The latest in our series of “A Day in the Life” features highlights a day in the life of Richard Laing, Director of Scotland’s oldest family jewellers: LAING the Jeweller and LAING Boutique. Richard is in charge of the strategic planning of the company (including their Parkhouse the Jeweller shops in Southampton and Cardiff) and is also one of the watch and jewellery buyers.
Morning – Up at 7am, Richard’s day starts with a coffee at his living room window as he looks through his iPhone Outlook Calendar at the day’s agenda. He sometimes goes for a morning run to kick start his day. He is a real morning person – this is when he feels at his best, seizing the day. Richard walks into work and enjoys having that time to himself in the fresh air, so after a brisk walk into town, he is at the shop an hour or so before the it opens. The first thing he does is go through all his business emails – this is the best time to dedicate to this, while the shop is closed and his colleagues are displaying the jewellery and watches. Richard and the store managers then conduct a ‘Team Talk’, during which they communicate the schedule for the day to the team. This typically includes all the customer appointments for the day and ensuring any tasks are delegated.
Late morning – He is back in the office for meetings most of the morning. Then he assesses the window displays – to ensure they are all at the high LAING standard – and walks down Frederick Street to the LAING Boutique shop to assess their window displays and speak to the team, hearing how their morning has gone so far. Richard dedicates time everyday to researching watch and jewellery brands, in search of the ‘next big thing’.
Early afternoon – As is typical of the retail industry, you never know who may walk through the front door asking to see you, so you get lunch when you can! Richard takes half hour lunch breaks – which consist of leftovers from the night before, or a prepared wrap – enjoyed in the staff room. 
This is always a good opportunity to relax and have a laugh with colleagues. The latest watch and jewellery magazines are always on the staff room table, so he reads though these to keep him up to date with the latest developments in the watch, jewellery and diamond industry. There are also interesting success stories concerning brands and other jewellery shops in the trade.
Mid afternoon – Richard is on the shop floor. Having always enjoyed the buzz and atmosphere on the shop floor, it is not his style to be a ‘back office manager’ – he loves being part of the team and speaking with customers. Richard believes it is very important to be on the shop floor as much as possible, and takes great pride in making sure the fine jewellery floor, the watch gallery, the service department and Boutique are all running smoothly. Communication with the customers is paramount in the jewellery trade and keeps you relevant to the customers needs, wants and styles, because these are always evolving.
Richard appreciates and understands that some people feel hesitant to come into a jeweller’s shop, so he makes sure everyone is invited to sit down, have a cappuccino or glass of bubbly and made to feel at ease. For most men walking around town, an opportunity to sit down when some shops do not have seating areas is an offer very quickly accepted! If someone does not have time to sit with one of our diamond specialists, we have a very clear ‘Diamond Booklet‘ that can be picked up and which gives a lot of helpful and useful information and guidance on what you need to know before buying a diamond.
There doesn’t have to be anything scary about purchasing a diamond engagement ring for example; in fact quite the opposite – it should be an enjoyable experience of learning more about the world of diamonds and why these are such valuable assets in the world today. As this is the most luxurious purchase in a person’s life, it should therefore be one of the most special moments in a man’s or couple’s life and a fond memory to cherish forever. As our business strap line is ‘Delivering Dreams Since 1840’, this is what we strive to do every day.
Late afternoon – This is time dedicated to assessing what has sold throughout our four shops; looking for any emerging trends of more popular watch models and jewellery designs; and replenishing stock or looking at different designs where appropriate to ensure we are offering the best range for our clients. This is also a good point in the day to plan training for the coming week or to contact one of the many watch and jewellery brands he stocks in the shop to keep communication open. Richard is proud to continue building on the close relationship that has been built up over the years between LAING the Jeweller and the brands. As appointments and meetings are often gathered throughout the day for the following day, the agenda for the next day is then assessed with the managers in the shop and they can see how the rest of the week is shaping up.
After Work – Richard walks home reflecting on the day’s achievements and mentally planning any improvements to be made the following day. As our company mission statement goes, ‘Every day in every way, we try to do it better’ – so it is vital to identify any key areas that could be improved. Richard enjoys cooking dinner with his girlfriend and watching Mock the Week or a good movie to wind down from a hectic day.
Fun Richard Facts
- He likes to cook.
- He is learning Italian in his spare time.
- He loves movies and enjoys going to the Dominion Cinema.
- He is a keen scuba diver so is probably planning his next exotic dive site when he’s not working.
- Thinks the ideal recipe for anyone interested in a career in the jewellery trade is a positive people person with a genuine love for jewellery, who is keen to learn something new every day, enjoys being part of a close team, has a good eye for detail and an appreciation for unique design.
www.laingthejeweller.com, www.laingboutique.com
