Upping the Customer Service Ante

"Grocery" may be a metaphor for how to beat Amazon.  Currently, online grocery sales account for only 2 percent of an $800 billion industry (overall online retail sales account for 10 percent of the market).  However, the number of online sales is expected to increase as time goes on.  

Amazon offers both online and brick-and-mortar grocery sales through its purchase of Whole Foods. Established competitors such as Walmart, Kroger, Costco and Target are not sitting idly by and waiting for Amazon to gobble up market share.  In fact, those companies are cutting into Amazon’s share and their experience teaches lessons for decorative plumbing and hardware showrooms.

The grocery wars illustrate that most shoppers are not loyal to a single store or chain.  You gain customer loyalty by offering convenience, choice and the ease of purchasing whether it is online or at a brick-and-mortar retailer. The Internet has empowered today’s shoppers to buy on their terms.  A recent study found that 80 percent of all shoppers are more likely to buy from retailers that offer a range of convenient, flexible delivery options. For groceries this means same-day delivery, in-store, curbside or drive-through pick up and deliveries to other convenient locations.

Walmart’s web site and grocery app enables consumers to order groceries online and pickup at a local store while even having their orders brought to their cars.  In the last year, Walmart expanded same-day delivery to more than 100 metropolitan areas and it appears that these investments are providing better than anticipated returns.  Walmart has more exclusive shoppers than any other retail operation with the exception of Amazon. The company increased digital sales 43 percent in the last quarter of 2018.  

Communication is another key to obtaining customer loyalty.  Consumers expect timely, accurate and helpful information to help them make the right decisions regardless of whether they are buying groceries or a new bathroom. That's why DPHA developed the Member Blog.  That’s also why DPHA offers members access to consumer buying guides that answer the questions consumers most often ask.  Showrooms should ask customers for permission to message them through different mediums, text, email, tweets, etc., and should provide their customers control on how often, and in what ways, they receive information.  

Why should you communicate often with customers on their terms?  Eighty one percent of people are more likely to purchase from a retailer that keeps them updated on the progress of an order, found a recent survey by Narvar. Similarly, it is even more important to communicate frequently if there is a problem.  Don’t abdicate responsibility to a manufacturer or rep to fix a problem.

Building emotional attachments is an additional cog in creating customer loyalty.  Emotional attachments are created by providing an enjoyable purchasing experience.  That’s why Trader Joe’s is ranked first in positive customer experiences and generates the most revenue per square foot of any grocery chain.  



Ask yourself how you can make the purchasing experience at your showroom more enjoyable?  

Dressing for Success

You have a big presentation to finally land the region’s largest and most successful builder in your market.  What do you wear to make the best impression?  According to David Zyla, an Emmy award-winning stylist and author of Color Your Style: How to Wear Your True Colors, everyone has preferred colors even if they don’t give a hoot about fashion.  Color choices do make a difference, especially when you face a significant or high-pressure situation at work.  Zyla advises that you look inward to find the colors that best suit yourself.  Consider your eye, hair and skin color and the color of clothing that best complements what already exists.  

For presentations, Zyla recommends a power color such as purple, blue or green because those colors make a statement and draw attention to the individual.  For collaborative activities, avoid power colors or colors that will make you stand out from a crowd.  Instead wear colors that reflect the darkest color in your eye because that serves to draw attention to your eyes and will make you appear to be more trustworthy.   You don't want to wear clothes with too many busy colors because it will distract from focusing on the task you are trying to complete.

Regardless of color selection, a key to dressing for success is to feel confident in what you wear and the clothing should be comfortable. 

Guiding Your Customers to Their Ideal Kitchen Faucet, by Philipe Filion (Baril), an Education Committee Member

Even though most customers will research prior to visiting a showroom, they can become easily overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of features and designs available in the marketplace. The Internet has accelerated information overload. Your role is to create a comfort zone by asking the right questions and listening carefully to responses. You will earn their trust and demonstrate your expertise.

1. Is this a replacement faucet? If so, what is the existing hole configuration?

If the replacement leaves open the possibility of unfilled holes on the sink or mounting surface, a useful and popular solution is to fill open holes with soap dispensers, air switches, filtered water dispensers and pop-up strainer controls. A cover plate may also be used.

2. What is the size and type of sink and deck the faucet is to be mounted on? What are the immediate surroundings?

It is always a good idea to purchase the sink and faucet at the same time to ensure a perfect fit. Whether they keep an existing sink or purchase a new one, you must determine if, given the reach and angle of the spout, the water stream will reach at least the middle of the sink bowls. Make sure there is adequate space to enable the handles to function properly. Some manufacturers’ single-handle faucet handles move backwards towards the backsplash. The location of the sink may have an impact on the height of the spout too. If installed in front of a window or below low-hanging cabinets, a low-arc or pull-out faucet may be preferable.

3. How many sinks in the kitchen?

New kitchens often feature more than one preparation area. Many manufacturers offer matching faucets for kitchen and bar sinks.

4. Who in the household will use the kitchen faucet the most and how? How often do they cook?

Determining a customer’s lifestyle is part of the needs assessment. High-arc faucets provide more work surface in the sink, making it easier for your clients to fill large pots. A pot-filler may also be advisable. Some manufacturers offer hands-free options. These faucets let you activate the water flow without touching the handle so you avoid getting it dirty. Two types of technology are available. Infrared models turn on the flow when an object is within a few inches of the sensor while capacitance faucets require you to touch the faucet to turn it on and off.

5. What type of handles and spray do they prefer?

Bridge and widespread faucets require two hands to operate and if a spray is available, it is separate from the unit. Contemporary and transitional single-handle pull-out and pull-down models are popular for the cleaner look they provide and for their quick, easy, one-handed operation. Sprays are always advisable for their convenience at washing fruits and vegetables and cleaning the sink.

6. What finishes are used and what is the general style of the kitchen/home? Does the customer have a style preference?

You need to gain insight into a client’s style. Styles available today range from the basic single handle chrome faucet to elaborate traditional models reminiscent of 18th century England. It’s your job to assist them in curating the vast array of options and then finding the product that will fit their needs and price range. Sometimes this can be a real challenge! The most common styles range from traditional – with details such as ridges, finials and porcelain or crystal accents – to contemporary – clean, straight lines and often minimalist. The transitional style is a marriage of traditional and contemporary and often features tear-drop shapes.

The finish of the kitchen faucet should blend with or accentuate the other colors in the kitchen. Stainless steel and satin nickel offer a similar look and either may be acceptable to complement stainless steel appliances and sinks. Chrome remains very popular for its durability and timelessness. Manufacturers offer a spectrum of colors but inform your client that these finishes may be more delicate and should be shielded from some acid- and alkaline-based foods and cleaning products.

By listening to your customers and guiding them towards the ideal faucet for their individual needs, you not only satisfy them, but also earn their trust and create a bond that no online retailer can achieve.

Why Change Is So Difficult

I don’t know how many conversations that we have had with members who comment that the industry has changed so dramatically and that all of our businesses need to change to keep pace. Think about what has happened to our industry, and to a larger extent, our society. Could you have imagined that we would live in a world where more individuals have a mobile subscription than access to electricity or safe drinking water?  As Dan Pink describes in his book To Sell Is Human, we have moved from Caveat Emptor to Caveat Venditor (buyer beware to seller beware).  

Today, customers come to showrooms armed with pictures, product information, pricing, reviews by former clients and so on.  In many cases, they believe they know as much about the products that we sell as do the showroom sales professionals.  The way that new customers find us, evaluate us and make decision to buy from a showroom have changed significantly.  And showrooms need to change to keep pace, but that’s easier said than done.

When you have a quiet moment, ask yourself - what changes have you really made in the past five years to respond to the current market conditions? 

Have you changed the way you approach customers and go-to-market? If someone went to your web site, what are the reasons they would or should return in the future?

Have you changed the way you train your staff and are you teaching them how to build better relationships with clients and prospects?  

If you are involved in project work, do you know who the target market is for a new development? When someone comes in to renovate a master bath, do your sales professionals determine the reasons for the renovation? 

Without understanding the why, it is going to be difficult to make recommendations that will place your sales professionals in the position of trusted advisor.  Simply taking orders makes your team order takers.  What have you changed to help make it easier to buy from you or that you understand the needs, wants and desires of your customers? What’s changed and what has been the result of that change?

If the answer to most of the questions above is not much, you most likely are not alone.  Most people are resistant to change.  The psychologists and HR folks tell us that people resist change because they believe they lose control.  They fear the unknown and gravitate to what is most comfortable and what already works.  

Can you blame your fellow team members for sticking with the status quo?  Yes you can, because our world is changing so rapidly. Are you and your team learning to address tomorrow’s challenges?  Do you plan to go to the DPHA Conference, November 7-10 in Seattle?  Do you plan to take advantage of the sales professionals training program for your team members at the Conference?  Confucius wrote, “Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.”

Dan Pink writes in his seminal work Drive that one effective way to facilitate changes in behavior is to phrase the goals you want to achieve as business problems and ask your staff to be active participants in the resolution of those problems.  Pink claims that this technique will do more to overcome resistance and motivate change than any other strategy.  A couple of suggestions:

 

• Gather your team that may resist selling the highest margin products in your showroom and ask them what they would do to make those products more marketable other than cutting the price.

• Ask your staff to identify the two or three greatest challenges that they face daily.  Then ask them - if they were the owner of the showroom, what would they do to make things better?  Reward the consultant with the best answer.

 

Telling someone who has been doing X for a long time to suddenly do Y is a recipe for disaster. Making your team members the facilitators of change makes it easier and more rewarding.  Give it a try and please share your results on DPHA’s Facebook page and with our LinkedIn group.

The Lessons Learned from Home Depot's Mobile Engagement

Most new bath sales start with questions.  That's why former DPHA Conference keynote speaker Marcus Sheridan advised DPHA members to answer the questions client ask most often on their web sites. DPHA also has an invaluable resource to help.  Our smart buying guides, which DPHA members can download and use on their websites, answer questions that most clients ask most often - https://www.dpha.net/dpha-connect/for-homeowners/guidance-for-purchasing-products/.

Live chat is the favored customer service channel for shoppers aged 18 to 49, followed by phone calls.  However, only 62 percent of all retailers offer a live chat option from a desktop computer and only 55 percent offer a live chat on a mobile site, according to Gartner L2.  

Home Depot is a company that is ahead of the curve when it comes to answering customer questions either via live chat, phone call or mobile live chat.  The company recently launched an SMS experience (texting) through Apple Business Chat that is hosted within iOS Messages.  This new messaging function offers a curated shopping tool, personalized product recommendations based on customer questions and links to relevant product pages.  It’s very cool.  Customers can even make purchases directly using Apple pay.  

Few if any independent decorative plumbing and hardware showrooms can offer the digital experience of Home Depot, but they can profit from the lessons of "big orange".  Consider placing a chatbot on your website where customers can feel comfortable asking questions or have a question and answer platform on your web page. A note of caution though:  If you feature a chat bot, you need to dedicate resources to answering questions immediately.

How to Get Smarter

Marketing guru Seth Godin said, “every time I finish a book, I get smarter.”  If you agree with Godin, why don’t all of us read more often? Similar to not exercising regularly and eating healthier, the excuses of not enough time or energy to read are really statements that reading is not a priority to you. 

Neil Pasrich, author of six books including The Happiness Equation and The Book of Awesome, and an avid reader, offers the following advice on how to read more.  

• Create a path of least resistance to reading.  Just as Google places healthy snacks on countertops for employees and hides the chocolate in cookie jars, place books that you want to read in easily accessible and visible places, e.g. coffee tables, night stands, car seat pouches, kitchen countertops, etc.

• Use a red light when you read in bed because theory holds that red light helps produce Melatonin and bright lights can make you feel more alert.  Reading in bed should help wind you down, not up.

• Put your smart phone to bed so you resist the temptation to look at it every few seconds.  Pasrich suggests if you need to sleep with the phone nearby, put it on "do not disturb" to block calls after dinner and leave it like that until you wake up (if you can).  

• Develop an organizational system.  “There’s a reason why every library uses the Dewey Decimal System,” writes Pasrich, because it makes sense.  Pasrich uses the Dewey Decimal System to categorize his books, which he claims has caused him to find his books faster, read more purposefully and become more engaged in what he reads.  He uses classify.oclc.org to determine the Dewey Decimal number for books that don’t have the code on the inside jacket and a Decimator app to look up what the number means.

• Looking for what to read next? Check out BookTube and podcasts What Should I Read Next, Get  Booked or 3 Books. 

• Determine what takes up your free time and determine if It is worth the investment.  Do you really need to watch the news for so much time per day, read multiple newspapers or spend hours upon hours on social media sites?  Wouldn't that time be better spent expanding your perspective buried in a good book?

• Don’t read books on a tablet, smart phone or other device that can distract your attention from reading, e.g. checking email between pages.  Reading a bound book on a printed page has benefits.  If you need to read on a device, make sure it’s one that can't receive email or texts.

• Find a local bookstore instead of relying on best seller lists and expert reviews.  Walking into a local, independent book store (if there still is one in your neck of the woods) provides a great source for books that you will thoroughly enjoy but may never have encountered online.  

Need more reasons to read more?  According to The Annual Review of Psychology, reading opens up parts of the brain responsible for developing empathy, compassion and understanding.  Reading makes you a better leader, teacher, parent, partner, sibling and boss.  So read more, because as Pasrich writes, if you are what you eat, you are what you read.

The Habits of Highly Productive People

What’s the key to becoming more productive? According to a recent survey of nearly 20,000 readers of HBR.org, they are:

• Plan your work based on top priorities and act with a definite objective.

1. Before you leave for the day, play the next day’s schedule, emphasizing priorities.
2. Identify the goal of each appointment/meeting.
3. Develop and issue an agenda for each group meeting with a status of the agenda item and the expectations of the team.
4. Identify the goal of reading lengthy material.
5. Before writing a prospectus, proposal or other type of analysis, develop an outline with a logical order of key points you want to cover. 

• Develop effective techniques for managing a high volume of information and tasks.

1. Develop daily processes that become routines, such as dedicating "X" amount of time or a certain time of day to look at emails.
2. Make sure that you leave time in your schedule to deal with the unexpected and emergencies.
3. Scan the subject lines of emails and texts no more than once an hour.
4. Break larger projects into defined pieces and reward yourself for completing each section.
5. Delegate tasks to team members that are not your top priorities.

• Understand the needs of your team members for shorter meetings, clear directions and responsive communication.

1. Set a hard deadline for each meeting.
2. Respond immediately to messages from people who are most important to you.
3. Establish clear objectives and metrics for each project.
4. Learn from mistakes to prevent recurrences and avoid the temptation of blaming others for shortcomings.

The survey revealed that working harder and longer does not necessarily make you more productive. Experience does matter - older and more senior professionals recorded higher productivity scores than younger and more junior team members. Gender does not matter - males and females scored about the same. 

The Key to Making Positive First Impressions

How do you make a great first impression? You need to project warmth first and then competence, and be perceived as having both writes Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy in her new book Presence. Most people erroneously believe that competence is more important than warmth. Let’s face it, when a prospective customer walks into your showroom, they want to feel confident that you have the skill to design their dream bath, kitchen or hardware project. However, Cuddy claims that warmth or trustworthiness is the most important factor in creating a positive first impression. If a prospect does not trust you, there is no chance you will win their contract regardless of how talented you might be. 

Tips Establish Trust and Rapport with New Clients

1.    When you first interact with a new prospective client make sure your brief introduction conveys your passion for designing and creating the bath of your customer’s dreams. People who make the effort to visit your showroom come there to be inspired. They are there because, despite all of their individual research, they really do not know what is possible or what they want.

2.    Become your client’s biggest fan. If they trusted you enough to visit your showroom or agree to let you rip apart their home and inconvenience them for weeks or even months, make sure that you are their biggest advocate for improving the quality of their home and their lives. Even if they don’t agree to all of your suggestions, make sure they know that you are there for them unconditionally.

3.    Don’t ever judge a suggestion or idea as negative. Be as positive as possible at all times, especially when the unexpected occurs.

4.    Be empathetic and demonstrate that you understand and appreciate your client’s experience. 

5.    Be humble. Let clients know you understand all of the challenges and potential pitfalls of a renovation or a newly built home. 

6.    Always be present. Your clients will know if they don’t have your undivided attention.

7.    Honor your commitments. It is essential to earning someone’s trust to do what you say you are going to do, the timetable you commit to and at a cost you agreed to.

8.    Own problems. Every project encounters the unexpected. Don’t delegate problem solving to manufacturers or representatives. Your client did not purchase their new bath fixtures from a manufacturer - they purchased from you, and they will depend on you to make things right when things to wrong.

9.    Establish realistic expectations.

10. Over deliver. Many of your competitors have skill sets limited to taking orders. Go the extra mile by sending frequent, if not daily, video and written progress updates, work with suppliers to provide extras and options within the clients’ budget and ask to feature their project in your marketing materials, web site, etc., to demonstrate that you are proud of your effort on their behalf. Over delivering requires making your client feel that they are the center of your universe.