This company has a long and storied history. In fact, Rogers and Hollands currently have 81 stores in 10 states making them a large chain store with a fairly large operation. It’s a family owned business that has been around for several generations.
Rogers and Hollands History
When this company initially started selling jewelry more than 100 years ago in 1910, they were originally known as Hollands Jewelers. Rogers Jewelers purchased the company eventually, but when they made the purchase they kept members of the Hollands family on staff and began to grow the business from there.
Whether you realize it or not, Rogers and Hollands is actually one of the first chain stores selling jewelry. By the time the 1970s came to a close, they had more than 15 stores in their name and they were still growing.
This company first started out in the Chicago area, but as you have already read they are now a national chain with stores residing in 10 states. Under the Rogers and Hollands umbrella, the company also goes by Ashcroft & Oak Jewelers, which is the name of their flagship stores in the southeastern states. In the North and West, their stores are typically named Rogers and Hollands.
Throughout the years, you can imagine that the company has made numerous mergers and acquisitions. That’s how the company has grown into the family jewelry powerhouse that it is today.
Pricing for Rogers and Hollands Jewelry
As far as pricing is concerned, a few of their offerings are priced at very fair middle-of-the-road averages. But on the other hand, there are certain items that they price very high and this is unfortunate because it doesn’t seem like you’re getting anything extra special for the additional money. So, even though their prices aren’t too bad in some cases, the problem lies that some of their pricing is on the higher side in certain situations.
You should also understand that if you actually go to one of their physical locations as opposed to making a purchase online, you are going to spend more money. Typically, you are going to spend more for their customer service. Unfortunately, their customer service seems to be sorely lacking in some critical areas. So paying extra to make purchases in-store seems like a significant waste of money and time.
Product Exclusivity?
Do you prefer exclusivity when it comes to buying jewelry? You may not enjoy the offerings from Rogers and Hollands if this is something that you care about. They have a large presence throughout the nation with 81 stores, which means that they also have standard product lines that just about anybody can get their hands on as long as they have enough money.
Guess what? There’s nothing very unique and exclusive about a nationwide jewelry chain. The settings they provide are mediocre even though a couple of their pieces aren’t all that bad. Regardless, some of those high ticket high-priced tag items are difficult to fathom when you can buy Disney jewelry from the same store.
What about diamonds and their relationship to exclusivity? Buying diamonds is something that always comes with a certificate of authenticity to guarantee the jewelry itself. The certificate they provide isn’t the greatest and the cut of their diamonds doesn’t exactly meet the highest standards, even with their most expensive pieces.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying cheaper, lesser quality diamonds. But only if you know what you’re purchasing. Buying diamonds from Rogers and Hollands means you’re buying cheap stuff, but they are passing it off as the best that money can buy which is wrong on so many levels.
Customized Designer Items
If you want something a bit more customized and unique, you can visit the Rogers and Hollands website and go to the Design Your Own section. Unfortunately, this tool is more of a smokescreen because it basically allows you to search the website to narrow down your choices from jewelry that already exists. So technically you aren’t getting anything customized at all, although you may find something similar to what you’re looking for.
But we don’t want you to completely get turned off by this company because many of their designers are top-notch in this field. Verragio is a prime example of a great designer that they work with. The only other major issue is you’d be better off getting Verragio pieces from different retailers because you’ll probably end up with a higher quality and more affordable products somewhere else.
On the other hand, it’s nice to see that Rogers and Hollands do work with some top-quality designers. Since the designers choose who they work with, they obviously feel confident in this business so that should mean something.
The Rogers and Hollands Website
For the most part, their website isn’t exactly memorable but it gets the job done. You’ll be able to switch back and forth between pieces easy enough but they are sorely lacking in imagery which is a major turnoff for many buyers.
On the other hand, if you choose to buy diamond jewelry from their website, you are going to pay a premium because they charge a lot. You’d be much better off going to a different online retailer like James Allen or Whiteflash because their options are better and more affordable.
The Rogers and Hollands Shopping Experience
This company heavily markets the personal touch and the in-person experience because it takes precedent over their website. But many people find their customer service lacking which is a big surprise since they seem to focus so much on it. When you couple that with the higher-priced and lower quality diamonds you have a recipe for disaster on your hand.
As an example, the high price tags and designer names would make it seem like you were buying a luxury item and receiving a luxury experience. Even though the stores are somewhat comfortable, they ultimately feel like any other jewelry store you might walk into. Nothing feels special and it doesn’t feel like they go out of their way to make you comfortable, feel at ease, or pamper you in any way possible.
Honestly, it wouldn’t be such a big deal if they weren’t considered an upscale jewelry store. But because they charge so much for their products, you should expect to have a high class and luxurious experience from beginning to end and that is hardly the case.
Their customer service is respectful and courteous. They just don’t seem to go out of their way for customers. They will leave them standing around twiddling their thumbs instead of someone immediately helping them. When you finally do get served, it feels like you are being rushed and the staff only shares whatever they think would be necessary to convince you to buy something.
It’s possible that I walked into one of their stores on a bad day. Maybe they are better than this for the most part. But it doesn’t matter because they still charge a lot for their products when you can buy them for much cheaper online with other high-end diamond retailers.
Are They Very Helpful When Providing Information?
Again, maybe I just happened to walk in on a bad day but I didn’t feel helped at all when I asked for information. It seemed like it was a major struggle to provide assistance and offer understanding. And maybe it’s because the customer service staff was inexperienced, or maybe they were just attempting to make a quick sale. Whatever the case may be, I know is I wasn’t planning on buying any diamond jewelry from them anytime soon.
An Abundance of Choices
For some people, having a wide range of choices is a good thing because they want numerous options to look through. For others, having so many choices can be completely overwhelming and difficult to deal with. So if you want fewer, better choices, you may want to try a different jeweler besides Rogers and Hollands.
Rogers and Hollands Return Policy
They have a satisfying return policy which is pretty much in line with other online and retail jewelry stores of this type. If you buy something online you can return it within 30 days of purchase. But when you do return it, make sure you return it with the certificate. The item also needs to be fully insured as well in case something was to happen.
Final Thoughts
I really wanted to give Rogers and Hollands a glowing review but as you know that definitely wasn’t the case even though I tried my best to remain impartial. I unfortunately had a negative experience when I went into the store. The customer service was very underwhelming to say the least and their in-person prices were very high. When you couple that with the fact that they were selling cheaper diamonds at really high prices, you have a recipe for dissatisfaction to say the least.
For those looking to get more for your money, and you want a higher quality diamond with better clarity, color, and cut, then I recommend you visit James Allen or Whiteflash online for a better experience.
