When customers first come into your showroom and ask how much a kitchen or bathroom costs, what is your answer? And should showrooms display prices to allow browsers to benchmark affordability?
Independent kitchen and bathroom retailers should never display prices in their showroom.
That’s the view of Luke Wedgbury from Coalville Kitchens in Leicestershire, speaking on the latest episode of The kbbreview Podcast.
For him, it goes against all the principles of being an independent: “Having pieces on individual items in an independent KBB e-retail showroom completely undermines and wipes away the value you can bring to the project. If you go into a showroom and see prices everywhere, it feels like a supermarket, and you’re just walking in and picking stuff off the shelves. You don’t really get customer service or a relationship-building buying experience.
“But when somebody is purchasing from an independent retailer, they want value for money, but they also want to be looked after. They’re in your showroom for a reason, and we offer not only expertise, but also a personalised customer service that fosters a strong relationship.”
Also a guest on the podcast, Roxanne Baker, from Olympus Bathrooms in Kent, agrees: “We’ve never had any price tags on anything – two reasons: prices are changing all the time as we receive weekly price updates, and secondly, I believe that when people ask about prices, it opens up a conversation to discuss where they are in their project and what they are looking for.
“When people inquire about product prices, it provides an opportunity for more meaningful conversations about their specific needs and how we can best serve them.”
The latest episode of The kbbreview Podcast looks at how retailers answer clients who have come in their showroom to browse and ask how much a kitchen or bathroom would be.
“I absolutely love it when customers ask that question,” Wedgbury says. “It’s the holy grail of all questions. It opens the door wide to conversations about the delicate topics of money and budget. You’re discussing it right away, early on in the relationship. What I particularly like about it is that people aren’t naive; they know how much kitchens and bathrooms cost, even if it’s just from a quick Google search. People have access to this information.
“When we’re asked that question, what they’re really asking is ‘how much does a kitchen or bathroom cost from you?’ That’s why I love it because it gives us a real opportunity to showcase and sell our value. Each independent retailer offers something unique, and the value we bring to the table is different from somebody else. I wish everyone walked in and asked it.”
You can listen to this episode of The kbbreview Podcast using the player below or you can go straight to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Alternatively, simply search ‘kbbreview’ in your podcast app of choice.