There’s a fresh new energy inside the doors of The Brick North Bay. It’s not just the physical store improvements – although they are quite impressive – or the technological updates that lend a new ease to the entire in-store shopping experience. For The Brick North Bay store manager Beth Jackson, it is the opportunity to welcome customers back to in-store shopping and introduce enhancements that make the Customer Experience exciting and satisfying. “We’re so pleased to be where we are, and having that face-to-face customer interaction again. We’ve come a long way in a year, that’s for sure.”
For the better part of 2021, doors to the stores remained closed yet customer support did not waver, with sales, admin and delivery staff continuing to serve and support local customers by phone and email. Meanwhile, behind those closed doors there were changes underway that would allow The Brick North Bay to super serve their customers when in-store shopping returned.
Exceptional Customer Experience
“We want to provide the best that we can to every customer who comes through that door” Jackson promises. This means championing the Customer Experience from start to finish, “From the time they enter the store, to talking to a sales associate, to working with Customer Service and then whether it be a pickup or delivery.”
To meet this goal, the locally owned and operated franchise made a number of improvements including:
In-Store Enhancements
In addition to improvements such as new updated aesthetics and new flooring, customers can now browse The Brick’s expanded Appliance Showroom. The franchise invested in this expansion because “Customers say they want to see, touch and feel the merchandise,” says Jackson, hinting that their new showroom may offer the largest product selection in the North Bay area.
Innovative Technology
Imagine reviewing colours, finishes and style options while experiencing the comfort and quality firsthand. At The Brick North Bay they’ve made this possible with the introduction of tablets for the sales staff. “All sales associates are equipped with tablets, so all of the product information you need is literally at their fingertips”, Beth explains. “Customers can sit comfortably at the dining room table or on a sofa you’re picking out – and everything is done right there.”
Another first-in-class update is the introduction of the Brick’s updated network and digitally automated system that allows customers to track their deliveries in real time, from the time it leaves the store to when it is ready at the front door.
Proudly Local
Choosing furniture is a personal and unique experience, and while The Brick made enhancements to the online services during the pandemic, nothing can match the first-hand attention that customers receive from visiting the store in person.
As a locally owned and operated franchise, The Brick North Bay is committed to supporting the North Bay community through a number of initiatives, including the recent Battalion Teddy Bear Toss that raised just shy of $3,000 for the North Bay Santa Fund and over $2,100 for the Children’s Miracle Network. “It was a great success and so much fun. We were blown away by the interaction and support of the community” says Jackson, confirming that more than 800 bears were tossed onto the ice during the annual event.
The community pride felt by staff and management is evident in the Customer Experience offered to everyone who enters the store. And, it is this dedication to great service that has earned the Brick North Bay its fifth nomination as Franchise Store of the Year, an honour that the store previously won in 2019. Winning this prestigious national award does not come easily, Jackson explains. “It takes a lot of hard work and a great team to draw on. We firmly believe in, and strive to be, the best in class with the best customer service.”
The Brick North Bay welcomes customers on weekdays 10am to 6pm, Saturdays 11am to 5pm and Sundays 12pm to 5pm at 34 Marshall Avenue East.