Top Takeaways:

  • Three highly focused classes speak to the importance of customer interaction;
  • Earn CEUs;
  • One pass grants access to all days of learning on-site and on-demand courses after the show.

By Dianne M. Pogoda

Let’s face it: Without customers, no one has a business, and without repeat customers, no one is in business very long. The customer relationship is a dicey one, and can be influenced by many factors — many of which are personality-driven.

At the Voices From The Industry Conference (VFTI) three in-depth courses in the Customer Service learning track will help you cultivate your best clients and turn them into loyal repeat customers, and overcome the hurdles of working with the most difficult clients and resolve issues.

VFTI, sponsored by Floor & Decor and Angi, takes place during KBIS 2023, Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 in Las Vegas. This perennially popular conference features nearly 80 sessions in six learning tracks, running each day of KBIS on site at the newly renovated Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Many sessions will also be available on-demand starting Jan. 31, and all qualify for CEU credits.

Sessions include:

  • “Go Deep – The Playbook for Lifelong Customer Loyalty,” taught by Ben Freeman of Ben Freeman and Associates. It will explore the shift in consumer shopping patterns and how your business can adjust to the new paradigms of buying, and how to develop a loyal customer base that keeps referring you again and again.
  • “Clearing the Air: Literally and Figuratively.” Anna Violand of Broan NuTone explains the elements of outstanding customer service, building trust and educating the consumer, all of which contribute to greater sales and repeat and referral business.
  • “How to Handle Difficult Clients for Positive and Productive Outcomes.” In this workshop, Sharon Sherman, CKD, of Thyme and Place Design, will offer strategies to turn those problem customers into satisfied clients and keep them coming back for more.

One VFTI pass grants access to all sessions, live on-site and on-demand, as well as entry to and shuttles among all five Design & Construction Week trade shows running concurrently throughout the city. Besides KBIS and the International Builders Show, the National Hardware Show takes place at LVCC; the Surfaces show is at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, and the Las Vegas Market happens at the World Market Center.

Regular pricing is in effect through Jan. 28. NKBA members pay $600 for access to the DCW shows and all VFTI sessions, on-site and on-demand. Non-members pay $825, and from Jan. 29 through Feb. 2, members are $700 and non-members are $925. Additional rates and discounts apply for press, students, faculty and non-exhibiting manufacturers and suppliers, so visit KBIS.com for more details.

For more general information about VFTI, click here.