California Closets – The Meaning of Value

It began when my children started to really converse with each other when I noticed the distinction and creativity of their words.  There has always been slang - words that conveyed meaning with the way they sounded.  In my youth, words such as “cool”, “wicked” or “radical” often made it into most conversations. Soon, these words became overused and gave way to other “words.” 
 

As time goes by, (when you get older and become out of touch with absolutely anything …….cool?), you start to hear words from your kids that you just don’t understand. My son Robert, however, seems to want to take words to a new more confusing level for me. He and his friends use words and create derisive meanings that are just beyond my attempts to understand.
 

“Herb” was used nonstop to describe certain kids, teachers and quite frankly anyone that just wasn’t up on what “herb” means. Was it a play on the name Herb? Was it a putdown born of the person so described as a sage, rosemary or thyme? 
 

Then, everything became “random.” To be random was just the worst. This teacher was just “random.” This player on the other team was just “so random.“  Does that mean I should be consistent – never deviate from the predictable?  Randomness had me confused.  I work very hard not to be random. 
 

The latest confusion for me has been “new“.  “What are you….NEW?”  All of a sudden if you are new you will incur the derision of my son and his friends. What does it mean?  Just when you think you have figured out the nuances of the word – the word becomes …….old. 
 

Now, it appears that something described as “bad” could be in reference to a positive association – sometimes bad is good. These words made their way into the mainstream.

 

One of the worst things you can do as an out of touch parent is to try to use these words in what you believe is the right context. You are never correct in their appropriate usage and it is most difficult to get the right voice tone and body language that would communicate the fully meaning of the word.

 

Now what does this have to do with this California Closet business blog?  Well, some of our competitors use words and use nuanced definitions to confuse potential clients.  When a company tells you that their product is green – take the time to ask about it.
 

Ask us about our green product Lago and we will give you the real facts. 

Ask us about our new product line of decorative door glass from ThreeForm and we will tell you about the good works that buying this product will do for developing countries.

 

The most nuanced and confusing word is “value.”  Many confuse “cheaper” with delivering value. California Closets delivers real value – you get the most for your dollar and a lifetime product that you can count on.
 

So as words come and go many with trendy or elusive meanings – I am very clear on what we have here at California Closets. We offer value.  We have employees that are committed to delivering value and these people understand that this is the driving force behind California Closets.

Filed under: California Closets - New England Franchise, Client Communication, LAGO, ken cleary, value , business blog, California Closets, green, green products, LAGO, lifetime warranty, slang, ThreeForm, value

California Closets – Virtuoso is coming!

CHANGING THE CLOSET INDUSTRY

A while back, the two partners of a very large and prominent furniture retailer installed California Closets in their home. They were so pleased that they asked the designer if she thought that California Closets would consider partnering with them and maybe putting some displays in their stores.

When this was considered later, the realization came to them that our product in the bedroom was going to most certainly cut into the sales of bedroom furniture. Who needs wardrobes, bureaus, and entertainment centers from a furniture store when California Closets can design and customize a system to your specifications? We transformed the bedroom and now with Virtuoso we are taking another step toward even more elegance and simplicity.

NEW PRODUCTS AND CALIFORNIA CLOSETS

We have always worked to be at the leading edge in new product development. Earlier this year we introduced a new line of finishes imported from Italy. This new product with its eco-friendly composition and textured finish has had unparalleled success as we have continued to re-order container after container. This new product, however, was being utilized in our current design applications and did not represent any type of change to a different design application.

Our current “vertical” system has stood the test of time over the last 30 years and continues to be the standard that all our competitors aspire to copy. We will always carry this design application as it suits the vast majority of our clients storage needs. California Closets is hyperactive when it comes to new product design, and just having the one design approach was not part of our value system. We take our credo very seriously and one of our shared values is “We lead” and it became obvious that something needed to be done to add to our design portfolio – Virtuoso.

CALIFORNIA CLOSETS CORPORATE HITS ANOTHER HOME RUN

Barry Bonds is not in San Francisco hitting homeruns anymore, but California Closets Corporate is on a hot streak. They hit two out of the park with two new technology innovations – our new customer tracking database system and our exclusive designing program. Both these programs enhance the customer experience by aiding in the area of design and client communication. Corporate then hit another homer when they introduced the new Italian product line - Lago. And now: Virtuoso is stepping up to the plate and hitting one out of the park.

Virtuoso is a uniquely different design that comes from a horizontal design orientation. This product line is built in our Italian laminate and its elegant appeal and flexible design make it a winner for that client who is looking for a contemporary design for their storage needs. To be honest, this product line is way beyond just being storage. This will change how you view almost every room in your home.

This new product line recently premiered at our national convention in Las Vegas and was a mammoth smash in every franchise ballpark. Bus shuttles were used to bring convention attendees to the Las Vegas franchise’s showroom where Virtuoso was on display. The response was incredible.

Everyone wanted to be first on the list to help roll out this new line. We, here in the New England area, with our engaging personalities and persuasive capabilities convinced the corporate powers that with our 6 showrooms and discerning client base, we should be getting this product ASAP. They agreed.

VIRTUOSO – FIRST IN OUR BOSTON SHOWROOM

In late October, we will premier a display of this new elegant and innovative product. The corporate people will descend on Boston and install and train our design and installation teams. We will be certified to roll this out beginning in early November. Our clients want options – and Virtuoso will provide this.

Our New England designers attended the convention and were able to sneak some pictures of the Las Vegas Showroom and the Virtuoso designs. We are displaying some of these pictures in this blog entry, (bootleg pictures of Virtuoso on this blog – we are edgy!) Some of our more boisterous designers have mentioned this product launch to customers and there is a waiting list already.

If you are designing, renovating or building a new house or condo, please contact us so that we can show you how the new Virtuoso line can fit into your plans. The possibilities for transforming your home are endless.

Look for more updates on the launch of Virtuoso. We are very excited about this new product line and there is this new line because: “We lead.”

Ken Cleary – President, California Closets New England

Filed under: California Closets, California Closets - New England Franchise, Client Communication, Company info, Design, Lago Collection, Organization, Stylish and Functional, Technology, Virtuoso, exclusive , 30 years, Boston, California Closets, California Closets Franchise, Client Communication, database system, Design, eco-friendly, elegance, exclusive, green, Italy, LAGO, las vegas, New England, Showrooms, simplicity, success, technology innovations, transforming your home, Virtuoso

California Closets – Embraces New Technology

At California Closets, we lead. We lead in technology innovation. We have made great strides in technology so that our clients get the best service. In the last year we have made major changes to make the customer experience state of the art.

Closet Design Technology – NEW

Our designers will be getting the best design program in the industry – developed exclusively for California Closets. This new computer aided design program will allow our clients to see exactly what they will be getting while insuring that the design will go directly to our factory for accurate manufacture of the closet system.

This program eliminates any design sizing issues and gives a very accurate depiction in a 3-D rendering. The client will be able to see the color and size of the product relative to their space. All information is transmitted to the head office and factory electronically which eliminates paper and the mails. This must be a “green” program – we are using far less paper and saving some trees!

Customer Service Program

Another technological advance is our customer service program. With this program we can accurately track all customer activity. This program also allows us to schedule our designers and installers and eliminates any possible scheduling conflicts. All client needs are tracked and mapping options allow for our people to find client locations easily for on time appointments.

This new program also allows for the storage of all the design files for future reference and storage solution enhancements. Our customer service program allows for better client communication and service -just another demonstration of our commitment to making the clients experience the best.

National Website (Californiaclosets.com)

This website immediately communicates to the client what we are all about. It shows off exactly what we can elegantly do in your home. This website offers inspiration on creative storage solutions for the home and allows the client to develop an understanding of when we talk about “space to be.” We want our clients to see the possibilities.

I like this website for one very important reason – it demonstrates our approach as a company - our commitment to detail, functionality, and elegance. When researching online, the client can easily compare us to our competition and know what our approach will be. Check out this site – you will see the difference.

Web Enhancements

Sometimes you luck out. Last year a close friend’s daughter worked for us in our showrooms and did some extra work for us in photographing and cataloging displays. She is an Economics major at UMass Amherst and she took a special interest in our marketing approach and put together an innovative marketing plan during her spring semester. She did an excellent job and wanted to come back and try out some of her ideas.

She has me blogging, we now have all our showroom locations on Facebook (see Facebook Business Pages), and she is now collaborating on a designer website that will allow our designers to individually customize a site with their own design portfolios. These web enhancements will allow our clients to know who they are working with and help us communicate why we are the best. Sometimes you just luck out.

In Other News…

Every once in a while I will talk about one of my other passions – coaching hockey. As with my business I enjoy associating with committed and skilled individuals in my coaching. I am a Midgets U-18 coach for the Valley Junior Warriors and have been with that organization for over 15 years. I really enjoy working with the young men who have dreams and hopes for our team and their future.

This week I found out that one of my players just committed to play for the National Champion Boston College hockey team. This is in addition to another who recently accepted an offer from Yale. We start hockey camp in one week and have our first tournament on Labor Day Weekend – we are quietly optimistic. My team is the same as California Closets – committed to being the best.

That’s the story for today. Look for my introduction of our new product – Virtuosso in my next entry. This stuff will stun you with it’s contemporary beauty and utility. It’s coming and I will tell you all about it next time.

Ken Cleary – President, California Closets – New England

Filed under: California Closets, California Closets - New England Franchise, Closet Organizers, Custom Storage Solutions, Functionality, Hockey Coach, Links, Marketing Tools, Organization, President's Message, Showrooms, Stylish and Functional, Technology, Virtuosso, ken cleary , 3D, California Closets, California Closets - New England, californiaclosets.com, Closet Design Technology, commitment, committed, communication, customer service, design program, designer, designer website, economics, elegance, exclusive, facebook, Functionality, going green, green, hockey, Hockey Coach, installer, ken cleary, marketing, new product, online, photography, possibilities, service, showroom location, space to be, state of the art, storage solution, Technology, umass amherst, utility, web enhancements