Friday, July 17, 2009

Frey Wille

While in Vienna we visited the Frey Wille shop. I have seen advertisements all over Budapest but have never been in the store. So, when we walked by the store-I automatically made a detour to the front door.

I want to back up a bit and give you a little insight into my customer service experience in the United States. I worked 11 years in product development at Nordstrom. For those of you not familiar with Nordstrom-they are a higher end department store who is known for their excellent customer service. I learned many things in those 11 years at Nordstrom. The most important thing I learned is that if you treat the customer with respect and a smile, you will have loyal customers who will remember their pleasant shopping experience and will come back. It is so simple, yet so many business just don't get it. Frey Wille gets it!

We went into the store to just look around. A very nice sales woman approached me and started talking about the products. She was extremely knowledgeable about everything that went into making the ring that I was eyeing. She pulled it out of the case and let me try it on. I told her I wasn't going to buy anything today. She still spent a good amount of time with me just explaining the process of how the jewelry is made. She filled up a bag full of catalogues, a business card and order information and walked around the counter and handed me the bag. She walked us to the door, open the door for us and said have a nice day. My friend looked at me with big eyes and said "Did you buy that ring?" I did not...yet. The whole experience was so nice and I left the store appreciating the service and understanding the craftsmanship and how the jewelry is made.

Each piece of jewelry is hand done. If you know me, you know I am just as interested in the process as I am the final product. I asked if there was a factory that I could tour. Unfortunately, there are no public tours.
The below photos are from one of the catalogues that was given to me.




The ring on the left is the one I have been eyeing:)

11 comments:

Michael said...

Diane,

Can US customers order from their catalog? I have been looking for soemthing unique and pretty for Karri for our 10th.

Diane Kappa said...

Hi Michael, Their is a store in Santa Monica, CA. I would call them and see what items they sell. I love the rings! They did warm me they are not everyday rings as they are delicate. If you are looking for something that can be worn everyday, I would look at a necklace. Here is the CA info.
tel: (310) 260-2639
E-Mail: losangeles@frey-wille.us

Let me know what you end up doing!
Thanks for commenting on the blog!
-Diane

Michael said...

Just found this:
http://www.freywilleusa.com/
e-commerce - my favorite!

Shamila said...

My friend in Prague was gifted a Frey Wille ring for a very special occasion. They are great.

Katrin@Shr said...

looking for the store in New York! nothing!!!(((((
may be anybody knows so best-need adress?

Diane Kappa said...

Hello Katrin,
I am so sorry they are not in New York. I see you can order online.
try this: www.shop.frey-wille.us

I like that you can not find them everywhere. It makes their product, unique and that much more special since you can only buy it in certain countries and cities. Although if their wasn't a store near me I may feel differently:) Good Luck!
-diane

Mary B said...

I discovered Frey Wille while on vacation in Vienna in 2006 and was immediately blown away by not only the beauty of the jewelry but from the whole shopping experience. My husband bought me the Hundertwasser ring for my anniversary while we were there (from a ridiculously friendly and knowledgeable sales associate) and I just adore it. I am an enamel artist myself and am so inspired by their designs.

I couldn't believe they had dozens of locations all over the world but none in NY. Thankfully that is about to change next month when they open their first store on Madison Ave. You can bet I'll be there on opening day!

Anonymous said...

hallo
I'm from georgia and i want to know how this is done by hand enamel. I am a specialist in enamels, and I would like to do. How do I know?

Diane Kappa said...

Hello, I do not know how this is done. I do not think they do factory tours. If they do you would need to fly to Austria where they are made. Good luck!

Fiona said...

Love Frey Wille Jewelry! They are just so gorgeous and breathtaking! Found this http://www.freywilleonlineshop.org/ Frey Wille Onilne Shop, enjoyed!

LoopTeeLoop said...

Hi,

Just as a warning, I think that the online shops are frauds. See this page on the official FREYWILLE site: http://shop.freywille.com/.

I recently received a FREYWILLE piece as a gift and I don't love it. Their stores do not offer refunds and, in face, the associates we spoke with were not very nice or helpful.

If anyone here is interested in purchasing a FREYWILL piece, I'd happily meet you at the LA store, exchange my pieces for whatever you want, and accept your payment. I know that sounds crazy, but I just don't love the piece and it's a lot of money for something unloved.

Best,

Jennifer