Hello all - I wonder if the unclaimed-repairs dilemma might not be
turned into a marketing opportunity, a la Mr. Geller. Note that I am
a marketing/pr writer and editor, not a jeweler; metalwork is a
hobby. That said, the following ideas came to mind:
-
It’s safe to assume you’ve already called these folks at least
once. When things are slow, have someone in the shop call them again
with an offer to steam clean their rings, etc when they pick up their
stuff. Or mention your hottest-selling item - a must-see while
they’re picking up their repairs - and offer a discount (10%?) on a
purchase if they come in within a set period. Perhaps you can offer
the employee who hits the phones a small incentive of some kind - a
percentage of profits on each repair job he or she clears. -
Include the names, addresses etc. of all repair customers in your
client database, perhaps as a subset. Send out a semi-annual
postcard offering a free gift (e.g., polishing cloth) with all
claimed repairs. -
Write, or have someone help you write, an article about the issue
of unclaimed repairs - point out what folks stand to lose in
memories, sentiment, etc, and attach some data that show how many
things go unclaimed, and the average worth per piece. You can derive
the data from your own operations. Offer this, with pictures, to a
local/community newspaper as a feature for the business section. As
a tie-in, buy an ad and lists the names of those who’ve left repair
work and not picked it up; put this ad in the front section of the
paper, not on the same page as the article. Make the ad fun, not
admonitory - sort of a “we’d love to hear from you” message. Around
the holidays most community newspapers have special shopping
sections; this can be a good time to place such an
article/advertising combination. -
Put a stand-alone ad in the paper annually listing the names of
folks with unclaimed property. Do it during your slowest month. In
Massachusetts the state lists unclaimed bank accounts regularly (the
state seizes assets of accounts inactive for more then 3 years).
Most folks on that list will get a phone call from a (nosy) friend
and take action - and you get the opportunity to cross-sell or
up-sell. -
Start a new line of jewelry designs based on unclaimed treasures -
incorporate the oldest bits still rattling around after all attempts
to locate the owners have failed. Promote it as Treasures Unearthed,
or some such - it’s an opportunity for another feature article. -
Create an Amnesty event - offer 10% off unclaimed repairs more
than 1 year old. If you price repairs as Mr. Geller suggests (I
don’t know him, but his posts give the impression of a level-headed
businessman) you have the room to give a small discount and still
make a profit on the repair. And the Amnesty event is yet another
opportunity to cross-sell/up-sell.
A disclaimer: The only concept I have of what it’s like to run a
jewelry business comes from this list. It sounds tough. In my line
of work we try to turn dross into gold, so I’m always thinking in
terms of how to put positive spin on unlovely facts. I hope these
ideas aren’t offensive to anyone. I get a great deal from this
list. Thanks to Hanuman and everyone else for letting me post.
Regards -
Ann Dalrymple