Expert Advice
Scrolling through a feed of negative reviews from a mechanical contractor on an ad Chown is running on social media for a well-known, high-end luxury line we’ve carried for more than 20 years, the comments range from, “Let your plumber buy the products so you get the labor warranty when it fails,” to less professional anecdotes such as, “Brand X is crap – better off buying something cheaper and easier to install.”
These real time examples open a Pandora’s box of questions that many smaller, boutique kitchen and bath showrooms have been asking for more than a decade – chiefly, “Who is my customer?” In reality, what suppliers should be asking is, “Who is my customer on this project”?
I’ve spent my entire working career in the Pacific Northwest at Chown Hardware, my family’s business since 1879. Our longevity speaks to a reputation built on service and standing behind the products we’ve been selling for five generations.
STRATEGIES AND CONSEQUENCES
After the big-box store boom in the mid 1990s, we pivoted toward lesser-known luxury brands in our industry – brands that offer unique designs and craftsmanship worthy of an investment. Naturally, that choice directed us to interior designers and high-end homeowners as our target…
