Customer Service in a Fast Paced World

In just a few short weeks many cities will be inundated with Fall Craft Shows and Fall/Holiday Festivals. Patrons will scurry from place to place, looking for just the right gifts and packages; checking their lists and marking thru names. Halls and shops will be filled with floral designs, jewelry, food vendors, wood workers, potpourri and candles, embroidery and crocheted items ….all these artists and craftsmen have worked hard over the summer building a Fall/Holiday inventory for the buying public. It occurred to me yesterday at the first show of the season, that Custom Service is the ‘Brake or Make’ of a business. So, here are a few tips for great customer service.

·Always have a smile and pleasant attitude, Grumpy never sold anything. Greet customers with a “Hello and Welcome to ‘X’ and a warm smile. Don’t rush or push the customer or make them feel ‘boxed in’, allow them to move among your tables and through your booth. Be enthusiastic and Love what you do, it will show through to your customers!
·Let them know of any discounts or specials you might be offering for that show. Customers like to know where to get the best deals, especially in today’s economy.
·Be knowledgeable about your products. Tell a story of how you came to have a particular item, (especially if it is humorous). I have gemstones, so if a customer is looking at a particular piece I’ll let them know what stone it is, where it’s mined (if I know) or how I got it, and how the piece was designed. The last thing a customer wants to hear is ‘I don’t know, just something I thought was cute and picked up.’
·If I don’t carry a particular item, but I know of a fellow artist that does, I’ll refer the customer to that person. I want my customers to be happy and my fellow artists to be successful too!
·Chat with your customers, get to know them, give them the personal touch....find out what they like, what they don’t like, what they prefer and what they look for in gifts. Know them and the people they buy for. I’ll often ask a repeat customer “how did so-and-so like the gift you bought last time?” This also gives me feedback on how I’m doing as a business, how my jewelry is accepted and what I need to do differently or better.
·Lastly, always, always include your business card. I always add and mention my business card to every customer. I let them know about my websites and not just a ‘buying site’ either. I tell them on my blog there is useful information such as industry news, calendar dates and show discounts, and a spotlight on a new gem or jewelry design.

Find your ‘Nitch’, go with it and enjoy what you do and it will show to everyone!

Starting & Managing a Business

“How do you manage your business?” “What do I need to start my business?” “Where do you get all the show information?” “Do I really need to be licensed?” “Should I be doing inventory control and how do I do it?” “Where do I find vendors, wholesale or retail?”

These are just a few of the questions that people ask me about my jewelry business. This prompted me to open many of my college books, dig through business information and websites, and rummage around in boxes for vendors, shows, and inventory, marketing and business strategies. I’m no expert by any means, but I’ve always been one to share information with whoever asked. This gave me the idea to share my experiences and knowledge with those of you out there that have been asking these and many other questions. So watch, book mark, or subscribe to posts, because over the course of the next several months I’m going to do posting about my business knowledge and experiences. These articles will be based on the experiences I gained from my first business, which I owned almost 10 years, my current jewelry business, knowledge learned while getting my BS in Business Management and research to find out answers to questions I encountered. If you have certain topics you would like to see, please email me and I’ll do my best research!

Shallow or Deep End of the Pool……

I’m not one to just wade around in the shallow end; no, no…I’m more of a jump in with both feet, head first into the deep end of the pool kind of person! I’ve never done anything ‘half-way’, always the first on the block to make her mark, and that is the same way with my jewelry business, Timeless Designs.

Timeless Designs came out of my thriving passion for creativity; a hobby at first we’ll say but it is growing little by little into a strong business. Because I’ve ‘jumped in with both feet’ doesn’t mean I wasn’t prepared either...I did my homework, research, and spend the last year working in the industry to develop a name and business, that hopefully will someday be my Retirement. So, I’d like to thank those who are responsible and whose names have not been changed because their innocence was long ago lost!

THANK YOU….
…to my hubby Chris who’s camera I’ve fine tuned to take such awesome pictures! You can borrow it anytime Hun!
…to my son Dalton who inspires and challenges me in the studio; some of these designs are his creations, just Fascinating!
…to Mom & Dad who taught me at a very young age that I can achieve anything, now see what you’ve done!
…to my son Jeremy who encourages and supports me even on his mission!
…to Gayle & Lee for the great write-ups, meals at shows, support, and endless feed of gemstone information!
…to CiCi and Shadow (Executive Cat & Jr. Manager Cat, respectively) for inventory control!
…to Kelsey (Middle Manager Cat) who comes into the studio to remind me when I’ve missed ‘bedtime’.
…to all my Friends & Family for supporting and encouraging me to keep trying and never give up!

So, now we know who’s responsible – right!

See ya soon!
Annette