A Life in the Day of: Adam Shiel, jewellery sales professional
11 Feb 2021
In this first of new series, we drill down to discover what makes an employee a really great employee. Adam Shiel at Saunders & Pughe demonstrates that it’s about passion, dedication and JET-acquired knowledge.
Proving that ‘who you know’ counts for a great deal, Marianne Pughe, co-founder of Northumberland jewellers Saunders & Pughe, will always be grateful for the word-of-mouth that brought Adam Shiel to their door in late 2018. “After trying unsuccessfully to find a suitable candidate to fulfil a sales position through general advertising, we heard about Adam via a family friend who suggested that he might be perfect for us,” she explains.
“We were looking for someone with a specific skillset and background, which would include: an interest in creativity and visual arts, technical ability in digital social media and IT, and working with the public. Adam also came with experience of digital photography and a raft of other skills – we were delighted when he responded to our offer to join our team.”
Making the most of his talents, Adam’s role at the store today is going to look impressive on a future CV: sales and administration, visual merchandiser, social media/website curator and EPOS manager/stock barcoder! He arrived at Saunders & Pughe with very little awareness of the jewellery industry; his role has developed over time, giving scope to grow with the position, taking on new tasks and challenges as his knowledge increases.
Starting the role coincided with the introduction of a new EPOS system. Adam was tasked with entering all of the stock onto the new system, which meant learning and understanding the Pursuit software and implementing the scheme, sorting and barcoding the existing stock and any further stock to the inventory. In at the deep end then!
So, what drew Adam to Saunders & Pughe? “Coming from an arts background with a masters in art gallery and museum studies I knew I wanted to be somewhere within the creative industries,” he says. “Being part of a small team within an independent jewellers gives me the opportunity to also carry on exercising my own creativity, through putting together beautiful jewellery displays, photographing jewellery to create eye-catching social media posts, encouraging and guiding customers with their ideas and learning about the design process within the onsite workshop.”
At time of writing, the world of non-essential retail is anything but normal, but when asked to cast his mind back and describe typical day for him in the store, it’s clear that he’s developed a real love for the jewellery world, his skills are being put to good use and his day is pretty full.
A life in the day of…
“Work begins with setting up the shop for the day ahead – several cabinets of fine jewellery are redisplayed every morning; for security they’re packed away into a safe overnight (almost like curating a gallery space every morning!) I check the shop diary in case any notes have been left by my colleagues the day before, or perhaps there’s a customer popping in for an appointment. If there is an appointment I set up the consultation area ready to sit down to either discuss a commission or view some pieces from the shop.
“On the work laptop I check the website and process any internet orders, ensuring the site is up to date and I pass the pending jobs onto the workshop, and process and dispatch any completed orders. I check and action any current jobs, for example safely packaging and sending repairs to various specialists. This may also require phone calls to customers to discuss some jobs in depth or provide accurate quotes and advice before they commit to the work to be done. I talk through bespoke jobs with the workshop and place orders with manufacturers or suppliers (for example, sourcing diamonds/gemstones for a customer to view, or an item of jewellery in a different size).
“When new pieces or bespoke work come from the workshop, I creatively photograph and document them. The images and information is then used for social media posts on Instagram and Facebook, which has become an increasingly important part of the business, amassing over 1,200 new followers.
“I really enjoy helping customers – some prefer to be guided through the process of choosing jewellery – so gauging what they’re looking for and showing them suitable pieces, or discussing ideas for bespoke pieces. This can range from minor alterations, like making one of our stock items with a different gemstone, to our workshop hand-carving a wax and designing a one-off piece.
“I also advise customers; for example, understanding what to look for when assessing a piece of jewellery for repair, (eg. if a customer says the claw on a ring is snagging on their clothing, I use the 10x loupe to check all claws and inspect the rest of the ring thoroughly). Often repairs can be sensitive to discuss, as sentimental value can outweigh monetary value, so I aim to give the customer realistic ideas of what’s achievable and how much it may cost.
“As new jewellery, bespoke pieces and stock items come into the shop I inspect them, check them off the invoice, individually price and barcode them before they are entered onto the EPOS system and uploaded onto the website before being displayed or sold. Sales representatives might visit, perhaps with new collections; I assist in the choosing of new pieces or re-stocking popular lines.
“Saunders and Pughe is a local, independent shop, therefore it’s important to become a familiar face within the local community, remembering customers faces and names and building up trust. We want them to have a great experience with us and return again. We get involved in local initiatives, like the Christmas tree competition (we won a gold medal!) and support other local business through joint Instagram competitions etc.
It’s not part of my typical day, but I got the fantastic opportunity to visit Inhorgenta in Munich last year. The whole team attended as part of our 20-year anniversary celebrations – it was a great trip both socially and professionally!”
JET-propelled
Learning ‘on the job’ is invaluable, but ask any graduate of the NAJ’s JET courses and they’ll tell you that further education is the icing on the cake. “Taking the JET courses has given me the knowledge and confidence to answer customer questions and engage in conversation around the manufacturing process of jewellery, the grading of diamonds, the ethics of mining, where certain gemstones come from and the meaning of hallmarks,” Adam explains. “As a result I can confidently help customers, enhancing my ability to help sell jewellery.
“For example, recently I spent quite some time with a young couple who wanted to know the differences between synthetic and natural diamonds, along with diamond colour and clarity grading, I was able to confidently answer their questions, leading them to return a few weeks later to purchase an engagement ring. I’ve also helped source a diamond for a client, based on their budget, and my new knowledge of clarity, cut, carat and colour meant I was able to provide them with the perfect stone!”
One aspect of the jewellery world that most students find baffling, is hallmarking, so it’s a key JET course topic. Adam too: “When I first started out in the role, I had no idea what any hallmarks meant, now when a customer comes in with an item of jewellery I’m able to identify basic information about the piece from the hallmarks alone.” Nailed it!
He adds that passing JET (with straight As) has not only impacted his confidence professionally but also built confidence outside of work and created a sense of achievement. “I use the knowledge on a daily basis, often without even noticing, then I’ll look back on conversations with customers and realise before JET I’d have found certain situations a lot more challenging,” he says. “ It’s helped greatly with other skills, like time management – writing an essay each month, committing and delivering tasks to a deadline. I’ve enjoyed researching different topics and reporting my findings.” Adam now has his sights on ethical jewellery sourcing and manufacture… as well as jewellery design.
Last word to the boss…
“Adam arrived with a fantastic skillset and although he knew very little about the jewellery industry, the NAJ JET Education programme really helped us as employers: we knew that if we found the right candidate, we could fast-track their trade knowledge by enrolling them straight onto JET. He has just completed JET 2 and is awaiting his results.
“Adam has almost unconsciously absorbed the basic information which at one time would have been so alien. His knowledge is strengthened with daily use and he builds on this by asking questions and by keeping himself updated with current trends and related information. JET has given him great confidence in helping both customers and us as his employers; his on-going and growing knowledge has made him an essential and very valued member of the Saunders and Pughe team.”
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Source: The National Association of Jewellers