Time Robbers
A Bench Jeweler’s Guide to Handling Interruptions
A major area of wasted time for the bench jeweler is interruptions. Interruptions are a normal part of anyone’s work day and a necessary part of doing business, and can never be completely eliminated. However, when they become excessive and unnecessary or when they are not handled properly, they have a detrimental effect on the productivity in the shop. Without a doubt, interruptions are one of the biggest Robbers of Time that jewelers face.
Often the bench jeweler is interrupted with questions. This is not because they are the best person to ask, but because they are the easiest person to ask. Since they are sitting at their bench, everybody knows where to find them. Because they are quietly working, it is assumed they don’t mind being interrupted. However, to disturb a jeweler while working at their bench is just as much of an interruption as asking a salesperson a question while they are selling jewelry to a customer.
Salespeople taking in repair work should be familiar with what can be done in the shop and with the store’s price sheet. They should be able to give price estimates on most routine jobs without asking for the bench jeweler’s assistance. Then interruptions to the jeweler can be minimized. During the day, however, there are situations where technical assistance is needed, or where the jeweler must figure price estimates. On these occasions, one should not hesitate to bring this to the attention of the jeweler for their assistance. There are also occasions where additional work must be performed, interrupting the jeweler's schedule. This work may need to be done while the customer waits, or finished in a few hours.
While You Wait Jobs
When bench jewelers speak of interruptions they are usually referring to situations where salespeople come back into the shop with a special request for a customer. This is NOT an interruption to your work; IT IS YOUR WORK!
It is the responsibility of the bench jeweler to balance the salesperson’s pressure for priority service, and completing work already in the shop, and should always strive to see that any additional work is executed with the minimum amount of disruption.
Jewelers need to keep in mind that change is inevitable. Customer’s requests are NOT an interruption to their work, it IS their work. This does not mean, however, that every request can be accomplished. There are times when a request can not be met, and the bench jeweler needs to say NO. Saying no up front can save many problems down the road. Do not accept a job you know you cannot finish in time. For example, if the salesperson states that the customer will be back in 30 minutes for the job and you know it will take you at least an hour or more, it’s best to say so up front.
Otherwise when the promised time arrives it must be explained to the customer why it is not finished on time; and the customer’s work that was delayed in an attempt to finish the new work may not be completed when expected either.
Handling Interruptions continued