How NOT to compete with shopping malls, Part 1

When her wedding ring exhibited signs of wear, my wife's first inclination was to support our local downtown jewelry store, rather than the regional mall.

However, when she brought the ring to the clerk's attention--who had willingly sold her jewelry in the past--the clerk made three major mistakes:

1) Insulting the customer's taste: "You obviously didn't buy this here!--it's not up to our quality."

2) Insulting the customer: "You're very rough on your jewelry!"

3) Humiliating the customer: she showed the ring to their "technician" who agreed it wasn't good quality and probably wasn't worth fixing--within hearing range of other customers.

4) Overpricing a repair: a $400.estimate.

In Part 2, we'll see how my wife fared at the local mall.