Finalists - Customer Service Awards for Bathrooms

A1 Bathrooms is a sizeable two-storey showroom on a trading estate. Displays of Ambiance Bain and Ideal Standard sanitaryware with Matki showers and Crosswater brassware were well presented with warm lighting and attractive tiling. All was spotless. Boards of bathroom accessories and a selection of Imperial wall lights filled empty wall space.
At reception I asked Mark about installation. “We have our own fitters,” he replied. “We will come out to measure up and then I can make suggestions as to what will work and create a plan for you. This won’t be set in stone, you can make as many changes as you want.” Mark showed me CAD images of a bathroom he was currently working on and explained that A1 was also planning to expand. “We will have a kitchen studio upstairs by the end of the month, you should come back and take a look.”
Founded in 1989, A1 Bathrooms moved to its current 5,000sq ft site in 1996. In 2009, a Sigma 3 kitchen studio was introduced. “The climate is tough but we are hoping the kitchens will pull in more customers. All our fitters have a wealth of experience and this has helped build our reputation as a reliable company,” said co-owner Aidan Brophy.

I commented on the egg-shaped Victoria & Albert bath with floor spout and bold wallpaper used in the window display and saleswoman Susan said: “You strike me as someone with a keen interest in interiors. If you already have ideas about what you want, or you would like to bring in pictures from magazines, we will be able to help you.
“We pride ourselves on being very honest with our customers regarding what can and can’t be done. There will be no nasty surprises in terms of costs.” Susan also managed to work into the conversation that Pittville was currently working on prestigious projects in London. Simon Butland opened this bathroom showroom in 2006 to sell the products he wanted to install. “Sixty per cent of our business is with private customers but we also supply developers and interior designers,” he said.
“Once people work with us, they tend to use us again and recommend us to their friends. “Our customers appreciate our honesty and the fact that we have no preconceived ideas about what a customer should spend.
“If someone comes in to buy a toilet roll holder or to spend £35,000 on a bathroom we are equally friendly and polite.”

Rebecca joined me, as I admired the taps in the extensive Dornbracht display and asked if there was anything she could help me with. We chatted about my plans and then proprietor Brian appeared. “I’m just making some coffee would you like one?” he asked. This gave Rebecca the opportunity to take me back to her desk and show me a design she had been working on while I poured myself an excellent coffee from my own individual pot - there were even shortbread biscuits.
In my follow-up phone call, proprietor Brian Fisher confessed that after offering me a cup of coffee, he had rearranged the drawings on Rebecca’s desk to show a bathroom she had designed featuring Bisazza tiles. “I had spotted you admiring the mosaics” he said, “and so gave Rebecca the opportunity to discuss this look with you.”
This attention to detail sums up the company’s philosophy, “We offer a personal service. It is not just a case of making a sale and then forgetting about the customer.”
Brian bought the showroom franchise three years ago and made his mark with 16 new displays, including the eye-catching windows. “They have brought in different customers, raised people’s expectations and their budgets,” he said.

Wilky Bathroom Centre has the luxury of space and this had been put to good use. As a House of Villeroy & Boch, the shop had been designed to show the product to its best advantage, with a route leading from one display to the next.
The showroom was well lit and imaginatively tiled. There was also a display of Hansgrohe showers and Acova radiators. Roca sanitaryware and a tile gallery were housed in a wing off to one side.
A further section of the showroom is rented to an interior design business, which provides spin-off customers.
I wandered round on my own then chatted with sales consultant Ana, who explained Wilky could help with designing my bathroom and recommend local fitters and tilers. “It can be daunting as there is so much choice,” she said. “It’s a good idea to take your time, look at the brochures and when you come back we can go through your various options.”
So what makes the Wilky Bathroom Centre special? “The size and scope of the showroom,” said manager Paul Gillespie. “But also the staff. With their product knowledge and technical ability, they are able to guide customers through the pitfalls of choosing and installing a bathroom.”