jan-2018

114 115 THE RTA STORE of purchasing on their own time frame,from the com- fort of their home.Another added bonus is that inmost cases,our customers are saving a lot of moneywhile getting better qualitycabinetry than they’d find locally. Customers are sometimes sticker shocked in the oppo- site direction–that it’s too inexpensive.Andwe almost have to defend the qualityof the cabinetry.” BVM: Are there anyother companies that have jumped onto the onlinemodel,selling cabinets over the internet? Ackerman: “We’ve had competitors since our in- ception andwe get more andmore everyyear.But it takes a lot of organization and hardwork to be able to run every singlemoving piecewhen you’re selling cabinets.You not onlyhave to convince the customer that there’s a face behind the business,especiallywhen they’re spending anywhere fromfive,ten,or fifteen thousand dollars online,you also have to be able to help themout the entireway.So,customer service is huge and that’s wherewe excel.We have competitors who are less expensive than us,but their reputation is not as great because theydon’t invest in service quality likewe do.Alot of times we’ll have customers cancel orders fromcompetitors after theywere promisedXYZ and it never happened,and then they’ll come to us. “Our reputation and the service level we provide to our customers are top priority.We alreadyhave quality products,so that’s not an issue.Wewant to convince consumers that it doesn’t have to be a daunting, complicated process to purchase your kitchen online. Our job is tomake it fun and exciting and that’s what it should be.You should be able to brag to familyand friends howyouwere able to remodel your kitchen for a fraction of the price you thought it would be.“ BVM: Has anything happened recently,or planned for the near-term future,that will impact theway the business operates? Ackerman: “For us,our business (and the industry in general) is constantlyevolving.If we’re not consistently making upgrades to our platform,website,and our processes,we’re falling behind.For example,we have 28 newfinishes that wewill be launching soon.It’s not easy to launch a newfinish; it’s time consuming and labor intensive.But that’s something our customers really like–the selectionwe offer.Almost anything a customer wants,we have.We’re always looking for new finishes and newstyles. “As far as thewebsite is concerned,speed is huge; we’re trying tomake everything faster for our custom- ers,easier to shop,easier to save,easier for them to get opinions from friends and family.Always staycurrent and never become complacent.We knowif we do, we’re going to get left behind,andwe like to be the leaders in our industry.” Rougeux: “We’ve reallycome a longway in terms of becoming a true,semi-customcabinet shop.Before, whenwe first launched,we had strict,ready-to-as- semble lines with standard-sized,stocked cabinets. What you sawis what you got; you couldn’t really customize anything.Now,it’s totallydifferent.Wewent from8 standard finishes to close to 100 finishes,most which are customizable.Customers can change the dimensions of the cabinets; theycan create custom cabinets fromother cabinets and accessories,and they can do this all on their own after delivery,if theywant. Our designers will tell themexactlywhat theyneed to createwhatever look they’re going for,if we don’t offer