Storage Cabinet Linear Foot Pricing Metric - Best Practice or Myth
Posted by Chris Watkins on Thu, May 20, 2010 @ 10:35 AM
Occasionally, customer prospects will ask me what is the linear footage cost for your cabinets? Admittedly, that is a question I have always found difficult to answer - here is why.
Now I am not trying to tell customers cost isn't a valid question, but given that my company utilizes three different cabinet manufacturers and literally hundreds of cabinet configuration choices along with the fact that this particular question only deals with a very fundamental concern (i.e., project budget), the reality is the question completely avoids the customers storage need considerations altogether.
Think about that for a moment - of course cost for a solution is an important consideration, but I never approach my customers that way except to ask them have they considered a budget for their project. I am most interested in helping my customers determine their garage storage and organization needs. It is a given that if I can't match the customers needs to their budget goals, I will not get their business. Does the customer need large storage pantry cabinets or lots of drawers and workbench space? The price per lineal foot between these two examples will be considerable which is one reason I find the lineal footage metric not very useful. This is one reason our company has multiple options and cabinet manufacturers to help a client match their specific needs and budget goals.
Why is all this important you ask, simple really. Let's say a customer prospect asks me, how much is your average cost per lineal foot? If I simply throw out a number like $180.00 per foot, I have done nothing to match that cost to the customers specific needs. Potential customers may walk away from the call and I never hear from them again, which is unfortunate as our company most likely has the best system to meet both their storage needs and budget. Customers that work with our company get free consultation to design a garage system that meets their needs. I have worked with clients through 10 iterations of a design to make sure we have developed a garage system that is exactly what they want and need. Although the consulting is offered free of charge, of course changes to the final garage system will influence the purchased price, which is one of my major concerns over using a metric like average linear footage to rough out a pricing structure for clients. It's a misleading practice that doesn't produce the best result.
Customers that focus on their short and long-term garage storage needs while working with their garage vendor to find a good solution balanced to their project budget will gain the best storage system.