When I became involved with the Decorative Plumbing &
Hardware Association (DPHA) a little more than two years ago, I did
not understand the nuances of the decorative plumbing and hardware
business, nor did I realize the tremendous service quality-oriented
showrooms provide to the general public and the industry. In fact,
prior to being hired to manage DPHA, my impression of high-end
showrooms was that they were venues I preferred my spouse not to
visit.
In the past 28 months, I’ve become familiar with the
idiosyncrasies of high-end decorative plumbing and hardware. I’ve
acquired enough knowledge serving as editor of the DPHA Education
Program to be, in the words of Alexander Pope, “dangerous.” I even
understand the academic difference between pressure-balanced and
thermostatic valves.
However, my recent experiences remodeling my own home illustrate
that academic knowledge and practical experience are as different
as salt and pepper.
Getting educated
Shoddy construction caused
two bathrooms in my home to fail. To remedy the situation, my wife
and I bit the bullet and decided to remodel both bathrooms at the
same time.
The existing master bath featured a large multi-jetted corner
tub, a separate shower stall, a vanity and water closet. The
fixtures on the lav sinks, tub and shower were non-descript.
Originally, we planned to repair the subfloor, replace cracked tile
as well as the damaged shower pan, and update the faucets and
shower system. The practical education process had begun.
We ventured into our local showroom to discuss the projects. Our
showroom professional did not initially direct us to products.
Instead, he questioned what we liked and what we used. I informed
him that the tub was used only once in the last 10 years.
Our showroom professional then asked why we had decided to keep
the tub. I was taken aback by the question.
As a child of depression-age parents, it was beyond my wildest
imagination to discard a very expensive jetted tub that had only
been used once in the last decade. I told him that the tub had to
be part of the master bath because it was too large to fit in
another bathroom.
My showroom professional said, “You’ve already thrown the tub
away. It hasn’t been used for 10 years, and it likely will not be
used in the next 10 years. Why not get rid of the tub and replace
it with a double shower?”
Kaboom! Light bulbs went off. The suggestion made so much sense,
my head hurt.
My showroom professional sketched a rough layout of a double
shower, and suggested including a bench for my spouse. The concepts
that were presented were interesting, creative and practical. I
suppose we could have hired a designer, but in this case, we didn’t
need one.
Now don’t get the wrong impression. Our showroom professional
didn’t pretend to be a designer. He listened carefully to our needs
and wants, asked the right questions and then made suggestions that
hit the nail on the head.
For the children’s bathroom, we replaced existing tile with a
similar design and replaced the lav faucet and tub set with updated
fixtures more in keeping with the design of our home. The
children’s tub/ shower was configured with a hot and cold water
volume control and a diverter for the tub spout and shower
head.
For the master bath, we selected identical showerheads and dual
body sprays. Additionally, we chose a hand shower to be placed next
to the bench.
Prior to placing the fixtures order, we met with the contractor,
who noted that we needed a pressure test to ensure that existing
plumbing could accommodate the design. We also informed him that
the fixtures under consideration were technologically advanced and
not commonplace. Therefore, he needed to select a plumber who was
familiar with high-end products. We received assurances that the
plumber knew what he was doing. Having heard horror stories from
DPHA members, however, I was not convinced.
Following the successful pressure test, we met with the plumber
and provided manufacturer specifications. We met a second time with
the plumber upon receipt of the fixtures to discuss the
installation and review the product inventory, to assure that
components ordered had been received. We questioned if the plumber
would need a flow diagram or other assistance.
The response was an indignant “no.” He told us not to worry. He
said he had everything under control.
Shortly after demolition started, the plumber claimed that one
of the two thermostatic valves in the master bath could not be
positioned where we wanted it. I immediately called my showroom
professional, who produced a flow diagram that clearly illustrated
how the shower should be plumbed. It was not easy, but it
definitely was possible.
A matter of trust
For many showroom owners,
this tale has a familiar ring. Installers make unsubstantiated or
misinformed claims and customers have to decide if they are
correct. The question arises, who do your customers trust?
Thank goodness I knew enough to rely upon my showroom
professional. Had I taken the plumber’s word, neither bathroom
would have been plumbed correctly and the change orders that would
have resulted would have been expensive and completely
unnecessary.
Following the installation of the new fixtures in the children’s
bath, there was no cold water available in the kitchen. There was
also no hot water available in the only functioning bathroom in our
house. In addition, the tub valve in the children’s bath dripped
incessantly.
Our showroom professional immediately identified the cause of
the problem, determining that the plumber mistook a four-port
diverter for a pressure-balanced valve, erroneously placing the hot
water volume control, the diverter and the cold water volume
control vertically when they should have been installed
horizontally.
Upon receiving the diagnosis from my showroom professional, I
informed the plumber what he had done incorrectly. His eyes rolled
into his head as he promised to make the necessary corrections to
the bathrooms.
The problems did not stop. After making the fix, the tub spout
continued to drip. Again, my showroom professional came to the
rescue. He countered the plumber’s claim that the valve was
defective by stating that, oftentimes, solder will damage a ceramic
disc cartridge and prevent it from closing properly. That’s exactly
what had happened.
Showroom service
I cannot imagine where I
would have been if I had not purchased the products from a showroom
that was committed to customer service.
Customer-centric showrooms understand that many of the
professionals retained to install high-end products are not
familiar with the manufacturers and not likely to read installation
directions or pay attention to specifications. That’s not the
showroom’s fault. However, when problems result, customers don’t
care who’s at fault. They just want to be satisfied that the
products are installed and function properly.
When customers have to pick and choose between the contractor’s
word and yours, everyone loses. It’s time to stop the story-telling
and capitalize on your showroom’s superior knowledge and expertise
to better market your business and better serve customers.
Showrooms should draft case histories of successful projects for
client groups such as designers, architects, homeowners,
contractors and, yes, even plumbers who will mistake a diverter for
a pressure-balanced valve. Develop materials that will advise
customers of potential problems and offer proactive steps that they
can take to prevent or mitigate them. In doing so, you will make
your showroom an invaluable ally to your customers, which will
inevitably pay dividends over and over again.
Showrooms can differentiate themselves from their competitors by
providing the tools and resources for successful project
completion. My experience highlights the value that professional
showrooms provide to consumers, designers and trades.
Thomas B. Cohn is executive director of the Decorative Plumbing
& Hardware Association (DPHA), and founding principal of Cohn
Communications, Inc., a Washington, DC marketing and public
relations firm. DPHA Perspectives is published every other month
exclusively in Kitchen & Bath Design News.