Upselling Countertops Can Make for Happier Customers in the End

Cultured Marble Countertop

On a recent trip to visit friends in Russia, I immediately noticed their newly redecorated kitchen. I was duly impressed with everything about it, including the cabinets, the range and oven and the integral sink. However, a closer inspection of the sink revealed dark stains at the bottom and a few chips around the edges. This immediately prompted me to make a closer inspection to confirm my suspicions. The countertop and sink were made from cultured marble, likely with an inferior gel coat. I’ve seen thousands of cultured marble vanities and bathroom sinks, but never have I seen one this new in this poor of a shape.

After admonishing them for not consulting with me first regarding the materials used, I asked what prompted them to go with cultured marble. Several reasons were named, including price, visual appeal and a generous guarantee on materials and installation. They had fallen into an all too familiar trap of buying on price, instead of value. They liked the look of the integral sink, and moving up to laminate would have most likely meant a few more rubles, but also drop-in stainless steel sink, which was not as appealing. However, how happy were they now?

As most who work in the countertop industry believe, cultured marble may be sufficient for bathroom vanity tops and sinks, but most kitchens require a surfacing material that is more durable. The dealer made good on the guarantee, but it ended up becoming a losing proposition for everyone. Their solution was to saw off the original sink flush with the bottom of the countertop and attach a well-sealed replacement. However, the pattern of the new sink was slightly off, and the work left a visible seam covered in silicon, something I doubt would ever fly with consumers in the United States.

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The lessons to be learned here apply not only to consumers (you get what you pay for; do your homework), but also to fabricators and dealers. Educating the customer is important. If they are buying a product that you aren’t sure they will be happy with in the long run, you should let them know it. In this case, had the customer known the sink was apt to stain or chip with heavy use, they may very well have opted for a more durable material (a win-win for both the customer and the fabricator). Upselling a customer to a more appropriate surface may not have been met with immediate satisfaction, but over time, the decision would hopefully be thought of as sound advice, reinforcing loyalty. In addition, the installer would not have had to spend the extra time and effort repairing a lower-grade product covered by a warranty. We all know call-backs aren’t cheap! If a customer wants to go with an inappropriate product, make the extra effort to upsell them to a material that will last and has a low rate of warrantied service requests and will, ultimately, make them happy. This will keep them satisfied, improve your profits and keep your service personnel focused on new jobs instead of fixing those that have already been completed.