Jewelry Essentials 6: Follow Up, Clientele, Care, Treatments, and Repairs

Sales Step 7—Follow Up

• Start the follow-up process immediately after closing the sale and before the customer leaves the store.
• Hand the customer your business card with professional credentials, business phone number, and email address; position yourself as a gem and jewelry authority and resource.
• Record the customer’s contact and other information in the store database or a personal file: name, address, home/business/cell numbers, email, occupation, birthday, anniversary date, ring size, gem preferences, store visit/purchase records, preferred payment method.
• Respect privacy; follow store policy on collecting information.
• Treat every sale as the beginning of a longer relationship, not the end of the transaction.
• Follow-up activities include: phone calls, congratulatory notes/cards, reminders about jewelry cleaning, informing about upcoming sales/promotions, and offering help for the customer or their friends’ future needs.
• Goals of follow-up: build trust, nurture repeat sales, and generate referrals.

Avoiding Regrets

• Buyer’s remorse is the guilt/regret customers feel after spending, often when a pushy salesperson makes a sale the customer didn’t need or want.
• To avoid regrets: listen to customers, serve their needs, and never force a sale.
• During the sales presentation: reinforce positive comments about the pieces.
• Post-sale: follow up with a call the evening after the sale or the next day to confirm the purchase, compliment the choice, and reassure its value.
• About a week later: send a handwritten note or email.
• Example gist: reassure price/value and emphasize long-term worth of the piece.
• Buyer’s remorse often centers on price/value; respond with reassurance and information.

Earning Repeat Sales

• Earn trust by being an expert and trusted advisor; aim for customers to return for future purchases.
• Stay current with gems and jewelry knowledge as the market changes.
• Ways to stay informed:
  • Read trade publications and reputable websites.
  • Attend trade shows.
• Maintain regular contact with clients via phone, mail, and email.
• Notify clients about new merchandise, care reminders, and promotions; send anniversary and holiday greetings.
• Trade shows offer opportunities to network with other professionals and compare suppliers.
• Regular client contact helps establish trust and increases repeat sales.

Personalized Attention

• In busy lives, offer appointment shopping: customers visit at a set time for focused, exclusive attention.
• Appointments can lead to bigger and more frequent sales.
• Case example: Ian recognized Lyn and Brad’s intent and followed their lead, enabling significant add-on sales (engraved gifts, bridesmaid gifts).
• After sale, add the customer to the database for targeted follow-up.
• Post-sale actions: evening call, congratulatory card, and follow-up when they return from events (e.g., honeymoon).
• The approach builds two satisfied customers and opens doors for assisting friends/family.
• Principle: think of customers as clients with ongoing needs; be a trusted advisor.

Building a Permanent Clientele

• Elements of sales success include deep product knowledge and understanding of customers.
• A customer file (electronic or physical) is essential for tailoring presentations and maintaining relationships.
• Catalog or web-based sales are common, but face-to-face interactions remain a trillion-dollar global retail sector, so relationship-building is key.
• When relationships are positive, clients are likely to refer friends and family.
• The best salespeople balance empathy (understanding from the customer’s perspective) with ego drive (desire to close and succeed).
• Empathy without balance can hinder sales; ego drive without empathy can ignore customer needs.
• The very best salespeople combine empathy and ego with deep product knowledge and motivation.

Product and Customer Knowledge

• Foundation of long-term success: know your products and know your customers; match them effectively.
• Customers want education about materials, origins, cuts, colors, quality, treatments, and care.
• You should also know about gold settings and chains to inform customers thoroughly.
• Knowledge builds confidence and repeat purchasing.
• Get to know each customer: preferences, networks, and potential social connections.
• The more you learn over multiple encounters, the better your tailored presentations become.
• Customer networks mean a satisfied customer often refers others.
• Offer Your Expertise: act as an informed guide; gain trust through honesty and balanced communication.
• Be aware of rare or unusual inventory that could attract clients to custom designs.
• Understand benefits of every piece you sell to stress value and overcome objections.

Provide Personal Attention

• Treat customers as clients; use their file data to tailor purchases to their interests.
• Contacts should be personal and relevant, not generic marketing.
• For example, notify Mrs. Jones about graduation gifts if her daughter is nearing graduation, implying personalized, timely suggestions.
• Regularly check in with clients when new pendants match their existing purchases.

Jewelry Care and Cleaning

• Post-sale service begins before the customer leaves; explain care and invite future questions.
• Disclosure is essential: clearly inform customers about metals and gems, including typical compositions.
• Common disclosures include: most jewelry gold is not 100% pure; US gold is typically 14K; alloy composition varies by region.
• The jewelry piece may be lab-grown or have a lab-grown gem; disclose this (e.g., a tag noting "LAB").
• The overall goal is to build trust and confidence in the customer’s understanding of their purchase.
• Display care examples (e.g., a bezel-set 3.20-ct pink sapphire) to illustrate care considerations; lab-grown or treated stones require explicit discussion.

Gem Treatments

• Many gems undergo treatments to enhance appearance (oil/ resin filling in emeralds; heat treatment in rubies/sapphires; bleaching for light-colored cultured pearls).
• If gems are treated, you must tell customers; some treatments are detectable, others not.
• Supplier information is the best source for treatment details; if not available, assume treatment and disclose.
• Treatments can affect value, durability, and care needs.

Laboratory-Grown Gems and Simulants

• Lab-grown gems are synthetic with the same chemical composition and properties as natural counterparts.
• Simulants mimic appearance but are different materials.
• Disclosure is mandatory; misrepresenting a gem as natural or genuine damages trust and the industry’s reputation.
• The market includes lab-grown diamonds, ruby, sapphire, spinel, emerald, opal, amethyst, etc.; cubic zirconia is a common imitation.
• Clear example: lab-grown diamonds alongside related jewelry; note that some stones owe color from treatments.
• Definitions:
  • Lab-grown gem: a manmade (synthetic) gem with essentially the same composition, crystal structure, and properties as its natural counterpart: $ext{Lab-grown gem}.$
  • Simulant (imitation): a natural or manmade material that resembles a gem: $ext{Simulant}.$

Explaining Care and Cleaning

• Use product knowledge to explain care and cleaning methods clearly.
• Explain gem hardness and potential scratches (hardest gems include diamond, ruby, sapphire; softer gems can be scratched by harder ones).
• Metals can scratch, chains can tangle, and improper storage can damage gems.
• Cultured pearls require careful handling to avoid surface damage.
• Store pieces separately in lined boxes or soft bags.
• When presenting fine jewelry, use a soft display pad and show respect for the piece.
• For example: a $(43.52\text{-ct})$ sapphire can be highlighted for color and rarity, but also discussed in terms of care and durability.

Keeping Jewelry Beautiful

• Encourage periodic cleaning and inspection; offer a take-in service for cleaning, repair, or appraisal.
• Take-in procedures: document the jewelry’s condition and nature; provide the customer with a copy.
• Many stores offer free cleanings/inspections every $6\text{ months}$; such visits provide opportunities to upsell.
• A take-in helps you reveal any hidden issues and ensures trust in the repair process.

Home Care

• Daily care: wipe with a soft, dry cloth.
• Use only cleaners labeled safe for the specific gems/metals; avoid chlorine-containing products which can damage karat gold and sterling silver.
• Do not mix different metals; store with care to prevent scratching.
• Polishing cloths are best for karat gold and silver; avoid paper towels.
• Regular professional repolishing can remove minor scratches with minimal metal loss.
• Store sterling silver in anti-tarnish pouches or cloths.

Jewelry Repairs

• First step: inspect the customer’s jewelry to identify problems and potential issues with the repair; document and give a copy to the customer.
• Jewelry repair programs create ongoing customer contact beyond the initial sale.
• A take-in example demonstrates how repairs can lead to additional sales opportunities (see A Take-In Example).

A Take-In Example

• Mrs. Smith brings in a diamond stud earrings, a channel-set diamond ring, a prong-set ruby ring (inherited), and a plain 14K yellow gold band for cleaning; requests sizing on the plain band and ring.
• Inspect each piece with a 10X loupe; determine condition and dirt buildup; identify a worn/prong-damaged ruby ring and a thinning shank.
• Decide on solutions: clean all pieces; size the plain band immediately; channel-set ring sizing is more complex and may require leaving it for a few days; consider removing the ruby and remounting in a new setting to preserve the heirloom.
• Emphasize that the long-term choice may be remounting with a selection of mountings.
• The decision should balance emotional attachment with practicality and cost efficiency for the client.

Sizing a Ring

• A common repair service; aim for a properly fitting ring; ensure seamless resizing.
• The bench jeweler is responsible for quality of resizing and finish; you must obtain proper finger measurements.
• Manufacturers provide ring gauges in two widths; choose the width closest to the final ring size.
• Have the customer try the gauge to ensure it fits as intended; factors like weather and swelling affect finger size.
• Ring stretchers are quick for plain bands but can damage gem-set rings; stretching should generally be used once; repeating stretching can cause shank splitting.
• Sizing channel-set rings requires careful work to avoid loosening stones or warping settings.
• Have a plan: sometimes a larger-size adjustment via soldering, sometimes partial replacement of the shank (half-shanking).
• If possible, use a mandrel to verify final size; check that gauges align with mandrel markings.
• For special cases (swollen joints), consider an adjustable shank.

Sizing Methods

• Methods include: stretching, soldering in a new section, or sawing out metal and resoldering ends.
• Sizing a ring is a skilled process; the jeweler marks where to cut, cuts, solders inserts, and finishes.
• Use a mandrel to measure size and ensure proper fit; ensure the final ring passes easily over the knuckle and sits comfortably.
• Ring stretcher use: quick but limited to plain bands; avoid gem-set rings; limit the amount of stretch depending on ring condition.

Removing a Ring That’s Stuck

• When a ring is stuck, try soapy water and gentle tugging first.
• If stubborn, a ring cutter may be required; it cuts the ring’s shank while protecting the finger.
• For eternity rings (with stones all around), ensure the blade fits between stones; otherwise, remove a stone and remount after cutting the metal.

Shank and Prong Repairs

• Shank wear: replace at least half of the shank (half-shanking); after soldering, file and polish to match.
• Prongs wear down; retipping rebuilds the prong tops with matching metal; sometimes all prongs must be retipped for uniform appearance.
• If prongs are severely worn or missing, repronging may be necessary; prongs below the girdle require repronging.
• If the setting is badly worn, consider replacing the entire head (in consultation with a bench jeweler).
• Retipping uses the torch or laser welder; if stones can’t withstand heat, reset the stones.

Remounting

• Remounting reasons: worn-out settings, desire for a new look, or moving stones to a new mount.
• Blank mountings (empty) and semi-mounts (partial settings) exist; use them to demonstrate a new look or to position stones for customer visualization.
• Computer programs and supplier catalogs aid in designing new rings.
• Some ring styles (e.g., tension-set rings) may have resizing limitations; consult a bench jeweler.
• Remounts offer ongoing opportunities to re-engage clients and generate sales.

Key Concepts

• Client relationship and follow-up are essential for repeat business.
• Knowledge of products and customers underpins successful selling.
• Take-in procedures protect customers and the store; accurate documentation is critical.
• Ethical disclosure about metals, gems, treatments, and lab-grown materials maintains trust.
• The most successful salespeople balance empathy with ego drive and maintain ongoing client contact.

Key Terms

• Buyer’s remorse: A feeling of guilt or regret after a major purchase.
• Take-in: A procedure for receiving customer jewelry for repair, appraisal, or cleaning.
• Remounting: Removing gems and resetting them in a new mounting.
• Repronging: Replacing a prong.
• Retipping: Rebuilding the top of a prong with matching metal.
• Ring stretcher: A device that stretches a ring shank to increase its diameter.
• Lab-grown gem: A manmade (synthetic) gem with essentially the same composition as its natural counterpart.
• Simulant (imitation): A material that resembles a gem.
• Ultrasonic cleaner: A machine that cleans jewelry with high-frequency sound waves in a liquid.
• Taking in procedures: Documenting the condition of jewelry before repair, cleaning, or appraisal.
• Removal cutter: A tool used to cut a ring shank to release a stuck ring.

Questions for Review

• When does the follow-up process start?
• What are some follow-up activities?
• What are the goals of follow-up?
• What are the elements of sales success?
• Why is it important to know your products and customers?
• How can a customer file be useful?
• When does post-sale customer service begin?
• What must you disclose about jewelry metals and gems?
• How does product knowledge help you explain care and cleaning?
• What’s the first step to take when a customer brings in a piece of jewelry?
• How does knowledge of gems and metals help you when taking in jewelry repairs?
• How can jewelry repairs offer the opportunity for additional sales?

End of Notes