February 20, 2020
My daughter doesn’t want to wear big, chunky, elaborate earrings. She just wants a simple stud. I have a pair of simple studs with ribbons I had made some 25 years ago. I showed them to her and she agreed to wear them on her special day. Napaka-simple.
I brought it to a jewelry store in Galleria to have it plated from yellow to white gold. P2,500 daw. Nagulat ako, mahal pala. I was expecting mga 1,000. When the girl saw my reaction, she dropped the price to 2,000. “Sige two thousand na lang yan ang minimum namin”.
I didn’t have the earrings plated kasi I felt 2,000 was too much because the earrings were so tiny.
I went to the small jewelry repair shop near the tiangge, When I showed her the earrings, she said P1,200. I didn’t react. She lowered it “1,000 na lang, mataas ang gold ngayon”.
Me—– “May discount pa ba yun kasi ang litt lang nitong earrings”.
Alahera—–“Eight hundred”.
She issued me an invoice although I haven’t paid yet.
She told me to come back after 45 minutes. I told her I will wait right there. She said her guy would being the earrings to their main shop inside the Jewellery. I didn’t want to give my earrings to the guy. I went with him to their main store on the second floor.
There were 3 old ladies who asked to be attended to first. I didn’t want to leave my earrings with the store while I waited for them to do my earrings. I went to one other shop and asked how much for the plating, they said 2,000. A lot more expensive.
I stood there and I scanned all the other jewelry shops. I observed the people manning the respective stores and also observed how they behaved and looked.
I figured, those stores with employees wearing uniforms, with security guards, with at least two sales ladies standing behind the counters, would most likely charge hugher. Of course, they have higher operating costs. I focused on smaller stores, with only one sales lady.
Using my simple observation and analysis, I approached this store.
Me—–“Miss, nagtutubog ba kayo sa white gold?”
Sales Lady—–“Oo, tingnan ko ….”
I showed her the tiny earrings and asked “magkano ang charge?”
Sales Lady—–“Five hundred’.
Me—–“Okay”
I waited for thirty minutes while listening to the conversations of the owners who were inside. I couldn’t see them but I could hear their juicy tsismisan loud and clear.
