Paul Turnham Kitchens

John Harwood, head of sales and marketing

Business is up and down. Our Maidstone store is a little down but the West Wickham operation is pretty good. We haven’t done much advertising yet, we have enough business to see us through the summer. Outside the M25, Kent is quieter than inside. However, there’s still demand for quality, even though people are driving a hard bargain. We’re looking to expand – a new ad campaign and leaflet drop. People hate the hard sell, they are increasingly loyal to local businesses that treat them well and give them what they want. We do everything for the customer: strip a room bare, replace the windows and doors. We’ve spent the past 12 months working out flooring as a part of the deal. We offer the premium-priced German range from Schalke and the bespoke option – if you want a triangular 25mm door, you can have it.

Potts

Ray Hudson, managing director

It’s all right, a little bit tough, but it has been so for the past three years. The negatives all come at once – a month of rain, all the bank holidays. They all represent a reason for deferred decisions. We’ve had to tighten our belts. We’re surviving on design and installations, but working harder for less margin. The classic extra sale is lighting – it makes the room – and an LED light is £90. It creates new revenue – customers who love it want it in their whole house. Ask suppliers for support. They’ve realised that the internet route is not a good long-term business source.

MBK Design Studio

Stewart Woodruff, managing director

Business is extremely good. We’re booked up to September, so given the economic climate, I’m very pleased. We’re rather off the beaten track and get no passing trade, so each enquiry is precious and it’s essential to keep on top of every contact. That said, customers who come to visit us are buyers, not plinth kickers. We have to determine how much time to spend on each one. We up-sell to premier products and sell additional items. We do advertise, although maybe not as much as we should. We’ve used magazines and newspapers, but we don’t get any quality copywriting – they’re asking for big bucks but not delivering. If I were Chancellor, I’d just tell everybody to stop moaning – this is the deal, cut out the doom and gloom. I’d like to see some younger customers – four years ago many of them were but not now.

Reflections Bathrooms & Kitchens

Michael Girscher, showroom manager

It’s not too bad; we’re OK. We had a really, really good year last year and we’re still up year on year in 2012. At present, it’s gone a little bit quiet, but we’ve got a good number of serious quotes out there. My take is that you have to be positive, be proactive. I don’t sit on my backside waiting for customers to walk in. There are lots of things that help maximise sales: the right product choice on display; product at the right price; displays looking and working just as if they were in the customer’s home; then, it’s got to be properly fitted. We see our showroom as an extension of the company’s character. We have 40 bathroom settings and 10 kitchens. We don’t advertise, it’s all referrals and word-of-mouth. We pride ourselves on doing it right and having knowledgeable staff. To improve gross sale per customer, tick all the boxes – offer toilet roll holders and toothbrush holders.