Brothers focus on customers, find success
TheBathOutlet.com bolstered by focus on customers, open company culture
Hanging on the wall in TheBathOutlet.com’s Lansdale office is a multicolored sign featuring the phrase “Obsess over your customers, not your competitors.”
This focus on customer service has been a core part of coowners William and Yaz Shuhaibar’s business model from the beginning of the company five years ago.
“I tell [my employees] that they are not working for me, they are working for the customer, and if a there is a problem, you better come to me and fight for the customer,” said William. “If I don’t agree with you, you better fight for that customer, and you have to make me believe that what that customer is right and that I’m wrong.”
Through promoting excellent customer service and fostering an open company culture among employees, William and Yaz have found the key to success for their business, TheBathOutlet.com, and hope to make a large impact on the business community within Montgomery County.
A web-based business that gives customers the ability to experience bathroom products through videos and photos before purchase, TheBathOutlet. com began when William (a graduate of North Penn High School and Villanova University) decided to leave his job as a programmer in Delaware to start his own business.
“I knew all along that I wanted to start my own busi- ness with my brother,” said William. “My dad has always been an entrepreneur, and it is in my veins.”
When Yaz (a Souderton Area High School graduate) finished earning his bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University, he joined his brother, and for two years, the brothers worked out of a small office without any other employees.
“The first two years were re- ally difficult, our sales were really small and we weren’t profitable,” said William. “It was having [each other] that we couldn’t fail that pushed us on.”
Upon finding workers who shared their vision, William and Yaz saw their company grow exponentially.
According to William, the company’s annual revenue is in the “multi-millions.”
“We have grown our revenue in every single quarter since [our beginning],” said William.
Now with 12 employees, the brothers have begun to share their focus on customer service with building their company’s culture, which according to Yaz, has also increased the success of their business.
“We have created an open door culture,” said Yaz. “The people we hire have the same mentality as us, and we feel like we can accomplish anything.”
Constantly looking to grow their business, William and Yaz will be opening an on-site showroom in July for customers to view their products in a realistic setting. This will allow custom-
“I tell [my employees] that they are not working for me, they are working for the customer, and if a there is a problem, you better come to me and fight for the customer.” — William Shuhaibar, TheBathOutlet.com
ers to purchase and take home their products on the same day, eliminating the time period between making an online purchase and waiting for it to be shipped.
The brothers also hope to increase their partnerships with other local businesses by creating a network of plumbers and
contractors that they can recommend to their customers for installation of their purchases.
“Everyone who buys bathroom products from us needs a way to install them, which usually requires plumbers or contractors,” said William. “If we are able to give our customers an easy way to find local plumbers and contractors, it would benefit both the customers and other local businesses.”
In October, T he - BathOutlet.com will be co-hosting a conference for local businesses in Doylestown. Meant to give businesses the opportunity to share their tips and get advice from other entrepreneurs, William and Yaz hope to grow their network of professional connections.
For more information on products and services offered at the business, visit www.TheBathOutlet.com.