Senior VP Darrell Haslett, right, says customers are surprised by HUB’s sophistication, which provides comprehensive product information along with their quotes.
HUB proves transformational for Dick Van Dyke Appliance World
By Alan Wolf and Andy Kriege, YSN
There’s a certain irony in Dick Van Dyke Appliance World’s initials: DVD. That’s because the family-owned business is a fervent advocate of digital technology.
Another coincidence? The BrandSource dealer was founded in 1977, the same year Steve Jobs introduced the Apple II computer.
And just as Apple revolutionized home computing, and the digital video disc (DVD) transformed home entertainment, Dick Van Dyke’s embrace of AVB Marketing’s retail technology has helped make it the largest appliance dealer in Central Illinois.
Case in point: electronic price tags, which allow dealers to change price points on the fly in response to inventory levels, vendor promotions or competitive offers. Prior to signing on to the AVB program, Dick Van Dyke regularly generated hundreds of paper tags across its four stores in Springfield, Decatur, Champaign and Bloomington. The trick, recalled Darrell Haslett, senior vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising, was “to get them on the floor and remove them” before a printed sale price promotion was over.
No Going Back
“I would never want to run a store without the digital tags,” Haslett said after introducing them in 2019. “Having it all automated allows you to spend more time with your customers and on other aspects of your business. I can’t imagine doing business without them now.”
It was a scant two years later that Dick Van Dyke waded deeper into the digital waters and found an even greater game changer in HUB. For those unfamiliar, HUB is AVB’s comprehensive operations platform that ties together members’ point-of-sale (POS) systems, ALTA websites, LINQ merchandising system, digital price tags and in-store KIOSQs. Among its other marvels, it also allows dealers and their sales teams to:
- Search by specific product attributes like price and size
- Screen for items that are in stock or on promotion
- Track vendor inventory
- Create and send quotes to customers and maintain two-way communication by text, email or phone
- Provide sales teams with promotional road maps and sell plans to help direct their efforts on the showroom floor
For Haslett and the Dick Van Dyke team, HUB has, as the DVD did in its day, proven transformational. “HUB has allowed our staff to quickly see our in-stock inventory,” Haslett said. “We are able to search for products based on the customer’s criteria and see what select vendors have in-stock. We can also find applicable rebates, upcoming promotions, see when current promotions are ending, and determine which appliances are eligible for our free protection plans, all from one system. No more changing from one software program to another to get all of this information.”
Fast and Efficient
HUB’s interoperability “makes the sales process faster and more accurate and the shopping experience more pleasing for not only our customer”— who benefits from a faster in-store checkout — “but for our sales staff as well,” which can close more sales more efficiently, he said.
Travis Westfall, a Dick Van Dyke sales consultant, is quick to concur. “HUB is a nice, sales-friendly tool that makes the selling process easier,” he said. “It has helped me close sales by making it really easy to provide quotes, and by allowing the customer to purchase directly from the quote through a secure link.”
Westfall particularly likes the ease with which he can search for a product, and the way HUB adds all the specs, measurements and items to every quote, “which makes it easier for me and for the customer,” he said.
“Several of our customers were surprised we have such an advanced system,” Haslett said. “They expected our big box competitors to have this setup, but not an independent retailer.”
Eye on the Pie
In addition, HUB can track which shoppers received quotes, which quotes have been converted and which are still open; can set up notifications for customer follow-up; and can notify a contractor of a change in specs should a customer choose a different model. From a management perspective, HUB also allows supervisors to track the up-sells for each salesperson and their closing rates, as well as monitor the number of customer stores visits, determine whether the customer is a returning from a previous interaction and even track the number of customers coming in for service, parts or related questions or assistance.
Haslett is particularly pleased with the way HUB seamlessly integrates with the company’s website and LINQ, AVB’s online merchandising portal. “The information in HUB, our website and in LINQ is a mirror image,” he said. “Whatever we change in LINQ is quickly updated on our website and in HUB, which makes it easy to complete accurate quotes in HUB.
“We like the fact we are able to send our customers accurate quotes with all of the specs, rebates and other important information prior to purchase,” he continued. “This helps our customers make more informed decisions, not just in-store but for those we are only communicating with online. It has allowed us to give them a state-of-the-art technology experience they only expect to receive from a big box store. The customer is receiving all the information; about the product, dimensions, rebates and the out-the-door delivered and installed price. This has made them feel more comfortable with the buying experience online.”
And for those who still wish to visit the store, the customer can reference the quote they received and have the listed models pointed out on the sales floor. “It makes for a more seamless process for both online and in-store visits,” Haslett said.
Movin’ on Up
For Dick Van Dyke, HUB represents a huge step forward from its previous backroom system (RWS’s RetailDeck). As Haslett explained, “HUB has provided us with far more capability, from our exclusive rebates to inventory availability at our two warehouse locations, at the store level and at the vendor level, which we previously did not have with any other single software program. This makes wait times for accurate information much shorter for our customers, and gives our staff more time to wait on additional customers in-store, online or on the phone.”
Dick Van Dyke was one of the earliest HUB adopters, having signed on soon after the system was announced. Haslett said it took about three months to wean everyone off the old system, although most employees were engaging with HUB within the first 30 days.
“HUB itself is easy to learn,” Haslett said, and AVB Marketing’s Product GM Kate Morris and Digital Products Success Manager Jake Matheus were there every step of the way. “I would email Kate with questions and suggestions and Jake provided online training for our sales division manager and store supervisors, and would work with them on any issues or questions about how to complete a task. I found Kate and Jake very receptive to suggestions on things we wanted to see updated or improved.”
Initially, Haslett was the primary in-house point person for HUB, but the company’s sales division manager has since assumed those duties, which include training store supervisors, updating them on changes, assisting with any issues and ensuring that HUB is being utilized at the store level by sales staff.
Looking Ahead
Next up for Dick Van Dyke and HUB is a deeper integration with ePass, a BrandSource Gold Provider POS system that allows for greater transparency into select vendor inventory. “This way, sales completed in HUB and online will not only flow between HUB and our online sales portal but directly in ePass as well,” Haslett said. “This will make for an even more seamless process for our staff.”
And for Dick Van Dyke Appliance World and its embrace of AVB Marketing technology, it’s only the beginning.
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.
