quality ring, because the SALE MATTERS MORE TO THE JEWELER THAN THE CUSTOMER’S BEST INTEREST!!!!
We are striving to turn the tide here at Emma Parker & Co., however it is proving to be an uphill battle and many times we loose customers to the lies of the retail jeweler. Unfortunately there is not much we can do except continue to educate our customers and serve them to the best of our ability!
If you are frustrated with the run around that you are getting from the local jewelry shops…give us a call (877-446-4030) or shoot us an email (tim@emmaparker.net). You will experience customer service unlike anything you have ever experience, and we will take the time to educate you beyond anything you have found elsewhere. Our goal is to help you make an informed decision.
