Things were hopping at Cabinets To Go, a retail cabinet company that also offers flooring and closets. Between their wide selection of in-stock merchandise and their “we’ll design your kitchen or bathroom as you’re watching, including creating a 3D rendering” design services, the company was growing.
Pain Points
Trying to keep up with the signage needs of what is now 85+ showrooms nationwide—with 12 to 15 more being opened each year—was overwhelming. The Cabinets To Go team didn’t have time to source and oversee each project separately, and they were worried about maintaining brand consistency.
“We needed the convenience of having one company handle it all,” says Nancy Boderman, Senior Manager, Procurement, “and we needed that one company to create and enforce sign standards.” Cabinets To Go got all of this and much more when they hired Dean Workman and the Signage Works team.
Headaches Eliminated
Today Signage Works handles all of Cabinets To Go’s interior and exterior signage needs, at all of their locations. From monument and pylon signs to truck wraps, flooring displays, vignette signs and much more, they do it all. And “doing it all” means taking care of everything from permits and manufacturing to installation and repair.
One of the things that Nancy appreciates most about working with Signage Works is their consultative approach.
“Dean is not just an order taker,” Nancy emphasizes. “He’s a true partner who has a vested interest in us doing well. We see him as part of the creative team. If I say, ‘we need X,’ he’ll say, ‘okay, we’ll have some ideas for you by tomorrow.’ If something comes up and we’re not sure how to solve for it, he’ll dig in and come up with a solution that will work.”
For example, when Cabinets To Go has space constraints for an exterior sign, Signage Works will provide options based on these measurements. If they’re opening a store in a historical building with certain specifications regarding what materials can be used, the Signage Works team will do all the leg work. They’ll contact the historical society and others to find out exactly is and is not permissible, and then offer solutions that will get the job done.
Nancy also appreciates Signage Works’ willingness to go “above and beyond” to handle time-sensitive and “extra” requests. For instance, when an outdoor sign recently got damaged in a hurricane, Signage Works quickly got it fixed. When Cabinet To Go’s facilities department wanted to ensure that each store had a ladder of the proper height to touch the ceiling, Signage Works offered to get each store’s ceiling height measurement while they were there on site working on a national signage project.
It’s no wonder Nancy says,
“Signage Works’ customer service is amazing! It’s a breath of fresh air that it’s a one-stop shop, and that they are so eager to help wherever they can. My own list of job responsibilities goes way beyond just signage or marketing. Which means I don’t have time to get into the ‘nits and nats’ and make sure this sign is hung properly, etc. I don’t have the band width to babysit! I don’t need to be with them. They take it and run with it.”
Actual Results
The reality is, for bricks and mortar stores, signage is a very important but often undervalued part of a company’s marketing efforts.
“If I go into a store,” Nancy explains, “and there is no sign present on an item, I don’t know how much it costs or what its benefits are. So chances are I’ll just move on.”
Most likely Cabinets To Go’s customers feel the same way. This is why, ultimately, Nancy believes that Signage Works’ efforts have had a significant impact on Cabinets To Go’s business.
“What they have done,” Nancy observes, “is they have allowed us to tell a story about our products, and improve our communications, via the signage. While our folks in the stores are the ones that we rely on to sell, our signage plays an important role in that as well.”
