Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    Corinth Jewelers opens fabulous standalone store
    Positive Outlook for Holiday Sales
    Riding the Wave with Essential Lab Grown Diamonds in a Changing Market
    Saban Onyx helps independent retail jewelers get fancy
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    JA members push for security, credit reform in D.C.
    Columbia Gem House opens raffle to support Sea Turtle Rehabilitation
    CD Peacock partners with Foster Love to support Chicago’s foster youth
    NDC and Lorraine Schwartz announce the 2023 Class of Emerging Designers
  • Podcast
    Episode 44 -John Carter, From Small Town to Big Dreams of Jack Lewis Jewelers
    Episode 44 -John Carter, From Small Town to Big Dreams of Jack Lewis Jewelers
    Dangers of Jewelry theft and how to prevent them 350
    Episode 43 -Kenny Mullins, Dangers of Jewelry Theft and How to Prevent Them
    Inside the Generational Legacy of David Douglas Diamonds
    Episode 42 -Doug Meadows, Inside the Generational Legacy of David Douglas Diamonds
    An-Inspiring-Tale-Behind-50-Years-of-Jewelry-Design-and-More
    Episode 41 -John Atencio, An Inspiring Tale Behind 50 Years of Jewelry Design and More
    Episode 39 -Brittany Jones,95 Years of Excellence and Legacy of JF Jones Jewelers
    Episode 40 -Brittany Jones,95 Years of Excellence and Legacy of JF Jones Jewelers
    The Rise of Luxury Handbag Trend in Jewelry Stores
    Episode 39 -Frederick Mannella, The Rise of Luxury Handbag Trend in Jewelry Stores
    Episode 38 – Kevin Patton, Gem-preneur Family Legacy of Pattons Fine Jewelry
    Episode 38 – Kevin Patton, Gem-preneur Family Legacy of Pattons Fine Jewelry
    Technology Meets Our Values
    Episode 37 – Kyle Bullock, Technology Meets Our Values
    A Pandemic-Born Success of Two Jewelry Visionaries
    Episode 36 – Brooke and Chase Brinson, A Pandemic-Born Success of Two Jewelry Visionaries
  • Columnists
    The Story Behind the Stone: Just Jewels
    Safeguarding High-Value Retailers: Unveiling the cyber risks and effective countermeasures
    4Cs of Diamonds? Here are the 4Cs of Jewelry Marketing to help you sell them
    Applied Marketing 101: The Next Big Thing
    Applied Marketing 101: The Asteroid Approaches
    The Story Behind the Stone: Oops there it is!
    Image of Chuck Koehler
    Cool New Things from the Atlanta Jewelry Show
    Image of Chuck Koehler
    The Retailer’s Perspective: It’s Springtime in September
    Barbiecore Bling! Are you in?
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
  • Digital Magazine
    • Southern Jewelry News
    • Mid-America Jewelry News
    • Archive
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    Corinth Jewelers opens fabulous standalone store
    Positive Outlook for Holiday Sales
    Riding the Wave with Essential Lab Grown Diamonds in a Changing Market
    Saban Onyx helps independent retail jewelers get fancy
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    JA members push for security, credit reform in D.C.
    Columbia Gem House opens raffle to support Sea Turtle Rehabilitation
    CD Peacock partners with Foster Love to support Chicago’s foster youth
    NDC and Lorraine Schwartz announce the 2023 Class of Emerging Designers
  • Podcast
    Episode 44 -John Carter, From Small Town to Big Dreams of Jack Lewis Jewelers
    Episode 44 -John Carter, From Small Town to Big Dreams of Jack Lewis Jewelers
    Dangers of Jewelry theft and how to prevent them 350
    Episode 43 -Kenny Mullins, Dangers of Jewelry Theft and How to Prevent Them
    Inside the Generational Legacy of David Douglas Diamonds
    Episode 42 -Doug Meadows, Inside the Generational Legacy of David Douglas Diamonds
    An-Inspiring-Tale-Behind-50-Years-of-Jewelry-Design-and-More
    Episode 41 -John Atencio, An Inspiring Tale Behind 50 Years of Jewelry Design and More
    Episode 39 -Brittany Jones,95 Years of Excellence and Legacy of JF Jones Jewelers
    Episode 40 -Brittany Jones,95 Years of Excellence and Legacy of JF Jones Jewelers
    The Rise of Luxury Handbag Trend in Jewelry Stores
    Episode 39 -Frederick Mannella, The Rise of Luxury Handbag Trend in Jewelry Stores
    Episode 38 – Kevin Patton, Gem-preneur Family Legacy of Pattons Fine Jewelry
    Episode 38 – Kevin Patton, Gem-preneur Family Legacy of Pattons Fine Jewelry
    Technology Meets Our Values
    Episode 37 – Kyle Bullock, Technology Meets Our Values
    A Pandemic-Born Success of Two Jewelry Visionaries
    Episode 36 – Brooke and Chase Brinson, A Pandemic-Born Success of Two Jewelry Visionaries
  • Columnists
    The Story Behind the Stone: Just Jewels
    Safeguarding High-Value Retailers: Unveiling the cyber risks and effective countermeasures
    4Cs of Diamonds? Here are the 4Cs of Jewelry Marketing to help you sell them
    Applied Marketing 101: The Next Big Thing
    Applied Marketing 101: The Asteroid Approaches
    The Story Behind the Stone: Oops there it is!
    Image of Chuck Koehler
    Cool New Things from the Atlanta Jewelry Show
    Image of Chuck Koehler
    The Retailer’s Perspective: It’s Springtime in September
    Barbiecore Bling! Are you in?
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
  • Digital Magazine
    • Southern Jewelry News
    • Mid-America Jewelry News
    • Archive
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
No Result
View All Result
Home Columnists

The Retailer’s Perspective: July, 2012 – Looking Back…

Chuck Koehler by Chuck Koehler
June 29, 2012
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Reading Time: 10 minutes

Ten years ago, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I submitted a column to jewelry industry newspaper called Southern Jewelry News.  My favorite columnist Martha Richardson had just retired and I wondered if anyone else missed her column as much as I did.  Since it always seemed that everything that happened in her store also happened in mine, I thought I’d give writing a similar column a shot.  So, on my 10 year anniversary I thought I’d look back and review what was going on every July for the last decade.  Let’s take a look…

July 2002

I was writing about Things I’m Tired of Hearing in a jewelry store.  It’s funny how many times I’ve heard these statements since I wrote this ten years ago.  A few excerpts:

“How do I know you’re not going to switch my diamond?”

For what? A better one? I certainly don’t want this one! What was your husband thinking? Actually, I know exactly what he was thinking: I don’t love her that much! Let me have the smaller one. It’s the thought that counts, right?

“I won’t let this ring out of my sight!”

Okay, so let me get this straight.  You want to come into my shop and watch me do the whole job, right?  Hey… wait a minute.  How do I know you’re not going to steal something from me?  I mean it is a jewelry shop.  It would only make sense that I’d have lots of jewelry laying around.  Since it’s not open to the public, nothing in the shop is under lock and key.  By the way, we keep all of our showcases out front locked because we think that you are going to try to steal something from us.  So there!

“I want my gold back after you size my ring!”

No.

July 2003

Ahhh, the Summer Doldrums.  This column was about how to deal with the slow summer months.  Funny how the Great American Recession has changed how I do a lot of things.  Here’s what I was thinking in ’03.

For the last 20 years or so I’ve kept a “Summer Fund” going 10 months out of the year. Every week I put aside money to play with during the summer.  I go on a vacation that I paid for in December.  I build a patio that I paid for in March and April.  I close early several days a week.  I close to go play golf any time I can find someone to go play with me.  I know it’s not conventional wisdom, but I live a pretty stress free life. I recommend it highly! (Ha ha.  Stress is my middle name now!)

July 2004

FAIL!  Okay, not my best work.  We’ll just skip to ’05.

July 2005

I was discussing how to deal with incredibly difficult, impossible to please people that come in my store and discussing one of my philosophies of life which still holds true today.  Enjoy.

I’ve got kind of a dumb (but true) theory I’d like to share with you: ‘All people are incredibly complicated and screwed up deep down inside.’  Let me explain:

Sometimes you meet someone and immediately realize how screwed up they are causing you to think, “What a weirdo.”  Other times, you meet someone and you think they’re wonderful.  Then after a few months you find yourself saying “Man, that person is nuts!”  (Of course sometimes you have to actually marry that person to figure out that my theory is correct, but that’s a story for later). My point is that when you have a customer that you don’t like now, and you never will like, why put yourself through the hassle.  End your professional relationship.

July 2006

Wow, how things have changed.  It was about the growing pains of expanding my business.  I had just finished a big remodel and moved my shop right out in front so everyone could see the work being done.  BIG MISTAKE!  Don’t ever do that.  But, it has one of my favorite quotes in it about how to deal with things in business you don’t like to do…

Somewhere in the middle of all of this confusion, my buddy Mark Grosser spells it all out for me.  He said what I needed to do was make a list of every task I have to do in my business.  Put the list in order of the things I like to do at the top, and then going in order all the way to the thing I hate to do the most at the bottom.  Then tear the list in half and hire someone to do the bottom half of the list.  Brilliant!

July 2007

Moving Day.  This was the month I moved into my new location after realizing that my original location of 60 years was dead and starting to decay.  I was going to go bankrupt if I didn’t do something drastic.  After all that remodeling at my old place I just had to walk away.  My favorite part of that column…

My guardian angel recently told me to take a drive down a street that wasn’t on my radar screen.   And lo and behold, there was a big sign that said ‘For Lease’ in a small shopping center right in front of Nashville’s newest, high end, retail commercial development.  And for the first time in what seems like a long time, everything fell into place.  Before I knew it, I was signing the lease on the most perfect spot in all of Nashville to move my store.  Yeah!

July 2008

This one was about the pressures of running a trade shop with dozens of accounts relying on you.  My favorite part was this:

Let’s start with the main misconception.  ‘Bench jewelers get to be creative all day and make beautiful things to our heart‘s content.’  We’re out of the public’s eye and have a much slower pace.  We don’t have to deal with the customers and basically knock out easy jobs all day and make a great living.

HAH!!!! Nothing could be farther from the truth.

July 2009

The title and the first paragraph spell it all out.

“And you looked so normal walking in the door…”

Sometimes you can spot ‘em getting out of their car and sometimes they just outright surprise you.  Yep. It’s the crazies.  They’re baaaaccckkk.

July 2010

About the same time I started writing this column, I became an emergency responder.  This was what was going on at that time…

“Water, Water Everywhere, but not a drop to drink…”

On May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of 2010, Nashville, TN experienced what is known in emergency response circles as an MCI – a Major Catastrophic Incident.  We fell victim to the worst flooding in the US in years.  In a 48 hour period, middle Tennessee received the greatest amount of rainfall in recorded history and everything flooded.

July 2011

This month I was discussing my philosophy on warranties.  My favorite part of this column still holds true today:

I’ve always felt that warranties are nothing more than a marketing ploy by large faceless corporations to attract customers to their stores over their competitors.  Hell, the only reason they offer the warranty is because they already know it’s going to fall apart before they even sell it.

(Soooo true!)

July 2012

I actually had another idea in mind for this month called Adding Back.  It was going to be about adding back some of the things I cut back on while dealing with the recession.  Well, guess what next month’s column is going to be about because I just exceeded my 1,200 word limit!

Happy 10 Year Anniversary to me.  If anyone would like to read my past columns, go to www.Lulu.com where you can find my book “It’s Supposed to be Funny” which contains every column I’ve ever written.

Chuck is the owner of Anthony Jewelers in Nashville, TN. Chuck also owns CMK Co., a wholesale trade shop that specializes in custom jewelry and repair services to the jewelry industry nationwide.

If you would like to contact Chuck or need a speaker or instructor for your next conference/event he can be reached at 615-354-6361, www.CMKcompany.com or send e-mail to info@southernjewelrynews.com.

Chuck Koehler

Chuck Koehler

Chuck is the owner of Anthony Jewelers in Nashville, TN. Chuck also owns CMK Co., a wholesale trade shop that specializes in custom jewelry and repair services to the jewelry industry nationwide. If you would like to contact Chuck or need a speaker or instructor for your next conference/event he can be reached at 615-354-6361, www.CMKcompany.com or send e-mail to info@southernjewelrynews.com.

Related Posts

The Story Behind the Stone: Just Jewels

October 1, 2023

Safeguarding High-Value Retailers: Unveiling the cyber risks and effective countermeasures

September 27, 2023

4Cs of Diamonds? Here are the 4Cs of Jewelry Marketing to help you sell them

September 25, 2023
Applied Marketing 101: The Next Big Thing

Applied Marketing 101: The Asteroid Approaches

September 18, 2023

Latest News

Other News

JA members push for security, credit reform in D.C.

October 2, 2023
Other News

Columbia Gem House opens raffle to support Sea Turtle Rehabilitation

October 2, 2023
On The Move

CD Peacock partners with Foster Love to support Chicago’s foster youth

October 2, 2023

Other News

NDC and Lorraine Schwartz announce the 2023 Class of Emerging Designers

Punchmark introduces new jewelry web technology features

GIA supports diamond traceability solutions

Corinth Jewelers opens fabulous standalone store

Positive Outlook for Holiday Sales

Riding the Wave with Essential Lab Grown Diamonds in a Changing Market

Southern Jewelry News

© 2023 Southern Jewelry News.

Additional Information

  • About
  • 2023 Jewelry Trade Shows & Events
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Sitemap
  • Newsletter Signup

Get Social with Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured Articles
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Sponsored Content
  • Latest News
    • What’s New
    • Industry Events
    • Tradeshow News
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Furry Friends
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
  • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • Southern Jewelry News
    • Mid-America Jewelry News
    • Archives

© 2023 Southern Jewelry News.