Sofa Sensations keys on quality of life
By Tom Edmonds -- Furniture Today, January 20, 2002
AUBURN, Calif. — AUBURN, Calif. — For Doug Seuss, it's all about quality of life.
That was the motivation 23 years ago when Seuss, a Midwestern boy, set up shop in the foothills northeast of Sacramento rather than in a city or at least mid-sized market. And it continues to guide his management decision-making.
In a nutshell, Seuss strives to eliminate as many of the unpleasant experiences of furniture retailing as possible. "All of our efforts focus on what is negative in the business, concentrating on them and deleting them," he said. "That makes it pleasant to come to work."
When he's successful, the business is more fun for him and his staff, and customers enjoy the experience as well. And of course, if the customers like it, they return and bring their friends.
Operating a store with an average sale of about $2,000, Seuss is looking to build relationships with his customers. Toward that end, he works with large manufacturers and brand-based marketers because they come with fewer headaches. "I've found that over the years many of these large corporations are systematically correct," he said. "I've followed the guys who have made my job work smoothly."
Imports may be all the rage as many furniture retailers seek products they can promote without sacrificing margin. Seuss has tried that, but he's decided that the imports don't actually deliver the margin — or the hassle-free retailing experience — that he prefers. "Being one to get out and see the world, I was quick to buy into something like (imports), and frankly, I was quick to lose out," he said.
"It's no longer a price-driven thing for me," he added. "I want service, and my customers want service. I've seen the value of buying the imports and doing the imports, but for me, the savings didn't outweigh the total cost. I'm finding that I can call Hooker up and tell them something is warping. I know I've had it for six months, but it's warping, and they take care of it."
(This would be as good a time as any to mention that Seuss is married to the former Martee Hooker from Virginia, where her family makes and sells furniture. Martee Seuss manages sales in Northern California for Hooker Furniture. The mother of two young children, Martee Seuss has also been making quality-of-life decisions in her business, expanding her network of associates and utilizing electronic communication in favor of car trips.)
Beyond Hooker Furniture, though, Doug Seuss maintains his preference for the larger companies such as Broyhill, Highland House, Lane and Lane Action because they supply reliability. "Who's going to be nice and easy to work with?" he says. "Who is systematically correct, and who is going to deliver promptly?"
On top of that, these companies are more likely to be brand builders, which is proving to be more and more of an asset for Seuss: "Contrary to anything I've seen happen in the past, national advertising is starting to actually work, bringing customers in right then and getting them to buy right then."
Proactive response
Just as he tries to eliminate problems with his suppliers, Seuss also wants to avoid unhappy moments with his customers. Sofa Sensations does that through communication and by tackling issues before they fester.
"You've got a problem? Oh, great, let me help you."
That type of dialog, followed by immediate and constructive action, goes a long way toward solving customer issues. Like many retailers, Seuss used to dread the customer who came in demanding information on an order. "We immediately get on the phone to the factory, relay the information right to the customer, and then we give them our experience with freight time."
Proactive responses "usually take care of it" because they convince the customer that the store is on their side. If somebody calls with a service problem, Sofa Sensation has mapped out a solution within 24 hours. The problem may not be solved in 24 hours, but the customer knows how it's going to be addressed in less than a day. And Sofa Sensations will absorb the cost to create a happy ending.
"If a customer has a problem, we'd rather lose money to make them happy," Seuss said. "That's what we're trying to end up with — happy customers. The high percentage of what we do right works just fine, but the low percentage that messes up, we try to be a hero."
For this third-generation furniture retailer, this approach has proven to be something of an epiphany, leading to higher average tickets and more repeat business. "We find that we will get the table sale and the lamp sale, and they come back and get the picture from us — because they like how we work with them," Seuss said.
As one might suspect of a retailer who originally opened a store in tiny Grass Valley, Calif., Seuss does not have a strategy to conquer the world by covering it with stores. Last year, he did open a 5,000-square-foot clearance center across the street from his 15,000-square-foot store and he has enjoyed strong growth as Sacramento and Roseville have sprawled in his direction, but Seuss is pretty happy with his current situation.
"It's not that I can runaway with a bag of money, but it's very comfortable here," he said. "I definitely want to see the business grow and make it grow, but I've found it's been easier in the recent years than it ever was. If you do your job right, everything is clean and clear, and you make people happy."
Sofa Sensations at a glance
Founded: in 1978 by Doug Seuss.
Market: Serving the growing eastern suburbs of Sacramento and the small foothill communities west of the Sierra Nevadas.
Niche: Full-service home furnishings at middle and upper middle price points.
Display space: The main store has 15,000 square feet, and the year-old clearance center across the street is 5,000 square feet.
Warehouse: 8,000 square feet in Grass Valley, 20 minutes north, which is where Seuss originally opened. The facility has four levels of racks.
Staff: 17 total, with seven in sales.
Key vendors: Broyhill, Highland House, Hooker, LaCrosse, Lane, Lane Action, RC Furniture, Viewpoint.
Typical sofa price point: $1,199.
Annual sales: About $4 million in 2001, up 18% from 2000.
%5CImages-Art%5CPix%5CSS%202.tif)
|
| The store in Auburn, Calif., is benefiting from the rapid growth of the Sacramento suburbs 30 minutes away. |
%5CImages-Art%5CPix%5CSS%201.tif)
|
| Douglas Seuss and his sister Valerie Seuss in a Hooker SmartWorks display. |
%5CImages-Art%5CPix%5CSS%203.tif)
|
| Sofa Sensations is definitely a family affair for Martee Hooker Seuss, Douglas Seuss and their two children, Dane, left, and Douglas. |
-
Lounsbury taps Sadler to direct operations
Apr 28, 2011 -
Bograd's Victim of Economy
Sep 16, 2011 -
More than 40 seminars set for Las Vegas Market
Jul 16, 2010
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
