Located in an old bank building, Amber’s Designs Fine Jewelry in Katy, Texas, is a gem of a jewelry studio that sells custom jewelry crafted by Amber Gustafson and her team of master jewelers. Its commitment to quality and customer service has led Amber’s Designs to be honored as “Small Retailer of the Year” by the Texas Retailers Association.
Gustafson says Amber’s Designs grows its loyal customer base on a reputation for great customer service. “People are so used to automation and doing things online,” Gustafson said. “When they come here, they’re dealing with people that care.” An exceptional level of service and great experiences fuel word-of-mouth marketing; today, that means Gustafson looks to social media as an important business tool that lets her connect with customers.
For Gustafson, the most rewarding part about her job is being able to design exactly what customers want. “I love knowing I can create that one-of-a-kind piece that’s just for them,” Gustafson said.
From her Texas home, Gustafson travels around the world to source the best gemstones and materials for her designs, but she stresses that growing a business all comes down to what happens between people face-to-face. Her advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs in today’s competitive business climate? “The most important part of any retail business happens between you and the customer,” she said. “It’s that 18 inches between me and the case.”
Scroll through the Instagram photos below to learn more about Amber’s Designs.
A post shared by National Retail Federation (@nrf) on May 4, 2018 at 9:10am PDT