The staff of Imperial Kitchens and Baths have what owner Larry Rychlowski calls “a neurotic need to please.” Saying it’s a result of his upbringing, Rychlowski looks for employees who share that same need. “There’s never a problem as long as the expectation of the installer is higher than the client’s expectation.”
Part of managing that expectation comes from Rychlowski’s background as a teacher. Bathrooms are becoming more and more complicated, so ensuring the client knows what is happening and why is an important part of the process. “We try to educate our clients so they understand why we need to do things,” he says. “We go to all the tile seminars and learn how and why you do things. The people who know why are far superior. After we become knowledgeable, we come back and educate our employees and our contractors.”
Imperial Kitchens and Baths also has a full-service shop on the premises, allowing for a much faster turnaround for things like cabinets. According to Rychlowski, “When changes occur, it quickly makes the difference. No ordering in six weeks; it’s back in 45 minutes to the client. People are looking for instant gratification, at least when you get to the 11th hour.”
Rychlowski also strives to troubleshoot any potential issues when they’re still manageable—not only to ensure the job is done on time, but so his employees and subs don’t have to worry about redoing parts of a job. “Always be ahead of the curve. Take care of the molehills. You need to make sure that what is transpiring is appropriate and if there’s an error, catch it now.”
Takeaways:
- Imperial K&B prides itself on adopting the most advanced technology available. It adopted computers 20 years ago and is now making use of the Microsoft Surface on jobsites. “We have the Surface on the jobsite, take video, it goes straight to OneNote. If we’re on the jobsite and the client wants to come in that day, we can have all of the info available on the cloud so the designer can be ready right away,” Rychlowski says.
