A woman wants her grandmother's ring made smaller. It is the only thing she has of hers, she has never had anything altered, and the thought of handing it across a counter and walking away makes her feel slightly sick.
She will not ask the questions she actually has. She will just keep it in a box.
The checklist
Publish these and the ring comes out of the box.
1. Whether it can be done at all
That it depends on the metal, the setting and the construction, and that an assessment comes first. Publishing the limits is more honest than implying anything is possible.
2. What cannot usually be resized
Eternity rings, certain settings, some metals and pieces with particular construction. Naming them saves a wasted journey and builds credibility.
3. How much the size can change
That there are practical limits to how far a piece can move, and what happens when the change is large. Customers assume any size is achievable.
4. What the alternatives are
Where resizing is not possible, what else can be done. Customers who hear no with nothing after it keep the ring in a drawer.
5. The price range
By metal and by the extent of the work, published as ranges. Customers imagine a large figure and never ask.
6. The timescale
Realistically, including whether the workshop is on site or elsewhere. Somebody parting with something precious needs to know exactly how long.
7. Where the piece actually goes
On the premises or to a workshop elsewhere. It is the question people most want answered and least like asking, and publishing it removes the fear entirely.
8. How the piece is secured
Receipting, identification, how it is stored and whether it is insured while with you. Say it plainly, because it is what the customer is thinking about.
9. What happens to stones
Whether they are removed, how they are handled, what happens if a stone is loose and what the position is if something is found to be damaged.
10. Whether damage can be discovered
That existing wear or weakness is sometimes found during work, how it is communicated and what happens next. Publishing it prevents the worst conversation.
11. What other alterations are possible
Shortening chains, replacing clasps, rhodium plating, straightening and repairs, which is the ground in jewellery repair and resizing questions.
12. Whether an assessment is chargeable
And whether it comes off the work. Customers want to know before they bring something in.
13. Sizing without an existing ring
How to measure, whether you can size somebody in the shop and whether a sizer can be posted. It matters for surprise purchases.
13b. Say what happens if it needs resizing again
Fingers change with weather, weight and age, and customers worry that a ring can only be altered once. Explaining how many times a piece can reasonably be worked on, and whether a second adjustment costs less, removes a hesitation that keeps rings in drawers for years.
14. Answer the anxious questions at any hour
Because people look at a ring in a drawer in the evening and wonder, the same considered handling as watch servicing enquiries and turnaround questions, alterations and tailoring questions boutiques answer and the structured capture in receptionist screening questions.
Getting started
Publish what can and cannot be resized, the price ranges, the timescale and how pieces are secured, then answer at any hour. SpideyChat for retailers answers from your published pages, plans are on the pricing page, and the chatbot ROI calculator works through the numbers.