There’s more than just taps in Frankton
A new plumbing showroom opened in Frankton and Mike Bain met the people behind the operation, for our series.
Customer satisfaction and traditional Kiwi values remain at the forefront of a Pukekohe plumbing business which has spread its wings into Hamilton.
Franklin’s remains a family business since its formation in 1954 by Peter Smith in Pukekohe, supplying plumbing and building materials.
His son Stephen now runs the business after his father retired when he was 85 years old.
Stephen has kept his fathers traditional ‘‘Kiwi’’ values from the days when the original business traded from a small shed.
Franklin’s has eight branches New Zealand-wide with four branches in Auckland and New Zealand largest design showroom studio in Khyber Pass CBD.
‘‘Customer satisfaction was important to dad and still is for us today,’’ said Stephen.
The Smith family’s ethos of customer service features highly through his business around the company.
‘‘When you walk through the door of any Franklin’s branch or approached by a member of our sales team, you are deemed to be a VIP customer.
‘‘After all, it is the client that enables us to exist.’’
Franklin’s showroom in Frankton’s Kent street provides a place where tradespeople and designers can bring their clients to view the latest designs.
Franklin’s showroom is stylish black and white, with its purposeful lighting, highlighting every curve of the European sourced taps and basins.
And if you think white por- celain, think again, basins in all styles come in pure black too.
For those who love to be indulged, you will have to wait until you have purchased, to be able to sink deep into the modern inviting styles of baths on show.
Around the corner of the showroom, Franklin’s funky display of kitchen sinks will leave you breathless. Yes, it all sounds different to your local plumbing retailer and owner Stephen Franklin is really pleased when you think it is.
He wants customers to know they can bring style and elegance to their bathroom furniture.