Failure To Communicate – Manufacturers and Consumers

by Steven M. Fisher on August 21, 2011 · 3 comments

After several years of listening to manufacturers, designers, retailer and consumers, I have decided that it is time to sound off.  The purpose of this blog is to detail my likes and dislikes on just about everything that goes on in the building, remodeling and decorating communities.  I have certainly paid my dues, and now it is my turn.

First off, there is a huge failure to communicate between manufacturers and consumers.

Manufacturers constantly feel pressure to come out with new products and styles.  First to be competitive with the other manufacturers, second to get better placement and sales support from their distributors and retailers, and third to entice consumers to buy.

Did you happen to notice that consumers come in third on that list? Big Problem.

Consumers on the other hand are getting smarter.  They no longer take things on blind faith and are now doing their homework before they walk into a show room.

The chatter I hear from consumers is that there are way too many products out there and that the average consumer cannot tell the difference between one product and another.  How many of us have been in a Home Depot (homedepot.com), Sears (sears.com) or Best Buy (bestbuy.com) and asked the salesperson a question?  The sales person doesn’t know the answer, so he walks over to the tag on the refrigerator, appliance, window, etc and looks at the tag.  We could have done that just as easily.

My favorite example is when we got our first Home Depot in the area. For the first few weeks, everyone in the store was highly knowledgeable and helpful. It was awesome to walk into the store. After those first couple of months, it was like walking into a different store.  All of the sudden, the sales people didn’t have a clue and they were less inclined to help you.  If they plan on surviving as a company, they would be well advised to spend more time on keeping their customer base and less time on squeezing every penny out of their vendors.

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Online Research

by Steven M. Fisher on August 17, 2011 · 5 comments

Here is another one of my favorite quagmires.

Many manufacturers just can’t understand why they can’t get consumers to go to their sites.  My question is why would a consumer want to?  What have they done as a company done to make consumers care enough about their company to go to their site? Most importantly, what is on that site that would want to make a consumer spend time on it?

Here is a classic example of a website that will never get a single repeat visitor — ever: Go to the Behr Paints (behr.com) site.  These guys fell in love with their own technology so much that on the fastest connection I could find, it takes 2 minutes to get to any part of their site and while it loads, you look at a stupid animated bear.  How many consumers do you think will actually wait 2 minutes on even one page of the site to get that information?  It really makes you wonder what they were thinking.  I am sure their management is saying, “we spent a fortune building this site and no one is coming to it.”  To them I say, “duh!”

While we are on the subject, what is more confusing than trying to find information about our world of remodeling, building and decorating online?  If you Google toilets for instance, here is what you get:  14,900,000 entries for toilets.  Talk about confusing.

What if I just want to know who the manufacturers are and what the differences in products are? Good Luck!

Additionally, here is what these listings don’t tell you, the latest consumer reports came out and Gerber had 4 of the top rated toilets and Kohler had 2 and American Standard had two.  This would be valuable information if you were buying a toilet.  Consumer Reports (Consumerreports.org) does this for just about every product.  I love Consumer Reports.

This link will help you find all the information on anything you need regarding your house in a matter of seconds, but is purely information and does not do ratings, HomeRemodelingPortal.com .  Just scroll onto the menu and click or scroll onto the object in the picture and click.  Search made easy.

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Six Things You Should Know Before Buying A Sofa

by Steven M. Fisher on August 13, 2011 · 1 comment

  • Color is Key. Color will be the first element you respond to, so look for colors that express your personal style or work with colors you already have in your room.
  • The Comfort Test. When you find a style that appeals to you, try it out for comfort. Bounce up and down on the cushions. Make sure it feels right to you.
  • The Durability Test. Wiggle the arms. Do they hold firm, indicating good workmanship? Lift the frame. Does it feel heavy and sturdy?
  • Get the Feel. Examine the fabric. Are the seams straight? Does the fabric line up properly? Does it feel pleasing to the touch?
  • Price Check Double check the price against other sofas you have looked at. Quality sofas are available in all price ranges.
  • Measure it. You don’t want the sofa to overwhelm your room, but you also don’t want it to be dwarfed by other pieces.

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Six Things You Should Know Before Buying A Showerhead

by Steven M. Fisher on August 8, 2011 · 1 comment

  • Style is Key. The rule of thumb is the match the finish or color of your showerhead to the faucet and tub filler. Also the style should have a similar look, but not necessarily matching. Today’s showerheads offer not only massage but up to 25  different spray patterns from fine mist to drenching rain
  • The Jet Set. There are numerous showerheads available on the market.  Choose a handheld version with a controlled spray to bathe children, wash a pet or help those who need to shower sitting down. Some mount on a vertical slide for versatility and allow for height differences. The wall-mounted shower is most common with an overhead shower placed on the ceiling. This may require more water to operate. Body spray showerheads are small showerheads installed in series of two or three along opposite walls. The ultimate is body mist shower with a series of jets in a single bar to gently wash the body and have adjustable force and spray patterns.
  • The Self Clean Test. Do you live where there is hard water? Then think about a showerhead that offers self-cleaning capabilities. Also if you live by salt water, ask about special protective coating for polished brass and chrome fixtures. You will be able to maintain the good looks without tarnish or discoloration or even pitting
  • Get into The Flow. Low-flow showerhead conserve water by restricting flow through smaller openings. The federally mandated effort to save water has reduced the flow of showerheads to no more than 2.5 gallons per minute. Some showerhead manufacturers offer flow restriction mechanisms that reduce even lower. While they save water at this lower level, the water temperature may be lower than desired.
  • Price Check You will find a wide price range of showerheads, from $20 to $500 and up. Generally you will get what you pay for with the lower priced models offering less features and less warranty, if any. If you are replacing a wall mounted showerhead, you will probably select another one. Changing to an overhead showerhead may mean expensive  plumbing renovations
  • On Guard. Will your shower be used by small children or older adults? If so, select antiscald protection. If you replace old mixer valve with an antiscald one, this is an expensive plumbing expense. Think about an antiscald fitting which install in between the shower arm and your new showerhead.

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Appliances: Telling The Differences

by Steven M. Fisher on August 5, 2011 · 5 comments

I got more phone calls and emails from my article:  “Failure to Communicate – Manufacturers and Consumers” than anything I have written in the past 6 months, so it only stands to reason that  I would follow it up with an article on major appliances.

Let me set the stage: Last April I was at a press conference at the Kitchen and Bath Show (KBIS) sponsored by Sears.  KBIS is one of the many places people like me go to learn about the latest and greatest so we can communicate that information to you.

At this conference were some of the “top” corporate executives from several major manufacturers.  I asked a very simple question: “ The most common complaint that I get from consumers is that they are overwhelmed and confused when choosing major appliances.  Most importantly, the majority of consumers I have spoken with feel they cannot tell the differences of one product from the other.  Additionally, the sales people know little more than they do.  Are you aware that this problem exists and how are you working to correct it?

There was silence, with the exception of Betsy Owens, General Manager, Kenmore who immediately “got it” and answered the question.  The rest were completely unprepared to answer that simple question and every other question that they weren’t previously scripted for.  After attending that Press Conference, it is no wonder why we are all confused.  If the people the manufacturers put on a panel can’t answer questions directly, how can we expect sales people to?

Ms. Owens acknowledged that there was a problem in explaining differences to consumers.  She also said that going forward, this is one of Sears/Kenmore’s biggest challenges.  I hope the other manufacturers follow their example.

In the meantime, my simple advice to you is do your homework before you walk into a showroom.  Know what kind of features you are looking for and most of all, don’t rely on the sales person.  You have no idea what he is told to sell and chances are that he is as clueless as the manufacturer’s top management. Once you find the features and the price you want, then buy with your eyes.

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Private Labels – Saving Hundreds. Same Exact Product. Same Exact Quality.

by Steven M. Fisher on August 1, 2011 · 7 comments

Here is what no manufacturer is going to tell you outright, but it is the way things work.  There are two ways a manufacturer can go, private labeling and/or branding.  By way of example, until LG launched their own brand in the United States, they were and still are one of the largest “private labelers” in the U.S.  The way it works is that LG will manufacture their product for another label.  The inner workings are exactly the same and the outside will have some cosmetic changes, (usually minor).  Therefore, you can save a lot of money if you know who they private label for.

Another example is Kenmore.  Kenmore private labels all of their appliances.  They are manufactured by JennAir, Whirlpool, etc.  Those companies give Kenmore a head start in terms of distribution and sales and then launch their own label a few months later.  That’s why Kenmore appliances are first rate and also why they are cheaper than everyone else.  Additionally, it is why they are always out first with major innovations.

The question is then, what is in it for the manufacturer to private label if they can make more money using their own label?  Simple.  Distribution.  The appliance manufacturing world relies on getting the product to the consumer and that is a distribution problem.  Sears has the best retail distribution network going.  JennAir and Whirlpool have none, so they have to sell into other retailers.  They are happy to give Sears a head start and then follow up with their own high end label.  This way when the buzz wears off from Kenmore, they launch with JennAir, etc.  It is a well thought out and brilliant strategy that has been working for years.

However, as the consumer gets more educated and watches their money closer, the lure of the “high end” brands might give way to the generics.

How does this benefit the consumer?  If you like a certain product, find out who they private label for and buy the private label.  You can save hundreds and sometimes thousands and not skimp the slightest on quality.  To my knowledge, the ultra high-end brands like SubZero and Viking don’t private label, but you can’t cover every appliance manufacturer in a single article.

Private labeling works the same way in a grocery store or with prescription drugs, but that is another story.

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It Really Is A More Energy Efficient Washing Machine – Kenmore’s Latest

by Steven M. Fisher on March 18, 2011 · 1 comment

It isn’t my practice to endorse specific products, but when someone approaches me with a product that is truly more energy efficient and a better washing machine.  I am going to listen.

First off, no one is more jaded than me when it comes to new products that are supposed to be so much “better and improved”.  Puhleeze!  I have heard it all before. I recently spent 4 days at the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas and saw maybe two or three products that fell into the innovative category.  Below is my analysis of one of them.

If the rest of this article sounds like I am a shill for Kenmore, I am not.  Half the time I can’t even get them to return a phone call or an email and a meeting, forget about it, but fair is fair.  I have a Kenmore Series 80 washer which on the one hand is a relic, but on the other hand goes forever with all the abuse my wife and kids put it through.  As much as I would like to replace it, I figure it has another good 10 years in it at least.

That being said, here is the 411 on their latest and greatest:  The Kenmore “Smart Motion Technology” Washing Machine.  I personally checked the numbers and the methodology in this article myself, as well as gave Marty Olson, the Product Development Manager the 3rd degree.

Here are the statistics:  The new Kenmore washer uses 61% less energy and 69% less water than top loading models.  This amounts to saving an average of $144 per year (Marty’s number).  Their website claims it can save up to $175 per year and over $1900 over the life of the machine in energy and water savings.  The bottom line is that the washer will pay for itself in water and energy savings over the life of the machine.

How is this calculated?  Front loaders have always used less water than top loaders.  The type of washing cycle adds to the rest.  In terms of energy, this washer has a larger capacity and does just as efficient a job cleaning in cold and warm water than hot water and this contributes to considerable energy savings.  Your hot water heater (along with your refrigerator) is one of the biggest “energy sucks” in your house.  With Kenmore’s new washer, for the most part you can clean your clothes just as efficiently in cold water.

The other thing I like about this machine is that they actually figured out that you can get your clothes cleaned more efficiently with different washing motions.  If you are like me, your washing machine spins the clothes in soapy water and they somehow come out clean.  With Kenmore’s “Smart Motion Technology”, your clothes can “tumble, roll, scrub, swing and step”.

It’s also very quiet with not much vibration.  This feature would have come in handy when my kids were younger.

I am purposely not including a picture or prices because the purpose of this article is to evaluate the product, not to be a PR piece, but I really am impressed with the product.   You shouldn’t have a problem finding a retailer that carries one.

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Are Interior Designers Worth It?

by Steven M. Fisher on October 23, 2009 · 5 comments

Just like everything else, there are good interior designers, great interior designers and ones that are completely worthless.  The question is how can you tell if he or she is worth it?  First, ask for referrals and check them out.  Second, take a look at pictures of their work.  Even more important, make sure you like their style.  As you might assume, I have a lot of friends that are interior designers.  Some I would hire in a second if I could afford them.  Others, not a chance.  Not that they aren’t any good, it’s just they have a different style than mine.

Additionally, bring your significant other into the conversation.  My wife and I have different tastes, so whomever we hire better be able to work with both of us and be a diplomat on top of it.

Every interior designer carries before and after pictures with them as well as references.  If they don’t, then don’t go near them.

The biggest and most direct question I get asked is how much should I pay and what am I getting for my money?  Interior designers vary in what they charge depending upon their experience and clientele, so there isn’t any real benchmark.  Additionally, some charge by the hour and some do not.

Here is the bottom line:  If you decide to hire a designer, agree to their fee and allow them the flexibility to do their job.  A smart interior designer will charge you by the hour because if they don’t, they will end up losing money based upon the changes you will make.

More than anything else, find someone who you are comfortable, has good references, similar tastes, and you feel you can trust.

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