10 Reasons You Need California Closets (now more than ever!)

TOP TEN LISTS!

Letterman has made the “top ten list” a part of our culture. Now we bring this favorite feature to the California Closets Blog.  Probably not nearly as funny as David’s, but still very relevant for the state of the closet and storage world of today. Letterman may have the best list, but the second best top ten list feature is the one done in our company’s newsletter. List editor, Designer Joe M. has a talent for comedic irony and I have been fearful of his being recruited by the writing team from the Letterman show. Well, here we go with  “Why California Closets Top Ten List.”

NUMBER 10: We like both dogs and cats.  Some companies are “dog” companies, and some are “cat” companies. We have been very careful in our hiring and training practices to balance out the dog and cat people. When we come to your home we can be  fully compatible with any of your pets.  One of our features is that you can request dog  or cat friendly designers and installers. Although not our biggest competitive advantage, it is truly a unique benefit of California Closets.

NUMBER 9: We have Lago. This Italian product is exclusive to California Closets and meets European ‘green’ standards. Our competitors do not have this product. It is truly an incredibly beautiful product and we have been importing and selling it for one year now.  Our customers cannot resist it and it is displayed in all our showrooms. It could easily be in a better position on this list, but for now here it sits firmly ensconced at number 9.

NUMBER 8: Smiles. Yes, we are still smiling. All the stuff going on in the world and we are still positive. We are the friendly closet and storage company. We know that when you are the best and you have people dedicated to stay the best, you smile.  We enjoy organizing for our clients. California Closets’ people enjoy their work and enjoy people. We like to smile. It is an advantage in today’s world to be able to smile.

NUMBER 7: Responsible.  We feel a sense of responsibility to think globally and act locally. We have an extensive recycling program for our wood and cardboard refuse. Our new Eco-Resin products are  socially responsible and work to promote third world  economic development. Our fleet of installation vehicles is being updated to be more efficient and ecologically friendly. We want to be good citizens.

NUMBER 6: Georgia. I told Georgia that she would get some mention in my next blog entry.  She deserves the press. Here comes a sport’s analogy.  If you follow the New England Patriots and if you are a student of the way Bill Belichik values players, you know that he places a high value on versatility. He likes those players that can play more than one position.  Georgia is very versatile – she works the customer service desk, handles customer follow up communication, schedules design consultations, and works to help in accounting in any way she can. In this economic climate you need versatile people working for you. When you call 800-225-6901 say hello to Georgia and she will schedule your appointment or help you in any way she can. Please do not chat too long with her – her versatility keeps her very busy.

NUMBER 5: We have showrooms, real showrooms.  Our 6 showrooms are located throughout New England. The competition claims to have showrooms, but we have showrooms that give you an opportunity to really see and understand our product and help you understand design concepts. Our showrooms are not a 6ft X 8ft room with one cheesy display. We are not shy to show off the fact that we can deliver on a high quality product. Our showrooms are an advantage for California Closets as a sales and design tool and an advantage for our customers because they know just what they are going to get in their home.

NUMBER 4: The Installation Department.  Our install team is the absolute best.  They work to efficiently get your closet and storage system installed. They are clean, fast and friendly.  Our installers understand customer service – they are more than just storage technicians. They understand the urgency of getting the home in the organized state that would make the client smile.

NUMBER 3: California Closets controls chaos.  The world is chaotic – shouldn’t your home at least be organized?  Every day is another day of the unknown-  you just do not know what to expect – the banks, the auto industry, the government: in the famous words of Elaine Benis-yada, yada, yada. It just seems to go on and on. All these things we just do not have control over. Don’t you think it would be great to have control over the organization of your home? Wouldn’t it be nice to have California Closets help you with at least bringing your home into order and organization? The economic situation is beyond our control – the organizing of your home is not.

NUMBER 2: The California Closets Designer.  Our Designers are the best in the industry. They deliver on number 3 of this list.  They know organizing and they will spend the time to make your home the sanctuary you need in these times. They care, they smile, they have a sense of humor and they can organize the un-organizable.  They will do all this with an eye for the aesthetics. Organized and aesthetically pleasing to the eye – the mission of the California Closets Designer.

AND……..THE NUMBER 1 REASON  WHY YOU SHOULD USE CALIFORNIA CLOSETS (now more than ever): Value! We are now the best value – by far.  We are working with our suppliers to offer incredible values to our clients. Right now we are giving a free upgrade on our white product. You can buy American wood grains for the price of white! We have reduced prices on many of our products as we work to meet the needs of  clients in these trying economic times. However, we have not changed our service level or product quality. Our standards have not changed!  This is why the value of California Closets is number 1 on the list – now more than ever is the time to eliminate chaos, bring order and add value to your home.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Ken Cleary – President, California Closets- New England

Filed under: 10 Reasons You Need California Closets, California Closets, California Closets - New England Franchise, Call Georgia, Free Upgrade, LAGO, Lago Collection, Top 10, White Event, eco-friendly, ken cleary , calclosets, California Closets, California Closets Blog, Call Georgia, Designers, eco-friendly, installation, LAGO, letterman, New England, Showrooms, Top 10, top ten, value

California Closets New England- our people make us great!

California Closets - New England

We have an expression at California Closets – New England: “It’s not easy to work for California Closets – you need to be special.” The expectations we set for our people are what sets us apart from the competition. We expect excellence – they have to seek advanced skills in their trade, most have to pass certification tests and all have to understand and deliver to our clients the California Closets Experience.

THE GOAL:

All of our people understand that our goal is: “to be the home service provider by which all others are judged.” Often when home owners are having work done they run into a variety of trades that all have differing approaches to quality and service. Our people feel the responsibility as a California Closets’ employee to live up to our expectations for customer satisfaction.

Our Designers know that the designs and storage solutions they create and draft must be the most efficient and appropriate for each individual client. They are expected to communicate responsibly in a manner that is convenient and respectful to the client. They must spend the time to understand the client and their needs throughout the process. They must value the client’s time and work in a manner that is respectful to the customer’s time. The designs delivered to the client must be a reflection of their needs and yet incorporate the creativity and style that is our trademark in the closet industry. Our Designers are the best there are and they deliver the California Closets Experience.

Our Installers know they need to be special. It is their responsibility to deliver a product and service that sets us apart. They are charged with delivering on the promise of the designer’s plan for the space. They understand the client’s need for tranquility and order even during the installation process. Most of our cutting and manufacturing is done at our plant to minimize installation mess and noise – this is not to say that the installation is silent – just quieter and cleaner than the rest. They are mindful of your needs in the home and are always striving to make the installation process as smooth as possible. They will spend the time to review your new closets or storage system with you so that you have a complete understanding of what was done. They know that they must work with the client to deliver the California Closets experience.

Special note on Installers: Our installers are not subs. They are own people-selected, bonded, trained and certified by California Closets. Most of our competitors pay their installers on a “commission” or “piece rate” system. The only thing this approach to pay ensures is that they will try to rush through the job – often cutting corners so they can move on and get home. Our Installers are paid by the hour and are rewarded for quality and productivity. They will spend the time to make it right – often they will fix or replace small imperfections that the client would seldom notice. They are promoted and rewarded for customer satisfaction.

THE GOAL – HOW DO WE KNOW HOW WE ARE DOING?

We measure. We hear from you all the time – through our surveys and just because some of you cannot contain yourselves about how happy you are with your closets – you tell us and you tell your friends and family. It is important to us to quantify our performance as we try to gage how we are doing on our goal. We contract an independent survey company to contact every customer and report back to us on our rating.

NPS (Net Promoter Survey) – Every client is asked to rate us on one question: “Based on a scale of 1 to 10 how likely is it you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?” The only acceptable scores for us are 9 or 10. All others would indicate that we did not deliver the experience and are not achieving on the goal. We take these scores seriously and are constantly evaluating performance and giving feedback to our people and getting their input on making the experience second to none.

It’s not easy to work at California Closets New England – the expectations are high and the responsibilities are great – everyone feels the need for us to be “the the home service provider by which all others are judged.”

OTHER NEWS

California Closets had its national convention in July – the New England business won an award – the only award voted by all the other business owners across the system: The Peer Award. This award is for that business that is most helpful to the system in sharing better practices and helping others to deliver the California Closets experience.

It was a surprise and an honor for us. In our company credo one of commitments is to “Honor the greater good” and I am very pleased at how willing my people are in being helpful to others and thrilled to think that others in the system believe that we have something to offer. It is a testament to the quality of people we have here at New England California Closets.

ODDS AND ENDS

I am trying to collect the complete list of songs and performers who have recordings that have “California” as a part of the lyrics. I would love to get my Ipod stocked with these songs as I spend my early morning time on the cross trainer. I would love others to help me fill out my list. The first ones on the list for me would be:

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ – the Mamas and the Papas

CALIFORNIA GIRLS - The Beach Boys

What would be on your list?

Until next time: Simplify!

Ken Cleary – President California Closets – New England.

Filed under: About Us, California Closets, California Closets - New England Franchise, Closet Organizers, Company info, Design Consultants, installers , best, california, California Closets, california closets experience, customer satisfaction, customers, Design Consultants, Designers, employee, employees, home service provider, installation, installers, lyrics, New England, quality, simplify