Ramble On Ron

Diamonds, Music and other Facets of Life

Rite Of Passage: Bad Yelp Review

Posted on | March 8, 2010 | 13 Comments

About a month ago, I wrote a blog post titled “Looking At Diamonds…And Myself” after an interesting customer experience. That experience, along with my reaction to this guy, landed me a negative Yelp review – click here to check it out.

I even ran across Inc Magazine’s article “You’ve Been Yelped” shortly after, which describes business owner’s struggles with this site in particular.

Everyone’s a critic. The cliché has long been a useful way to brush off a caustic remark or a biting comment. But now it’s true — and it’s driving entrepreneurs crazy.

Is it driving us crazy? No. Is it making us think before we react to a customer? Yes.

Now, Yelp does have some other issues, like kicking bad reviews to the bottom of certain user’s pages if they are advertisers. But that’s another issue.

The issue here is how do we, as business owners, treat customers and, better yet, deal with the fallout from negative (and very public) customer feedback? Back in the old days, my grandfather would not hesitate to show a customer the door if they were having a hard time “seeing eye to eye.” But the internet has empowered customers. If you don’t like the service, trash the waiter. If the food is subpar, throw the chef under the bus. And tell all your Facebook friends how that one brand of detergent makes your shirts smell like formaldehyde. So, times change and we always adapt to change around here. But how far do I have to go in dealing with an obnoxious, difficult or even offensive customer? Is the customer always right? Or do I take the chance that sometimes they’re just wrong and let the chips fall where they may? Food for thought I hope. Just please don’t give this “chef” a bad review ;-)

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Category: Business
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Foursquare or Stalkersquare?

Posted on | March 3, 2010 | 19 Comments

Being in the social space is often pretty weird. The king of social networks, Facebook, has made it easy to check out everyone’s family pics, personal interests and hobbies, and everything else that you want to know (or not know) about someone. Often these people aren’t really “friends” but acquaintances at best. After all, do I really know 850 people?  Twitter is #2 with a lot of people that I really don’t know and have never met spewing out all kinds of links, comments and other BS.  The trick with Twitter is to try to find the good stuff among all the noise.

Now we have some new social networks that popped up – Gowalla, Foursquare, Brightkite, even Google Buzz. These are social networks that share your exact location, using GPS technology, to your friends on Facebook and Twitter. You can earn badges and points if you “check in” to more places, so it’s like an addicting game (if you buy into it). When I first saw a status update or tweet saying, “I’m at Starbucks” or “I’m at the Safeway on York Road” I thought to myself, “WHO CARES!” Why do I care if you’re at Starbucks, Safeway, or Shell Gas Station? What does that do for me?

Well, before I trashed this idea, I had to hop on Foursquare myself to see what it’s all about. After all, there are some pretty bright guys invested in this company, including Twitter co-founder, Jack Dorsey. I wanted to find out what’s there from a marketing standpoint. I assume that they will find a way to make money from this. Once you know where someone is, you can market to them through their mobile device in all kinds of creative ways.

Since being on Foursquare, and even before joining, I saw a big problem with this concept. Then came the site that affirmed my paranoia called Please Rob Me. The site is basically a live stream from Twitter titled “Recent Empty Homes” and those people are labeled as “New Opportunities”. I am so glad that this site is out.  Read what they say on their “why” page:

Hey, do you have a Twitter account? Have you ever noticed those messages in which people tell you where they are? Pretty annoying, eh. Well, they’re actually also potentially pretty dangerous. We’re about to tell you why.

Don’t get us wrong, we love the whole location-aware thing. The information is very interesting and can be used to create some pretty awesome applications. However, the way in which people are stimulated to participate in sharing this information, is less awesome. Services like Foursquare allow you to fulfill some primeval urge to colonize the planet. A part of that is letting everyone know you own that specific spot. You get to tell where you are and if you’re there first, it’s yours. O, and of course there’s badges..

The danger is publicly telling people where you are. This is because it leaves one place you’re definitely not… home. So here we are; on one end we’re leaving lights on when we’re going on a holiday, and on the other we’re telling everybody on the internet we’re not home. It gets even worse if you have “friends” who want to colonize your house. That means they have to enter your address, to tell everyone where they are. Your address.. on the internet.. Now you know what to do when people reach for their phone as soon as they enter your home. That’s right, slap them across the face.

The goal of this website is to raise some awareness on this issue and have people think about how they use services like Foursquare, Brightkite, Google Buzz etc. Because all this site is, is a dressed up Twitter search page. Everybody can get this information.

Foursquare and other similar sites fill the self-promoting way of the status update and tweet. People LOVE to say “I’m at the beach” or “I’m on vacation” so others can see how cool they are and what an exciting life they lead. These sites feed right into that need. I found myself doing it in New York City last week. It was sooo cool of me to be at Radio City Music Hall watching a concert while all of you were home watching The Bachelor. :) Guess what? It’s stupid! My wife was home alone. In the jewelry business, it would be extra stupid for a salesperson to tell anyone where they are.

One other thought that is not addressed on Please Rob Me goes out to women who are telling us guys where they are all the time. Now, I’m a happily married man and a good person. But there are a lot of sick people out there! If you’re an attractive woman, do you really want every guy on Twitter to know where you are so they can happen to just show up to see you? Or even worse to hurt you?

Maybe I’ll eat my words and these sites will be the next Facebook, but remember that the internet is full of stalkers, criminals and psychopaths, so use some common sense here people!

What do you think of these sites?  Are they game changers or a stalkers heaven?

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Category: social media
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Furthur Review – Radio City 2/24/10

Posted on | February 27, 2010 | 2 Comments

I had the pleasure of seeing Furthur up in NYC at Radio City with a buddy. Here’s the setlist:

02/24/10 (Wed)  Radio City Music Hall – New York City, NY

Set 1: Jam, Truckin’, Dire Wolf, Mama Tried, Althea, Brown Eyed Women, Till the Morning Comes, Music Never Stopped, Touch of Grey

Set 2: Uncle John’s Band > Scarlet Begonias, Fire on the Mountain, Bird Song, St. Stephen, The Eleven Jam, St. Stephen, Born Cross Eyed Eyes of the World, Morning Dew, Playing in the Band (reprise) E: Brokedown Palace

What a venue and what a show. The new guitar player, John Kadlecik, is the real deal. A lot of die hard deadheads and guitar players are skeptical of him because they don’t want to hear a Jerry imitator. Hey, I get it but I never got that vibe. Most who have actually seen them will agree that this is a great band, hands down. Listen, Jerry is gone and there will never be another so let’s move on to the present. John is the right guy.  He knows every song, doesn’t make mistakes and adds exactly what the band needs. The bottom line for me is that if I still get the chills from it, and still enjoy the music, then I’m there. Warren Haynes was not the right fit for this band as I discussed in this blog post, Warren Haynes is Better with The Allman Brothers.

Another comment on this show is that I really never heard The Eleven Jam – somehow I missed that one. Anyway, they will be on tour this summer and I’ll be there.  I got some decent video so check out this Scarlett Begonias and enjoy!

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Category: Entertainment, Music
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If You Get Confused, Listen To The Music Play

Posted on | February 18, 2010 | 3 Comments

Things are slowly moving forward around here.  We got knocked out by the snow, but the diamonds are still coming in.  We just cut a 4.60 carat round diamond into a 3.63 fancy yellow radiant cut that’s now at the lab.  I will post some pix of a before and after very soon.

For now, I look forward to seeing Furthur at Radio City next week.  Here’s a clip from 10/31/80 which was the last time the Grateful Dead played that venue.  Jerry’s replacement, John, is a GREAT player..

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You Gotta Be Lucky

Posted on | February 13, 2010 | 2 Comments

My grandfather used to tell my father every day, “You gotta be lucky”.  My father used to wonder to himself, “Why is he telling me this every single day?” Well, because it’s true. My father is realizing it as he gets older, seeing his friends get older and some becoming sick.  I am realizing it now because of some recent family tragedies.  What does it mean?  You can do all the right things – eat right, no smoking, no drinking, exercise, but if you don’t have a little “mazal” you’re in trouble.

I wish for all my friends and family to be extra lucky in this new year…

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Looking At Diamonds…And Myself

Posted on | February 1, 2010 | 7 Comments

I had an enlightening experience today with a customer. He came in to look at some diamonds we were holding for him, only to tell me that he found another diamond from an e-tailer and just wanted to look at settings. I explained that we don’t just sell mountings and set other company’s diamonds in them. Setting a stone in an engagement ring is the riskiest and most important part of the process.  As a policy, we only set diamonds that we sell or, in some cases, a customer’s family heirloom.  And, regarding diamonds, we don’t just sell paper, but provide an opportunity to view a selection of diamonds up close and answer any questions.  When this customer, in my opinion, lacked an appreciation for this, I was actually offended, and I even responded to him in such a tone.  As I reflected on my reaction, my first thought was, “oh no!” The last thing I need is to compromise my brand because I may have come across like a jerk, but I am so passionate about my business, and I want to get through to young people about how to buy a diamond, so that’s how it came out.

I’ve been taught by my father and grandfather this tradition of community, giving back, and standing behind my product and my word as a staple in our business.  And it posed the question that maybe young people aren’t learning this lesson. It seems that in this virtual world, everything is just a number, or in this case a piece of paper. And it’s very frustrating. Hopefully, that’s what social media is doing, giving a human touch to what used to be an information driven internet. So it’s not just a sale, but a business philosophy down here. A diamond is not what a laminated piece of paper says, but each has it’s own beauty and uniqueness.

It reminds me of this blog post I wrote back in November 2008 entitled, “How to Look at a Diamond”.

Francois Curiel, head of Christie’s international jewelry division says this:

Question: What makes a stone great?

Answer: “Its ideal proportions, its life and whether it talks to you or not. We had a group of young gemological students come to our New York viewing in October. We sat them behind the showcases, like real professionals, so that they could examine the diamonds. What struck me was that the first thing they did when they picked up a stone was to loupe it. I smiled because this is what I did when I started in the business and this is what all gemological schools teach you to do. When one gets a bit older, the loupe comes second and one first looks at the diamond in one’s hand. Do I like it? Even though the proportions might not be perfect by GIA [Gemological Institute of America] standards, do I want to own this stone? Ten people look at a gem, 11 opinions. So, what makes a stone great? Your eye and appreciation of it.”

We are real people.  We would love to meet you and talk to you about diamonds and explain what you should really be looking for!

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Category: Business, Jewelry, life
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The Baltimore Ravens Made a Good Run

Posted on | January 22, 2010 | 2 Comments

I just got back from Florida for a nice family vacation.  Weather was great, kids were great, the only bummer was the Ravens loss to the Colts on Saturday night.  I was happy to be watching this game sitting outside at a sports bar with my good friends, but what a terrible game. 

Ravens RB - Rice

Ravens RB - Ray Rice

So what can we say about the Ravens season?  At the QB position, Joe Flacco looks ok.  He’s only in his second year, so he needs time to develop.  However, if he can play mistake free football, much like Trent Dilfer did in the Ravens 2000 Superbowl season, and rely on defense and the running game, we have a shot to win it all in 2011.

That gets me to my next point.  The running game is the real deal!  Ray Rice is a player.  I love that a small guy can bulldoze defenders and do some power running.  And of course we have Willis McGahee as our second runner, who is a starter on most teams in the NFL.

So I’m looking forward to next season.  I wish I could say the same for my beloved Orioles.  They need some serious help and raising ticket prices was not the place to start…

 

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Category: Sports
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Sure Don’t Know What I’m Going For, But I’m Gonna For It For Sure

Posted on | January 7, 2010 | 7 Comments

Happy New Year!  It was a great year for me personally and for Samuelson’s Diamonds.  We are growing as a company in all directions both locally and online.  In my first post of 2010, what better video to post than one of the Grateful Dead’s most meaningful songs, Saint of Circumstance.  This was performed at Giants Stadium 6/17/91.  Note Bruce Hornsby on piano and Jerry’s horn effect which he used so well in my first blog post where I posted a brilliant “Ramble On Rose” video.  I was not at this show but I was at the show right before it at RFK 6/14/91 where they opened the second set with Help->Slip->Franklin’s, and of course a great Jack-A-Roe->Big River->Maggies Farm in the middle of the first set.  (available on DVD “View From The Vault II”)  This was a great run of shows which was the summer right after my first show on 7/12/90 that I talked about in a previous blog post. Anyway, listen to the words in this song.  They are very inspiring and they inspire me grow and evolve to have an even better 2010.

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Category: Entertainment, Music, life
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I Changed My Twitter Handle, Have You?

Posted on | December 29, 2009 | 12 Comments

I think I may have an identity crisis.  I just changed my twitter handle, user name, whatever it is, to @ronsamuelson.  Isn’t that exciting and creative?  It’s just my name.  Let me tell you the history of my twitter names, so maybe there is some rhyme or reason for this change.

When I very first started on Twitter I was @ronniediamond.  I have developed that nickname among some friends, always getting the, “Hey Ronnie Diamond!” when I walk into the room.  Didn’t mind it.  But Diamond is an actual last name of someone, so I thought of another.  I came to @diamondbuyer, in hopes that it would help me in search.  I’m not sure that it did, but I do know that I’ve always felt a little whorish about it.  It’s kinda salesy too and not that cool or edgy.  So I figured that I would do what most other smart people do on twitter and just go by their name.  Plain and simple.  I’m pretty happy with it…I think.

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together

Of course, I reserved @diamondbuyer as well.  Maybe I’ll make him into some sort of diamond buying character…or not.  Who knows the right answer here?  Twitter is pretty new so there are no right answers.  But like Lennon/McCartney say,

“I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.”

So I am me.  Or I Am The Walrus.  But the walrus was Paul, so that answers that question.  Maybe I’ll change it a few more times.  Does it really matter anyway?   Please share your twitter name thoughts.  I would love to hear them!

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Category: social media
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My Baltimore Blizzard Engagement Ring Story

Posted on | December 24, 2009 | 5 Comments

The seventh biggest blizzard in Baltimore history and the biggest blizzard ever in December couldn’t have come at a worse time for retailers.  It was the Saturday before Christmas, and to make it even worse we were having our Holiday Party on Sunday, complete with live music, food and drinks.  Well, I had a diamond appointment Saturday morning.  This customer was coming to see me from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, (about 2 hours away) so on Friday I sent him an email to see if he was still coming.  He told me that he would come to Baltimore Friday night and stay at a hotel so he could avoid the snow Saturday morning.  Well, if a customer is going to do that just to see me, I will be here, blizzard or no blizzard.  So he came in Saturday morning with his girlfriend, in the snow, and bought a diamond ring.  He was outta here by 11am and decided that he would go ahead and make the drive back.  I sent him a thank you email and said “drive safely” and went home.  So I’m home with the family by the fire relaxing, and I got this reply:

Ron-

Speaking of driving safely, a car slammed into ours on our way back and we just got a room in the Comfort Inn in Bowie. Christmas is officially ruined.

So how do I reply to that?  It’s not my fault that he got in an accident, but I was honored that he would go through the trouble to come to Samuelson’s Diamonds.   After all, he made our day.  So I called the Comfort Inn in Bowie and paid for his room.  It’s the least I could do.  And here’s the response:

Ron,

Tara and I greatly appreciate your help. Like we said it was not necessary to take care of the room, but it is very nice of you. We are very excited for the ring to come in- I know it will be perfect. Expect our business for wedding bands- going through all this trouble, we still feel, is definitely worth it. Thank you for everything! Talk to you Monday.

So I think I did the right thing. And if you want to come to Baltimore and buy a diamond from us, we’ll put you up for a night too!

As far as the party went, I had every intention of not letting the blizzard bring us down. I even made this video.

Unfortunately, it snowed about 2 feet, so we had to postpone the party. Stay tuned though, if there’s one thing we know how to do down here, it’s have fun, and we WILL have another rockin’ party real soon!

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Category: Business, life
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