Indiana store owners recognize that family extends well beyond loved ones; it encompasses loyal employees and customers as well.
Written By
Kimberly Rodgers
Photography By
WAM Advertising
In 1968, John and Diane Bassemier started selling grills out of their Evansville, Ind., home, almost as a hobby. They both enjoyed working on their side business part time while employed full time in other careers (John was a teacher and Diane worked for a pharmaceutical company). With the help of extended family, they moved operations to a converted fire station in 1974 and then added a line of hearth products. By 1977, the Bassemiers were able to leave their initial careers and devote themselves full time to their booming side business, which now included outdoor furniture and, eventually, spas and children’s playsets.
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From left: John, James, Diane and
Jeff Bassemier. |
Today, Bassemier’s Fireplace, Patio & Spas is a household name widely known and respected in its service region of southwestern Indiana, southeastern Illinois and western Kentucky, not only for providing the highest-quality outdoor products and services, but also for the Bassemiers’ active involvement in the community.
As the business expanded, the Bassemiers moved to Evansville’s commercial district, building a new 10,000–square-foot retail store and a separate on-site warehouse. The company also has a wholesale hearth and grill division. Joining with them full time in the business are their two sons, James and Jeff, who grew up working in the store. “I consider it a highlight that they decided to work with us,” Diane says.
A One-Source Retailer
Customers truly can create their complete outdoor spaces by shopping at Bassemier’s. Of course, like most other outdoor specialty retailers, the business sells furniture, hearth products and grills, but it reaches beyond the usual product categories by selling spas, saunas and children’s play systems. It also builds custom outdoor islands, pergolas and decks under Jeff’s direction. “Jeff and his crew can build basically anything a customer wants,” James says.
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Bassemier's Fireplace & Patio’s beautiful outdoor deck displays outdoor furniture, kitchen islands and grills. |
For all its categories, the retailer’s merchandising strategy is to concentrate on offering only high-end lines from a range of manufacturers. Just a few of the lines offered by the Bassemiers are furniture from Lloyd/Flanders, Tropitone and Agio; grills and smokers from Weber, Ducane, Twin Eagles and Big Green Egg; fireplaces and wood-burning stoves from Harmon, Heat & Glo and Lopi; spas from Marquis and Jacuzzi; and redwood playsets from Woodplay.
The company has 35 employees, and its sales team consists of a loyal and dedicated staff of four individuals who have been with the retailer for a total of almost 50 years. “Our salespeople work really well together and are more than willing to take care of each others’ customers and do whatever they need to do. I think that brings a lot of continuity to the customer,” Diane says.
Just as important is service. “We install and service everything we sell,” James says. John explains that many of the products that the company sells, such as spas and playsets, require extensive dealer knowledge, including a well-trained sales staff, specialized installation and service after the sale.
The sales staff meets weekly, and both sales and service personnel are trained throughout the year, as well as being sent to educational seminars to receive the most up-to-date information and training. “We also cross-train our service people, so someone will know how to install a hot tub and a fireplace,” John says.
A Personal Touch
While it’s certainly true that customers shop at Bassemier’s because of the retailer’s extensive line of products and services, perhaps the principal reasons that shoppers keep coming back are the personal relationships that they develop with the people who work there. “A lot of our clients and sales staff know each other by name. Some customers will even bring in baked goods for our salespeople,” James says.
“Our sales and service staff members are very friendly with our customers and will take the time to chat with them.” John adds, “Our employees are highly regarded by us, and our clients often look to our staff members as owners of the shop. It’s hard to believe, but we really feel that we are a 35-person family.”
It’s the personal touch that Bassemier’s provides that is the most tangible benefit to customers—and one that they will not find at a mass merchandiser. “We have a lot of customers who come to us who purchased a grill somewhere else and are now having trouble getting parts. We bend over backwards to try to get what they need. People are so thankful,” James says.
Perhaps John provides the most important marketing and public relations for the store: himself. In terms of advertising, John has been the face and voice of the company in radio and television commercials. James says that people will still comment on television spots that his father did in the 1980s.
Bassemier’s sponsors regular weather reports on the local Fox News television affiliate and advertises on the station’s Web site. Well-known as Dr. Grill, John also hosts an occasional cooking show at the station, and John and James (as the Pros of the Patio) both host cooking demonstrations at other venues throughout the community. “All this keeps our name in the public’s awareness and lets them know all we do,” John says.
Bassemier’s also advertises weekly in the Evansville newspaper and has an extensive Web site that provides information on products, current promotions and events. The retailer believes in the value of cross-promotion, partnering with local businesses to help raise awareness of each other’s products among consumers. It employs an outside advertising agency, which handles ad placement, photographs and creative work.
With the help from her team, Diane takes care of buying and merchandising. The company is mindful of its customer base, which may not always be interested in the hot item shown at market. “What’s popular on either coast or in the South may not be a hit in the Midwest,” Diane says.
The Bassemier family also believes in giving back to the community. At a recent home show, it sponsored cooking seminars with a professional chef, with all proceeds from the event donated to the local food bank. It also contributes to local beautification efforts, Boys & Girls Club of America, Make-A-Wish Foundation and many other charitable organizations.
The strongest factor for Bassemier’s continued success will be, no doubt, the personal relationships and trust that it has developed with its customers and employees throughout the years. Referring to the entire Bassemier family, James says, “It’s not uncommon, if you walked through the front door of our store, to have one of the four of us personally greet you.” John comments that he is often amazed that many customers will place large orders by telephone, never even seeing the product until it is delivered or installed in their homes. “That they would put that much trust in us is just tremendous and a real blessing,” he says.
PHPR July/August 2008
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