CollectionsApr 06, 2026
Fope’s New Jewelry Debuts Are Golden“The Golden Now” campaign celebrates the here and now with the brand’s signature styles and a selection of its new pieces.
ColumnistsSep 02, 2020
Coach’s Corner: How to Keep Your Customers Engaged
Whether it’s live chat or a good old-fashioned phone call, The Jewelry Coach Pat Henneberry explains why keeping in touch is so important right now.
Pat Henneberry is president of consulting and sales training company The Jewelry Coach. Reach her at 512-203-3414, or on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Howdy from Texas! Pat Henneberry here.
I wanted to check in with you all (or y’all as we say in Texas) to see how everyone is doing.
I know you’re still experiencing challenging times and it can be difficult to focus on business when so much is going on in our lives and in the world, but our businesses are how we take care of our employees, our families, our communities and ourselves.
I want you to ask yourselves, what changes have I implemented to take advantage of the current opportunities available in this strange business climate?
Below, I came up with some ideas for innovation around customer engagement, which is especially important right now.
Hopefully my suggestions will help you at least trigger an idea on how to keep your customers engaged, with minimal time commitment, and maintain top-of-mind presence as we continue to weather this storm.
Customer Engagement
Customer engagement simply defines the relationship you have with your customers. It’s upon this foundation that your customers will form their opinions of you and develop loyalty for your store.
This is the time to make sure you are connecting and checking in with your customers. You already know it is a significant part of building your business; without your customers, you can’t have one.
This is a critical time to make sure your sales associates are touching base with customers to “check in” as well. It shouldn’t be a sales call, just a genuine, “how are you and your family” type of call.
It’s so simple and yet so important.
This customer engagement will:
• Humanize your store even more;
• Keep your relationship with your customers going and top-of-mind; and
• Remind your customers what products and/or services you offer and what’s new at the store.
Be Human
Loyal customers don’t appear out of thin air.
Their customer journey should be enhanced by customer engagement strategies that make them feel as though they are dealing with real people instead of automated systems and social media (yes, social media is good but it’s not as personal as you think).
Even if automated systems and social media are used to communicate with your customers, they should be utilized in a way that invokes a human connection. Just like above, be genuine, be real—these attributes build trust and people buy from people they trust.
There are simple strategies that will help
I wanted to check in with you all (or y’all as we say in Texas) to see how everyone is doing.
I know you’re still experiencing challenging times and it can be difficult to focus on business when so much is going on in our lives and in the world, but our businesses are how we take care of our employees, our families, our communities and ourselves.
I want you to ask yourselves, what changes have I implemented to take advantage of the current opportunities available in this strange business climate?
Below, I came up with some ideas for innovation around customer engagement, which is especially important right now.
Hopefully my suggestions will help you at least trigger an idea on how to keep your customers engaged, with minimal time commitment, and maintain top-of-mind presence as we continue to weather this storm.
Customer Engagement
Customer engagement simply defines the relationship you have with your customers. It’s upon this foundation that your customers will form their opinions of you and develop loyalty for your store.
This is the time to make sure you are connecting and checking in with your customers. You already know it is a significant part of building your business; without your customers, you can’t have one.
This is a critical time to make sure your sales associates are touching base with customers to “check in” as well. It shouldn’t be a sales call, just a genuine, “how are you and your family” type of call.
It’s so simple and yet so important.
This customer engagement will:
• Humanize your store even more;
• Keep your relationship with your customers going and top-of-mind; and
• Remind your customers what products and/or services you offer and what’s new at the store.
Be Human
Loyal customers don’t appear out of thin air.
Their customer journey should be enhanced by customer engagement strategies that make them feel as though they are dealing with real people instead of automated systems and social media (yes, social media is good but it’s not as personal as you think).
Even if automated systems and social media are used to communicate with your customers, they should be utilized in a way that invokes a human connection. Just like above, be genuine, be real—these attributes build trust and people buy from people they trust.
There are simple strategies that will help
you humanize your store even more than it already (hopefully) is.
Some strategies will be as easy as signing your emails and newsletters with a personal signature instead of from your store, while others will require more effort.
People love video these days, so maybe it’s time you have your own YouTube channel for customers.
Use it to talk about what’s new in your store—new sales associate, new brand, new paint—but also what’s going on in your community, or include something personal about your family. Make a genuine connection.
Live chats, customer support and customer feedback also must be considered when developing a customer strategy that will build loyalty and help you successfully engage customers.
Live-chat supports are all the rage now, but often they are done by bots (robots) or with agents who are not familiar with your store so they are unable to properly answer questions or concerns. A way around this is to ensure your customer service representatives are educated about your business so they can effectively answer questions on your behalf.
Live chats aren’t necessary, but they are useful for quick responses.
Ensure it’s done well or don’t do it at all. I’ve clicked on too many of these just to become frustrated because they don’t know what they are talking about, or it’s a bot and that makes it worse!
No matter what you choose, your customers should consistently feel a personal connection with you and your store.
It’s much easier to keep your customers happy and satisfied to begin with instead of trying to get back into their good graces afterward. Invest in a properly trained team (yep, I just had to bring in training) and you will not have to spend your time dealing with customer concerns or complaints.
Engaging your customers and making them feel appreciated will help you to build a long line of loyal followers ready to buy your products and services.
Try to be relatable and approachable. You don’t have to use all your time to speak to your customers, but setting aside some time every now and then will only work in favor of your store. It will be worth it.
Best of luck building more customer loyalty and trust, and hang in there. This will be over, and we will all find ourselves on the other side of these difficult days.
Some strategies will be as easy as signing your emails and newsletters with a personal signature instead of from your store, while others will require more effort.
People love video these days, so maybe it’s time you have your own YouTube channel for customers.
Use it to talk about what’s new in your store—new sales associate, new brand, new paint—but also what’s going on in your community, or include something personal about your family. Make a genuine connection.
Live chats, customer support and customer feedback also must be considered when developing a customer strategy that will build loyalty and help you successfully engage customers.
Live-chat supports are all the rage now, but often they are done by bots (robots) or with agents who are not familiar with your store so they are unable to properly answer questions or concerns. A way around this is to ensure your customer service representatives are educated about your business so they can effectively answer questions on your behalf.
Live chats aren’t necessary, but they are useful for quick responses.
Ensure it’s done well or don’t do it at all. I’ve clicked on too many of these just to become frustrated because they don’t know what they are talking about, or it’s a bot and that makes it worse!
No matter what you choose, your customers should consistently feel a personal connection with you and your store.
It’s much easier to keep your customers happy and satisfied to begin with instead of trying to get back into their good graces afterward. Invest in a properly trained team (yep, I just had to bring in training) and you will not have to spend your time dealing with customer concerns or complaints.
Engaging your customers and making them feel appreciated will help you to build a long line of loyal followers ready to buy your products and services.
Try to be relatable and approachable. You don’t have to use all your time to speak to your customers, but setting aside some time every now and then will only work in favor of your store. It will be worth it.
Best of luck building more customer loyalty and trust, and hang in there. This will be over, and we will all find ourselves on the other side of these difficult days.
More on Columnists
The Latest
MajorsApr 06, 2026
Kecia Caffie, Corinne Bentzen No Longer With Signet JewelersSignet confirmed that Caffie, president of Zales and Banter, and Bentzen, who headed Blue Nile, have left the company.
CollectionsApr 06, 2026
Historian Tanzy Ward Pens Book on Black Victorians’ JewelryThe antique jewelry dealer talks about the importance of including Black Americans in jewelry history and preserving their stories.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
SourcingApr 06, 2026
Gemfields Reports $51M Loss in 2025Both its mines faced challenges last year, from operational issues to disruptions in the market.
Weekly QuizApr 02, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Taylor Swift’s ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ Video Puts Jewelry Front and CenterIconic pieces, like the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, appear in the superstar’s new music video for her song inspired by the actress.
MajorsApr 03, 2026
Saks Global Says It Will Emerge From Bankruptcy This SummerThe luxury retailer, which went Chapter 11 in January, announced Thursday that it has secured $500 million in exit financing.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
Events & AwardsApr 03, 2026
JCK Luxury, NouvelleBox Partner on New Designer BallroomThe NouvelleBox ballroom will feature independent jewelry designers, including Lene Vibe, Wyld Box Jewelry, and Kiaia Limited.
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Buddha Mama Brings Its ‘Moon’ Locket To DallasThe one-of-a-kind locket, our Piece of the Week, opens to reveal three hidden images to keep close to your heart.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
