March 10, 2004

Somebody's Mom

The Jewelry sales guru, Shane Decker says "If you have to tell somebody "no", or something negative, try to think how you would say it to your Mom or your Grandma... chances are that you will frame the statements in a whole different way. " Its true. Would we would tell those dear ones.."Gee thats not my department... You cant do that...I couldnt possibly, whatever... NO NO NOT ON YOUR LIFE!... Hardly.

We are having a taste of this with a customer right now. Her name is Candy. She is a Grandma, a young one. She is nearly a street lady but has a job as a waitress full time. She just doesn't make a lot of money, and stays with friends. Candy has had a hard life, and has known few comforts.

Since last summer, Candy has been looking at a piece in our window, a 5 carat natural emerald cross. Yes, the Emeralds are not very good, but they are green and sparkle, The mounting is a bit light but it seemed ok. And I loved it so I bought it for the shop. Candy fell in love with this birthstone cross and "visited it" often. So when she called me to say that she had her tax money and she wanted it I couldnt say no, even though we were closed and in the middle of the move. She was so blissfully happy, I cried. It doesn't take much effort sometimes to make people happy.

Well, I wish that was the end of the story which of course its not or I wouldn't be blogging about it. Candy called me up over the weekend. I didn't get a chance to call her back, so she came in...Stricken in face.

Candy was heartbroken when she pulled out of her pocket (I groaned inwardly) the cross. It was bent and two stones were missing. As she told her tale of how "she never took it off, showering and sleeping with it on...(cause her"friends"that she lives with would likely steal it) I knew we had a major problem. This was a fragile piece of jewelry never meant for the rigors of wearing life that Candy was subjecting it to. She got a killer deal on it as we got it for not a lot of money,as part of a group lot. I contacted the seller to see if he has another one, but I doubt it. Replacing the stone, and reinforcing the mounting, will cost more than I got from her in the first place.

Woody got very defensive with her, while I (for once,) was slow to come to judgment. I louped the piece and found no pry marks and no prongs lifted. I managed to push a stone out myself. This may be because this poor thing was so bent. It should have never been in her pocket at all. She found one of the two missing stones in the pocket. I think that is the pieces permanent home when not on her neck.

I shouched Woody and said that I could see the problem. Candy said that it wasn't cash she was after, she wanted us to some how fix it. When I explained what I thought that would take, she offered to help with part of the cost... That and the extra stone in her pocket showed me that she was not trying to rip me off, but really wanted the piece and wants things to be right.

Part of it is my fault. I never explained to her how to take care of this delicate object. That is my responsibility. Emeralds should never be worn in the shower or get soap on them, as this removes the oils used to preserve them and keep them from cracking...( This goes for Opals and Aquamarines too). I also never thought to ask her about how she was going to wear the piece. Normally you wouldn't, and that you should keep it in a box or pouch or something other than her jeans pocket.

Part of this is Candy's fault. She came in today and we talked and she acknowledged that she should have "pampered" it. But that is hard for her to do. I told her that this piece may not be the best thing for her, but we will try to make it right for her. Im taking it to John Adair Saturday and get his opinion on fixing it and reinforcing the mounting so it can take a bit of handling.

I saw in her face today, the pain of a lifestyle that I know little of. She doesn't "pamper" herself much, and doesn't know how to take care of things. I am grateful that I do know how to look after what is mine and that I have my own place to sleep in at night. Some how I am going to make this right. Not sure how in this town of jewelry stores with no jewelers, and jewelers without Jewelry stores... But surely there must be a way...