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Offenbacher's has made a name for itself by caring about its customers and its employees.
Written
By Sharon Sanders
Photography by Matt Van Der Molen
When Karl Offenbacher started his pool-management business in 1962, he could have never predicted that 47 years later, he would be running Offenbacher’s, one of the most respected patio/recreation retail chains in Maryland and Virginia. His head for business and heart for people created a foundation for the Lanham, Maryland-based company that is stronger today than it has ever been.
Since Offenbacher’s flourishing pool business turned retail in 1973, he and his wife, Alpana, have built a company that is barely reminiscent of the early days, when it was all about pool chemicals, pool toys, and strap patio furniture. Offenbacher’s has evolved, over the years, to become a business with the perfect combination of diverse products, personal service, and fun.
Each one of its eight locations is impressively merchandised, from wall to wall, with everything that one needs to outfit a home inside and out, including pool tables, game sets, bars, firepits, indoor and outdoor furniture, and grills. Mark Ramos, general manager, says, “When people walk into one of our stores for the first time, the reaction is almost always, ‘Wow.’”
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| Offenbacher’s is known locally, in all eight of its stores, for personal service and a broad range of products, from pool tables to patio furniture. |
Offenbacher’s doesn’t just sell products; it sells experiences. “What’s more fun than eating dinner with friends and then shooting some pool or playing cards? What’s more enjoyable than lounging in your backyard in beautiful patio furniture and then jumping in your spa to relax? We create those images for customers in our stores using realistic vignettes,” Ramos explains. “We want people to bring the experiences from our showrooms to life in their homes.”
The Offenbachers have strategically set themselves apart from the competition, over the years, by giving customers choices. They have six departments with thousands of products, and they are always looking for opportunities to grow.
Ramos says that there are no immediate plans to open any new stores, but rather to expand the size of the stores they already have, if needed. “We are fortunate to have the right stores in the right places to serve our customers. Our focus is on offering all the products people need for their homes under one roof, so they don’t have to shop anywhere else,” he says.
To create a strong brand, the Offenbachers have developed a huge local presence by using network and cable television and by partnering with one of the largest local utility companies, Washington Gas. They work in conjunction with Washington Gas every year on its Web site, and they use its billing inserts to publicize things related to fireplace, hearth, and outdoor products, especially when it comes to gas.
Offenbacher’s has platinum dealer status, which means that it has exclusive rights to use the Washington Gas logo in its advertising (and the Offenbacher’s logo is included on every Washington Gas utility bill). “Our partnership gives us exposure and credibility. When people see that we are partnered with Washington Gas—a name they can trust—they associate us with that image,” Ramos says. The installation and service teams are even approved by Washington Gas, as is the gas-related merchandise sold in the company’s retail stores.
Over the years, Offenbacher’s has also worked hard to develop a reputation for its customer service. Its employee army of red (outfitted in red company polo shirts) is the heart of the organization. The network of eight stores is staffed by nearly 50 employees who have been handpicked not just for what they can offer, but for who they are.
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Karl and Alpana Offenbacher,
owners of Offenbacher’s |
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| There is never a dull moment for customers on Offenbacher’s showroom floors as its sales teams aim to make shopping fun. |
“We hire people who are of high character, who have integrity, and who posses a natural team spirit. The feeling around here is more like family than anything else,” Ramos says. He explains that everyone is understanding of everyone else, and all staff members are willing to work together to help the business grow and thrive.
With so many stores, it’s not easy to keep all the employees on the same page and moving in the same direction, but the company has made it a priority. “Customers can sense when an organization is disjointed by the fact that the customer experience is different in every store,” he says.
Management holds weekly team meetings with store managers to discuss current issues and to share their vision for the business. “We’re at the point where we know how to plan it out, spell it out, and get it out to all of our employees so everyone is working on the same thing, at the same time, and for the same reason. We all have one voice,” Ramos says.
The management team is always out in the field working in stores, and it has an open-door policy—something that has built undeniable camaraderie within the company. “We manage the business by the numbers, but we run it with our hearts because we are dealing with people,” he adds.
The Offenbachers see many opportunities ahead for their company, and one of them is to come out of the downturned economy on top. Offenbacher says, “I think there are a lot of companies out there, hanging on by a thread, that are going to have a difficult time jumping back into the mix to satisfy customers’ needs.” He explains that he and Alpana have worked hard to protect the business so far. “We will stand tall when everything gets back to normal because we are already where we need to be,” he adds.
Ramos says that the biggest lesson that he has learned through recent times is that people matter. “We, as a company, wouldn’t have made it through without the collective efforts of all the individuals around here. It sounds cliché, but at the end of the day, it’s all the people pulling together in unity who are going to make things stand,” he says.
PHPR November/December 2009
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