A good reputation is the greatest of all assets for a business – and reputations travel the world. One modern way this manifests itself is user recommendations on TripAdvisor – and Joe’s Jewelry on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten is proud to be ranked number one among its peers.
This family business of Joe's Jewelry – located on Front Street in Philipsburg – is owned by the Baharanis: father Prakash, son Adesh and his brother Ajay. Today we’re talking to Adesh.
There is, it’s worth pointing out, no Joe. The business was started by Prakash Baharani in 1980, and the name reflects his desire to connect with the American public, who made up the vast majority of the customers – and still do.
The Baharanis had been living an international life at that time, with business interests in Spain, Gibraltar, and India, before settling in St Maarten, where the cruise industry was proving a lucrative market for jewelers.
Adesh finished high school and college in the US before joining the business in 1997 and has been here ever since. In those days the business had three locations on Front Street and that grew to six at one point.
“We consolidated and developed a partnership with the biggest watch company in the world, the Swatch group,” he says. “We opened the first Tissot boutique in the Americas, the first Rado boutique in the Americas, another near Holland House Hotel, and we have a Swatch boutique right across the street. And a satellite store in St Thomas.”
Customer service is the company’s number one priority.
“We focus heavily on giving the customer an exceptional experience in the store. We’re ranked number one on TripAdvisor for customer service, quality, and price, and no one in the Caribbean has achieved the number of reviews we have.”
A key factor in the company’s success is, he says, the stability of its team.
“Our team has been with us a long time. We are a family business, and they are part of the family. Several members of the staff have been with us for 20 years.”
In addition to the benefits such stability has on the company, this also strongly influences customers.
“What the customers want is to shop with confidence. With us, they know they’re getting genuine products, they’re getting quality, and they’re getting a good price. And when they come into our store, they recognize the faces. We build relationships. And after the sale has been made, we have dedicated customer service staff who liaise with them if a stone pops out or something needs to be polished, or a watch has to be sent for repair. We respond very quickly, and the reviews reflect that. We know people’s wives and husbands and children. And sometimes they just come in to say ‘hi’ and may buy something.”
Adesh estimates that 60-70% is repeat business. His jewelry customers love St. Maarten - St-Martin and keep coming back. Some have homes here. And as for prices, they get a duty-free discount and pay no sales tax.
“We don’t wait for Christmas, and we don’t wait for Valentine’s Day. Every day is Christmas.”
And the Baharani family’s plans for the future?
“We're taking it one day at a time,” he says. “What happened last year with the hurricane was a wake-up call for everybody. But the island is resilient. As long as the government ensures the infrastructure is strong, everything else will flow from that. The power company, water, the airport, telecommunications. If those things function in a category five situation, everything will get back much quicker.”
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JOE’S JEWELRY INTERNATIONAL
60 Front Street
Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
+1 721 543-7020
+1 866 313-2123