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The Square - “R.J.Yeo”
Jewellers & Watchmakers
Jewellers & Watchmakers
Kenneth J Massow FIRV FGA DGA
R J Yeo
24 West Street, ROCHFORD, SS4 1AJ
Tel: 01702 544712
ken-john.massow@virgin.net
R J Yeo
24 West Street, ROCHFORD, SS4 1AJ
Tel: 01702 544712
ken-
Talking with Eileen Garms of Yeo’s
Rochford Life: Eileen, you’ve been round the jewellery trade for quite a long time from what I hear?
Eileen: Yes, since the early 70’s. I started off in a shop in Southend. Previously I had worked in British Home Stores and a friend there moved to the jewellers and said they need somebody else, so that was me.
RL: Have you done a fair bit of training for this?
Eileen: Back in the 70’s there wasn’t much training and what there was, was mostly in-shop training, there weren’t any courses for me to go on or anything like that. I worked there for a while and then left it for quite a few years and then returned here in 1980 or ‘81 as a part-time sales assistant. At that time I didn’t like the job which I was doing which was a factory job and I just happened to see that Ken was advertising. Now I’ve got a Retail Jeweller’s Diploma which was a basic two year course that covers a bit of everything, it was quite basic but is was also about knowing how to treat your customers and so on. Since Alice and Tracey have done theirs it has become far more technical so they have more of a technical knowledge than I have
RL: So suppose I come in here and want to buy a diamond ring. Would you know all about diamonds?
Eileen: I know an amount about diamonds but I would still rely upon someone who knew more than me and I would want the customer to know more than I know so I would turn to either Tracey or Ken, in particular who has the higher qualifications in diamond grading.
RL: If I came in looking for gems, how about that?
Eileen: Yes, I have a basic across the board knowledge but not an in-depth knowledge, and the same with gold.
RL: But you’ve been around here since the 1980’s so surely you will have picked up a lot of knowledge along the way?
Eileen: Oh yes. It is surprising listening to Ken or Tracey talking to customers, how much I have picked up without realising it.
RL: You obviously enjoy this or you wouldn’t have been here that long?
Eileen: Yes, I do. The majority of our customers are really nice. You may get the occasional one who’s not so nice, but mostly they’re really good.
Ken interrupts and explains the different abilities of the team:
Ken: Her biggest problem is that she plays herself down. Eileen used to do all the buying and she also managed the pawn-broking. In the last two or three years, we’ve both stepped back slightly, to encourage Tracey to step forward, not that she’s more important than Alison. For example if you wanted a chain repairing Alison could do it but Tracey couldn’t. Tracey has a particular feel for which our age group of customers like and she tends to do most of the buying as well. Alice has better computer skills than Tracey so the two of them work very, very well together but they’re totally different. Tracey is also excellent at remembering customers’ details in quite an amazing way.
RL: Right! Well thank you Eileen, that’s a good insight into number two of this four-person team, who seems the all-rounder with years of experience which she downplays!
To continue to the second of the two interviews, please CLICK HERE
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Rochford Life: Eileen, you’ve been round the jewellery trade for quite a long time from what I hear?
Eileen: Yes, since the early 70’s. I started off in a shop in Southend. Previously I had worked in British Home Stores and a friend there moved to the jewellers and said they need somebody else, so that was me.
RL: Have you done a fair bit of training for this?
Eileen: Back in the 70’s there wasn’t much training and what there was, was mostly in-
RL: So suppose I come in here and want to buy a diamond ring. Would you know all about diamonds?
Eileen: I know an amount about diamonds but I would still rely upon someone who knew more than me and I would want the customer to know more than I know so I would turn to either Tracey or Ken, in particular who has the higher qualifications in diamond grading.
RL: If I came in looking for gems, how about that?
Eileen: Yes, I have a basic across the board knowledge but not an in-
RL: But you’ve been around here since the 1980’s so surely you will have picked up a lot of knowledge along the way?
Eileen: Oh yes. It is surprising listening to Ken or Tracey talking to customers, how much I have picked up without realising it.
RL: You obviously enjoy this or you wouldn’t have been here that long?
Eileen: Yes, I do. The majority of our customers are really nice. You may get the occasional one who’s not so nice, but mostly they’re really good.
Ken interrupts and explains the different abilities of the team:
Ken: Her biggest problem is that she plays herself down. Eileen used to do all the buying and she also managed the pawn-
RL: Right! Well thank you Eileen, that’s a good insight into number two of this four-
To continue to the second of the two interviews, please CLICK HERE
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Interview with the ladies of Yeo’s (10th & 11th February 2011)
Having talked extensively with Ken about the shop and the materials he handles, it seems obvious to follow up on the three girls you may encounter in the shop, so here are two of them
Having talked extensively with Ken about the shop and the materials he handles, it seems obvious to follow up on the three girls you may encounter in the shop, so here are two of them