It says it has invested Bt50 million in the strategy, which will enrich customers’ experience with greater efficiency of its one-stop offerings.

The company is targeting sales growth of 10 per cent this year and plans to expand this retail network to 47 stores by the end of 2017.

“Based on our vision to contribute to quality home and living of Thai people, SCG Home Solution is differentiating our retail channel this year by implementing a ‘VIP Approach to Customers’ Home-building Needs’,” said Manit Boonprasert, dealer-based retail director at SCG Cement-Building Materials.

“Designed to maximise customers’ satisfaction, this new service strategy comes with the slogan ‘Start Building a Home with no worry’ to present products as systems and solutions while addressing different lifestyles and living needs of consumers with the convenience and quality of one-stop service from SCG experts.”

Nationwide survey

A nationwide survey of 1,700 homeowners in SCG Home Solution’s customer base who had a detached house built individually, revealed that 70 per cent had all the work done by a contractor.

Homeowners and contractors often make mutual decisions on the building materials to use, and they look for a one-stop retail channel that is staffed with experts to give them the advice from the start of construction until delivery of a complete home without a cost overrun.

To meet this need, SCG Home Solution developed the new strategy to serve both the owner and contractor throughout the homebuilding process. This is made possible by three provisions.

Software: Siam Cement Group has developed proprietary computer-aided design (CAD) software to help customers change their two-dimensional architectural drawings into realistic 3D images.

This software can provide budgeting information and auto-prepare a bill of quantities (BOQ) quickly and accurately to help minimise cost overruns. Its processing time for a house can be as quick as 15-20 minutes for some designs.

“Peopleware”: Teams of experts in each SCG Home Solution outlet have undergone intensive training in four areas: service excellence, specialised knowledge of each solution, design techniques, and brand knowledge. They are now deployed to all SCG Home Solution stores nationwide to offer consulting and 3D modelling services complete with estimates of building-|material costs for customers’ homebuilding projects free of charge.

Solutions: SCG Home Solution claims unmatched coverage of homebuilding needs with nine solutions by home components: structure, roof, ceiling, wall, landscape, wall and floor coverings, doors and windows, bathroom and kitchen.

In-store presentations of these products and solutions are designed to fit the different needs of customers in different locations, the company says.