Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Guide to Offering Jewelry Repair Services
Looking for a way to expand your jewelry business? Offering jewelry repair services is a great place to start. Repairs can help you increase your revenue and they’re a great way to build trust with your customers. But how do you get started if jewelry repair services have never been part of your business model before? In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to launching jewelry repair services.
#1: Determine Which Jewelry Repair Services to Offer
First, determine which repairs you want to offer. You can focus on the specific jewelry products you sell and cater your repair services to those items; for example, offer clasp replacements if chain necklaces and bracelets are your bread and butter. Or you can focus on attracting a specific type of customer; for example, you can emphasize restoration services if you want to pull in a crowd of antique and vintage jewelry lovers. You’ll probably want to offer some of the most popular standard repairs as well, like cleaning, resizing, and engraving.
#2: Invest in Equipment and a Work Space
Next, you’ll want to create a dedicated space to perform these repairs. Adequate lighting is really important for your jewelers to be able to see their projects clearly and perform their jobs effectively. Make sure there’s enough room for the number of jewelers you plan to hire; there should be enough space for every jeweler to have a dedicated area for their specific job (polishing, soldering, gemstone setting, etc.).
You’ll also want to source the best tools possible for each individual job in order to avoid any damage or issues while your jewelers are performing repairs. Faulty or cheap equipment can lead to poor quality work and require its own repairs and replacements, so be sure to invest in well-made, durable tools to avoid that interruption.
#3: Hire Professional Jewelers
Your jewelers are an essential part of the success of your jewelry repair business. It’s important to spend time searching for and interviewing the right candidates to ensure that they meet your criteria for the role. Take the time to assess both cultural fit and technical ability — building a cohesive team is half the battle. You’ll also want to have promising candidates perform a bench jewelry task so you can review their work and check that it is up to your standards.
#4: Build a Solid Workflow
Designing a clear workflow will help your team manage jewelry repairs effectively from day one, from taking in orders to tracking them across each jeweler’s bench and completing repairs to interfacing with customers. The perfect system will look different from business to business, but it’s important to establish what makes your team feel most confident, efficient, and productive. Building an efficient workflow might take some trial and error, so be patient as you begin the process and figure out what works. Getting into a rhythm usually comes after a learning curve, so don’t feel discouraged if everything doesn’t feel streamlined immediately.
#5: Market Your Services
Once you have your ducks in a row, tell the world about your new services! Make sure that you have a website where customers can place their jewelry repair orders, and put up signage in your store if you have a brick and mortar space. Be sure to implement SEO best practices in your website copy so that the right customers have an easier time finding your website. Another great tactic is to take advantage of social media; announce your new repair services on Instagram, TikTok, and even LinkedIn. Sharing before and after photos on your platforms is an excellent way to demonstrate your team’s skills.
#6: Produce Exceptional Work
Treat every customer like they’re your most important customer, and put quality before quantity. It’s always important to do great repair work, but it’s even more important when you’re just beginning to offer these services. Referrals will come easily when you provide exceptional work and incredible customer service.
#7: Use Jewelry Software to Make it Easier
Using a software platform built for jewelry businesses can make offering repairs a whole lot easier. Streamline your jewelry repair process with a tool that allows you to process orders, track repairs, and assign tasks to your team. Using technology eliminates errors and miscommunications so you can be sure that nothing falls through the cracks. The more efficient your team, the more successful your business will be.
Are you ready to take the next step and offer repair services? Use Reshyne to give you a leg up. Our platform was designed by jewelers who know exactly how an efficient shop should run. The software will seamlessly integrate with your website, and provide you with team communication tools, order management, and task assignment. Schedule a demo today to see how Reshyne can make offering jewelry repairs even easier.
