Should prices be visible?

Jewelry Discussion
41

So now the subject is moveing to the realm of websites. Regarding
websites, I think if you’re selling from your site then prices
should be visible. Now, I’m one of the ones that said prices should
be visible in booth displays, too, so that might be related. Really,
though, if I’m a customer surfing the web, I have very little
patience, and I know I’m not alone in that. If a site takes too long
to open, I’m on to the next one. If I have to work at finding out
the details of a piece, then I just move on to somewhere else where
it’s easier to do my shopping. The exception would be if it’s the
ONLY thing I’ve found that’s close to what I’m looking for, and I
won’t find it anywhere else, but I’ll still be a bit annoyed that the
wasn’t more readily available. That’s as an individual
person shopping for some individual thing. Now, jewelry is often
less of a spontaneous purchase, but that doesn’t mean the same
impatience for basic doesn’t apply. So, if a site is
there for retail sales, then yes, it needs to show prices. If,
however, it’s more of a portfolio on the web, a place where galleries
can see the work you do, then they are certainly more likely to
e-mail you and find out what your prices are. That’s less of an
immediate purchasing scenario. Well, that’s my opinion, anyway.

Lisa
Designs by Lisa Gallagher

42 
But then I thought Orchid was filled with a bunch of interesting
designers, for whom price should NOT be the selling point.

I’m with you Daniel; almost everything you’ve said about ‘sales’
mirrors my own experience. There are more interesting things to talk
about with a prospect than price.

I used to think the sales model was a used car salesman.

Two encounters come immediately to mind. My wife brought a pair of
simple opal studs out of the case in response to a question and when
the woman who asked about them was told the price she reeled
backward as though she had received a shot to the chest.

Less than 15 minutes later another woman asked to see the same ERs
and said, as she handed my wife her credit card, I’ll take them. She
didn’t ask the price.

A man asked me the price of a ring and said “I can’t afford that”. He
ended up buying a ring that cost three times the ring he said he
couldn’t afford.

To be continued next summer.
KPK

43 
I cannot begin to tell you the number of times people have bought
stuff from me for way more than they intended simply because I was
able to get them to try it on. If they had simply seen the price
they would have never asked to see the piece.

I agree Daniel, when someone shows interest or admires something,
even if they ask the price, not a word about price until it is in
their hand. When someone comes to your store or booth, they are
shopping, if they are looking at your work, they are a potential
customer.

As a salesperson, you have a choice, facilitate or hamper the process
by which goods and money are exchanged. People who are shopping are
already open to acquiring. By putting your work in their hand, you
are
not forcing them to buy. Fact is, in my experience, you definitely
increase the possibility of making a sale when they try it on. Women
try shoes on before deciding to buy. I would assume no woman buys a
pair of shoes for herself without trying them on. Sometimes a person
has no sense of how something looks when they wear it, and it makes a
big difference when it looks better than they thought it would.

I knew a guy many years ago who made really large gold rings, they
did not look like something most women would consider buying, but
when they put them on, they were so comfortable, they bought them.
They would show them to their friends and let them try them on, and
they came to him to see what he had for them.How something feels can
be as important as how it looks

Having someone try something on is the strongest selling techniq= ue
and is the most effective way to reduce any objection. I make a
wedding ring that is really popular with men because of how it feels,
once a guy tries it on, if he is in the market for a wedding band,
it usually is a sale. I have men try them on whether they are in the
market or not, you never know who they know that is getting married,
and I get referral, and usually these people are already sold on the
idea.

Richard Hart

44

Daniel’s post is a good one, he’s a good retailer.

One fact is we, the jewelry industry, are one of the FEW places you
go that you CAN’T touch our wares with out permission. You can tough
$200 shoes, a $5000 mink coat, pick up a $350 vase, but you have to
have permission to just TOUCH our jewelry.

It’s our job to get it OUT OF THE CASS and onto their body.

“Wanna see something really neat?” is a great 1st start. Put it in
their hand!

Another idea on pricing has been for jewelry UNDER $800 retail to
actually put small signs in the case in front of a tray of things

'Under $300"
$400-$500"

It has shown to help people think things RAE NOT expensive. The
public believes our things have huge markups and are too expensive.
Under $800 this works well.

David Geller
JewelerProfit
www.JewelerProfit.com

45

This question has sparked a lot of conversation in our house. Here’s
my two cents on the subject.

I have not seen anyone say that they are offended or less likely to
buy something if the prices are clearly visible. Whereas, I have
seen a lot of comments that suggest that a certain percentage of
potential customers do not like to ask for prices on every piece
that they might be interested in.

Seems obvious from this that if you do not have clearly visible
prices that you are loosing a percentage of your potential sales. If
your business is doing so well that you want fewer sales then this
seems like a good way to go. I personally prefer to make it as easy
as possible for my customers to give me money, even if it means that
I have to do a little extra to make it more convenient for them.

As a shopper I like to see prices and am a lot more likely to ask to
see a piece if I know I can afford it than to ask to see a piece
that I may not be able to afford and risk having the sales person
treat me like a bum for wasting their valuable time by asking to see
something that I clearly can’t afford. If you have ever been treated
condescendingly by a salesperson, and who hasn’t, then you can
understand the desire to avoid giving opportunity to experience that
again.

Paul Caruso

46

Just my opinion, but when I look at really nice unpriced items, I
figure that the dealer is sort of saying “If you have to ask, you
can’t afford it”.

Margaret

47 
try shoes on before deciding to buy. I would assume no woman buys
a pair of shoes for herself without trying them on. Sometimes a
person

I do. I have bought oh, at least 5 pairs of shoes without trying them
on. They all fit.

Elaine
http://www.CreativeTextureTools ™
Hard to FInd Tools for Metal Clay

48 
Just my opinion, but when I look at really nice unpriced items, I
figure that the dealer is sort of saying "If you have to ask, you
can't afford it".

Seems to me that it is more than an opinion, it is revealing a common
form of thought process that seems to be a common way of thinking
from
quite a few other posts on this forum, and to me, it is one of the
the
saddest most illogical assumptions to ascribe to another human being.

This way of thinking is not about whether someone can afford
something, this is distrust of the motives of another person, and
assuming the worst intention of another person.

You might have a clue that it is beyond your means, but the
assumption that the dealer is trying to victimize you by some
vicarious psychological drama is ludicrous.

I have learned to not have a lack of faith or distrust in another
person until they have done an action or made a statement that shows
intent, and then I cannot assume unless I can be clear that it wasn’t
innocent or ignorance.

The more freedom my mind has from misjudging others gives me much
more
time for creative pursuits. I have noticed a high degree of
misinterpretation on my part of what other people did or said once I
knew their intention or what they meant, I found out that I had
victimized myself by my thought process. That is how I feel about
that.

Richard Hart

49

I don’t know about anyone else but no one tries on earrings of mine.
They can hold them up to their ears but that is it. There are many
mirrors at different levels all over my place.

My policy for my staff is you are in a trusted position and I expect
that my staff would uphold an air of dignity to all who come through
that door.

As for items that are under $1,000.00 the prices are beside them.
The more expensive items are scattered in different places around
the store or they may use one of two computer screens that display
all my stock. Usually I find that couples looking for rings go to
the computer screen first and write down the numbers of the items
they want to see. Then they are escorted into a seperate room with
velvet chairs and a lit table. The items they selected are brought
in piece by piece. The atmosphere is one of elegance and not just a
jewellery store. The customers feel very special. Items that are
under $1,000.00 do have the prices beside them or are grouped in
price brackets. It has worked wonderfully for years now and the
reputation is one that I am proud of.

I do have each velvet box hot stamped inside with the name and phone
number. even when I started out selling at a Farmers Market I had my
name in the cardboard box. To this day people bring in some
jewellery that they purchased way back then and it is in the same
box that they received. But then I put a lifetime guarantee on each
of my items. So far this had only worked in my favour. If something
is wrong I will fix it but by this time they quite often are tired
of the product and want to change it to something new, that is
another department.

Leslie

50

Hi all. I had no idea my original question would spark such a
thread. Thank you all for your thoughts.

I want to clarify that I was never suggesting that the prices not be
marked on each piece, only that the price was not visible while in my
case. Overall, there was an interesting variety of opinions on both
sides, but an unfortunate lack of consensus.

At a show this weekend, I put up 3 small signs that listed price
ranges for the various categories of stuff I make, but have no idea
if it made any difference. My sales and my mood were negatively
affected by confrontations with a religious group which insisted on
accosting customers in my general area.

One poster made a point I want to comment on. If a customer does
have to ask for a price, it is critical that the sales person not be
condescending in any way if the customer reacts as though it’s out of
their price range. I hope that the casual way I deal with people
would diffuse any embarrasment, and it can certainly help to have a
great less expensive alternative to suggest. But this person is
already paying you a huge compliment by liking your work enough to
inquire about it, and deserves your utmost consideration.

Unfortuately, I’m still conflicted on the subject. I hope the price
range signs will help, and I’ll try to put the price stickers in
places that might be possible to see if a customer cranes his head
around(but still on the inside of the bracelet). But I just can’t
completely let go of the desire to get a piece into a customer’s hand
before the price comes up.

Allan Mason

51

In our store we hide the tags, we want to get items out of the case
and onto the customer and it looks cleaner too.

One thing I like doing with some (not all) customers is to put a
ring on them, not let them look at the price and let them enjoy a
Ooooing and Aaaahing moment of feeling like a princess.

After they are done, ask them how it feels to wear a $ 40,000
ring?.. after that anything you show feels much less pricy to them.

I only wish I had something more highend to put on them.

Here’s some of my other experances

  1. A person saying “that ring is too much money”, “I can’t spend
    that much” and then spend twice that much on something.

  2. Person # 1 sees item, “that’s way too much”, person # 2, same
    item, same price, buys without hesitation.

  3. ( a favorite) Returns Item for Exchange… then spends twice as
    much as the original purchase.

  4. (I hate this) A FIRST TIME customer asking for a
    discount…generally a large discount like 50%

While I’m on the subject, what makes people think they can ask a
jeweler for a discount?..would they try this at say Louie Vuitton
where they got the handbag they are carrying?

gWebber

52 
(I hate this) A FIRST TIME customer asking for a
discount...generally a large discount like 50%

I just had a craft fair customer ask if she could get a discount if
she bought both the earrings and the pendant. This was a set that
was under $100 total. When I told her no, she bought them anyway. I
think she just asks for discounts everywhere she goes, and is happy
when she sometimes gets them. We were both nice to each other about
it, but I actually did not like the experience very much, except the
part when she did buy them!

M’lou Brubaker
Minnesota, USA
http://www.craftswomen.com/M’louBrubaker

53

I am convinced it depends on the place the store is located, and the
decor…if it is a casual east village atmosphere, they ask in new
york…if it is a casual atmosphere and they are in san fran, they are
too PC to ask.,if it is a formal atmosphere with a suited counter
person behind a glass case anywhere in the midwest they don’t ask
unless they are a tourist and will not be returning.If they are in
mobile alabama in a strip mall with a guy in a chair at a desk in a
corner, with a cigar butt in an ashtray and feet on the desk reading
a paper, and Stuller samples dated to 1997 lining the display cases,
and they have just had an airbrushed tan at the next door salon,and
they think their feminine ‘charms’ give them a chance.they ask…, if
they are in boston at a bailey, banks and biddle, they presume that
they are actually jewelers with those names in the back making the
pieces, they don’t ask.In New Orleans, at an upscale jewelery house,
not a franchise, with a police car outside, they do not ask…
Stereotypes…yes…true…yes…the more casual the more inclined to
think the prices are flexible…the more formal, and sterile the
atmosphere, the more static the prices are perceived… new york and
new england…more inclined towards “not paying retail”,southern-
just accepting of the prices and leave without speaking if not able
to afford anything, western ( west of TX) tourists not coming back =
ask, residents,= not asking unless they buy a lot from a place and
it is a lower end item, texans…with additives = ask unilaterally,
without additives,+ don’t ask almost unilaterally…Military-
wherever stationed, try to leverage it and ask…Men in a hurry =
don’t ask, male browsers= ask while looking down or away from the
salesperson…

54

Interesting discussion, this one.

When I see no price visible I am always reminded of Sir Thomas
Lipton’s reply when someone asked him about the cost of one of his
famous, huge racing yachts.

He said (or words to this effect) “If you have to ask the price then
you can’t afford one!” What a witty fellow, eh? And perfectly
comfortable in his supercilious stance.

Therefore, when I see no price visible I say to myself, “Obviously,
since I must ask the price, I can’t afford that.” That is not always
be true in the literal sense, but I resent being put in the position
where I must feel I am being set up for an implied put-down a la Sir
Thomas. I, or any customer, can make up our own minds whether to
express further interest in a piece after we’ve assessed its
affordability in the privacy of our own minds.

Some retailers apparently feel this concealed-price tactic is a way
of assessing a customer’s budget limitations, perhaps by watching
customer’s reaction as the news is delivered. I think not. Let the
customer do that work for you ( in privacy) and you won’t have to
act rudely, as though your time is far too valuable to waste upon
those few of us out here who carry less in our jeans than Sir Thomas.
Besides, if your time is too valuable to waste on looky-loos, how
come you have time to answer questions like "How much is that one?"
followed by “What about that other one?” ad infinitum. That could
take aLL AFTERNOON.

The other aspect that seems to be mixed up in this discussion is
whether or not revealing prices opens up the can of worms known as
haggling. That is an entirely separate issue and if you don’t want
to do it then you don’t do it - but certainly that question can’t
even be addressed until the potential customer has a starting point,
namely the price. So why delay putting that out front? By the way I
asked my wife how she feels about hidden prices and i quote her “It
makes me crazy!!! I won’t even bother with a store like that!”

That’s my 2 cents.
Marty in Victoria

55

Some retailers apparently feel this concealed-price tactic is a way
of assessing a customer’s budget limitations, perhaps by watching
customer’s reaction as the news is delivered. I think not. Let the
customer do that work for you ( in privacy) and you won’t have to act
rudely, as though your time is far too valuable to waste upon those
few of us out here who carry less in our jeans than Sir Thomas.
Besides, if your time is too valuable to waste on looky-loos, how
come you have time to answer questions like "How much is that one?"
followed by “What about that other one?” ad infinitum. That could
take aLL AFTERNOON.

The first thing I thought when I read the above was, some people
should not go shopping. Seems like to much of a challenge and would
be quite tiring having all those desperate thoughts banging around.
Most of the people who I know are in jewelry retail are generous,
kind, patient people who are there to help the customer. I do not
know where you people are meeting these mean people, but maybe when
you go shopping, take your mommie or daddy with you to protect you.

Richard Hart

56

Richard i’m always so inclined to say exactly what you are
communicating! I too had the same “shock and awe” when I read the
callous judgements of that persons summation…

I am always astounded at the gall of certain classes of our
’civilization’ that would be perfectly happy if there were a world
wide caste system implemented and accepted again.Regarding jewelry
purchasing I have had people with ripped jeans, and tobacco stained
fingers pull out wads of cash and buy 22 kt. pieces,one after
another until I felt like their volume deserved an albeit slight
discount on their total…they didn’t ask prices,just “I want that,and
that and that too…and do you gift wrap?” without asking to fondle
each piece in cases around the store,or show even the slightest
degree of rudeness, uncooth-ness, or any perceptions that required my
brain to be worried about leaving something out while walking to
another case…(there were enough cameras to shine deer though hidden
in the dropped tin ceilings!-truth be told-so i didn’t have to
think,just be nice to everyone walking through the door and affording
them the same respect as the businessman making up for some marital
"misjudgement" through jewelry,or the tourist from NJ with big,big
hair and gradient oversized Oscar de la Renta glasses and a purse
full of credit cards barely able to retrieve them from a wallet with
astoundingly long painted nails…they are all equal…all desire
luxuries,and all,given an opportunity will spend money if treated
individually and with every observation of personal style and image
set aside by the people behind the counter…I fired many a person in
an instant if I detected anything less than treating a customer as if
they were part of their own social group…no condescension,no
judgement,no exchange other than one of respect and projecting an
interest in fulfilling the individuals wishes by offering whatever
services we could to satisfy the person’s needs…I suppoe our only
discrimination was against cigar smoking in the store…and after it
happened maybe ten times, we added a cigar room with humidoor and 2
handrollers on fri.sat.and sundays,got a liquor license and sold
Caribbean Rums,and Ratafias and tailored the room to feature mens
jewelery,diamonds and a courtyard at which they could sit,smoke and
wait for their customized blunts while sipping rum,eating iced rasped
fruits and hopefully waiting for their partners/wives to make
additional purchases in the main store…It worked for us for five
years…then the cigar trend waned and we turned it into a corporate
and customized specialties room offering hot hors’d’ouvres, and a
portable bar ( it’s New Orleans!) to cater to cast and spun awards,
rewards, Krewe favors,incentives and high end gifts…that worked well
until right before New Orleans flooded after the hurricane…one trend
we didn’t forecast! Point ws to have something to appeal to the
teenager with 150.00 or the gambler and bar-pilot with unlimited
funding, or the overwrought convention planner too busy to stop for
lunch and needing 1000 customized sterling medallions on purple
grosgrain in 3 days…or our dear account holders taht were our
base,from all walks of life and strata of society…so it chaps me as
well, reading the implications of the high-browed when we all know
they are to plucking out the horrid and wild within themselves to
appear civilized and well-kempt -in a vain glorius and utterly false
projection of their true,holier-than-thou pretenses! To those
sellers:,Wal-Mart will squash you like bugs since those shoppers see
right through you,and wouldn’t consider crossing your doorpost so as
not to risk belittlment and to perpetuate the large retailers positon
as #1 in sales of gold (and really crappy diamonds) in this country !
When you who detest dealing with looky-loos realize their money is
the same as yours, and pays bills,insurance and even cigar rollers a
decent salary,perhaps you’ll come down a rung from your pedestals and
invite the public to spend at your store because you have more to
offer than say, a wal-mart super center.If not, I’m hoping they come
to my store and buy until their desire for the same luxuries you
think only a few are entitled to are fulfilled… when it’s rebuilt
(if ever!).

57

I was at a show yesterday and noticed this one vender went out of
her way to hide the tags. She had really fine expensive goods, you
could tell even at arm’s length. Her inventory was large, quite
large. She also had quite a few customers waiting patiently to be
served.

So now a day later I’m wondering the dynamic involved. Obviously
this is working for her. Are the goods so tempting that people will
stand in line? Is it some exclusivity appeal? Are her clients so well
versed in the finer points of high end jewelry that seeing the price
up front is not an issue? Does she purposely hide the tags to weed
out the riffraff?

I would have liked to hang around longer and watch her closing pitch
but it started to rain.

58

Mr. Rourke:

I throughly enjoyed your post. I agree that every single person
regardless of clothing, hair, size, color, make of wallet or lack
thereof should be treated with the upmost respect. I have been
treated poorly in stores when I’ve had to run out in sweats and a
bandana to grab a last minute present. Needless to say I didn’t
purchase anything if the sales staff was rude and I made sure to
tell all my local friends and colleagues about my experience. I also
make it a point to tell them about the good experiences as well, so
I’m not just bashing.

My few years in retail have taught me that you can’t judge a book by
it’s cover. Has anyone ever seen a rocker up close? We had Tommy Lee
in our store and one of the sales staff didn’t want to help him
because she was “afraid” of him. After purchasing enough goods to
make my head spin (I helped him, what a nice gentle soul he was),
she got a serious reprimand. Had it been my store, she would have
been gone.

I hope to have the opportunity to visit your store in New Orleans and
meet you in person to see if you talk like you write!

59

Well!

Here’s another completely odd response to my posting of two days ago
on this subject. Yesterday’s response from Richard Hart took me aback
and i wrote to him off line because I don’t really like to get into a
public slanging match when my impression is that someone has
completely misunderstood my meaning. I’ve had no reply from Richard
yet, but today’s rant from R.E. Rourke of New Orleans makes me wonder
if my communication skills are utterly hopeless because today I am
accused of something which I never did nor intended, in this case
making “callous judgements.” Rourke - I honestly can’t tell if you’re
with me or against me! And I’ve read your post more than once.

So - for what it’s worth - I’ll try again and with apologies (if
wanted) to any sensitive retailers out there who feel that they have
been slighted.

Simply put, what I did was to express my own feelings when
confronted with a situation where I must ask for the price of a
luxury item. Like today’s poster, neilthejeweler, I wonder what is
the dynamic involved in concealing prices? I put it to you that, to
the best of my knowledge, there is no other niche in retailing where
a customer is expected to ask for the price of each and every item on
offer. Cars, whether Fords or Cadillacs, have prices on their
windows, shoes have price tags, and so do dress suits, potatoes,
hamburger meat, ballpoint pens, and buckets of paint. Restaurant
menus, and even high-end real estate listings feature price
prominently. What is it about jewelry that is different? Having done
a passel of real estate business myself I have heard realtors
frequently use the term “looky loo” to derisively describe people
who take lots of time looking at property they can’t afford. But, on
the whole, realtors are not rude to those folks and neither are
retail jewelers in similar situations. But the situations are not
comparable. A potential buyer in real estate, like anyone, may be
looking for a bargain but he can usually make a fair guess as to
whether a house is within his budget. There are clues in the
location, the age, the condition and size etc. And in the final
analysis, no matter how ignorant or wishful the buyer, there is the
asking price clearly on display. So why does he waste everyone’s
time?

Jewelry is different. Much more expertise is required to discern the
differences between an excellent piece of jewelry and a cheap
imitation. How many folks walking in off the street can instantly
spot the difference between a good diamond, a bad diamond, or even a
zircon? How many really understand the differences between casting
and fabricating, between solid and plated, between one-off custom
design and mass-produced trinkets? There are differences and they do
justify the difference in the prices - no question about that. A
good and honest jeweler will be able to politely explain all of this
to an interested customer with no problem - but it is all a simple
waste of time to both of them if the piece in question is reasonably
priced at $10,000 and the buyer has $675 to spend. Whoops, sorry.
There is no judgement involved as far as I’m concerned. It is a fact
of life. And time was wasted when a price tag could have avoided the
situation. Unless the retailer enjoys spending his time educating
John Q. Public instead of selling merchandise or making more of it at
his bench. Then maybe he should take a job as a teacher instead of as
a jeweler - at least he’d be paid for the effort.

In case you haven’t noticed, people tend to be rather embarrassed at
being caught in situations where they can’t afford to shell out for
something when asked. There is a whole credit card industry making
billions of dollars which rests on that simple fact. Rather than say
"I can’t afford (fill in the blank), many folks’ll go into
debt beyond their means. The alternative is to suffer embarrassment.
Sure, it’s crazy, but it is another fact of life in this material
world. I’d venture a guess that most folks today are more comfortable
showing your what used to be called their “private parts” than
telling the truth about how much money they have or don’t have.

Sure there are plenty of zillionaires who wear torn blue jeans and
don’t shave often, so it behooves any retailer to warmly welcome
each and every person into the shop, just in case it’s one of those
folks. Right? We don’t want to be fooled by appearances. I know there
are folks to whom price is no object. And on the other end of the
spectrum, I also know there are many more who like to look that way.
I’ve worked in places in Boston and elsewhere, places where the mafia
big-shots went out just to be SEEN spending big bucks. They looked
like fools and they spent like fools but, hey, they never asked about
prices either so who would bother troubling them with such trivial
matters? R.E. Rourke lists a few other situations where people spend
too much for odd reasons; making up for marital problems, for
example. Money is a complex part of our lives for sure. But that’s
not what I was writing about. So here it is again…

Unless your business is frankly dependent upon taking advantage of
folk’s frailties, Why waste the time of the ordinary customer? Why
waste your own time? I just don’t get it.

I’d like to know, just between us, what is the problem with letting
your prices be seen? What would it cost you in psychological terms?
In financial terms?

And I’m really truly sorry for the folks in New Orleans, a place
I’ve always wanted to see, at least once upon a time. Get better
soon!

Marty in Victoria.

60

Mr. Rourke,

Thank you for that excellent post! It should be mandatory reading
for everyone in retail.

When I had my retail jewelry store, my largest single sale (just
under $50,000) came from a man dressed in dirty sweats weighing over
300 lbs., with very muddy feet (on my new carpet), who hadn’t shaven
for a few days.

In these parts, it’s not unusual to see a hog farmer in his boots
taking a quick shopping break for that anniversary. Likely as not,
many of them carry a huge wad of cash…and they love their
wives!!!

Thanks again…
Wayne Emery