The Delayed Delivery of a Gift
It cannot be stressed enough that delivery commitments be kept. If your company promises next-day delivery, the item should reach your store the next day not the next day after your manufacturer sets the diamonds. Imagine the late birthday, anniversary, or Christmas gifts missed because of your jewelry store’s failure to meet explicit deadlines.
A jeweler’s worst nightmare, but it can happen to even the best of us. What do you do to satisfy a customer who didn’t receive timely delivery of a jewelry item intended for his/her anniversary.
- Do you discount the present item?
- Do you give them a discount on future sales?
- Do you replace the ordered item with one of greater value?
- Do you promise to hand deliver the item when it comes in?
- Do you refund their money…knowing they might never come back and see you?
The unhappy customer has a legitimate complaint. You do not want your unsatisfied customer to simply leave quietly, later telling everyone they know not to do business with you. Small business need to be flexible when resolving complaints. It’s important to give your customer’s a variety of choices until one of the options satisfies them.
When breaking the news of the missed order, be sure to tell the customer right away and never wait until the customer arrives to pick up the item. Some jewelers feel this kind of news should be shared face-to-face. If so, then you’ve waited until the last minute and made the customer drive all the way down to your store knowing their order isn’t there for pick-up.
There are time it’s not the fault of your store but instead a supplier; therefore, you should never deal with any supplier who doesn’t deliver on time regardless of their tempting terms.
In the future, it also helps to maintain a good relationship with each of your customers. People who like you and love your products and/or services are more likely to forgive you when things don’t go right.
Shanu S. Guliani commented:
Rick-Thank you for the compliment and for sharing your thoughts.
The "extraordinary shopping experience," is what all of us
jeweler's have to achieve to keep customers coming back to our
brick & mortars. Funny thing though the internet is also an
open opportunity for independents to offer the "shopping
experience," unlike no other.
Rick Shultz commented:
Your articles speak directly to the importance of what our industry
needs to get back to in order to survive the wave of offering
commodity from product to service. Establish a Memorable and
Remarkable Identity by offering your customers an extraordinary
shopping experience that includes unique and uncompromising service
to product availability. Retailing today is about playing to the
Consumers Passion for Luxury in everything we do. That means doing
the unexpected and going beyond the customers expectations. Kudo's
to you, keep up the great inspiration.
