Stone People: On Wisconsin! (And Other States, Too)
If there’s one thing that really makes AMC stand out from its competitors, it’s customer service, she adds.
Click photo to enlarge“We’re really all in customer service,” Mendez says. “It begins with our sales reps and continues through the installation. We put a lot of emphasis on training our installers, because when they’re installing that countertop, it’s really the Super Bowl for the customer.”
And, if there is a problem, AMC warrantees its work 100 percent.
“We want to make the customer feel comfortable,” says Mendez. “We try to take the fear they may have away by letting them know that if there is a problem, we’re going to solve it right away. When the end-user is comfortable, that makes our customers happy, and that’s huge.”
The need to maintain a high level of customer service is what keeps AMC taking slow, deliberate steps as it continues to grow. For instance, the company began offering Silestone MURO™ mosaic tiles last year, but so far has only installed them as backsplashes.
“We’re still learning about tile installation, but in other parts of the country, it seems to be very popular,” Mendez says. “And, once we’re good at it, then we’ll begin offering fireplaces and shower walls – things we already do with stone panels.”
AMC is also taking a measured approach to entering the retail market. Mendez explains that Fond du Lac has neither a Lowe’s nor a Home Depot, so the company acquired the showroom of one of its customers and will begin selling through there soon.
“We’re already retailing through that store, which is not called AMC,” she says. “Then, we will start selling on the Internet. Of course, selling directly to retail requires a little different structure and a different presence, and we’re starting small so we can figure it out.”
However, plans are next year to open two retail showrooms, one in the northern part of the state and one in southern Wisconsin, with a goal of helping to feed the company’s new machinery. The aim is to do 200 kitchens per month.
Ultimately, “We want to be the most important fabricator in Wisconsin, and I think we’ll be there in five years,” says Mendez.
Click photo to enlarge
AMC is already one of the top five distributors of Silestone in the country, and within those same five years, Mendez says the company expects to be the leading distributor of both it and Viatera in Wisconsin.
“The Viatera is a growing market segment, and we’re just getting started with it,” she says.
Not surprisingly, AMC is one company that’s anxious to put the recession in the rear view mirror and once again focus on success.
“We’re a passionate company,” Carmina Mendez concludes. “We started from scratch 10 years ago, and not only have we grown, but we’ve survived the economy. Obviously, that’s our greatest success.”
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