Q: Hello Andy. I have a tough case on my hands and need some information from you. My brother is looking for engagement rings and went to XYZ Jewelers. (So sorry to say that to you.) Yesterday his girlfriend showed me a picture of a Hearts On Fire ring and tells me it is her dream ring.
My problem: It’s a bit more than he wants to spend, and says the warranty at YXZ Jewelers is too good to pass up. I argued that a lifetime of smiles is worth the extra money, but this man is a tough sell. Can you help? (I am trying to get him to come to Koehn & Koehn.)
A: First…thanks you SO much for trying so hard on our behalf. That’s really, really awesome. Here’s what I have to say in response to your plea. (Maybe plea is a bit dramatic…but what the heck.)
There are 2 problems as I see it. (Maybe more…but 2 obvious ones.)
1. With all due respect to your brother he’s being short sighted by not thinking beyond the price tag.
You’re right…the extra money means NOTHING in the long run. The money he “saves” now will give him a small window of satisfaction…but that is going to end sooner than he thinks. You and I both know he’s going to wish he presented her with her dream ring in the not-too-distant future. Why? Because the way she shows it to other people will betray her real feelings.
Sure…she’ll say “I love it…” but the exclamation point will be missing. How we say something is much more telling the words we use. What she’ll really be saying (and he’ll hear…eventually) sounds more like this:
It’s diamond ring…and he got it for me which is nice…but it is so NOT the one I wanted. I thought he he wanted to know what ring would I be proud and excited to wear the rest of my life. I thought that’s why he asked my opinion in the first place. I’m kind of disappointed. Not just in the ring…but by the fact that he didn’t actually walk to the ends of earth for me the way he said he would when we first started dating.
Jenn and I were looking at the new Hearts On Fire line in October and I said to our rep, “Know what’s really cool? While the rest of the jewelry world is trying to find ways to lower the cost of their products…which means they’re making them cheaper…you guys are making your jewelry stronger and cooler than I’ve ever seen. It’s made to last. It’s perfect!” (No seriously. I really did.)
Honestly Sarah, Hearts On Fire is easy on the pocket book. NO ONE that is mass selling jewelry is making it this nice. Warranties are window dressing and smoke screens. They exist to make people feel like doing business with XYZ is easy. (And it is. But so are most jewelry stores. Well…ours happens to rock on that front but I don’t have posters telling people that. Maybe I should. For the record XYZ’s Warranty is just like ours. It’s a good one.)
In closing, if I could give your brother one piece of advice it would be this:
Stop screwing around and give her the ring she wants. Spend the money…because it’s only money. (He’ll make more.)
