We visited the Paju branch of INUS BATH, the bathroom remodeling specialty brand of IS Dongseo Co., Ltd. (CEO Kwon Min-seok), a comprehensive construction and building-materials company. The branch owner, Shin Tae-in, is a construction specialist well known in the industry for his meticulous nature and flawless finishing work, having built more than 15 years of bathroom installation experience in the Ilsan area of Gyeonggi Province. Until just a few years ago he still went out to job sites and did the work himself, but these days he focuses more on attending to customers who visit the showroom and on handling consultation calls.
Throughout the interview, owner Shin Tae-in's phone rang without pause. He said that although he has never done any special marketing since opening the dealership, customers in need of bathroom installation consultations seek him out every single day. Shin, whose motto is "a customer once is a customer forever," said the secret lies in the meticulousness with which he pursues perfection and in the trust built up over his long field career. Having learned the techniques of installing bathroom sanitary fixtures around the age of thirty and steadily accumulated his know-how, he became known in the Ilsan area as a "legend of installation" thanks to his natural talent, he said.
He revealed his pride with a relaxed joke: "There's hardly a bathroom in the Ilsan apartment complexes that hasn't passed through my hands." Of course, even without him saying so, his acquaintances vouch for his skill. The director who runs a tile installation academy on the floor above the dealership once ran both a tile shop and the academy at the same time; back then, trusting the sincerity and diligence of Shin Tae-in, who worked as an employee, he handed the business over to him. The tile shop nurtured through such firm trust and friendship has become today's INUS BATH dealership.
Three years ago, the academy and tile shop moved into a newly built building, and the INUS BATH dealership that opened there also came about thanks to the director's recommendation. INUS ceramics were especially well regarded among installers, and he signed the contract out of confidence in the various contract terms, design, and quality. After becoming a dealership owner, he brought in a variety of INUS brand products, considerably broadening the range of products—such as tiles and ceramics—that he can recommend to customers. To customers who are not familiar with bathroom remodeling brands, he always recommends INUS products. Detailed, warm-hearted consultation and professional installation guarantee the satisfaction of customers who visit the INUS BATH Paju Unjeong branch. 031-947-8904
What led you to sign a dealership contract with INUS BATH?
I think INUS's biggest strengths are its design and value for money. So I often recommend INUS tiles or ceramics to customers who came in thinking of another brand. Even customers who came in without knowing much are greatly satisfied once they see the results. Many of them acknowledge me as an expert. It may sound like bragging, but I think good-quality INUS products shine even brighter when they meet a skilled installer. Customers who visit the INUS BATH Paju Unjeong branch enjoy the great advantage of receiving more perfect installation and free after-sales service for a similar estimate.
When you enter the showroom, the tile collection immediately catches the eye. Did you pay special attention to the interior?
Most customers look at the tiles first and then browse the ceramics and faucets, but it isn't something I gave that much special thought to. However, people who have been in the tile business for a long time advised me that in a tile shop, the tiles should all be visible at a glance the moment you sit down at the consultation desk. So I paid particular attention to arranging the tile display, and it has been well received. It also helped that the store has high ceilings. I tend to change the layout often so that customers who visit the dealership can browse comfortably.
We heard that even after becoming an owner, you continued to do installations yourself in the field for a while.
Because I have such a meticulous nature and pursue perfection, I'm only satisfied when I do the installation myself in the field. Other technicians might think I'm too fussy, but if something wasn't to my liking, I would repeat it several times over to achieve a perfect finish. Building a career as a field installation technician in the Ilsan area for about 15 years, I think this perfectionism became my competitive edge. Even when working meticulously, the speed picks up once you're skilled, so customer satisfaction was even greater. Perhaps thanks to the connections and trust I built up doing installation work, even without any marketing, people who became customers once keep coming back to me. Maybe that's why, even while running the tile shop and handling dealership work, I wanted to personally install for customers who visited directly on an acquaintance's recommendation. For a while I did the work myself in the field, but focusing on installation meant I couldn't take care of the store. In the end, to fully carry out my responsibilities as an owner, I have now set aside installation work and entrust the projects to technicians I trust.
What is the single most crucial factor in improving a bathroom environment, and how do you think bathroom interiors will change going forward?
What determines the overall mood of a bathroom is the tile. A bathroom should be bright, comfortable, and fresh, and it is the tile, above all, that creates this atmosphere. I also think tile is the key factor that drives interior trends. These days, the trend is for large, luxurious tiles such as large-format tiles. This is not a passing trend; bathrooms will continue to become more upscale going forward. The interior industry will also chase this upscaling trend and compete fiercely. In a limited market, to satisfy customers you have to have a competitive edge—whether in price, design, or installation skill—in order to survive.
Do you have any goals or plans for the future?
The economy has been tough lately, but this work suits me so well, it's fun, and I find fulfillment in the work itself, so I believe that if I keep at it steadily, things will come together. Once the situation improves a bit, I'd like to go abroad and study tiles seriously. I love tiles so much that I'm still studying hard even now, but I'd like to get into directly importing overseas tiles. If I handle more tiles, take on more installation jobs, and grow my sales, I expect I'll be able to expand the store and provide even better service to customers.
