Hardware store turns on the fun
Let’s let the fun begin.
“One of our favorite situations is when a customer asks for a pane of glass 12 x 30; and you walk up carrying it horizontally and their face goes wide eyed as they tell you it should be tall not wide....” said David Billman, the president of Clinton Hardware, a Do it Best dealer, in Clinton, Maryland.
With uniqueness comes humor and laughter. So much that it’s ingrained into any successful hardware store, as one hardware store owner continued:
“You walk in the back out of sight, spin it 90 degrees to an upright position and return up front to inform your customer, ‘I fixed it to a 30 x 12.’ The customer is happy and we get a laugh.
“And it is always humorous seeing the look of confusion on a customer’s face when they ask for a roll of duct tape and we reply with, ‘do you need right handed or left handed tape?’ The customer always gets a laugh once they figure out that there is no difference,” said Billman.
But ok wait a second. The owner wants you to know a few serious things about his business too:
“Clinton Hardware opened its doors in 1946 as Ripple Hardware and Supply Co., Inc. We started off as a building supply located about 20 miles from downtown Washington D.C.
“I have been involved in this hardware store my whole life,” he said, “following and learning how a business should be run from my father Clyde Billman, then from my brother Dennis Billman. I have had the joy and satisfaction of working together with my family in this business.”
As the nation recovered from World War II, and the government grew, so did the town of Clinton, said Billman.
Business was booming.
“With our close proximity to DC and Joint Base Andrews – Air Force One home base – we serve a widely varied market. I think homeowners and home repair and maintenance is the largest segment of our market followed closely by the government trade and contractors,” he said.
Culture club
A key to any hardware store’s unique flavor is the culture they embrace.
“It starts with our staff. Number one, they need to have the right attitude and personality. My staff is always friendly, we greet each customer as they walk in with a friendly ‘Hello, how can we help you today,’” said Billman.
Whether your first-ever visit or 100th visit the customer is made to feel like family.
“We know most of our customers by name and follow up on their projects, families and whatever else they care to share with us,” he said.
“My staff loves to hear and share a good joke and offer advice on the customers’ project, where to get a good meal and what is worth watching on tv,” he said. “We love our interactions with our customers.”
“Our customer service is top notch because of our staff’s varied backgrounds,” said Billman. “I try to hire people with knowledge to help our customers. I have retired plumbers, electricians and I have an employee with extensive art background, and an employee with 25 plus years in the plant nursery business.”
If you come in with a problem someone in this store will have an answer.
And customers respond to their style and like building relations with the hardware store team.
“Our customers love the personal attention they receive here. They know us and our ability and willingness to serve their needs,” said the store president.
“The pros love the fact that they can come in, say hello, and tell us, ‘I need two of this, three of that,’ and we help them grab it and get them out the door quickly and back to the job ASAP, saving the pros both time and money from searching out items,” he said.
They hear every day how their customers used to shop here with a grandparent, parent or neighbor recommendation. He said: “We also love hearing customers tell us they moved to our community in the 1970s, 1980s or 2000s and love how we still today are able to serve their needs.”
U-n-i-q-u-e
Customers also help shape the store’s very look and feel.
Billman said that, “customer interactions have always shaped us. We listen to our customers and we ask for their thoughts and suggestions. And I have no problem talking with other business owners in our community and seeking out their thoughts and ideas on business practices, product lines and services needed.”
That’s community defined. That’s the very essence of what a hardware store’s uniqueness is.
“We are constantly adding services as our customers come up with new needs. We have found that most people buying on Amazon do not realize that ‘some assembly required’ can put a stop to most projects,” he said.
“Lately we have assembled plastic dog houses, Home Depot furniture and whatever else Amazon, Lowe’s and Home Depot do not assemble,” he said.
“We also love when a customer comes in and asks for help,” said Billman, “and we solve their need in a few minutes and they reply: ‘I just spent 45 minutes down the street at Lowe’s and the sales associate finally told me he can’t help, go up the street to Clinton Hardware, they can help you.’ We love hearing that.”
Want to create a more fun, positive and unique store culture of your own? David Billman has some ideas about that.
“You have to be open minded and adaptive, listen to your customers, and listen to your employees,” he said.
“Make your customers feel like a close friend or family member. Help your customer solve their problems, even if it means sending them to another business. A happy, satisfied customer will always come back to you and refer you to friends,” he said.
Hardware stores are unique, each in their own style.
Billman said: “Our last unique quality is our look. We have a 77 year history and we are proud of that history. A new customer is greeted inside the front door by our 1946 Red Devil paint shaker, other antique equipment and tools. It is a great conversation starter with a new customer to introduce them to who and what we are.”
He concluded: “If your business has a unique history, tie in to your market then use it to differentiate yourself from the competition. In today’s economy every advantage you can gain is only gonna help you survive and thrive.”
