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MODERN MEETS OLD SCHOOL AT ZADOK JEWELERS | July 25, 2012 (0 comments)
Houston, TX--If you call Zadok Jewelers and happen to get the hold message, it lets you know immediately that this is a place “where you’re only a stranger once.”
“At the end of the day, that tagline says it all,” says seventh generation jeweler Jonathan Zadok. “We’re not a tourist destination. We take care of the same people over and over again. We grow our customers from within, taking care of loyal customers, who in turn refer us to their friends and associates. ”
Zadok Jewelers is a family business and today the sixth and seventh generations work together in the family’s 15,000 square foot store in Houston, Texas. From the Zadok Jewelers website: “For us at Zadok Jewelers, it's all about family. Seven generations ago, Zadok family members were royal court jewelers, as well as silver and goldsmiths. Today, our family-- Helene and Dror, with our sons Jonathan, Segev and Gilad, uphold the family tradition and legacy, emphasizing unparalleled quality, exceptional value, and personal professional attention to clients.”
“Jewelry is on my father’s side,” says Zadok. “Mom strongly encouraged my brothers and me to consider all career options before committing to the retail jewelry industry, so that we would be certain it was what we truly wanted to do. It was; all three of us are in the business.”
Each brother has his own role in the business. Jonathan does most of the buying. Segev handles human resources. Gilad takes care of the internet and e-commerce. And they all sell. “We can all do each other’s jobs,” he said. “We all three started at the bottom. We ran errands; we polished jewelry; we asked customers if they’d like something to drink; we vacuumed. We all learned our way up. We all still Windex counters as needed.”
The Zadok family: from left, Gilad, Lisa, Jonathan, Helene, Dror, Amy, and Segev
Zadok says his father passed along a lot of sales knowledge. “My dad always says, “The first sale is easy. The second sale is what counts.” That premise has led the family to always offer incredible customer service to their customers.
“What separates any jeweler?” asks Zadok. “We can all sell the same stone, but here at Zadok Jewelers we can offer the best service. It’s so easy to gain or lose a customer just by a simple repair. If we take great care of the customer, they come back and buy. If we annoy them by messing up that simple repair, they will never come back again. It’s the little things that count.”
Zadok customers are “the medium to high end. We cover a wide range of demographics. Especially those looking for bridal jewelry, complicated watches and large pieces of jewelry.” Zadok carries over 1,200 engagement rings as well as 25 watch brands.
“Watches are a small part of our business, 10-20%.” says Zadok. “We appreciate the craftsmanship and technology that goes into watchmaking. We have two full-time watchmakers on staff.” Along with the watchmakers, Zadok has two jewelers on staff employing a total of about 45 people. Twelve are in sales; the rest are Customer Service-front desk staff and back office employees.
Zadok Jeweler’s inventory selection is housed in an 8,000 square foot showroom, an impressive size that surely has its own challenges. For instance, how does an owner keep each sales associate trained and enthusiastic on such a massive inventory?
“The sales associates are trained and sell throughout the store. We divide the staff in teams that are responsible for the visual presentation for each section and they rotate each month. We call it a beautification program. They do get graded on it and there are prizes for the winners.”
Zadok's showroom is 8,000 square feet.
Marketing, technology, and operations. Along with successfully managing a large store, Zadok combines marketing and technology in the store’s day-to-day operations. Zadok depends on referrals for new customers, but also spends money on advertising to reach his customers in his local area. “To remind people we are here,” he says. “We do radio, TV, billboards, and web advertising. Facebook has been good, but hard to measure. If anything, it hasn’t hurt.” Zadok still does local print advertising, generally in local magazines and business journals.
Zadok Jewelers also leverages current technology and is incorporating it more fully into its business. Currently the website is being revamped. While some of the plans remain under wraps, Zadok shares that soon the repair tracking will be through customer accounts online. Their web team is four people strong and the new site will launch in 3-4 months.
“We won’t be selling tons,” he said. “It’s about giving customers a great experience on the web so that they come in and look in the store.” Zadok has also added iPads around the store, used mainly to access vendor catalogs – for now. Soon sales associates will be able to create and access customer wish lists, now entered by hand.
Zadok thinks of jewelry and technology as a blend of modern and old school. “We still manufacture and sell a product that is, in many ways, the same as a hundred years ago,” he said. “We mix the old and the new. This business really blends art and science and business into one."