Showrooms Integral to Plumbing Business

Businesses of all sizes must innovate and embrace new technology at every turn. Advanced technologies can be complete game-changers for business operations, but technology should be implemented in a way that enhances the work your people are already doing.

While AI tools are exciting and transformative, I choose to believe that technological advances will stop short of removing the value of human interaction — especially when it comes to doing business. In fact, we continue to invest in PDI’s growth and expansion through new retail showrooms. These new storefronts come at a time when many businesses are reducing their physical footprint, yet we find that showrooms are still necessary to fulfill the customer’s desire to connect with a professional in person.

For distributors and contractors that do not have the resources to invest in a physical presence, an incredible opportunity exists to partner with trusted resources at your local kitchen and bath showroom. In this article, I explore several ways to refine your customer’s experience while building symbiotic partnerships.

Customers Want a Human Element

Customers can find design and product inspiration in media almost anywhere they look for it: magazines, websites, social media networks, and TV shows. However, those visuals do not often translate easily into a finished product.

Homeowners do a lot of online research before deciding which products to purchase. Sometimes they get stuck wondering where they should begin their project. How do they know what their style is? What is the quality of the materials they’re researching? How do the products function? Questions like these are critical to a kitchen or bathroom renovation. The good news is that your clients don’t have to navigate the process alone.

Both new construction and remodeling projects require detailed planning. Once a new project has been initiated, things tend to move quickly, which doesn’t leave much time for mulling over products and finishes. That’s why it’s important to empower your clients to get educated on the latest available products as early in the process as possible.

Showrooms Allow Us to Engage Our Senses

Plumbing contractors have a special expertise to offer their customers, including their experience working hands-on with a wide range of products. They understand which products stand the test of time based on what they’ve seen working (or breaking) in real-life scenarios.

What they may not have a knack for is helping a customer pinpoint their design aesthetic. That’s where local kitchen and bath showrooms come into play. If you have a client who is unsure about the finishes and quality of certain materials they are researching online, then encourage them to visit these businesses and meet with a knowledgeable consultant who can help them find their personal style.

Humans are tactile beings. We respond to products using our senses of sight, touch, hearing, and even smell. Showrooms cater to all of these, allowing consumers to see and feel products before committing to buying them.

Have you ever attended an open house for sale and found it challenging to envision how your furniture would fit into the space because it was empty? Personally, I’ve always found it easier to imagine living in a house when the home has been staged with furnishings. Kitchen and bath showrooms bring a similar value to their buyers.

Despite functioning in a highly digitized world, people still want to work with other people. Showrooms assist customers in visualizing various kitchen, bath and lighting products in their homes.

PDI’s sales consultants have a deep knowledge of all product offerings and work with clients to help them decide which items are best for their space.

The Internet Can’t Answer Every Question

Online research can only get the customer so far. There are certain situations that require an in-person visit to verify information found on the internet. For example, imagine you want to install a soaking tub in your new primary bath, but your spouse is six-foot-five inches tall. Visiting the showroom is the best way to confirm that your tall spouse fits comfortably in that bathtub and likes the way that it feels.

Think about the homeowner who has a kitchen with hardware they love, but they’re struggling to find an updated faucet to match. Most hardware manufacturers don’t make kitchen sink faucets, so it can be challenging to determine how well one company’s gold finish matches another’s. These are just two examples that highlight why web savvy consumers still value showrooms.

It’s important for customers to touch and feel the products that they’re hoping to install in their home. New products and technologies are emerging to make kitchens smarter and entertaining more streamlined. Showroom team members can walk an inquisitive client through all the options and help them answer questions that the internet can’t.

Local Partnerships Lead to Long-Term Success

Personal connections remain integral to the PHC industry. While I am grateful for the benefits that new tech brings, I am equally proud that our sector continues to be built on authentic face-to-face relationships.

It’s important to recognize that distributors, plumbing contractors and local retailers each bring unique insights to the table: plumbers are working in the field every day, distributors are fulfilling contractors’ needs, and retailers are in tune with the latest products. We each rely on one another to fulfill a customer’s vision.

Building a strong partnership with your neighborhood kitchen and bath showroom can serve as an extension of your business. Working together, we have the opportunity to provide the personalized experience that our shared customers seek.