Somehow I sent an incomplete email:
I agree with Jeff. I think that attitude and personality play as
great a roll in a craftperson's success in business as does their
skill level. Half of the job is doing the work and the other half
is human relations of one kind or another, maybe it's more like
70/30?
Sometimes there is a situation that 23 years of retail does not
prepare you for.
A woman, probably in her 70"s, with what I perceived as a possible
German accent shows me a silver filigree ring, several parts have
broken off. I tell her it probably will cost more than she is willing
to spend, she asks how much, I say $100, she says she will think
about it. Then she pulls out a gold and diamond tennis bracelet, how
much to fix this? I explain Iwill have to drill out and replace the
hinge wire and weld it and polish it. I tell her it will be $80. She
says she had a quote of $70 somewhere else, she says she won't pay
more than $60, I said I do not let customers set my prices. She
starts saying I am rude, she can't believe how rude I am, asks if I
am Jewish. I told her to get the F out of my store, she said
something about my mother, I told her she reminded me of my mother,
and mentioned the word "bitch" before she got to the door.
66 years old in June, 23 years at this location, surviving this
economy on 23 years of good customer service, high quality custom and
repair.
When people give you crap, don't take it personal, their mother did
not raise them right.
Richard Hart G. G.
Denver, Co.
