A London-based jeweler connects with its customers on their turf

Rare Pink, a London-based jeweler that sells bespoke diamond rings in-store and remotely, communicates with 10 percent of its customers exclusively through the messaging service WhatsApp, according to a report from Forbes.

One reason customers choose to talk to Rare Pink’s salespeople through the app instead of email: privacy. WhatsApp can be used at workplaces that block personal email, and it isn’t tracked by advertisers, so there is no risk of getting served an ad for an engagement ring while your partner is looking at the screen. RarePink does have an on-site live chat service, but that involves going to the website, which of course, gets stored in your browser history. WhatsApp has been far more popular.

“Most of our customers are men who are worried about the whole secret being caught,” Rare Pink’s co-founder and CEO, Nikola Piriankov, told Forbes.

RarePink chose WhatsApp because there are mobile and desktop versions, but the app’s ubiquity was also a selling point. Customers are used to using WhatsApp with friends and family, so talking to a salesperson using the app instantly makes the conversation more comfortable. 

“It’s a very intimate shopping purchase,” Piriankov said. “They just want to research and don’t want to be under pressure to buy anything.” 

Rare Pink’s success with WhatsApp is a good reminder to all jewelers: Are you available for customers to contact on their terms, in their online spaces? 

JCK