First Generation Jeweler Loves the Appraisal and Insurance Combo From BriteCo
October 28th, 2020
Bethany’s Jewelry and Design
Bethany Hawn, owner and GIA Graduate Gemologist, invites you to explore her world of jewelry and jewelry design. Her expertise and knowledge help to shape each carefully chosen piece of jewelry featured in her inventory. She also does custom jewelry, jewelry repair, and appraisals.
For as long as she can remember., Bethany Hawn, owner of Bethany’s Jewelry and Design in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, has been passionate about gems and jewelry. She earned her gemology degree at age 20, started initially on the lab side of the business, got introduced to retail, loved it and bought her own jewelry store at 28.
“I worked in retail for a gentleman for seven years,” she recalled, “and when he retired, he sold me the store in 2015. I loved getting into retail. I love the people and I like the stories that come along with each customer.”
She remembers coming across BriteCo’s free appraisal system and instant insurance offering for customers on the Jewelers Helping Jewelers Facebook site.
“I saw a post about BriteCo’s free automated appraisal system and how it offered customers insurance right away at the point of sale,” she explained. “This is something I’m quite passionate about because I hate hearing those stories of people who have lost precious items and either have to replace them out of their own pocket or they have to go through their homeowners insurance.
“I’ve had to deal with the major homeowner insurance companies in the past, and my experience with their claims process has been awful,” Bethany noted. In comparison, she says, “I’ve only had one claim since starting with BriteCo, and it was incredibly smooth for the customer and for us. That is a huge relief for me as a jeweler.”
“I ask almost everybody that comes in, even if they come in with pieces that I didn’t sell, ‘Do you have insurance on this?’. BriteCo makes it easy so that no one ever needs to worry.”
~ Bethany Hawn, Bethany’s Jewelry and Design
Immediate coverage before leaving the store
Bethany appreciates that she can do an appraisal and have her customer get insurance coverage before leaving the store, especially for engagement rings. “These young men are already nervous when they make a big purchase,” she emphasized, “and giving them peace of mind that their ring is insured right away so easily and quickly is a big advantage.”
“It’s hard to warrant every piece of jewelry because we don’t know how the customer is going to wear the piece, and things happen. And as a small business, I don’t want to have to keep up with the big box stores and warrant every piece for years to come, which can get really, really expensive for us as jewelers.
“I had a warranty program a long time ago and I charged for it, but it just felt clunky and unnecessary,” she continued. “So, having an easy way for customers to get BriteCo’s 5-star rated insurance in a matter of minutes is invaluable for both me and my customers.
~ Bethany Hawn, Bethany’s Jewelry and Design
Bethany takes special pride in her store window decorations that change with the seasons.
Comprehensive appraisals with ultimate control
Bethany appreciates that she can use the BriteCo appraisal system as a convenient template to quickly complete a comprehensive appraisal, yet still retain control over the final appraised value. “I like that it automatically generates a suggested value,” she said, “and I can change it if I want to.”
She mentioned other advantages that save her time and effort including BriteCo’s cloud-based software that lets her do appraisals from anywhere on any device. And, she loves that BriteCo is constantly upgrading the appraisal system with incremental improvements.
“The dropdown menus in the BriteCo system are a great time-saver in themselves,” she explained. “I can easily click on quantity, on the carat weight, clarity and the grades available to us. If I have to do the appraisal at the time of purchase, I can finish it while the piece is getting gift wrapped.”
The expert appraisal combined with instant coverage makes a difference every day, according to Bethany. “Having the peace of mind that this precious gift from a husband or a loved one is covered is so important,” she concluded. “I ask almost everybody that comes in, even if they come in with pieces that I didn’t sell, ‘Do you have insurance on this?’. BriteCo makes it easy so that no one ever needs to worry.”
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