Chad Scheinerman remembers it well.
According to an online video interview, Scheinerman, now the president of Today’s Patio, says that it was a Tropitone Back Bay set in textured ivory and navy fabric, it sold for $4,000, and it sticks out in his mind because he both sold and delivered it, all at the age of 14.
It was the first time that he had stepped away from cleaning bathrooms and stocking shelves and making deliveries, to make a sale at his father Henry Scheinerman’s patio furniture store.
He’s been at it ever since.
Like other retailers, Today’s Patio has faced challenges, from increased demand to delayed supply. The store meets the challenge by letting customers know up-front what the challenges are.
Visitors to Today’s Patio’s website will see an announcement that says that due to increased demand and supply chain issues, some products may be out of stock or delayed. It lets customers know that new shipments are arriving weekly – and it invites them to contact Today’s Patio for details.
Today’s Patio offers seating, dining, patio umbrellas, fire pits and patio heaters and accessories. Furniture comes in aluminum, wrought iron, wicker and wood, from manufacturers including Agio, Brown Jordan, Ebel, Hanamint, Lane Venture, OW Lee, Summer Classics, Treasure Garden and Tropitone, among others.
For now, Today’s Patio is opening this season with a level of cautious optimism, as new collections are being rolled out according to Stephen Ramey, chief operating officer.
“The biggest challenge in this environment is managing our supply chains to ensure that we have plenty of product available,” Ramey says. “Because products are taking much longer to arrive, we’ve seen a substantial decline in custom-order products and customers are choosing products that we have in stock instead.”
In terms of new sales programs or tactics to get the product off the sales floor and into customers’ homes, Ramey says that Today’s Patio tends to keep it simple.
“We tend to shy away from trends and tactics,” said Ramey. “Our sales model begins with the premise of the Golden Rule – we treat our customers the way that we would like to be treated. We’re all consumers and if you stop to consider what makes us loyal to brands and companies, we can incorporate those behaviors and attributes into our interactions with customers. You cannot build loyalty and trust with sales tactics — smart people see right through them.”
Ramey says the so-called ‘customer loyalty’ programs don’t actually work as advertised.
“I find it odd when companies incorporate “customer loyalty” programs – they’re anything but,” says Ramey. “The customer is only returning as long as the 10th latte is free. That’s not true loyalty to your business or brand, it’s loyalty to the discount or promotion.”
The practice of full-line furniture retailers introducing outdoor furniture has not had a measurable effect on Today’s Patio.
“As a specialty retailer, we have the tools, access and knowledge specific to our industry that allows us to deliver a customer experience that far exceeds full-line retailers,” Ramey says.
Today’s Patio is also not overly concerned about online retail.
“We have a large online presence ourselves and it’s modeled after our brick-and-mortar showrooms,” says Ramey. “Unfortunately, there’s a tendency to focus too much on price when you’re online and that ends up being a race to the bottom for retailers. If you’re consistently giving away margin to compete on price, you’re going to have to sacrifice in other areas: service, selection, quality. Etc.”
How does Today’s Patio set itself apart in today’s marketplace?
“We focus a great deal of our efforts on the overall customer experience,” Ramey says. “We’re not looking to satisfy customers, we’re aiming to ‘wow’ them. We want to leave them with an experience that exceeds their expectations. Satisfied customers do not evangelize on your behalf, excited customers do.”
