Franchise Update Magazine – Issue 2, 2024
Exceeding customer expectations means providing transparency and soliciting feedback again and again, says Joaquin Erazo, Director of Marketing for DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen.
The company is a full-service kitchen and bath remodeling franchise with 44 locations in 23 states. Its franchisees operate design centers in retail locations, allowing customers to see the remodeling options available.
“When they walk into a DreamMaker Design Center, they will see half a dozen kitchen vignettes with different styles and options and cabinetry and faucets and under-cabinet lighting as well as bathrooms, anything from showers with multiple body sprays to freestanding tubs,” Erazo says. “The Design Centers also have selection areas with lots of flat-screen TVs to show different before and after renovations. The very first step in the client experience is radically different from what most remodelers would offer people.”
It’s an important step because renovations are big-ticket investments, and franchisees want to do everything they can to ensure that customers are getting what they want and paying a price they can live with, Erazo says.
“Our Design Centers help homeowners communicate what their vision is for their own space, so they can immediately eliminate what they don’t like and highlight the things that they do like,” he says. “Then our franchisees can help to frame a little bit more of their budget expectations on what the cost and investment should be.”
Most people think about remodeling for years before they actually do it, and they read reviews—lots and lots of reviews—on social media about the company they are thinking about using.
“Reviews and reputation matter,” Erazo says. “Consumers will put a lot more weight on the opinions of strangers than they do with whatever the brand voice is. And the higher the ticket of the item that you’re trying to purchase, whether it’s a product or service, the more weight you’re going to place on those reviews.”
That makes customer satisfaction key. It’s a message that DreamMaker drives home at every opportunity. “Early on, we emphasize the importance of reviews to new franchisees, and we make it a point to make sure that every single client is satisfied, and we’re exceeding their expectations,” Erazo says. “How do we do that? We lean heavily on surveying our clients.”
DreamMaker surveys after the first visit to the Design Center, after selecting appliances and fixtures, after the first day of demolition, and at the end of the project. All of that feedback gives franchisees an opportunity to correct an experience that’s not meeting a client’s expectations. “By the time the project is completed, there should not be any surprises,” Erazo says.
Along the way, clear communication is essential. A remodeling job takes weeks, sometimes months, depending on the scope of the project. Franchisees don’t start a project until all the material comes in, including every cabinet, knob, faucet, and piece of tile. That’s because the pandemic caused ongoing supply chain issues.
Keeping clients in the loop as the items arrive allows families to know when demolition is likely to start and when a project might be finished. Franchisees and their workers get to know their customers as well as their habits, schedules, preferences, and annoyances. Relationships are formed that can become close bonds.
When the job is done, DreamMaker franchisees present clients with an end-of-the-project gift, often one that’s more personal than a cutting board or a bath set.
“We encourage our franchisees to take it to the next level because they’ve built a relationship with these clients throughout the process,” Erazo says. “If you discover that both husband and wife went to Georgetown University, maybe the end-of-the-project gift is an autographed Patrick Ewing jersey, something that is meaningful to them and more personal. That’s a little bit of a cherry on top because we get to know them, and we’re very proud of that.”
A job done well could result in the prize DreamMaker seeks: the coveted review or referral.
“If you haven’t remodeled before, you think you’re buying a product or a combination of products: the cabinets, the flooring, the appliances, all that,” Erazo says. “In reality, we are selling a service. It’s listening to the needs, wants, wishes, and desires and translating that into the parts and pieces of the kitchen and bath and delivering an outstanding experience, so at the end of the project, the customer says, ‘That went a lot smoother than I thought it was going to. It was a great experience.’ And they’re more than happy to post that on Google or Facebook.”
