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"We don't try to keep up with the Joneses -- instead, we want the Joneses to see our smoke," declares Tom Duma, president of Klivan's. "We want to bring technology to the community."
That doesn't mean the customer gets short shrift at the 101-year-old Warren jewelry store. "We know value still attracts clients, but quality and service will keep customers coming back," Duma states.
One of those customers, Floyd Cogley of Cortland, estimates he's come to Klivan's for more than 20 years. "I've purchased all my wife's jewelry here, and my wife has purchased all mine here," he says. "They have quality jewelry and they treat me really well -- it's the only jewelry store I would go to."
To help Cogley find something he and his wife don't already own, Duma might turn to a just-installed computer-camera system that contains the store's entire inventory.
"The vendors we deal with can download into the computer as well," he explains. "If customers don't see something they want in our cases, we can go to the computer and call up [other] pieces of jewelry." Klivan's also has a camera to take digital photos for insurance purposes. "We do a big business in insurance -- we're the replacement center for State Farm Insurance for all of northeastern Ohio," Duma says.
Jewelry appraisal is another specialty, and occasionally, the results are surprising. "Just the other day, I commented on a customer's ruby ring," Duma recalls. "She was embarrassed to say she had purchased it for $5 from the Salvation Army Thrift Store. But when I looked at it, I found it was worth about $3,000."
Other customers get less positive news. "People tend to assume if their great, great grandmother had the ring, it must be valuable," Duma chuckles....