Customer service

Jewelry Discussion
1

Earlier this week we had some problems with 2 orders in our shop, one
from each of our main suppliers, Stuller and Rio Grande. It is rare
to have problems with either of these. I am happy to relate that
after short phone calls to polite people we had both issues resolved
with new deliveries by noon the next day. Thanks again to Stuller and
Rio for being models of good customer service. And I believe there is
a lesson here for everyone as to how much really good customer
service will stand out and seperate you from what passes as normal in
this day and age.

charlie

2 
And I believe there is a lesson here for everyone as to how much
really good customer service will stand out and separate you from
what passes as normal in this day and age.

“Every customer service problem is an opportunity.” In the early days
of my business someone told me that and he was very right. If you
quickly handle problems with honesty, finesse and empathy it often
makes a better impression on your customers than if you got it right
the first time.

Steve Walker

3 
Thanks again to Stuller and Rio for being models of good customer
service.

I’m with you there Charlie. I’ve been working as a goldsmith since
1978. Two of the things that have dramatically changed things since
then, from a supplier standpoint, are customer service and FedEx.

It used to be that all of my findings orders originated somewhere in
the Northeast, they would take several days to arrive via registered
mail and the suppliers generally seemed to feel like they were doing
me a favor. Matt Stuller looked at that and turned that all on it’s
head. He had friendly, helpful people taking your orders, kept
everything in stock and shipped it out that day for next day
delivery. He caught most of his competitors sleeping and now is the
dominate supplier in the jewelry industry with many of his early
competition no longer in business.

It’s easy to forget that it hasn’t always been like this. A real
downside to overnight delivery is that many a goldsmith have become
nothing more than assemblers of parts that they order. Pre-FedEx you
were forced to often hand-make your own components because you just
couldn’t always count on receiving ordered parts on time. I know
several good goldsmiths who have worked a dozen years or more who
have never had to make much of anything from scratch. Overnight
deliver, blessing that it is, has diluted skills somewhat.

Mark

4

I have to agree about the customer service of both Stuller and Rio.
I recently had three orders due from Stuller. Two were special
orders, cast and sized for my customers. Then I had an on line order
for just the regular stuff I needed. I got all three orders in the
same box and saved a bunch on shipping charges. Stuller and Rio
Grande rock. Janine in Redding CA, where spring has sprung.

5 
"Every customer service problem is an opportunity." In the early
days of my business someone told me that and he was very right. If
you quickly handle problems with honesty, finesse and empathy it
often makes a better impression on your customers than if you got
it right the first time.

I have 22 years of good customer service and I have a rather large
happy customer base for repair and custom. Fortunate as we used to
sell quite a bit of sterling for many years, but metal prices and the
economy has changed where on the list of necessities jewelry falls.
Repairs and custom keep up afloat.

Every once in a while, shit happens, and you are not going to turn
it around. Most of the time, but not always.

Young woman comes in two days ago, asks for her gold chain. It was a
$10 soft solder (costume jewelry). Taken in by my part time employee
and promised for one week. We are a couple days past one week, I
tell her I can have it in a few days. Part of the issue is…I am on
week two of daily intravenous antibiotic for drug resistant
bacterial infection, two to four more weeks. So I might not have been
in the best mood…when young little miss smart ass starts raising
her voice and yelling that I do not have good customer service, and
as she is bitching me out and making me aware that she is a law
student (?)…she said she had work done here before and she had
good service before (looked it up, last time in was 2007…) I
calmly told he she was a young punk, I would find her chain, and
finished or not, she would leave my store and I did not want her
coming back ever.

There was another person in the store who watched the whole thing.
After miss smart ass left, I mentioned to her that I have a wife and
she is the only person who I allow to talk to me like that. Somewhat
facetious, but then…again…shit happens.

After all this, she says, “I make jewelry but I don’t sell it.” From
there the matter was history and we just chatted as if nothing had
happened. I felt the other person understood that the customer was
using behavior that precluded her from getting anything resolved
anyone’s favor, some people apparently think that confrontation and
hostility will get them what they need.

I have a POS system, I just type " bad customer" after the person’s
name to make me aware if they come back.

And I will not allow customers to use fear to control the situation.
The use of fear might be the only way some people can try to control
the situation and gain power.

Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co.

6 
I have a POS system, I just type " bad customer" after the
person's name to make me aware if they come back.

Some years back I was working in tech support, and we had quite a
few customers that had ‘VIP’ tagged onto their account. The ‘I’, as
I’m sure you can all guess, didn’t stand for important. :wink: