As Seen In: In Store: An Inspection Is Not Just a Cleaning

We were very excited to have another article published in the InStoreMag.com blog. Here is the post in its entirety:

To properly care for a piece of jewelry, it should be taken to a jeweler once or twice per year for an inspection. Most jewelers will provide an annual inspection at no cost as part of a purchase agreement, and many jewelers are happy to inspect a piece even if it was not originally purchased in their store.

When jewelers communicate with their customers, it is important that they differentiate between routine cleaning and an annual inspection. Often jewelers tell their customers to “come in anytime” to get their piece cleaned. But this well-meaning statement can cause confusion.

It comes down to the language used and what it means to the customer. The jeweler hopes that by offering a cleaning anytime, she is encouraging that customer to return to the store often. But what does the customer hear? “How nice that I can come back here for a cleaning when I want to, but I can probably do that at home, too.”

But when a jeweler explains that the customers should return at least once a year for an inspection, the customer’s reaction is different. An annual inspection sounds important and is a call to action. It is something not to be missed.

Jewelers are also better off not minimizing the importance of an annual inspection by referring to it as a “cleaning.” While an inspection does include a lovely professional cleaning, it also requires that the jeweler use her expertise to examine the stones and settings for damage or weakness. An inspection requires expertise; and jewelers establish themselves as experts in their field through the inspection process.

This is not to say that jewelers shouldn’t help their customers understand the importance of and how to conduct routine cleanings. Ideally they will explain how to safely clean a piece using at-home products, while also emphasizing the importance of returning for an inspection and professional cleaning once or twice a year.

The jeweler’s choice of language is important. It is easy for experts in a field to forget that terminology may have a different meaning for the layperson. When jewelers choose their words carefully, their customers get a more thorough appreciation for how to properly care for their purchase, both at home and through their jeweler.