2017 Remodeling 550 Profile
RI Kitchen and Bath
Warwick, R.I.
2017 Rank: 105 (Full Service)
In addition to giving a full design/build experience to its customers, RI Kitchen and Bath (RIKB) offers cash and carry.
“We feel that it’s part of our customer service,” says Tanya Donahue, vice president of RIKB. “We have clients that come in and have gone to big box stores and need guidance. Specifically, it’s the new home client with a general contractor that tells them, ‘Go buy your cabinets.’ They are really lost about the process.”
The company normally sells larger items like cabinets, but it has also sold faucets and tile in the past. Because all cabinets are special-ordered, RIKB requires a sizable deposit for the materials upfront and the rest of the payment is due upon receipt of the order. Donahue says the company has always offered the service and nicknamed it Buy It Yourself (BIY).
RIKB does not advertise BIY, instead opting to offer it as an additional service feature to its customers and by referral only. BIY is a small segment of RIKB’s business, but Donahue says it can have a large impact.
“We have had clients walk in saying they are looking for a toilet or a new kitchen sink or faucet. We tell them more about us and we have ended up completing their entire project. … Most clients are so thankful that we are willing to take the time to discuss a smaller item, even if that means helping them source it through another vendor.”
