Just wondering what's up with that decision to change the display board system?

You want us to choose between a better-looking residential board, that has a fraction of the color selections on it, or a commercial-oriented board, that has more colors and patterns, but miss some of the most truly beautiful sheets you have in your offering. Fortunately I got annoying enough to have both, but together they take up valuable display real estate bordering between too much and stupid.

On your residential board, more than half the selections are in a finish that may look all nice, but have absolutely no business being on such a utilitarian item as a countertop. The cynic in me thinks it's perfect for the Home Center crowd. If that's so, why not let us guys who do both commercial and residential have just one, simple, but more informative board?

From the awesome Mr. D at the top, all down through the line, I beg you. I'm on my knees, here, don't do this.

Oh, and while I am building up my false hopes, can you go back to offering every color in a matte finish? No one else did that. You guys were the best. Any color/Pattern. Any quantity. Any size available. Any finish you offered. You were as close to perfect as it got. I know the HD's an't do this, and I understand it. Everything else was golden.

Oh, and G-d bless Dave Z my rep. He had to hear the long version of this. Wasn't even his doing. This was Readers Digest.

Tom,

Sugar coat it a little more!

edited

Tom,

I could not agree with you more.  We just got the new miniature board residential board, but could not talk our rep into anything else. At least I still have a full Formica board.  Maybe when they see the sales shift, Wilsonart will make a change.  My customers pick based on color, not brand.  Until the board change, more of them went tot he Wilsonart board by choice.  I doubt that will happen now.

Gordon,
Think about it:
You're a customer looking at a wall of different laminate brands. The Pionite board grids pout to 15 across x 15 down. The Formica board is 16 x 16. The Nevamar board (if you still have it up) is similar. WilsonArt is 16 x 7, I think. Who are you going to assume has a greater selection? Or a worse selection?

The commercial board for WA is about 16 x 16, with some special order samples at the bottom. Problem is, they don't have even all the HD series on it. All boards have a selection that is not complete, but this is nuts.

I feel her pain.

Fred,
You think it would kill them to ask us first?

This is the same problem with solid surface. We're told we are "partners in the distribution chain" or "value chain" or "daisy chain" - whatever. Well, you used to, you know, ask our opinions before you made major decisions. Not anymore, I'm afraid.

Tom, My rep recently came and changed my board also. I was fortunate to get both boards but I am in the same boat as you. It took up more room in the showroom. The only place he could put the second board is right where the ac unit blows and no it blows all the samples off the board onto the floor. My office manager is more frustrated than I because she has to pick them all up every day.

 

I guess I better get that formica board cleaned up.

Travis,
Run elastic bands across the clips. That might help.

I took off the gibraltar wall rack to fit this. I already took off the nevamar board for that, and I wasn't going to take more of someone else's stuff, so there it is.

Wait a minute: You have AC?
Niiiiiice...

All,

My Rep. also said there were two different boards. I don't have room for both so I went just with the chain that has all colors.

If a customer wants a color for home I will have it shipped to them from WA if I can.

William

[QUOTE]Tom M wrote
Wait a minute: You have AC?
Niiiiiice...[/QUOTE]

 

Just in the showroom and offices. Of course I am always in the shop so I get no real bennefit from this. Except I get to pay the electric bill.

Does anyone from WilsonArt read this forum?

They might not have time to read this type of stuff. They are busy trying to get their distributors to put us fabricators out of business.

[QUOTE]Tom M wrote
Does anyone from WilsonArt read this forum?[/QUOTE]

I think someone from Wilsonart has stolen the old marketing plans for Formica and is trying to make themselves into a laminate supplier that everyone knows the name of, but no one can get service from.

Formica has made a big turn in our area and they are easier to get than WA now.

As in Politics:
It's a race to the bottom.

    It's cold an lonley at the top!      I don't think the new rack has hit our showroom yet.   Sometimes I wonder if we dont get all the used outdated stuff from you guys on the leading edge of things.     I was handed  a chip of Formica  "Black Microdot "   (  thats laminate Dave)    and funny thing it didn't come of our rack........ because it dosn't exist on our rack!     Must have gotten it from  HD

David...don't feel too bad.  My area of Florida is treated just about as remote as Alaska.  Well, maybe not quite, but I am originally from Los Angeles area, so it feels that way.

Well if you guys want I have a baord seting in the corner gathering dust. I am very sure I will not ever see the new board style either so only see the 2 times in 4 years now. So anyone want to buy a WA rack ???

Reuben

I  think we should CHARGE them rent for taking up wall space in the showrooms......after all it there product we are trying to sell...and there charging us for samples

Here's a novel concept, why don't you ALL refuse to sell the product till they correct this problem? 1 at a time means nothing.  Together, the suits and ties will choke on their decisions!