CrimeDec 17, 2025
Man Pleads Not Guilty to Swallowing Fabergé PendantThe special-edition egg pendant ingested in a New Zealand jewelry store was recovered after a six-day wait.
OtherJul 27, 2015
Would you hire your customer?
Columnist Peter Smith discusses the positives and the negatives that could come of trying to recruit a current client for a sales position at the store.
Peter Smith, author of “Hiring Squirrels: 12 Essential Interview Questions to Uncover Great Retail Sales Talent,” has spent 30 years building retail sales teams and has worked in wholesale as well. He can be reached at Dublinsmith@yahoo.com
A retailer friend of mine contacted me yesterday and asked for my advice on a hiring dilemma. He, like most people in our business, is faced with the need to hire a salesperson for his jewelry store. He lamented the challenges of finding suitable talent in his small town and he asked, quite specifically, what I thought about him reaching out to his own customers to seek sales candidates.
There are, of course, myriad questions that such a practice raises and, while the subject has occasionally come up, I don’t actually know anyone who has done it successfully or otherwise.
I imagined what the communication might look like.
Dear (insert customer name),
We’re desperate for help here. You look like you live a charmed life, do you fancy working for a living? No?
Or how about this one?
Dear (insert customer name),
As a regular customer of XYZ, we have long appreciated your business and your sound judgement. You know how we value our customers and how much pride we take in delivering the very best experience to each and every one.
Our ability to deliver that experience rests entirely upon the quality of the XYZ team. From our support team in back-of-house to the sales professionals on the floor, we strive to set the highest possible standards of care and service to all of our customers.
At this time, we find ourselves in the enviable position of needing to expand our sales team. As you are all too aware, we want our people to have fun working for XYZ. We want them to efficiently and effectively cater to our clients and to contribute, through the force of their attitude, their work ethic, their integrity and their personality, to the environment and the culture of our store.
We have always been impressed by your demeanor and the manner in which you have engaged our team and, on occasion, other customers. We love how you respond to the quality of our products and, of course, we love how you look when your wear the beautiful jewelry pieces that you have acquired from us through the years.
With respect, and at the risk of being forward, have you ever considered working in a retail jewelry store? If you have any interest in discussing such a possibility, let me know when you have some time to grab a cup of coffee.
If you are not interested, we will continue to value the relationship we have enjoyed through the years and look forward to seeing you on your next and future visits.
Wow. That felt strange. And, I suppose, it should feel strange.
Asking one of your better customers if they would like to work for you is risky. On the positive side, you might get someone who has a very good sense of what your culture is about. He or she may know many of your current employees and they may have a great feeling for your product and for your target demographic. I have to believe that there are many examples of good employees who started out as customers of the store they now work in.
Another positive is that your customer may have no interest in working for you but he or she may recommend someone else who would love such an opportunity.
The biggest downside is that you might lose a good customer and acquire a lousy sales person if you make the hire and it does not work out. It might be possible to have a situation that goes from good customer to bad employee, then back to good customer, but I don’t like the odds.
Hiring a customer is a calculated risk. If I were to take such a risk (and I would not rule it out), I would be very careful about which customers I targeted. There are clearly big differences in hiring what I have heard referred to (and it is not very flattering) as a “whale” and hiring someone who has periodically bought from you but who would not have a significantly negative impact on your business if things didn’t work out.
I would assume that every business has a good supply of customers who meet that definition. That might be a good place to cast your exploratory line.
Peter Smith, author of Hiring Squirrels, has spent 30 years building sales teams at retail and working with independent retailers to offer counsel and advice. He also has worked in both retail and wholesale with companies such as Tiffany & Co. and Hearts On Fire. He can be reached at Dublinsmith@yahoo.com and on LinkedIn.
More on Other
The Latest
EditorsDec 17, 2025
2025 Jewelry Rewind: The Best Piece of the Week PicksAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco plays favorites with Piece of the Week, selecting a standout piece of jewelry from each month of 2025.
CollectionsDec 17, 2025
Lucy Hale Stars in Jacquie Aiche’s Holiday CampaignThe “Love and Desire” campaign is inspired by the magic that follows when one’s heart leads the way, said the brand.
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.
GradingDec 17, 2025
SSEF Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersTwo awardees will receive free tuition for an educational course at the Swiss lab, with flights and lodging included.
Weekly QuizDec 11, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsDec 16, 2025
Pandora’s New CEO Will Step Up EarlyBerta de Pablos-Barbier will replace Alexander Lacik at the start of January, two months earlier than expected.
AuctionsDec 16, 2025
Suzanne Belperron, JAR Shine in Sotheby’s First Auctions at New HQSotheby’s held its first two jewelry sales at the Breuer building last week, and they totaled nearly $44 million.
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.
Events & AwardsDec 16, 2025
TJS Now Accepting Scholarship Applications for 2026Winners will receive free registration and lodging for its fourth annual event in Detroit.
ColumnistsDec 16, 2025
Beyond Unboxing: Creative Reveals to Drive Reach and EngagementHere are six ideas for making more engaging content for Instagram Reels and TikTok, courtesy of Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams.
Events & AwardsDec 16, 2025
Diamonds Do Good Names 2026 Award RecipientsThe honorees include a notable jewelry brand, an industry veteran, and an independent retailer.
CrimeDec 15, 2025
Men Receive Life Sentences in Home Invasion Murder of Jeweler Carlos Jose Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the 2024 murder of Hussein “Sam” Murray.
Policies & IssuesDec 15, 2025
Sara Yood Named Co-Chair of RJC Standards CommitteeYood will serve alongside Eduard Stefanescu, the sustainability manager for C.Hafner, a precious metals refiner in Germany.
IndependentsDec 15, 2025
M.S. Rau to Open Store in AspenThe New Orleans jeweler is also hosting pop-up jewelry boutiques in New York City and Dallas.
AuctionsDec 12, 2025
13.54-Carat Paraíba Tourmaline Sets Records at Christie’sSet in a Tiffany & Co. necklace, it sold for $4.2 million, the highest price and price per carat paid for a Paraíba tourmaline at auction.
MajorsDec 12, 2025
David Webb Reveals Ice-Cold Holiday Window DisplayThe jeweler’s “Deep Freeze” display showcases its iconic jewelry designs frozen in a vintage icebox.
CollectionsDec 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Oscar Heyman’s Sphene RingTake luxury gifting to new heights this holiday season with the jeweler’s showstopping 12-carat sphene ring.
Events & AwardsDec 12, 2025
IGI Jewelry Design Contest Now Accepting SubmissionsThis year's theme is “Unveiling the Depths of the Ocean.”
TrendsDec 11, 2025
Pinterest 2026 Trend Report: Brooches, Bold Gold, Cool BlueIn its annual report, Pinterest noted an increase in searches for brooches, heirloom jewelry, and ‘80s luxury.
GradingDec 11, 2025
GIA to Offer Origin Determination for 3 More GemstonesStarting Jan. 1, customers can request the service for opal, peridot, and demantoid garnet.
IndependentsDec 11, 2025
Look Inside Day’s Jewelers’ Ninth StoreThe 111-year-old retailer celebrated the opening of its new location in Salem, New Hampshire, which is its third store in the state.
MajorsDec 11, 2025
Americas Gold Releases New Gold Chain CatalogThe new catalog features its most popular chains as well as new styles.
AuctionsDec 10, 2025
Francis Ford Coppola’s Watch Sells for $10.8MThe filmmaker’s personal F.P. Journe “FFC” prototype was the star of Phillips’ recent record-setting watch auction in New York.
WatchesDec 10, 2025
There’s A New Rolex Boutique in MiamiThe new location in the Design District pays homage to Miami’s Art Deco heritage and its connection to the ocean.
SurveysDec 10, 2025
Consumer Confidence Drops in November Inflations, tariffs, and politics—including the government shutdown—were among consumers’ top concerns last month.
SourcingDec 10, 2025
NAJA Announces Details for 2026 ‘Ace It’ Winter Conference“Longtime favorite” presenters, as well as first-time speakers, will lead talks and workshops at the annual event in Tucson next year.
Events & AwardsDec 10, 2025
MJSA Names 2025 Responsible Design Challenge WinnerSilas Smith of Meridian Metalworks won the challenge with his pendant that blends Australian and American landscapes.
