Store finds success amid cows and farms

Just before the Clare exit ramp off US-127, a billboard invites drivers to “exit now” for Benchley’s Amish Furniture and Gifts. If you take the suggestion and follow the signs, it’s about five miles past Clare, along rural roads and past cows, farms and the occasional Amish horse-drawn buggy to Benchley’s showroom and warehouse.

The simple storefront with white clapboard siding says to customers that owners Joe and Kathy Benchley are more interested in selling furniture at an affordable price than impressing them with a lavish storefront.

I know presentation is important, but we’ve got a different approach to presentation here,” explained Benchley. “I don’t put a lot into the storefront or other extras, so people know they are getting a value here—I’m not marking up furniture just to afford those frills.”

The first room of his 17,400-square-foot display floor is tightly filled with traditional dining room tables, chairs and hutches, many accented with items from the store’s gift and craft lines. Shoppers can then wander back to other rooms to find bedroom sets and other furniture—all made by Amish furniture makers.

“I didn’t set out to use exclusively Amish suppliers. But I’ve gotten used to this quality, and when I look at other suppliers, the quality just doesn’t meet our specifications,” said Benchley.

A native of the Clare area, Benchley started his business about 12 years ago working out of the basement of his house, then built a 30 by 50-foot showroom next door. About five years ago he built the main part of his current space, only 4,000 square feet but more than double the original space.

“I could have grown even faster during the late 1990s boom, but I wanted to maintain customer satisfaction.”

Benchley says he has heard countless times from customers who have had bad customer service from other retailers. “We never take the attitude or assumption that once a piece is out the door it’s not our problem. Customer service is a huge deal to me.

“We’re always ready to schedule a visit if we need to come back out to take care of something. And we keep our word about timing—if we say we’ll deliver at a certain time or within a range, we do it. Many people are surprised by our promptness.”

Benchley wonders if the leaner economy might show other stores the importance of providing great customer service too. “Now it really matters that customers come back to the store and that they give the store good word of mouth.”

Benchley’s is a destination store, but it also sees traffic from tourists coming up US-127 on their way north. They might browse the first time or buy a craft item, but they see the good prices and come back for furniture.

“I wanted to offer quality at a reasonable price. You’ve got to make money, but you don’t have to get rich off of one piece. Instead, we move tons of volume—we move as much or more than most comparably sized stores downstate.”

Benchley loves his location and says he would never move downstate or into a city. He acknowledges that some people are amazed he’s doing such good business “up there in nowhereland,” as one friend described it.

How does he do it? Advertising with print, radio and television spots works well, but word of mouth from satisfied customers is most powerful.

“We do a lot of business in metro Detroit, even though we don’t advertise down there. We get into one suburb, and soon we’re seeing others from the same suburb, referred by a neighbor.”

Also, Benchley points out, “people enjoy getting out of the city to shop for gifts. In our first year, when my wife and I worked the store on weekends, we wondered if she’d be needed on the day after Thanksgiving.

“Probably not, I thought—everyone heads to the malls for the sales on that day. Was I wrong! We were busy all day,” he recalled.

Benchley laughs when customers seem amazed he can stay in business in his rural setting. “They’ll say ‘I hope you guys do well out here.’ They have no clue about the volume I’m doing!”

Seeing Joe Benchley in his store, you might not guess he’s the owner. He prefers to dress in work clothes, since he does “whatever it takes” each day, from loading furniture to working with a shipment. Benchley points out an advantage of not looking the part of the owner.

“People speak to me more honestly about their experience at the store—especially when I go on deliveries. It’s like getting inside information.”

Benchley’s store philosophy is simple. “I always put myself in my customer’s shoes. I think of what I like as a consumer and consider how I like to be treated.”

His staff is encouraged to think this way, too. His salespeople are not paid a commission—Benchley doesn’t want customers to be jumped on by a salesperson as soon as they enter, with a “what can I do to get you to buy today?” approach.

Benchley loves dealing with customers, but he feels that people in general are becoming more demanding and less respectful of others.

“Many people don’t like to take responsibility for shoveling their driveway or being home when we say we’ll be there. Now, people won’t stay home to meet us for a delivery because they have their pagers or cell phones. But they aren’t always available when we call

or they can’t get home quickly to meet us.”

“Of course, this gradually decreases our efficiency, and although the public doesn’t see it this way, decreased efficiency will show up in the prices eventually.”

Benchley will soon break ground on yet another addition, doubling his current space.

“Some people would hesitate to do an expansion in this retail climate, but I like to set up challenges to keep my work interesting. The only thing holding my business back right now is space—we can sell more but can’t put any more furniture out on the floor.”

He adds, “I know I will do whatever it takes to succeed, so I don’t try to put roadblocks up in front of myself. Worrying about the economy is just a roadblock I don’t need.”

This article was written by Amy Buttery, Michigan Retailer staff writer.

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