Most businesses claim to put their customers first, but in practice, that is rarely the case. It’s not that they mean to provide a bad customer experience. It’s just the way it turns out when things are said and done. That’s usually the case in the home remodeling industry.
If you’ve ever had your home remodeled, or if you’ve ever worked with a builder on a new home project, you know there are plenty of promises to go around. Those promises aren’t usually kept. Whether it’s design details or scheduling, many homeowners are left feeling stressed during construction and underwhelmed when it’s all over.
That’s not how Legacy Kitchens does things.
Instead, they’re a great example of what we mean when we talk about marketing with impact because they put their customers first in every sense of the word.
Offering exceptional kitchen remodeling value
When asked about the customer experience in the home remodeling industry, Stephen Buller of Legacy Kitchens doesn’t hesitate to share why so many companies ultimately fail.
They don’t come through with commitments. They overpromise and underdeliver. That’s one thing that we really stress with our employees. If you say you’re going to do something, then you have to do it. There’s no other way.”
Instead of selling a homeowner on a dream and leaving them with a nightmare, Legacy Kitchens, and their second business, Affinity Kitchens in Arizona, provides exceptional value by saying what they mean and meaning what they say.
That also means turning industry myths on their head. Stephen elaborates by saying, “One myth out there is that renovation projects take forever, they extend forever, and they’re really, really stressful. Our projects don’t take forever. We have a schedule that we follow and 9 times out of 10, we’re going to stick to that schedule.”
The proof is in the pudding. Legacy Kitchens has been around since 1984, and in the last 10 years, they have installed over 28,000 kitchens. Many of those projects were from referral business.
There’s never any question whether or not they’re meeting or exceeding customer expectations because they take the time to interview their clients. But, it’s not just any interview.
When asked to describe the interview process, Stephen responds by saying, “We hire a third party to interview our customers after their experience with us.”
Although it takes extra time, effort, and money, Legacy Kitchens continues this process because it provides them with the most honest feedback possible, which allows them to offer exceptional value to their customers.
“Our people. They can’t be replicated.”
Although Legacy Kitchens spends a lot of time focusing on their customers, they recognize the importance of their employees.
When asked what it is about their business that can’t be replicated, you might expect a kitchen remodeler to answer by explaining their custom installation process or the quality of their materials. Instead, Stephen answers by highlighting the company’s employees.
“The years of experience, knowledge, and expertise that our designers, our field supervisor, and our carpenters put into the job—ultimately, it comes down to people. If you don’t have people who are engaged in what they’re doing, no process that a company implements is ever going to work.”
Having a greater impact in the community
The very best businesses do more than just offer products and services. They understand that they are part of a larger community that allows them to live, work, and provide for their families in a multitude of ways every single day.
When asked about helping the community, Legacy Kitchens blew us away with their mission statement.
Stephen continues by saying, “Facilitating transformation impacts our employees. It impacts our customers. And it also impacts the entire community around us. We want to have a far bigger impact on the community around us than our footprint would suggest. For example, for the last 17 years, we have sponsored a concert called ‘Music for a Winter’s Evening’. We pay for the concert; we pay for the artists; we pay for the space. All the ticket sales and any donations are given to the organization we are supporting.”
They have supported a wide variety of organizations including Opportunity International, The Mustard Seed, The Calgary Dream Center, Oxford House, and Next Step Ministries. Many of their efforts go to helping people get off the streets and helping them find a new home.
One foot into the future
Marketing with impact means staying relevant to your client base. Legacy Kitchens does that in a really cool way with virtual reality.
“We photo render your design. Then, you put on these virtual reality goggles. It lets you see your potential new kitchen. You can get an idea of color themes and tones. You can get an idea of sizing. You can see how big that hood is relative to the island. You can look around the room.”
Their innovative showroom even got them into the finals for the National Kitchen and Bath Show’s Most Innovative Showroom.
That’s not all. They also have an app that makes visiting the showroom a breeze, even for potential clients who may not be ready for a kitchen remodel just yet. In general, the app helps describe the details of the displays in their showroom. For example, the app would show a particular display, explain the style, and five or six specific things about that particular display that highlight its benefits. Stephen mentions that the app isn’t “super technologically advanced”, but it does provide them with another way to interact with their customers, making the entire process less intimidating.
There’s so much more to learn about Legacy Kitchens, including how they have overcome adversity in the past, and why, one year, they gave each of their employees a hundred bucks. Learn more about Legacy Kitchens by watching the full interview below. Then, use their story to inspire you to find ways to keep marketing with impact in your own business.
Check out the full story here:
