16winners custbath
The Bathroom and Shower Centre Swindon was easy to find thanks to a big sign and a very distinctive logo. Ian and his business partner Gary have created a positive ambience in a large space with attractive bathroom displays divided by halfand full-height walls plus imaginative tiling. Classic FM, playing gently in the background, also helped. Ian joined me and we discussed my requirements for an over-bath shower. He was extremely knowledgeable about the different options available and made a number of helpful suggestions pointing out examples in the shop and in brochures. He asked what sanitaryware I was considering and when I mentioned wallhung, he explained how his fitters could build a false wall to accommodate the supports. “We can incorporate alcoves for your toiletries and even include little LED lights. The wall is then tiled to give a really crisp finish,” he said. Finally, Ian showed me examples of the CAD images he would produce and suggested I email a rough floor plan of the bathroom to him, so that he could start thinking of ideas before visiting my home to measure up. BASCS is aimed at the mid to upper end of the market. “It’s a nice showroom, it feels quite upmarket, but we work hard to put people at their ease, we’re not pretentious,” says Ian. “Our strength is that we know the product. Our aim is to steer customers through, not push with a hard sell.”

 


16atlan custbath
The Victoria and Albert oval freestanding bath with floor tap made an eye-catching window display. Behind it, a walkthrough shower with wet-room floor was equally impressive and the Aquadec presenter showing how the floor was installed was a useful touch. A notice on the wall directed me to the main showroom upstairs, where I found around 10 bathroom displays divided by half-height walls. Back downstairs, I asked Rob about installation. “Al owns the business and he will come out to measure up. We aren’t going to be your cheapest option, we’re not B&Q or Homebase, that’s not what we’re about, but we will give you an excellent service.” Rob then handed me a folder full of letters of thanks from happy customers and suggested I visit the website to see more. Al Valori bought the premises in Waterloo Road in 2000 to sell both kitchens and bathrooms. The mix has worked well for Atlantic as 80% of its business is now generated from recommendation or repeat customers. In 2005, Al bought out his business partner and his son Lewis joined the company. “He has brought a younger eye to the business and we have moved more upmarket. What we offer is service first and foremost, plus comprehensive guidance. We don’t want to see customers make mistakes, so from the minute they walk through the door we do our best to help them. It is not a heavy sell, we just provide them with as much information as possible.”		 16davis custbath
Situated on a trading estate on the edge of town, Davis & Payne has a smart exterior with large, distinct sign. The shop sells fitted kitchens on the ground floor but I wandered upstairs to view the bathroom displays. Nick looked up from his desk and said hello as I came up the stairs and after I had spent time looking at the neat, nicely tiled displays, he asked if I would like some help. “Everything we sell is from reputable brands and although our fitters are subcontracted they have all worked with us for many years,” he said. As I was leaving, Nick gave me his number and said: “Give us a call and we will send someone out to do a free survey. This isn’t a salesman, he won’t try to make you commit to anything. It will be one of our plumbers who will be able to tell you what is and isn’t possible, and then we will take it from there.” We parted with a friendly handshake. Adrian Bottrill runs Davis & Payne with his sister. This family business, established in 1939, moved to its current purpose-built premises in 1970. “We have always specialised in good quality kitchens and bathrooms,” says Adrian. “We can’t compete with the prices offered by the sheds, so we concentrate on recognised brands that we can sell with confidence to our customers.” Service is an important part of the package as Adrian explains: “We handle the plumbing, lighting, flooring basically project-manage the whole process. Providing our customers with peace of mind is so important.”		 16sanct custbath
I was impressed with Sanctuary’s website and when I visited the showroom I wasn’t disappointed. There was a lovely freestanding bath in the front window, a modern take on a traditional slipper shape, and so I asked Emily how tricky it would be to install. She promptly walked over to the display to explain how some pipe work would need to be channelled under the floor: “It’s a bit more involved than installing a standard bath, but it is perfectly possible.” I explained that the room was small so she pointed out that this particular bath was slightly shorter in length but deep and was therefore ideal in a restricted space. Emily then took me to the rear of the shop and showed me a couple of Matki shower enclosures, pointing out a space-conscious corner arrangement. As I flicked through a bound volume of glossy pictures featuring various sophisticated projects, she said: “We also have plenty of customers happy for you to have a look round their bathrooms.” Husband-and-wife team Daniel and Emily Hyde launched Sanctuary Bathrooms five years ago. Daniel was previously fitting bathrooms for other showrooms while Emily worked in marketing. Their complementary skills have been used to great effect with Daniel installing and Emily working front of house. The Hydes offer exceptional service and this has obviously paid off. “We provide a full installation service from start to finish. ”