Barsky Jewelers - Philadelphia - Any experiences ?

[oldminer]

Nate and his family business are nearby neighbors of mine. He's telliing it like it is....His store is a busy one and not every single customer can have a family member wait on them.... I do think he and the rest of his family cares about their business and their customers. If anyone wants a stone checked out from Barsky's we are only a couple doors away and often find ourselves verifying what a nearby store has sold to someone......

Pricescope is not especially a warm and fuzzy place for most B&M retailers, but I think stores can adapt to this new reality. It sounds as if Nate is willing to give it a try, at least. He's a long way ahead of the curve.

 

[Nathan Barsky]

I can only say again please ask for me. I need to hear about how customers are handled. I encourage customers to check our diamonds and quality. I always stand behind my product. I will start searching this site daily instead of Subaru STI forums and ebay. My wife yells at me now for Ebay, now it will be Pricescope. This is a great site.

I would never use a forum for promotions. I visited pricescope the other day because a customer told me about a post that upset her. I do feel singled out, but this is life and the internet.

 

[Kaleigh]

Nathan,
It will be nice to have you among us!!! I live just outside Philadelphia and know of your store.

 

[mepearl53]

Hi Nathen,

This forum is a wonderful place to learn about the internet customer and their needs and expectations. The internet customer IS a customer and demands the same level of service and understanding as the walk-in customer. Many B&M stores feel threatened by the unknown of the net and they have to get over this and just take care of their customers however they may learn of their businesses. I have found the net consumer to be much more educated than most and it is really an easier situation than a non-informed customer. Honesty, transparency, and service is essential in both B&M and net in today''s world. One must understand that the interaction between the business and internet customer or the walk-in customer is essentially the same. I talked to a supplier today that started looking at the times that inquiries are made. I told them that I find many of these questions are made after 12:00 pm. ??? How does the B&M adapt to the changing world of the internet? I am not a big poster on this forum but plan to devote time to questions asked. The people are wonderful and questions addressed are superb. Join us in helping them understand what experience 104 years of family business has given you. We are 28 years behind you but embrace what we have found and look forward to our new friends'' questions and needs to understand what we need to do. Change is good! I''m no spring chicken to the net but I love it and hope you love what you will find.

 

[Nathan Barsky]

It''s funny. The internet is a large part of my life. I have found it has helped me in business. There are some negative post about my store, but there are also postive post. I feel when people research and see how a problem is answered they might be more compelled to visit. I can not survive without my customers. When a problem arises what is the point of being standoffish or rude? I embrace the situation and try to resolve everything. I have spent my profit fixing problems. This is business and I feel that is what makes a B+M store special. I buy car parts on the net often, it is easy. I miss the interaction of going to a shop and speaking to another motorhead. I have relationships with customers that go back 15 years. The feeling you get when see these friends every holiday and special occasions is priceless. My wife hates my store because I am always there and I make house calls. I look forward to being apart of pricescope.

 

[diamondfan]

I live outside Philly too! Are you in the northwest ''burbs? (you do not have to reveal too much!! just curious to see someone from my area!!!)

 

[TickledPink]

I am the proud owner of several pieces of jewelry from Barsky, as is my daughter and son also, they are all beautiful! Hopefully I''ll get to add to my collection again, soon.

(hopefully my husband reads this)lol. Aside from the fact that their jewelry is beautiful, they are great people and make you feel very welcomed when you walk in the door. They definitely have my family as customers for years to come!

 

[PGFDE121]

I just purchased my fiancee''s engagement ring from Barsky''s in November and was very pleased with their salesman, product, and price. I dealt with Rick Wool who is a great person to talk to about diamonds and really took his time with us. Their selection was really nice, and unique, plus they''re able to customize many of the rings. I liked the fact that the salesman are not on commission, and therefore don''t seem to pressure you into anything. Actually, Barsky''s was able to get me the ring I wanted with the diamond size and quality I wanted for the price I wanted, and not a dollar above. To me, thats meeting and exceeding the demands of your customers.

We had visited a few jewelers in our area (Washington, D.C) and found that many jewelers didn''t stock a whole lot of wedding bands, and what they did stock were the more popular bands (understandable). However, she wanted something in the modern/antique style (millwork with a three stone setting and pave set side stones). We were able to find a couple of rings at Barky''s and from there I picked the winner when I went up separately.

I did stop and speak to Nathan, and referred to this thread. He said that he always does his best to satisfy his customers and as it turns out, he was asked to be a vendor on this site due to his handling on the complaints referenced above. For anyone who is thinking of heading up to Philly, I''d say its definitely a worthwhile stop if you''re within a few hours drive. The prices are hard to beat (unless you go into NYC) and the selection is great. Where else can you find 20+ reputable diamond stores with wholesale prices all within 4 blocks.

I''m sure I''ll get dinged for being a new poster (and this is my first post) however, here is something to think about before you mention anything. My father purchased my mother''s ring here 30 years ago, so I think that goes alot further than any unfounded grumblings seen above. I''m sure there is a reason they''ve been in business 105+ years, and if you visit the store, I''m sure you''ll see why.

A very happy customer-
Ron B.

 

[gritsforbreakfast]

In response to PGFDE121's comment about "unfounded grumblings" posted on this site, I'd point out that few people would be so motivated to search out a web site to vent their frustrations, fill out a form so they could log in and post their concerns, just to post unfounded complaints. While it's always possible for maliciousness to find it's way onto sites like this, it's also possible that some of the glowing recommendations are also unfounded. The web is a place for information and dialog and it's for the individual reading these postings to decide how much weight to give them. For my part, I'm glad there are places like this where one can go to get some idea of a business, away from the usual ads and propaganda we're fed on a daily basis.