The Faces-of-Our-Future Program Recognizes Veronica Escobar at Belmont Hardware

The DPHA Faces-of-Our-Future Program recognizes up-and-coming influencers in the decorative plumbing and hardware business. This program will profile DPHA members with 10 or less years of experience. Each month from June through October 2018, members will be inducted into the Faces-of-Our-Future Club, and their stories will be featured in DPHA's weekly newsletter, Connections. This week we recognize Veronica Escobar, Assistant Manager at Belmont Hardware in San Jose, California.

 

According to one of her nominators, Veronica instantly impresses people with her professionalism, wealth of knowledge and most importantly, her patience.  Veronica is extremely detail oriented, thorough, and it is not uncommon to see a line of customers waiting to spend time with her.  She creates and establishes a trusting relationship with everyone she comes in contact with, including her coworkers.  According to people who know her, Veronica is a true pleasure just to be around!  

   

Connections: How long have you been in the DPH industry?

Veronica: I have been working with Belmont Hardware since 2012.

 

Connections: What has surprised you about the industry?

Vernoica: My biggest surprise is still several of our walk-in clients. They surprise me everyday with the most random questions or ideas. For example, a client often shows me an image of a product ("oh, I saw this online and I loved it"), but then they see it in person and inform me they either changed their mind or loved it just as much, not knowing that they walked in to a showroom of almost endless possibilities.

 

Connections: What is the biggest challenge you have faced in our industry?

Veronica: Sometimes I find that one of the biggest challenges may be showing all of the options to our clients. For example, when a client comes in asking for pocket door hardware, there are several questions running through my mind:

• Does the door need to lock?
• What color?
• How soon do you need it?
• What is your door thickness and is handing needed?

Clients will usually not be prepared for all of these questions, may feel overwhelmed by my asking, and they almost always respond with "Oh, I have a basic door." But as we all know, things are not always "standard" - we still need to know the information per door. So to speed things up,I usually present all options and then do a process of elimination once I have all of their door information.

 
Connections: What do you enjoy about being in this industry?

Veronica: While I find the challenge in offering all of the brands we offer, I still enjoy doing research for my clients hoping to meet their needs, aesthetically, as well as being mindful of their budget. For example, when it comes to plumbing, I usually start with having the client look for a faucet for the sink. Once they select that (and the color or finish), I can then suite out the remainder of the bath. If they selected a higher priced finish such as satin nickel, but are also contemplating polished chrome, I almost always have them pick their first choice, then let them know there is usually a 25% price difference between the two finishes. Clients appreciate knowing the difference between the two. 

Connections: Anything else you would like to add?

Veronica: I am always up for a challenge!