SourcingNov 25, 2024
William Goldberg Celebrates 2 Major Milestones With New Book“The William Goldberg Way” was released in honor of the company’s 75th anniversary and 25 years of its proprietary Ashoka diamond.
WatchesJul 11, 2017
Ask the Watch Guy: Living Up to Your Add-On Potential
National Jeweler’s “Watch Guy,” Jess Gendron, outlines the possibilities and pricing for add-on sales when jewelers change a watch battery.
Jess Gendron is a seventh-generation watchmaker, having learned by his father Dan’s side since childhood. He can be reached at talktothewatchguy@gmail.com.
If you are like most retail jewelers, you do quite a few watch batteries in your daily life. Why not try out some add-on sales? Virtually every watch you see for a watch battery has potential for an upsell.
Some of the items you can upsell with watch repairs/batteries are:
Watch bands;
Crystals;
Five-year battery;
Lifetime battery;
Service contract;
Water resistance inspection; and
Trade-in credit.
Begin by filling in a job ticket. This is known as an order blank or Ben Franklin close.
People are conditioned to answer questions and be compliant in these types of situations. Then take a close look at the watch. This is very important because the process is a visual experience for the customer as well as yourself.
Crystal: Take a close look at the crystal. Are there any scratches? Is it cracked? Be sure to mark down the shortcomings to create an entry on your repair envelope to add up at the point-of-sale as well as to cover your bases. If the crystal has a crack or chip in it, the water resistance can be compromised.
Crown: Is it worn? Is the plating coming off? If the crown is in bad shape the O-ring gaskets in the crown and case will also be worn, also compromising water resistance.
Case: How is the plating? Are there gouges and scratches on the case or back? Better to make note of these discrepancies than to be blamed for them later.
Watch band: Most leather watch bands that are more than two years old are in serious need of replacement. In the case of metal watch bands, also look to see if the band still looks good. Let’s say you repair the watch complete with a new crystal, cleaned and polished case, everything looking good … except the watch band. Now, the customer’s expectations are not met because of a simple band. Just offer a new band and you will be surprised how many people accept. All you need to do is ask!
Water resistance inspection: You will want to check the gaskets and silicone the case tube, crown and caseback. If you are not familiar with how to perform this service, get our free video on Timeworks.biz. Make it a condition of the service that the customer must bring the watch in yearly for inspection. This will get them back in to your store on a regular basis.
Also, check to make
sure the watch is running and let the customer know. This is not as silly as it might sound.
Imagine the customer brings a watch in for repair, let’s say it’s for a watch band repair. We might have the inclination to solely focus on the watch band problem and the customer might not even know the watch is not running. So check. The customer expects the watch to be running correctly when the get it back from you, so make sure you check and, even if it is running, be sure to ask how the watch is running.
Now, tally up the shortcomings like this.
Crystal needs replaced, $50
Crown is worn, $30
Leather watch band is worn, $30
Lifetime watch battery, $69
Total: $179
Better to offer complete, professional watch repairs than offer repairs ad hoc. Yes, there are customers who will not opt for complete service, but by offering complete services you are also reducing the amount of repair comebacks by making sure the repair is as complete as you can offer.
In the end, this will make both you and your customer happy. I guarantee you will be stunned at how many people opt for some or even all of the extra services.
The way it breaks down is generally:
30 percent will go for whatever is cheapest;
40 percent will go for whatever is your mid-priced offering; and
30 percent will go for whatever is your highest-priced offering.
Using this breakdown, let’s look at another example. Say you have a:
Low-priced offering: Just a battery in a fashion watch, $9.95;
Mid-priced offering: Five-year battery, $39.95; and a
Lifetime watch battery: $99.95.
If you sell 50 watch batteries per week (the average nationally) and 15 opt for “just a battery” and 20 opt for the five-year battery and 15 opt for the lifetime battery that works out to $2,447.50, compared with just $497.50 for just 50 batteries under the low-priced offering.
We received a comment on one of our earlier columns in which the commenter said that she does 17,000 watch batteries per year. This is not by accident. We’ll discuss this in our next article, “Making Your Competitors Your Compatriots.”
Jess Gendron is a seventh-generation watchmaker, having learned by his father Dan’s side since childhood. He is now the owner of Colorado Timeworks, a watch repair service center in Colorado Springs. He can be reached at talktothewatchguy@gmail.com, and his website is Timeworks.biz.
Imagine the customer brings a watch in for repair, let’s say it’s for a watch band repair. We might have the inclination to solely focus on the watch band problem and the customer might not even know the watch is not running. So check. The customer expects the watch to be running correctly when the get it back from you, so make sure you check and, even if it is running, be sure to ask how the watch is running.
Now, tally up the shortcomings like this.
Crystal needs replaced, $50
Crown is worn, $30
Leather watch band is worn, $30
Lifetime watch battery, $69
Total: $179
Better to offer complete, professional watch repairs than offer repairs ad hoc. Yes, there are customers who will not opt for complete service, but by offering complete services you are also reducing the amount of repair comebacks by making sure the repair is as complete as you can offer.
In the end, this will make both you and your customer happy. I guarantee you will be stunned at how many people opt for some or even all of the extra services.
The way it breaks down is generally:
30 percent will go for whatever is cheapest;
40 percent will go for whatever is your mid-priced offering; and
30 percent will go for whatever is your highest-priced offering.
Using this breakdown, let’s look at another example. Say you have a:
Low-priced offering: Just a battery in a fashion watch, $9.95;
Mid-priced offering: Five-year battery, $39.95; and a
Lifetime watch battery: $99.95.
If you sell 50 watch batteries per week (the average nationally) and 15 opt for “just a battery” and 20 opt for the five-year battery and 15 opt for the lifetime battery that works out to $2,447.50, compared with just $497.50 for just 50 batteries under the low-priced offering.
We received a comment on one of our earlier columns in which the commenter said that she does 17,000 watch batteries per year. This is not by accident. We’ll discuss this in our next article, “Making Your Competitors Your Compatriots.”
Jess Gendron is a seventh-generation watchmaker, having learned by his father Dan’s side since childhood. He is now the owner of Colorado Timeworks, a watch repair service center in Colorado Springs. He can be reached at talktothewatchguy@gmail.com, and his website is Timeworks.biz.
More on Watches
The Latest
Lab-GrownNov 25, 2024
Lab-Grown Co. Lusix Sold to 2 Companies for $4M Fenix and Dholakia Lab-Grown Diamonds have jointly acquired the Israel-based company, which grows diamonds using solar power.
IndependentsNov 25, 2024
Sophie Bille Brahe Opens First US StoreThe Danish brand has opened an appointment-only location on Madison Avenue in New York City.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Events & AwardsNov 25, 2024
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show Panel to Feature Fred SavageThe actor and watch enthusiast will be part of the show’s education lineup.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock MansionStep inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl StudsThese punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
SourcingNov 22, 2024
Facets of Fire Expands to Include Pear, Marquise DiamondsThe company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
