Every family, every person, every home has a centerpiece, that one place where everything and everyone comes together. For some, it’s a playroom filled with kids’ laughter. For others, it’s the backyard where memories are grilled into every summer day. And for many, it’s the kitchen – where stories are shared, meals are created, and memories are built.
At The RTA Store, our people are that centerpiece. As a family-owned and operated company, the team behind the scenes is what truly builds the heart of the home for every customer we serve. And really, what’s more important than that?
In this month’s The Heart of Our Home spotlight, we’re featuring Debbie P, our Showroom Manager, so you can get to know the heart of The RTA Store.
Debbie: Hey! How’s it going!.
Melissa: Hi! It’s going. (both laugh) How about you?
Debbie: It’s a Monday so…
Melissa: (laughs) Oh yea, I know exactly what you mean. Thank you so much again for chatting today!.
Debbie: Yes, I was excited for it!
Melissa: Same! So Debbie, how did you get started in sales?
Debbie: When I first started at The RTA Store, I started in the samples department and then moved to customer service, and then just essentially customer service transitioned into a sales department instead.
Melissa: Was that when there wasn’t a showroom yet?
Debbie: There was a little bit of a showroom, but it definitely wasn’t the displays that we have now. It was just the base cabinets.
Melissa: And have you ever done cabinetry sales before The RTA Store?
Debbie: Nope. This was all new to me!
Melissa: What is it about cabinetry that you love?
Debbie: Honestly, being able to see the before and after of a renovation, and comparing those images. That’s definitely the most exciting part for me! That feels like everything went successfully, everything came out the way that the customer needed it. That’s definitely my favorite part out of it. And just being able to find the customer the perfect cabinet line, whether it be to fit within their timeline or their budget, or whatever their case might be. That would be my second favorite thing, finding the perfect one for them.
Melissa: That’s awesome. And so tell me a little bit with the showroom, do we get customers from all areas in the tri-state area or more local? What’s the furthest someone has come?
Debbie: So, we’ve gotten in-person customers from Buffalo. We get a bunch from New York City. A lot of people end up traveling from Connecticut, but the majority of them are in fact local to Hopewell Junction. We also do virtual appointments and those have gone as far as California! But those are through Zoom, FaceTime, and Google Meet.
Melissa: So Buffalo is actually a pretty decent drive and come to think of it, the city even though New York City is only about 2 hours away, it’s probably more with traffic. So that’s pretty cool to see that we’ve got in-person customers from those areas.
What’s the difference between a virtual appointment with you at the showroom and a virtual appointment with anyone on the sales team, who’s not in the showroom itself?
Debbie: During virtual showroom appointments, we’re still able to show them the product firsthand. So, they’ll be able to see through Zoom or FaceTime or Google Meet the actual displays that we have. We can walk them around using the iPads, pull out the different accessories, stuff like that. When they’re doing the virtual on the sales team, it’s more just conversational stuff, gathering their information, not necessarily in-person products. We still recommend getting samples though because the lighting can obviously affect things quite a bit!
But being able to see the actual displays really spark that interest and the excitement of the customer versus just being product related. And it really does make a difference. I mean, there’s a way to explain our products when you’re having a conversation with someone, but being able to see it, even if it’s not physically in person, makes a huge, huge difference in comfort level, more or less.
Melissa: Yea seeing them in person really does make a difference, and samples are another great option! And what is your favorite part about working at The RTA Store?
Debbie: That’s a tough one! I want to say, my simple answer is the people. Not only the co-workers, but the customers as well. It just feels like regardless of who you’re speaking to, that everyone’s a big giant family. You get that personal connection with not only the customers but our employees as well, and you just kind of grow with them throughout their whole journey.
Melissa: I love that. It’s funny, almost every person I’ve interviewed so far, that’s everyone’s answer – the people. Whether it be just the people we’re working with or the customers, but it really does speak to the character of who works at The RTA Store.
Debbie: It’s contagious! (both laugh)
Melissa: And also that mindset grows and develops from working here because of being around everybody who thinks the same way. And you’re right, it is contagious! I love seeing what people have been able to do in their homes.
Debbie: That’s exactly how I feel too.
Melissa: So we got to the fun part now! It’s the rapid fire section. If you had a choice of cabinets in one of your rooms, that’s a nonobvious choice, for example, it could be like a baker corner near the pantry or someone actually has said before a hidden pantry, or, a book nook in your library. What nonobvious choice of cabinets would you want?
Debbie: So actually I have two that come to mind! One of them a customer actually did, it was a little doggy cabinet in a sense, and he modified it to drop the food down and it was almost like a cutout deco door with the center so that the dog had its own cabinet to get its water and food, but it was hidden in a sense. So that was really cool I think.
Melissa: Yes, I remember that one!
Debbie: That was such a cool way of doing it.
Melissa: It was so chic and it actually fit so nice with the kitchen. And I know multiple pet owners that the water bowl on the floor is the bane of their existence, because it always gets kicked and then it’s slippery and it’s usually tile in the kitchen.
Debbie: Absolutely. And it just makes them more of a part of the family. They already are. So, it’s like, why not bring them into your kitchen with everything else?
And then the other one, it’s like a coat rack, but it has the storage on the top and the bottom and it gives you a little place to sit and put your shoes on and stuff like that. That is definitely my second favorite thing. You just don’t realize how usable an area like that would be until you don’t have it or until you see it and you’re like, “Wow, I could really use that in my house.” That would be my second favorite one!
Melissa: I completely agree with you on that, you don’t even realize how helpful cabinets could be in so many different places.
Debbie: Yeah, it’s crazy!
Melissa: I like that. All right, Debbie. What’s your desert island food of choice?
Debbie: This is going to sound so simple, but I love French fries.
Melissa: I do too! And I don’t actually think it’s too simple.
Debbie: That’s what I’m saying! My go-to for everything, i I’m at a restaurant, I can’t think of what I’m having… always go with the French fries.
Melissa: (laughs) I completely agree with that! And if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Debbie: Somewhere down south for sure. And I don’t know why, but I would love to go to Texas! That seems like a very friendly area, or Tennessee. Those would be my go-to. And I have no idea why, but I’ve always wanted to go there. That would be the first place that I would move if I had the opportunity.
Melissa: I love that. Texas is extremely friendly actually! I’ve been to Tennessee, I went to the Opry and it was awesome, and the culture is awesome, and it’s pretty cool to go to different southern states and everyone’s got different barbecue in the US.
Debbie: Yeah, we do! That’s what draws me there though, the friendliness. Even some of our reps who live there, you can just tell they have that type of personality. So when they say, ” yeah, I’m from Texas.” I’m like, “I could totally tell.” (both laugh)
Melissa: It’s super friendly, super open, loud but in an excited way, they’re just always so upbeat,…
Debbie: Yes!
Melissa: And it makes you want to be that way.
Debbie: And I love that. Exactly.
Melissa: So we actually have our final question now. Bring it back to a little bit of a sappiness here, Debbie… who is the heart of your home?
Debbie: That’s a good question. Honestly, my family in general. We’re kind of spread out everywhere, but no matter whose house we go to or what restaurant we go to together, it just feels like home.
It feels like family. So, I have to say generally my whole family. Can’t pick just one, but being with them just feels like home in general.
Melissa: Yeah. It’s like no matter where you are, as long as they’re around, you feel home at home.
Debbie: It’s not where you are, it’s who you’re with. It’s like a huge phrase I live off of.
Melissa: 100%. I’m the same way.
Debbie: Gotta love it!
Melissa: It really is the most important aspect of life to be honest. Because in the end, you’re going to be happy that you spent as much time as you could with family, and did things that you wanted to do with them, and just enjoyed life with them overall. And family to me is the main aspect of that.
Debbie: I absolutely agree.
Melissa: Debbie, we’re already friends, but still I learned stuff about you I did not know, so thank you!
Debbie: I learned a little bit more about you too! And if I ever go to Texas, I’ll make sure to let you know.
Melissa: Please do! And we’ll have to do a Texas themed design corner at some point. (both laugh)
Debbie: Give me a taste of it before I get there!
Melissa: Yeah, exactly! Thank you very very much for jumping on and doing this.
Debbie: Of course. It was fun!
