Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2020 - 6

April 2020

e d i t o r ' s

n o t e

NAVIGATING THE STORM & FINDING THE CALM

s of press time for this issue - just like millions of people around the
world - I was working from home because of the ongoing threat of
COVID-19. I am lucky to have the technology in place to do so, and
I am lucky that I can still conduct my business virtually.
That is not the case for everyone, unfortunately, as we have been
hearing from a number of professionals in our industry. Showrooms
started out limiting hours, and then many closed entirely.The retail environment, among others, is definitely feeling the fallout of this global pandemic.
But in the eye of this storm, we have also found that our industry is taking this crisis in stride and finding innovative ways to continue business as
usual - or unusual, as it seems. As a lot of clients are not wishing to conduct
in-home visits, video conferencing has become the "it"way to communicate,
and I imagine this will change the way meetings are held well into the future.
Design professionals are using this to continue to work with clients, as they
can share drawings and product selections virtually.
On a non-professional note, I have even heard of people conducting FaceTime happy hours and coffee chats. A brilliant way to keep in touch with
friends and loved ones while we are all practicing social distancing.
Other professional solutions are harder to impose, but with the closing of
several businesses indefinitely, layoffs have occurred, and employees are being
asked to use their vacation and sick leave.
A lot of clients are prioritizing their worry list right now because they are
having to home-school their children while also working from home. They
want to make sure their older family members are healthy and safe, and they
are concerned about the economy. But still others are looking to use their unused vacation dollars for kitchen and bath renovations. And although it may

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be hard to obtain new clients without being able to
meet face to face in their homes, now is the time to
improve your website and other marketing tactics
so you can still pique their interest and attract their
business while we wait for safer waters to return.
Some businesses we have talked to already have
processes in place to accommodate long-distance
clients, and some are making the process to book
online appointments as easy as possible. Contractors and builders are ordering extra materials in
the event prices surge and/or quantities dwindle.
A few scenarios to think about as we move forward as an industry:
How will we handle a client who has to cancel
a job after signing a contract?
Is it possible to still work on projects where the
homeowner can relocate temporarily?
How is the state of the industry impacting new
launches that were planned?
How is this affecting projects that were taking
place in other countries?
Some things we can do to help our clients and
the communities in which we live include offering
aid to those who have weaker immune systems
or limited mobility - be it a grocery store visit or
just checking in with a call. We need to keep our
clients aware of business updates via websites,
social media and emails. A lot of them may find
that additional time they didn't have before to pay
closer attention to this communication.
As for any extra time you have? You can use it to
take advantage of becoming certified and/or more
educated via online opportunities - just one of the
great ideas that has come out of our communication with the industry.
KBB is here to stand by you during this difficult
time. We want to be a resource where you can find
not only the latest news as it relates to our industry
but also where you can learn about solutions to
challenges you are facing along the way. Please
keep the communication going, and let us know
what you have to say.
Here's to you and your families staying safe
and healthy.


CHELSIE BUTLER
Executive Editor
chelsie.butler@emeraldexpo.com
Twitter: @kbbchelsie

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Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2020

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