In an era of big box stores and online shopping, it’s not easy to find a business where the owners and staff will treat you like a member of their family. But at Windsor Plywood, a family-owned and operated business since 1998, customers are treated like family with personal service and advice to help them with their home improvement projects, says Nicole Parsons.
“Growing up in the store, we saw how our dad, Bob Grant, interacted with customers and it has just been a natural progression,” says Parsons, who operates the Coquitlam home finishing store along with her brother Rob Grant.
From their early days working in the store, breathing in the scent of the wood, from exotic zebra wood, mahogany, tiger wood and other specialty wood, to doors, stairs and flooring, Parsons and her brother have always enjoyed the business.
Among the products available are interior and exterior doors, primed and hardwood mouldings, live edge lumber for decorative finishing, such as replace mantles, laminate and hardwood flooring, plywood and panelling as well as many other home improvement products. Windsor Plywood also offers custom plywood cutting, door machining and customizing, and door installation.
A typical customer might come in with a photo or an idea for a home improvement project. A member of the Windsor Plywood team would suggest products and help them find what they need to complete the project.
While COVID-19 protocols have introduced some changes into how customers and employees interact, with staff taking pains to provide the proper two metres of physically-distancing space, the customer will be greeted warmly and asked what help they need.
“We are like an old-fashioned country store where people are welcome and treated just like family,” Parsons says.
There is hand sanitizer in the store and, at this time, masks are required to enter, Parsons says.
Occasionally, there are line-ups outside as customers are kept to a comfortable level to provide enough space for physical distancing, but waits are usually short. Customers also have the option of phoning in an order and picking up the item or items at curbside.
Parsons says she is finding that more people are starting home renovation projects because they are spending more time at home.
“We are seeing that COVID-19 has made people want to improve their homes, adding offices or making other changes so their homes are more comfortable,” Parsons says. “When they decide to do the work, they often come to us.”
That’s where Windsor Plywood’s staff can offer their expertise, whether it be advice and products for a new front entry door, updating their mouldings, new interior doors, new flooring or some cosmetic changes to any room in their home.
“Once your drywall is up and painted, we can help,” explains Parsons. As a family business the hope is to keep the succession going with each new generation and continue the Windsor Plywood legacy, where customer service starts with a warm greeting, everyone is treated as family, and building strong relationships is a foundational value.
For more information, visit www.windsorplywoodcoquitlam.ca.
