Every week we ask retailers how they handle client requests, questions, and conundrums. This week we asked: “How do you deal with customers who are overly demanding of your time and clearly not ready to buy?”

Be helpful while you are available…if someone comes in and needs your help excuse yourself and tell them you’ll be back when you’ve helped the other customer. They may be time-wasters, or they may come back and buy when they’re ready. — Annette Piper, jewelry designer, Whales

As a jeweler how do you deal with vendors who don’t have time for you to look and inspect? I doubt you want to be rushed, neither do customers making a large purchase! — Cynthia Rhyne Bennett, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Just part of the business… — Melanie Davis 

Tell them to **** or get off the pot! — Sunday and Sunday Antiques, Uniontown, Ohio

Emili Vesilind

JCK Senior Editor