Porcelanosa’s associate in Cagliari outlines the sector challenges in the face of the “new reality”

“We must provide the client a positive experience during the visit to our shops”

“Construction must be the driving force to the economy’s starting over”

Termosa is a Porcelanosa associate located in Cagliari, Italy. Its showroom activity was restarted a few weeks ago after a period of restrictions as a protection measure for its clients and employees health. Once the shop is working full time, he explains us how he thinks we will adapt to this new environment. 

In the first half of 2020 we have suffered a change of direction in the social area and the business environment, and it seems like it is going to last a few more months. How do you face this change within your business work procedures?

They will probably be very different from the ones that we used before. It goes from the client’s reception in the showroom to the visits to the construction place. We have adjusted to the regulations trying to respect social distance between consultants and clients. We have added hand sanitizers in different places of the showroom and we have equipped all the stuff with personal protective equipment. 

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, PORCELANOSA has tried, as most of the companies have, to stay close to its partners and clients offering its support. How would you define this period of pause and how have you perceived this support?

The downtime has been very difficult to us and our clients. Society has lived with unease what it has been going on and the situation has become surreal. Our clients and us, architects, companies etc., we have been able to participate in webinars, product presentations and all the initiatives designed by Porcelanosa Group. 

In Central America, the industry companies are committed to cleaning operations and disinfection of public spaces. The construction industry in Europe has given a joint statement in order to request urgent measures to protect the employees’ health and supporting the economic activity. Do you think trust, flexibility and the digitalisation boom can be key to resume activities and the relationship with clients?

In our job, the empathy that we create with the client and the emotions that we make them feel while in our showroom is very important. Our exhibition spaces are born with the aim of making the client’s experience a unique one when choosing to visit us. We keep on looking for solutions in order to protect our health and the health of the ones that choose to come to our showroom. We also try to provide them a positive experience in the shop. 

Do you think that new opportunities will arise in the sector after this pandemic? Will construction become the driving force of many countries economic recovery?

Citizens had to stay at home in lockdown for a long time during this pandemic, something unprecedented so far. I am sure that we all have now a different conception of the importance of living in a beautiful, healthy and functional environment. Construction must be the driving force for the starting over of the economy. The market will demand high performance products with a more refined design and quality and beautiful houses to live in and contemplate.