CrimeNov 17, 2025
Police Searching for 2 Suspects in Murder of Father, Son Jewelers Faustino Alamo Dominguez and his son, 25-year-old Luis Angel Alamo, were gunned down following an armed robbery at their jewelry store.
EditorsJan 19, 2012
Kill'em with kindness
Here's a story we just published about Amazon being rated the best company for customer service. Without question. Eons ago, when I was working my way through college in the service industry, management taught us a golden rule: "Kill them...
Here's a story we just published about Amazon being rated the best company for customer service.
Eons ago, when I was working my way through college in the service industry, management taught us a golden rule: "Kill them with kindness." In other words, treat the customer with such respect and such a high level of service that they can't help but be won over to your side.
Easy to say. Harder to do.
But any retailer hoping to succeed in the new world order might want to learn from the example being set by Amazon.
This is a company that apparently has told its service staff to make customers, especially good customers, happy--at almost any price.
I've been an Amazon Prime customer for several years now, and my relationship with the company continues to grow.
When it comes to shopping, "relationship" is a term I don't throw around lightly. But Amazon has won that through consistently exceeding my expectations.
The most recent was for an order I placed two weeks ago. I'm a pretty thorough analyst of information before I buy. But in this case, I placed my order for a relatively cheap item based mainly on the accompanying photo.
When the product arrived, it wasn't what had been represented in the picture. So I set out to return it using Amazon's simple and friendly return system, which I've come to have full confidence in. But when I began, the system simply responded that I should keep the product free of charge anyway. What?!
Even to a pretty seasoned consumer, that one was a shocker. But as I mulled it over and over throughout the remainder of the day--"how.......what.......is it possible.......what the........."--I finally realized it wasn't shocking at all. In fact, Amazon has responded positively, beyond expectations, for most service interactions I've had with it.
And because I shop there a lot, thats a fairly large body of evidence.
But I'll tell you right now, that I'm a huge Amazon fan. I mean, it's not that I spend my personal life trying to figure out whether I like certain retailers or not. Fact is, I just love Amazon.
So I recently bought two Kindles as gifts. One of them was a Fire, and I bought it instead of an iPad, regardless of how highly I also think of Apple.
Good service. Kill'em with kindness. Go figure.
More on Editors
The Latest
GradingNov 17, 2025
IGI Announces New President of North AmericaTiffany & Co. veteran Jeffrey Bennett has stepped into the role.
MajorsNov 17, 2025
Look Inside Robbins Brothers Fine Jewelers’ New Pasadena FlagshipThe showroom is located in a historic 1920s building in the Playhouse District.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
Policies & IssuesNov 14, 2025
U.S., Switzerland Reach Deal That Drops Tariff to 15%The Swiss government announced the deal, which cuts the tax on Swiss imports by more than half, on social media Friday morning.
Weekly QuizNov 13, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsNov 14, 2025
Napoleon’s Diamond Brooch Blows Away Auction Estimates A buyer paid $4.4 million for the piece, which Napoleon wore on his hat for special occasions and left behind when he fled Waterloo.
FinancialsNov 14, 2025
Richemont’s Q2 Jewelry Sales Up 12%Plus, how tariffs and the rising price of gold are affecting its watch and jewelry brands.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
CollectionsNov 14, 2025
Piece of the Week: Silvia Furmanovich’s ‘Butterflies in Flight’ Jewelry BoxFurmanovich designed the box to hold Mellerio’s “Color Queen,” a high jewelry collection consisting of 10 rings.
Events & AwardsNov 14, 2025
JCK Names New Event DirectorJennifer Hopf, who has been with JCK since 2022, will lead the execution of the long-running jewelry trade show.
IndependentsNov 13, 2025
127-Year-Old New Orleans Jeweler to CloseAdler’s Jewelry is set to close its two stores as 82-year-old owner Coleman E. Adler II retires.
IndependentsNov 13, 2025
Green Lake Jewelry Works to Move to New Seattle StudioFounder Jim Tuttle shared how a dedication to craftsmanship and meaningful custom jewelry fueled the retailer’s double-digit growth.
MajorsNov 13, 2025
Vahan Jewelry Founder Leon ‘Sacha’ Der Calousdian Dies at 85The third-generation jeweler is remembered as a passionate creative with a love of art, traveling and sailboat racing.
CrimeNov 12, 2025
Father, Son Jewelers in Chicago Victims in Double Homicide JSA and Cook County Crime Stoppers are both offering rewards for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved.
AuctionsNov 12, 2025
‘Mellon Blue’ Diamond Sells for $7M Less Than It Did a Decade AgoA buyer paid $25.6 million for the diamond at Christie’s on Tuesday. In 2014, Sotheby’s sold the same stone for $32.6 million.
AuctionsNov 12, 2025
Historic Rolex Oyster Fetches $1.7M at Sotheby’sMercedes Gleitze famously wore the watch in her 1927 swim across the English Channel, a pivotal credibility moment for the watchmaker.
GradingNov 12, 2025
It’s Time: GIA’s Express Holiday Service Is Back GIA is offering next-day services for natural, colorless diamonds submitted to its labs in New York and Carlsbad.
MajorsNov 10, 2025
Jewelers Focus on Love, Joy In 2025 Holiday Campaigns Tiffany & Co., David Yurman, and Pandora have launched holiday campaigns depicting their jewelry as symbols of affection and happiness.
SurveysNov 10, 2025
5 Things Retailers Should Know About Holiday Shoppers This YearThe National Retail Federation is bullish on the holidays, forecasting retail sales to exceed $1 trillion this year.
AuctionsNov 10, 2025
300+ Colored Diamonds Up for Auction at Christie’sLate collector Eddy Elzas assembled “The Rainbow Collection,” which is offered as a single lot and estimated to fetch up to $3 million.
IndependentsNov 07, 2025
Foundrae’s New Palm Beach Location Is a ‘Golden Solarium’The brand’s seventh location combines Foundrae’s symbolic vocabulary with motifs from Florida’s natural surroundings.
FinancialsNov 07, 2025
Watches of Switzerland’s H1 Sales Up 8%The retailer also shared an update on the impact of tariffs on watch customers.
SourcingNov 06, 2025
Pink Tourmaline Bracelet, Emerald Suite Take Top Spectrum Honors Pink and purple stones were popular in the AGTA’s design competition this year, as were cameos and ocean themes.
IndependentsNov 06, 2025
Greenwich St. Jewelers Hosts Raffle Supporting Food RescueAll proceeds from the G. St x Jewel Boxing raffle will go to City Harvest, which works to end hunger in New York City.
IndependentsNov 06, 2025
Cornell’s Jewelers Names New PresidentCourtney Cornell is part of the third generation to lead the Rochester, New York-based jeweler.
SourcingNov 06, 2025
De Beers’ Production, Sales Increase in Q3 De Beers also announced more changes in its upper ranks ahead of parent company Anglo American’s pending sale of the company.
WatchesNov 05, 2025
Shinola President Steps Down Just as He Starts Former Signet CEO Mark Light will remain president of Shinola until a replacement for Ulrich Wohn is found.
