Friday, June 20, 2014

This guy VS that other Guy

There's no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a jewelry retailer. Everybody has heard of Tiffany's, and we've all seen the countless ads that run on TV for other stores, especially around the holiday season. As consumers, your options are almost limitless.
I love options, I like feeling that when I'm in the market for something, I don't have to settle. If I look around enough, I'm bound to find the perfect whatever it is I'm looking for. However, this many options CAN be a bad thing. 
Here's a hypothetical situation I want you to consider: You buy a piece of jewelry from Sammy Joe Jewelry in your local mall. You love it, you show it off to all your friends and wear it almost daily from that point on. Some time later you're at the mall again, this time at Little Bobby Blue ' s Jewelry store and they offer to clean it for you. The clerk turns up their nose and says that Sammy Joe jipped you and it wasn't worth nearly what you paid. Suddenly this piece you loved five minutes ago looks more and more like tin foil with rhinestones. Stop right there. Breathe. 
This hypothetical situation isn't a far stretch, and unfortunately, customers can find themselves playing the part of a rope in a vicious game of tug of war between competitor jewelers. So? This happens in practically every other market known to man, what's the big deal? I'll tell you. 
Competition between jewelry stores isn't like Ford vs Chevy or any other rivalry out there. You won't find a Chevy on a Ford dealer's lot or vise versa. You Could however find a 1 carat diamond solitaire engagement ring at almost any jewelry store in the country. I can't think of any way to sugar coat this next statement, so here it is plain and simple: you cannot expect honesty and integrity at every jewelry store. It doesn't matter how big they are or how long they've been established in your community. As a customer, if you think there is something wrong with your jewelry and you want a second opinion, I urge you to seek an impartial judge. NOT THE COMPETITION. If you think something is wrong, seek out a licensed appraiser or independent tradesperson.
I don't want to discourage you, there are retailers out there that base their business on integrity and honesty and that kind of business will grow exponentially with word of mouth. You'll know them by their reputation.
But try not to pit one retailer against another. That's a recipe for some smack talk and not the deal negotiating you were probably hoping for.

2 comments:

david said...

I just love the names of the hypothetical stores.

Unknown said...

I'm noting if not original