To be honest with you Mary - I respect creativity on all levels and
if people were to come into my booth and present themselves up-front
as a person who really wants to learn and is asking questions just to
get an idea where to start on the journey, I would be more than happy
to help them along as long as they are respectful of the time I need
to give to buying customers - it’s the people who come in and dance
all around the fact that they are basically there to “steal” ideas
and it’s me who has to finally say, “do you make jewelry”. It’s so
obvious by the “cat caught with its paw in the fishbowl” expression
on their faces that they know they are behaving in a deceitful way
that is not respectful of my time and profession. Why not instead
come in and say to me - I really admire your work and I am just
starting to learn how to make jewelry - would you mind if I asked you
some technical questions? Why not be forthcoming? If I’m not busy
with customers I am usually happy to oblige and know where to draw
the line on what to discuss and what not to discuss. So, I don’t mean
to sound like an elitist - creativity is for everyone who wishes to
pursue it, but not at my expense, if you see my point. There’s also
great value in the “process” which is not something anyone can tell
you - it has to be experienced firsthand.
Sorry if admirers such as myself come across as Time Wasters
I would like to clarify. I have a retail store. So I am available
Tuesday through Saturday, 11am-6pm to provide service and knowledge
to my customers. I am the “face” of the business and I have a strong
commitment to spend as much time as a customer needs so they know all
the options available and how to use their money wisely to accomplish
whatever goal they have to have repair done, redesign an old piece,
buy something in stock, order something, ect.
It used to be that the time spent with customers resulted in a sale
80% of the time. Occasionally there have been customers that come in
and spend a lot of time looking at things, asking questions, and they
do not have a need that I can serve. The result of a long time spent
is that they had a good time window shopping and being waited on, it
was time well for them as they had no other commitments for their
time, but more important, they had no awareness that my time was
valuable and that I need to spend my time doing something that
produces income. With the economy the way it is, I sell 30% of the
time, and only 30% is spent of what used to be purchased. This means
that when a person comes in and takes up time with no intention of
making a purchase, it takes up a larger percentage of my time with
no benefit for the time spent.
My experience is that the customers I have who have their own
business acknowledge me by thanking me for my time. I get the
impression that some people think that I should be gratified by the
time they spent with me admiring everything me because of the
complements they have made.
I have customers who come in and have a love of gemstones and/or
jewelry and it is my pleasure to spend time with them if I can, and
sometimes when I know I have something that would be of interest to
them, not to make a sale, but for their enjoyment, I specifically
tell them that I would like to spend more time showing them what I
have collected if they can come back another time when I have more
time. What I think I am trying to say is that there are people who
are wasting their time, they have no apparent purpose in what they
are doing with their time. They are wandering around aimlessly with
no purpose other than to have a pleasant social interaction. They
have no need for jewelry and they have no money to spend.
I am quite happy to talk to “admirers” and spend time talking about
what I do and how I do it regardless of whether it leads to a sale,
for those that have interest. I do get value with spending time with
people who have similar interests.
It takes time with some people to figure out they have no real
interest, they want to waste time. That is what is hard for me.
Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co.