“Our philosophy is that each person should feel ownership of the projects they work on and not feel ordered around. Here at Cullman & Kravis, we work as a team. Each team member is deeply involved in the development of the project, from planning and proposal preparation to order placement and follow-up.” —Ellie Cullman, Co-Founder, Cullman & Kravis.
About client strategies and relationships
“Please respond. I rarely leave my email unattended for more than 5 hours if possible, unless I receive it late at night. Really, I think this sense of urgency is the key to my success. People always ask me I ask, but I just say, “Please answer the phone.'' Nowadays, I don't receive any calls, but in the past, I always answered the phone. It wasn't scary. That's the key, it's responsiveness. We live in an increasingly unresponsive culture. Decorations are a very complex stack of dominoes, and if one falls, it can affect them all, so you will have so many questions while working. Being quick and methodical in answering questions correctly is the key to a successful job and a satisfied customer. ” —Miles Redd, Red Kaihui Co-Founder
“It's important to make sure we have the necessary documentation in place for our customers. Once the customer has decided to purchase, we create a detailed proposal that includes information such as vendor, style, color, etc. The proposal also requires a deposit. The deposit is determined based on the amount required by the vendor to process the order, or the timing you need to pay the vendor.” —Kalman.
“We rarely overprepare. We always gather the necessary forces before any important interaction, large or small, and ensure group understanding and coordination before any external communication or action. For example, we recently provided a new client with a personalized gift to decorate their new home. In the end they received a bottle of spirits, two glasses, and a handwritten note, but before that. What took place was a short internal meeting about how to thank them for their business and a plan of action to reach out to their close contacts to confirm their drinks. Detailed marching orders on what to choose, key quotes and anecdotes to include in your notes, and how and exactly how to source this to ensure the best possible client experience for relatively large teams. —Bowen
“We value our relationships with our customers. We work with them based on their vision and we never lose sight of that. We are as much a hospitality design studio as we are a residential design studio. Yes, and both promise impeccable customer service. I'm very into expressing my gratitude in the old-fashioned way. I always send thank-you notes, holiday cards, and thoughtful gifts on special occasions. The same goes for my team, vendors, media, and friends at the studio. Genuine kindness is in my DNA, and it shows in the way we do business. “We believe in celebrating community.'' –Gasho.
About outsourcing
“There's no point in reinventing the wheel. So many people have done this before. Other designers are a little opaque in terms of sharing how things are done. But that's not true across the board. Find someone with a different target market and learn from their experience. Also, someone who is in the same field but is a year ahead of me in terms of growth. We also looked for business: Be open to learning from other industries… Cast your net wide, be curious, and adapt to what works for your market and your customers.” — Stevie McFadden, Flourish. Founder of Spaces
