BATHROOM RETAILER PROFILE | Bathe And Beyond
‘Whatever the multiples are, we try to be the opposite’
Bathe and Beyond, in Staines, prides itself on creating a friendly atmosphere and has no time for the kind of hard sell you might find in some multiples. Vicki Evans speaks to director Tanya Payne and showroom manager Giovanni Valenza
T
here are many reasons why we choose a showroom for one of our retailer profile articles. You could have e-mailed the editor with your story. You could have been posting about your business on social media, or have been visited by our mystery shoppers, or have won a kbbreview Retail & Design Award.
The last two were the reasons we decided to visit Bathe and Beyond. In January, Bathe and Beyond got an impressive nine out of 10 from our mystery shopper. It was also winner of Bathroom Retailer of the Year in 2015 and Bathroom Showroom of the Year in 2014 in the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards. Enough reason to visit Staines in Surrey to see what makes this business successful. The customer service aspect of the business was a significant hook. When first walking into the showroom, you can see that it is modern with a wide variety of designs, but it has a down-to-earth feel. Everyone is relaxed, friendly and ready to help. “Whatever the multiples are, we try to be the opposite,” says director Tanya Payne. “We don’t try
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dealing with any queries, to the customer returning 15 years later to update their bathroom – every issue or decision is quickly and decisively dealt with.
to grab people at the door or incentivise people on the spot. We would never do that type of thing, as I believe that that is not the way you get customers and retain them.” The high-pressure sell is not in the mind-set of this
31-year-old company. Neither does it have a corporate mind-set, as it is an independent business without the constraints of a larger corporation. Established independent KBB retailers
rely on
repeat and referred business, which means customer service is at the forefront of everything they do. From the initial visit, to when the deposit has been paid, to
Consumer confidence A typical Bathe and Beyond customer, according to Payne, visits the showroom about two to three times before they commit to purchasing a bathroom. But some customers will be in the showroom 33 times and visit every Saturday for three months before buying anything. Payne understands that the latter customers are bad for business, as you can’t have a showroom always open, with people coming in and no one placing orders – it is not sustainable. Then again, when you are dealing with the mid to high- end, it is a considered purchase so these customers will visit multiple times.
For the slightly more decisive customer, the first visit is for a casual chat about the project; the second time is where a designer would sit down with the client to discuss the design, and the third time is the refining stage when the deposit is paid. The Bathe and Beyond philosophy when a potential customer comes through the door is to be
· April 2020
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