Great customer service is the key to any successful business.
During his 19 years in the banking industry, Kevin Gray witnessed that lesson over and over again – great customer service results in repeat business.
It’s such a simple thought process, but one that so many businesses struggle to implement.
Through this, Gray saw an opportunity and, now, he is putting that business focus to good use as the owner of Buildings and More, a venture he began more than five years ago.
The Live Oak native acquired the business in 2010 and has since expanded it into multiple stores, most notably the Lake City-based unit that provides service to customers nationwide through an in-depth, easy-to-use online presence.
Buildings and More offers a wide range of portable buildings for sale – whether a person is in the market for a carport, storage building, greenhouse, gazebos, or various other options, Gray believes that Buildingsand More has the right product for every customer.
Even when the customer isn’t 100 percent sure what they’re looking for.
“I enjoy helping people,” Gray said. “I want to help people solve their storage solutions. They’ll come to us and we kind of have to figure out exactly what they’re looking for. They may come to you with something in mind, and that isn’t what they need. So you kind of have to walk them through the process and narrow down exactly what they’re looking for and what they need.”
That’s where customer service comes into play, something Gray thinks separates Buildings and More from his competition.
“Customers will come to the lot, see our displays here, select what they want, and then that is assembled on site,” he said. “But there’s so much that goes into making that happen. We show the customers all of the options – the sizes, the colors, the doors; most people have an idea of what they’re looking for, and we just kind of fine-tune it. We have a lot of pictures for them to look through, and that helps them make their decisions.
“That tells me we’re doing something right to keep customers coming back,” he said.
Gray can attribute part of that growth to the wide selection of products that Buildings and More offers.
“We have multiple manufacturers that we can play off of,” he said. “Many competitors offer one or two brands of buildings. We offer a lot. Through this, we can price buildings through the different manufacturers to find the best price for them.”
Many of the carports and covers that Buildings and More sells are for boats and RVs, Gray said, noting that is likely their number one best-seller.
“You have a lot of RVers and boat owners in these stats where the sun really beats down on them,” he said, noting the average repair cost for an RV roof is more than $8,000. “So you’ve got this big expensive item and it needs protection. Honestly, we do a lot of storage buildings for peoples’ toys – rangers, ATVs, UTVs, and the like.”
And while those may be the best sellers, Gray said he is comfortable knowing that Buildings and More can build any product to suit any customer’s needs.
Customers can browse the products for themselves by visiting the Lake City store at 792 SW Bascom Norris Drive or by visiting www.buildingsandmore.
Side-note: To read Kevin and his son Mason’s epic trip with Captain Steven Crowder click here.
