Thurber Jewelers

The jewelry business is one that relies on trustOur customers must trust our advice and opinion, and at the same time, as the face of the business, we must trust the skilled craftspeople who perform the repairs and complete the work on the beautiful jewelry we sell, behind the scenesWhen a client comes to us with jewelry to be repaired, it is both a testament to their trust in us, and a time when their trust for us is testedWe are trusted to evaluate the condition of the jewelry, and recommend any necessary repairsWhile the majority of our clients appreciate our opinion and recommendations, even when they are costly, others take our words more personallySome feel that we are responsible for the damage and wear that occurred to their jewelry since our last chance to evaluate itOccasionally, we do find that ongoing issues are not caused by wear and tear or neglectIn these cases, we are trusted to assist our clients in pursuing a warranty claim with the company that made the item, or the one that performed repairsIn all of these cases, it is our endeavor to respect this trust and provide the best solution to our clientsWhen a client chooses to perform a repair with us, we are consistent in providing the information they will need to know, until the repair is completeThis includes an estimate of the cost of the repair, the time frame that will be required to complete the repair, and the documentation that will be required for inquiries and pickup of the items when they are readyThrough our cheprocess and out posted policies, we help our customers know what to expectOn many occasions, we are able to exceed these expectations by performing repairs better, faster, and in a less costly mannerEvery day, on every occasion, we do no less than what is promisedAfter items are checked in for repair, a meticulous process is employed, to document, classify, and direct each project properlyWhen a customer calls for more information during the repair process, we are able to use this documentation to tell him or her exactly what we know, at the momentAt a customer's request, we are always happy to contact our repair vendors for more informationThis information is relayed to the client immediately, then this is documented and savedWe are completely transparent in regard to this policy: as an item is checked in, a customer is promised a phone call when we have an estimate of the cost of their repair, before work begins (if we are unable to estimate the cost at the time of check in) and immediately when the item is ready for pick upWhile some customers may fine it more informative to call daily, even if there is nothing to report, most would find this intrusive, and the limited staff of a small business prohibits itIt is regrettable that Ms [redacted] felt she would be receiving calls on days that we had nothing to report to herHonestly, I don't know how she came to this conclusionAs we explained to her on the telephone, we are happy to call immediately when news is available, but can't promise additional calls when there is nothing to reportTrust extends beyond the customer and the jewelry storeOur network of repair professionals is trusted to stay in contact with us with updates regarding our clients' itemsEach vendor is also trusted to provide quality repairs, with accurate and useful opinions about what is necessary to perform eachSometimes, work takes longer than expectedThis is a testament to the care that is taken to ensure each item is repaired personally, professionally, and properlyIt is for this reason that our policy is to provide time estimates only, and not guaranteesMs [redacted] contacted us several times to inquire about the status of her repairEach time, we provided her with exactly the information we had from our repair vendorWe also contacted the vendor on multiple occasions, and relayed the information we were givenUnfortunately, because every jewelry repair is different, the best answer is often "it's been fast tracked." This means that it is at the head of the line for the proper professional to complete work, but that it is not yet possible to know how long work will takeOften, repairs must be repeated or changed, until the goldsmith is happy with his or her workOur customers always deserve the best information we have at our fingertips, but this information is not always as specific as they might likeIt is our mission to help our customers understand the process, and the limits of the are of jewelry making and repair, as best as possibleAs with all people in all circles, some customers are more understanding than othersSome conversations that jewelers have with their clients are not easyOne of these is explaining the limitations of a customer's own items to him or herSometimes, an item just can't be repaired to the level that the customer imaginesOne cause for such a dilemma are stones that are easily damagedTanzanite, the stone is Ms [redacted] 's ring, is particularly soft and easy to damageBecause of this, and the fact that Ms [redacted] 's stone had endured the wear of day-to-day use, her stone is slightly irregularly shaped, and thus difficult to set tightlyTight setting requires heat, which poses a high danger to soft stones, compounding the risk for the goldsmithOur staff explained this to Ms [redacted] to the best of our ability, without insulting her or her jewelryThe staff also inspected her ring, and found her stone to be as tight as it could possibly be, within these confinesWhen Ms [redacted] became upset about the repair to her ring, I further inspected it to ensure there were no actions needed before she could safely wear itI also called the goldsmith who worked on the ring, to discuss the work and any options she might haveTogether, we offered Ms [redacted] the opportunity to have the goldsmith check the ring over again, just to be sure it was as tight as possible, at no chargewhile the ideal situation would have been Ms [redacted] being happy with her repair when picking it up, this was the second best scenario, and we are happy to offer our customers the opportunity to have work repeated until it is satisfactoryMs[redacted] declined this offerIt is regrettable that Ms [redacted] is unhappy with her repair, and her experienceIn my role as General Manager, I make a sincere effort to inform our customers, keep our promises to them, and exceed their expectationsIt saddens me that she was unwilling to allow us to work on the ring further, until she was completely happy with itAlthough our last interaction was not pleasant, it was always my intention to provide the services promised in our evaluation, within our store policies, and would offer her the same, if she were to bring the ring to us againI apologize that she felt she was unable to have us complete the repair she needed, and hope she will afford us the opportunity to make it right by having our goldsmith work with it furtherErik Thurber

The jewelry business is one that relies on trust. Our customers must trust our advice and opinion, and at the same time, as the face of the business, we must trust the skilled craftspeople who perform the repairs and complete the work on the beautiful jewelry we sell, behind the scenes. When a...

client comes to us with jewelry to be repaired, it is both a testament to their trust in us, and a time when their trust for us is tested. We are trusted to evaluate the condition of the jewelry, and recommend any necessary repairs. While the majority of our clients appreciate our opinion and recommendations, even when they are costly, others take our words more personally. Some feel that we are responsible for the damage and wear that occurred to their jewelry since our last chance to evaluate it. Occasionally, we do find that ongoing issues are not caused by wear and tear or neglect. In these cases, we are trusted to assist our clients in pursuing a warranty claim with the company that made the item, or the one that performed repairs. In all of these cases, it is our endeavor to respect this trust and provide the best solution to our clients. When a client chooses to perform a repair with us, we are consistent in providing the information they will need to know, until the repair is complete. This includes an estimate of the cost of the repair, the time frame that will be required to complete the repair, and the documentation that will be required for inquiries and pickup of the items when they are ready. Through our check-in process and out posted policies, we help our customers know what to expect. On many occasions, we are able to exceed these expectations by performing repairs better, faster, and in a less costly manner. Every day, on every occasion, we do no less than what is promised. After items are checked in for repair, a meticulous process is employed, to document, classify, and direct each project properly. When a customer calls for more information during the repair process, we are able to use this documentation to tell him or her exactly what we know, at the moment. At a customer's request, we are always happy to contact our repair vendors for more information. This information is relayed to the client immediately, then this is documented and saved. We are completely transparent in regard to this policy: as an item is checked in, a customer is promised a phone call when we have an estimate of the cost of their repair, before work begins (if we are unable to estimate the cost at the time of check in) and immediately when the item is ready for pick up. While some customers may fine it more informative to call daily, even if there is nothing to report, most would find this intrusive, and the limited staff of a small business prohibits it. It is regrettable that Ms. [redacted] felt she would be receiving calls on days that we had nothing to report to her. Honestly, I don't know how she came to this conclusion. As we explained to her on the telephone, we are happy to call immediately when news is available, but can't promise additional calls when there is nothing to report. Trust extends beyond the customer and the jewelry store. Our network of repair professionals is trusted to stay in contact with us with updates regarding our clients' items. Each vendor is also trusted to provide quality repairs, with accurate and useful opinions about what is necessary to perform each. Sometimes, work takes longer than expected. This is a testament to the care that is taken to ensure each item is repaired personally, professionally, and properly. It is for this reason that our policy is to provide time estimates only, and not guarantees. Ms. [redacted] contacted us several times to inquire about the status of her repair. Each time, we provided her with exactly the information we had from our repair vendor. We also contacted the vendor on multiple occasions, and relayed the information we were given. Unfortunately, because every jewelry repair is different, the best answer is often "it's been fast tracked." This means that it is at the head of the line for the proper professional to complete work, but that it is not yet possible to know how long work will take. Often, repairs must be repeated or changed, until the goldsmith is happy with his or her work. Our customers always deserve the best information we have at our fingertips, but this information is not always as specific as they might like. It is our mission to help our customers understand the process, and the limits of the are of jewelry making and repair, as best as possible. As with all people in all circles, some customers are more understanding than others. Some conversations that jewelers have with their clients are not easy. One of these is explaining the limitations of a customer's own items to him or her. Sometimes, an item just can't be repaired to the level that the customer imagines. One cause for such a dilemma are stones that are easily damaged. Tanzanite, the stone is Ms. [redacted]'s ring, is particularly soft and easy to damage. Because of this, and the fact that Ms. [redacted]'s stone had endured the wear of day-to-day use, her stone is slightly irregularly shaped, and thus difficult to set tightly. Tight setting requires heat, which poses a high danger to soft stones, compounding the risk for the goldsmith. Our staff explained this to Ms. [redacted] to the best of our ability, without insulting her or her jewelry. The staff also inspected her ring, and found her stone to be as tight as it could possibly be, within these confines. When Ms. [redacted] became upset about the repair to her ring, I further inspected it to ensure there were no actions needed before she could safely wear it. I also called the goldsmith who worked on the ring, to discuss the work and any options she might have. Together, we offered Ms. [redacted] the opportunity to have the goldsmith check the ring over again, just to be sure it was as tight as possible, at no charge. while the ideal situation would have been Ms. [redacted] being happy with her repair when picking it up, this was the second best scenario, and we are happy to offer our customers the opportunity to have work repeated until it is satisfactory. Ms.[redacted] declined this offer. It is regrettable that Ms. [redacted] is unhappy with her repair, and her experience. In my role as General Manager, I make a sincere effort to inform our customers, keep our promises to them, and exceed their expectations. It saddens me that she was unwilling to allow us to work on the ring further, until she was completely happy with it. Although our last interaction was not pleasant, it was always my intention to provide the services promised in our evaluation, within our store policies, and would offer her the same, if she were to bring the ring to us again. I apologize that she felt she was unable to have us complete the repair she needed, and hope she will afford us the opportunity to make it right by having our goldsmith work with it further. Erik Thurber