There are many small changes that make a huge difference to clients and staff, and don’t require major overhauls in a decorative plumbing and hardware showroom. Lighting, customer comfort, safety protocols and employee well-being are easily addressed after a little analysis and a few adjustments.
Lighting
First off, what’s the lighting situation in your showroom? Proper lighting is crucial, for everyone from employees to clients. Assess the ratio of natural to artificial light; both are important, but they need to be maximized. For one, proper lighting can reduce errors by 30%, saving you both time and money. It’s also good for your employees: improved lighting can result in a 10% increase in productivity.
Natural lighting has a positive effect on buyers. In fact, sales are more likely in spaces with natural lighting than in those with artificial lighting. It’s also a product’s best friend, so take an inventory of in-display lighting and track or spotlights and make the necessary improvements.
Focus on Customer Comfort
Next, what are the changes you can make to make clients feel safe and comfortable? Pre-Covid, a showroom’s take on customer experience centered around creating a pleasant experience that generated sales. Now, that experience has a lot more to do with cleanliness, convenience and organization, so their shopping trip stays focused and quick.
The first thing that sets clients at ease is the entrance- ensure it is not cluttered and if possible, offers a view of the whole showroom. You can place lower displays in the center of the showroom and taller ones along the walls to create this open, airy effect.
Another common tactic prior to the pandemic was to offer seating areas and refreshments. This may be trickier now, or not even possible for health and safety reasons, but there are other options. Create distinct and well-separated sitting areas where clients and employees can meet to discuss products and projects.
Large design tables surrounded by seating may be out for now, so focus on small tables with chairs spaced at appropriate distances. A showroom focused on customer comfort allows clients to concentrate on what the business has to offer without distractions or concerns over their well-being.
Employee Well-Being
What helps your clients feel safe will help your employees feel safe too. Since you’re making changes to ensure health and safety, why not take the opportunity to reorganize your employees’ workspaces? Comfortable and organized workplaces have a significant impact on employee performance and productivity levels.
A clean environment, free from clutter helps to remove distractions and improve concentration levels. Let these numbers convince you to make the changes: companies committed to employee well-being have seen 22% higher profitability, 21% higher productivity and 37% less absenteeism.
After so long at home, people are craving the experience of in-store shopping, especially in safe, clean retail environments. Those environments are boutique businesses like decorative plumbing showrooms, which no doubt will feel safer and cleaner than big box stores. In this more controlled environment, products and people are spaced out. Not to mention, with fewer shoppers and staff members in the showroom, it will be easier to keep the space clean and sanitized- clients know this and will feel more comfortable.