Added value: Bathrooms | PRODUCTS Outside bubblethe The panel:
ffering a more involved and holistic project management and design service can be a great way to add value for your customers and your business in the face of increasing online sales, while giving you the edge over local competitors.
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In addition, by supplying tiles and panelling, accessories, stylish lighting and heating, you can guide the customer towards a more cohesive design that’s more aesthetically pleasing. And by taking control of tiling, plumbing and electrics you can also ensure the job is done as it should be.
Hayley Robson, creative director, Day True, Maida Vale and Chelsea, London
Tailor-made Day True’s Hayley Robson adds that another benefi t of working this way is that “our clients get products and solutions that are tailored to them, which in turn allows complete individuality and personality to be achieved in their home. The benefi t to our business is that we are providing products that can’t be compared or sourced elsewhere, meaning we keep control of margins. It also allows us to create spaces or projects that are individual in terms of design and style.”
She continues: “For us a bathroom is a complete space
Jim Gibson, managing director, Stone & Chrome, Camberley
and every aspect needs to be considered in order to deliver a complete solution. Lighting, surfaces and paint colours are just as important as the elements that deliver the water.” At Stone & Chrome in Camberley, the team tries to create an atmosphere where the client has to buy from them, even if they won’t match online prices. “We explain to our clients that our aim is to make their bathroom look like it cost twice as much as it actually did – whatever their budget.”
So how does a process like this actually work? And how collaborative is it?
We explain to our clients that our aim is to make their bathroom look like it cost twice as much as it actually did – whatever their budget
Jim Gibson, managing director, Stone & Chrome
September 2019 · kbbreview
Charging for design Both Day True and Stone & Chrome charge for designs, and while many retailers might raise an eyebrow at this and feel it’s unnecessary or even unfair, both of our contributors feel their design services truly add value and are therefore worth charging for. And if you feel you have particular design fl air and create designs that take time and skill, why not charge? At Day True, the team only works on projects where they believe design is adding value – through the design service itself or through the design-driven products the company supplies. “We employ trained designers and dedicate the time required to investigate the best solutions for our clients,” Robson explains.
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“Spatial planning is such a critical element for us. Most bathrooms are still formed to suit standard-sized products, whereas the options are now endless. This is how we win a lot of projects and planning the right layout comes from years of experience working with different-shaped rooms and investigating the solutions and products available.”
Stone & Chrome takes a two-tiered approach, designing either from client-supplied designs or from a home visit, with the latter costing slightly more. “We do, however, complement this with an initial free design consultation which takes place in our design hub at the showroom,” says Gibson. “The design hub is a room we have created specifi cally designed for client comfort and to enhance the buying experience.”
Design savvy
Customers visiting Stone & Chrome and Day True, as well as most higher-end showrooms, will be design-savvy and have a clear idea of what they want. They’ll likely come armed with mood boards and tablets with their Pinterest selections saved to show you. So any project embarked upon will be a collaborative one. “There are occasions when a client suggests something that we don’t think will work,” Robson adds, “but by presenting
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