Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM DECEMBER 2015 40 Elly Valas Retail Views A flood caused by a broken pipe destroyed the flooring in my living room and kitchen. But who wants to put in new hardwood floor into a 16-year-old kitchen? So, I invoked the "might as well" clause. Suddenly I became one of your customers and boy, have I learned a lot through my buyer's lens. Choosing and buying appliances was easy. I had lots of experience and more knowledge than most consumers. I was excited about moving from gas to induction cooking. But I needed help with the layout, lighting, cabinets, countertops, flooring and backsplash. I bought my house from the builder and chose what I currently had in my kitchen from the limited selection he offered. I hired a kitchen designer referred to me by a friend who was in the middle of remodeling her home. I met with her several times showing her my house, telling her about my love of cooking and discussing my budget. She asked me what I'd seen that I'd liked and couldn't believe that I had no idea. I was relying on her knowledge, experience and direction. No, I hadn't been on Zillow or Houzz. A couple of weeks later, she gave me a plan that was ok, but nothing special. It didn't seem to have much of the red accent I was excited about. By then I'd searched the Internet and had seen lots of really cool kitchens. I probably would have gone forward with her plain Jane design but then I saw the pricing—more than double what we had discussed. Her contractor was so busy that they couldn't start the job 'til after New Year's. I wanted to get the job started—and finished—but I'd lost confidence in my designer. She apparently hadn't heard a word that I said. Even though I wasn't happy, I was close to going ahead because I just wanted to get done and move on. Another friend suggested I go to Greenwood Cabinets and Stone just to see if they had other options that might be better. And then I met Jeanne. She asked lots of questions, listened carefully and picked out a cabinet she thought I would like. It was unique, interesting and fun. Jeanne suggested options and tweaked my original kitchen design so that it would work even better. She embraced my love of red— suggesting that we bring it into the tile and lighting in addition to the barn door. The cabinets are much better than the first ones I'd looked at and her bid came in right at my budget. When I met Jeanne's sub-contractors, I knew I'd made the right choice by the respect they showed her. Each one said how accurate her schedule was. If they couldn't meet her timeline, they wouldn't get any more work from her. The project is underway as I write this and due to be completed long before Christmas. There are a lot of lessons here. • Don't assume all of your customers have thoroughly searched the Internet and that they know exactly what they want. Even if they have, ask questions to help determine whether what they've selected really is the right thing for them. • Listen to your customer. Don't ignore her ideas—or her budget. If you really can't deliver a four door refrigerator for $699, tell her what you can do—and be sure to offer your finance options to make the larger purchase more palatable. • If you do suggest a product that you know exceeds what your customer expects to pay, put a value on the increase. Does it save time, money, energy or water? Will it add to the resale value of the home? Do the extra features have value to your customer? Most of all, always be professional. Whether you make the sale or not, remember that each prospect influences up to 250 others. You may get a referral just from the way you treat a customer who didn't buy from you. Go out into the marketplace as often as you can. It's a great retail learning lab. (By the way, my friend fired the first designer, too!) REMODELING: LESSONS LEARNED THRU THE LENS OF THE BUYER Elly Valas is a consultant to independent retailers. She can be reached at elly@ellyvalas.com or at 303-316-7569. Visit her website at www.ellyvalas.com. RO

• Cover