Not many marketing strategies would aim to get a crying customer.
Unless you are Sam Fribush, president and chief executive officer of Berman?s Jewelers in Ellicott City.
Fribush received a call from a customer who proposed to his girlfriend with one of Berman?s custom-made engagement rings.
“He was so happy, I thought he was going to start crying over the phone,” Fribush said.
Berman?s is one of the first jewelers in Maryland to begin using computerized custom design to cut down on the time and effort it takes to design a custom piece of jewelry for patrons.
“Berman?s prides themselves on doing custom work,” said Randy Gartner, who does Berman?s advertising. “So if a customer sees something in Glamour magazine, or on American Idol, Berman?s can do that ? or they can get it really close.”
With the purchase of the REVO 540 Milling Machine and Matrix 3-D Jewelry Design Software, Berman?s can sketch out designs and create a 3-D drawing of the piece on the computer, then send it to the machine to accurately carve a prototype in wax for the customer to see.
“Talk about making a unique gift,” Gartner said. “That?s the kind of capability Berman?s now has, it makes customer design even more special, and that?s what makes Berman?s special.”
One woman came to Berman?s on a recommendation from a friend.
“She fell in love with our design and says she can?t believe how many compliments she gets,” Fribush said. “Now she brings her friends in too.”
Berman?s used to send their sketches to a milling shop in Philadelphia, but “I want to be in control, and the more that?s done in my store, the more I am in control,” Fribush said. “And we are absolutely happy [with the machine].”
The custom work takes from one to two weeks, whereas before, it could take anywhere from three to four weeks, depending on the customer?s cooperation.
Fribush wants Berman?s to tout different, distinctive and understated elegance.
“I need to be the leader of the pack,” Fribush said. “I don?t want to have what everyone else has. As usual, we want to do the unusual. That?s what we like doing, and we?re very good at it.”
Berman?s Jewelers
3570 Saint John?s Lane, Ellicott City; 410-480-2090
