Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2020 - 35

erPoint for digital presentations and more. Gaidusek developed her own
proprietary cloud-based platform, EDesign Tribe, but said there are a number
of terrific tools out there. Some of the functions include developing invoices,
shopping lists and directories.
Clifton said he and Bauer work directly with manufacturers' and product
reps' websites, so it's important that these sites are as thorough as possible.
Once initial selections are made, they go through the sampling process to give
clients a hands-on look at color, texture and finishes. Services like Material
Bank are also helpful in remote sourcing of samples.
Even after pandemic restrictions are lifted, many businesses will find that
the online tools are beneficial to cut time spent on consultations, travel and
other parts of the process, hopefully resulting in more streamlined operations.
SHOWROOMS ADAPT TO ONLINE OPERATIONS

Businesses that rely on personal relationships and face-to-face contact, like
showrooms, keep the jobs flowing by maintaining those relationships via
video communication tools. But showroom executives, whether from independent, mid-size or large operations, concurred some iteration of electronic
consultation was likely to continue after the restrictions brought about by the
pandemic are rescinded.
Annette Reeves, sales advisor at the regional showroom operator Pirch,
located throughout Southern California, said its virtual showroom tour was
a tool the company had been working on for some time.

BELOW Photo Illustration by

Mischoko/Adobe Stock

"We were able to mobilize quickly when the
quarantines were put into effect, allowing our
luxury and trade clients to walk through the showroom but from the safety of their homes,"she said.
She described four important facets of the tool,
including the welcome screen that allows viewers to rotate, zoom and move around the showroom; a search function, sortable by product or
vendor; videos on product information; and floor
plans. "We also have a video of someone walking
through a showroom, which gives the viewer a full
grasp on what we have to offer."
Sam Rose, senior director of customer experience at Ferguson, which has 277 showrooms
across North America, said that within two to
three days of lockdown orders, the entire chain
was operating virtually.To help customers who are
missing the hands-on experience, Ferguson has
a video tool that was built on feedback from the
showrooms around the country to improve virtual
consultations where customers can see what the
inside of the appliances looks like.
"Additionally, with the resolution we've been
able to achieve, we can also show the customer
great images to compare finishes," said Rose.
Chas Daniels, president of independent
showroom Acero Bella in Houston, matched
staffing to the number of customers permitted
to be in the store at any given time and remained
vigilant about keeping sanitizing supplies and
masks on hand for staff and customers who
chose to come in to pick up product for jobs or
make selections.
"Going forward, we'll be super mindful of keeping products available that make our customers
and staff feel safe, like masks at the front door,"
she said. "How individual businesses will address
this under their own roofs will be the most critical
thing as they reopen their doors."
Rose added that the company's reopening
strategy is being done in phases, with limited
numbers of associates and customers allowed in
a store, and mostly by appointment only. Some
areas will open sooner than others, and the company will continue to adhere to all CDC, state and
local guidelines.
The panelists concurred that one positive that has
come about because of the current situation is that
the community has come together to be creative
with marketing, for instance, offering virtual happy
hours, virtual trainings or cooking demonstrations.
"Coming out of this, we believe virtual consultations will continue moving forward," said Rose.
"We don't think the brick-and-mortar showroom
is going away by any stretch, but we all know how
many consultations it takes to get through a project, so maybe a second, third or fourth appointment is handled virtually."
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