It was only last month that we relayed to you some words of wisdom from the “Miserable Old Gits Club” featuring Glasgow based bathroom retailer, and kbbreview columnist, now Derek challenges design – bathroom design!
“Whatever opinions we all have about the internet, there can be little doubt that it has changed the lives of the vast majority of people in the UK and beyond. Its overriding feature is the sheer amount of information it makes available to anyone who’s interested. Detailed research can be undergone at the touch of a button, and a whole new generation of apparent ‘experts’ has been created on every subject known to man.
In common with other sectors, bathroom showrooms are faced with an increasing number of customers who believe that a few hours’ investigative online research puts them on a par with experienced retail sales people and designers. In a recent conversation with an industry friend, I was asked whether it was inevitable that clients would become directly involved in the design process, with customer and interior designer snuggling up in front of the laptop to create the ideal bathroom?
To many people, yours truly included, the art of good design remains something of a mystery, so I began to wonder whether such an approach would be viable, or even desirable, for the customer. As a man for whom the scientific method is second nature, I decided to embark upon extensive research on the topic. I asked Scope’s interior design team what they thought of such a cosy client/designer arrangement.
Some of their opinions would not be printable in an industry magazine, but suffice to say that the prospect of structured client input did not fill the ladies with enthusiasm. I have to say that I’m with our designers on this one. Clients must obviously be able to review their proposed design at each stage of its development, and the end result should reflect what they want, rather than a designer’s creative fantasy. But this should stop short of a genuine ‘joint-effort’ at the Virtual World screen.
While the internet has undoubtedly liberated consumers, it cannot possibly turn the average customer into a designer. I find myself short of patience when faced with the new generation of ‘cyber-expert’ – a lay person who thinks they know more than the specialist. The fact is that bathroom designers are highly educated, skilled individuals who fully understand the technical implications of their decisions and the knock-on effect that arises from even the smallest specification tweak. Their job is to listen, interpret, create, and deliver within an agreed budget, not to hold a client’s hand as they play a ‘design by numbers’ game. The smart designer will get to know their client and perhaps even form a bond. Part of that process will be to ensure that the customer gets sufficiently involved to know exactly what they will get come delivery and installation time.
With the most basic guidance, anyone can switch on a design program and drop down some items from the product library to make them fit in the space available. The true skill of the qualified interior designer is in visualising how the space will work and how the whole will become greater than the sum of its parts. Thankfully, most clients still prefer to ‘ask the expert’. That is what makes them switch off Google and take the time to visit showrooms. The mystique of interior design, and all the technical expertise that goes with it, gives independent retailers their raison d’être. It is not something to be dressed up as a customer service gimmick and handed over in the name of differentiation.
Like every other KBB company, Scope will always look for ways to improve its business and adapt to changing needs. As a favour to everyone, however, our clients will continue to sit on the opposite side of the desk.”
Any one care to disagree?
