Repair, custom design work focus of new MJA seminar

David Geller, retail jewelry consultant and author of the widely used Geller’s Blue Book to Jewelry Repair and Design, will present a two-part seminar to help jewelers increase profits from repair work and get started in custom design—which Geller considers the most profitable frontier in today’s retail jewelry industry.

The seminar, sponsored by Michigan Jewelers Association, will be held on Monday, Feb. 26 at the Holiday Inn Auburn Hills.

In the morning session, Geller will help retailers understand how to charge correctly for repairs and how to train staff to sell repair work.

“Repairs are not price-sensitive, they are trust-sensitive,” he explains. Most retailers undercharge on repair work by at least 25 percent, according to Geller.

Inadequate training is the biggest reason retailers don’t charge the appropriate price for repairs and custom design, according to Geller.

After lunch (included in the seminar fee), Geller will focus on how to get started in custom design.

“Custom design is the Wild West of jewelry retailing,” says Geller. “Just as ‘Go west, young man’ made people rich, remaking your customers’ old jewelry and customizing what they can’t find in stores is the perfect niche in today’s retail climate.”

Knowing what to charge for custom design is also tricky and involves understanding the full costs of such work, not just the time the jeweler estimates it will take.

“It also helps to lay out all the costs clearly for the customer, including parts and materials, to make it easier to understand,” says Geller.

The seminar fee is $30 for members, $60 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, contact MJA’s Kammy Johns at 800.366.3699 or kjohns@retailers.com.