Bath Planet Featured in Buffalo Grove Countryside

Bath Planet was featured in an article in Buffalo Grove Countryside that ran on Wednesday, July 17. The article begins by focusing on the Executive of the Year award that Vice President Rick Hirschhaut received at the American Business Awards 11th annual banquet in Chicago. The article focuses on Bath Planet's attention to customer satisfaction and doing the little things to ensure a 97 percent satisfaction rating from their customers. Furthermore, the article discusses Rick's gold Stevie award for Bath Planet next year, after receiving the silver award for the second time this year.

Award-winning exec closes service gap

BUFFALO GROVE — The hole in Rick Hirschhaut’s industry was gaping: 47 percent wide. He has closed it 44 percent, and his efforts earned him national recognition.

Hirschhaut, a 52-year-old Buffalo Grove resident, is the senior vice president of Palatine-based BathPlanet, and on June 17 earned the Executive of the Year Award in the Consumer Products and Durables category of the American Business Awards’ 11th annual banquet, in downtown Chicago.

His company makes products that can cover up your bathroom’s 1970s look and 1990s mold, but he won his award because he prioritized customer service in an industry that leaves half its customers disappointed.

“Half the people in America wish their contractor never stepped on their property,” but Hirschhaut said that almost every Bath Planetcustomer felt like they had been working with a professional. “If we say we’re going to be there at 9 o’clock, we’re ringing the doorbell at 9 o’clock.”

Bath Planet custom-makes acrylic liners that fit over old bathtubs and showers, covering out-of-date looks and scrub-defeating scum with a modern appearance. When Bath Planet’s parent company, BCI, hired him four and a half years ago, his job became to position the company in a customer-service gap that had eluded so many others.

Hirschhaut said home remodeling industry studies he’s seen indicated that 47 percent of homeowners end up dissatisfied with what their contractors’ work. His approach: become known for arriving and finishing on time and supplying a strong warranty.

“Everybody seems to have a bad experience with home remodeling,” Hirschhaut said.

Doing the little things to change that experience changed Bath Planet’s bottom line, he said. He boasted that 97 percent of his customers ended up satisfied with their work.

“Without question, we’re taking market share,” and he said his firm had seen 36 consecutive months of one-year-later growth. “To me, there’s nothing more exciting than business growth.”

BCI created Bath Planet three years ago, and Hirschhaut said one of his first objectives was to make the company successful enough to qualify it for consideration for the American Business Awards. He achieved that goal last year, when they brought home the second-place “Stevie” (the AWA’s title for its trophies) in Consumer Products and Durables.

Last month, Hirschhaut won the top individual honor in that category.

“I was stunned, to be honest,” he said. “Although my name is on it, it’s a team award. Without the hard work of a whole lot of people, I would not have been there.”

But his next objective eluded him: He wants a gold Stevie for Bath Planet, but his company brought home a silver for the second time. The key could be in further closing the industry’s gaping customer-service maw.

“We’re going to keep trying,” he said.

Read the full article here. 

20 Ways to Update Your Bathroom

Are you planning a bathroom renovation this summer? Before you move too quickly, read through Real Simple's list of 20 Easy Ways to Upgrade your Bathroom:

1. Old wooden crates make smart holders for extra toilet paper and rolled bath towels.
2. Turn an unused nightstand into storage for small towels, makeup, hair tools, and toiletries.
3. A sink skirt hides a multitude of sins. You can easily make a no-sew one from a pretty bedsheet.
4. When your tub lacks wide ledges where you can store bath products, hang a multilevel fruit basket for additional space.
5. A shelf rack with hooks is a great answer to the storage problems posed by smaller spaces.
6. Separate cosmetics by category--lip colors, shadows, blushes, etc.--and store them in small drawer organizers that you can easily rearrange.
7. Make a long soak in the tub even more luxurious with bath salts, lush towels, and aromatic candles within easy reach.
8. Think of an unused sugar bowl as a decorative container, perfect for cotton balls and Q-tips.
9. Something as simple as an over-the-tub wire rack devoted to bathroom goods adds a nice touch, along with extra convenience.
10. Unused, mismatched serving pieces act as great countertop organization to keep toiletries looking neat.
11. A woven basket holds an ample supply of toilet paper, eliminating the need to hunt when you're down to the end of the roll.
12. Another approach: repurpose a tall cylindrical vase to hold extra rolls of TP.
13. A retractable mirror is a practical solution on walls that won't allow for a conventional mirror.
14. A bouquet of flowers in a bathroom feels unexpected and fresh. Even a small vase of yard-cut greens adds freshness to the room.
15. A perfumed tablet of preserved cranberries and orange slices adds a delicious note when slipped into a vanity drawer.
16. A calming color on the walls, like a rich blue-green, gives the room a sense of tranquility.
17. One lower cost solution to old bathroom tiles: blunt the behind-the-times feeling by painting the walls a complimentary color for a cheerful scheme.
18. One attractive option for window treatments is faux-wooden blinds, which offer all the elegance of real wood and none of the worries of water damage or warping.
19. On the other hand, you can let the sun stream into your bath through an oversized picture window - especially if you've got a view to show off.
20. Towel bars have been replaced by hooks next to the shower, eliminating the need for folding and just-so draping. An extra hook allows a space for the bath mat to dry.

Read all the tips from Real Simple here. 

50 Ways to Brighten Up Your Bathroom

Summer's a great time to give your bathroom a bright makeover. Perking up your bathroom doesn't have to be expensive, either. Below are 50 cheap ways to update one of the most used rooms in your home, provided by StyleatHome.com:

'1. Repaint - nothing perks up a room like a fresh coat of paint.

2. Invest in new towels to replace any that are looking worse for wear.

3. If you're running out of space to store toiletries, keep the overflow in a rustic wooden bowl or wicker basket.

4. Declutter. Clearing off the surface of your bathroom counter does wonders for making the room look fresh and clean.

5. Install new faucets for a quick upgrade.

6. Add fresh flowers.

7. Opt for colorful towels if your bathroom walls are a neutral color.

8. Play with patterns without having to turn to wallpaper or a new paint job with inexpensive wall decals.

9. Floating candles in a glass bowl on the counter add warmth.

10. Toiletries in beautiful packaging can go a long way to pretty up your counter.

11. Replace your shower curtain.

12. Place a tall vase filled with dried flowers on the floor for some rustic charm.

13. Incense in an ornate holder is functional and decorative.

14. Line the counter with matching accessories (toothbrush holder, soap dispenser) ideally from the same line, for a uniform look.

15. Install a floating shelf above the toilet and line with small plants that don't require a lot of light.

16. Shampoo, conditioner, and soap dispensers eliminate clutter around the tub.

17. Place a small stool in one corner of the bathroom and neatly stack towels on it.

18. Search out some interesting hooks for bath towels.

19. Room diffusers are both decorative and do a lot to refresh the room.

20. A wall-mounted magazine rack creates space.

21. House extra rolls of toilet paper in a ceramic pot or urn.

22. Find a new use for an old chair by painting it a bright color and stacking magazines on it.

23. Line drawers with pretty wallpaper samples.

24. Fill a square, glass container with shells you or your kids have collected from various family vacations.

25. Group candles of varying sizes around the bathtub for instant ambiance.

26. Tie colorful ribbon around small groupings of rolled up neutral-colored hand towels. Display on the counter.

27. Put a small shelf behind the toilet to store books.

28. Frame a piece of corkboard and use it to house your jewelry. Chances are you're probably choosing accessories at the same time you're applying makeup.

29. Frame vacation photos of the beach or waterfalls for some aqua-themed style.

30. Clear up clutter around the tub with a simple shower caddy.

31. If there is a window in your bathroom, add plants for a nice splash of green in your space.

32. Stagger towel hooks for an asymmetrical display of bath towels, ideally in graduating shades of the same color.

33. Purge all the junk that's accumulated in the drawers of the vanity. No wonder you can't find the tweezers!

34. If you have kids, avoid countertop chaos by assigning each their own toiletries basket. There are many inexpensive options at most home decor stores.

35. Treat yourself to a bamboo bath caddy, with spots for a book, candle, and glass of wine.

36. Clean out the medicine cabinet regularly to avoid a pile-up of expired creams and capsules.

37. Do away with the ratty bath mat and replace with something plush and soft.

38. Line the back of the counter with small glass bottles and place a fresh cut flower in each.

39. Clean the bathroom from top to bottom to make it sparkle.

40. Add artwork if you have the wall space.

41. A stack of three neatly folded black or charcoal towels on a white countertop makes a style statement, so long as the counter is clear of clutter.

42. Replace an over-the-sink medicine cabinet with one that fits tightly in the corner if you have the room. Install an elegant mirror in its place.

43. Store the little things in a pretty box or basket with a lid to avoid a tidal wave of trinkets taking over the counter.

44. House makeup in a vintage-inspired jewelry box.

45. Remove the door to one cabinet and show off your prettiest toiletries and perfume bottles.

46. Get rid of any cleaning products you have lying around. Store these under the sink in the kitchen.

47. Put a small end table beside the tub (of the same height) and use it to house your bath towel while you're soaking.

48. Install new knobs or pulls on cabinets. Brushed metal is a stylish option.

49. Put dimmers on light fixtures so you can have the option of softer lighting.

50. Try to keep clutter off your counter all the time, not just when company's coming.'

Do you think any of these options can help you upgrade your own bathroom? Follow these tips to keep your bathroom looking and feeling fresh.

Bathroom Spring Cleaning Tips

Now's the time to get your spring cleaning done in the bathroom! Read these spring cleaning tips to make sure that your bathroom is in tip-top shape for summer:

• Grab all necessary supplies (basket, mop, hamper, trash container, disinfectant wipes, glass cleaner).
• Dust the ceiling and corners of the room.
• Dust all vents and fans.
• Take down draperies, curtains, or blinds to wash or have cleaned according to the directions.
• Scrub your shower and tub.
• Scrub down the toilet.
• Wash the inside and outside of the medicine cabinet and linen closets.
• Wash the sink and other bathroom fixtures.
• Shake out bathroom rugs.
• Sweep and mop the floor.
• Empty and wash out the trashcan.

These tips will prepare you for summer and leave your home looking and feeling cleaner. 

Tips provided by About.com.

ABOUT BATH PLANET®

Based in Palatine, IL, Bath Planet® was created by BCI® Acrylic Bath Systems founders Tom Barzantny and Scott Rosenbach. BCI® recognized a need for greater consistency between manufacturers and dealers in the tub and shower liner industry, and established their one-stop-shop company in 1999. Bath Planet® is backed by BCI®, a privately held, manufacturer of tub and shower-liner systems with a network of more than 550 independent dealers throughout the United States and Canada. Bath Planet® has earned the coveted Good Housekeeping Seal, recognizing the exceptional quality of its liner systems. For more information about Bath Planet®, visit our website at www.bathplanet.com.

Bath Planet Featured in Lynchburg News Advance

Bath Planet was recently featured in Lynchburg News Advance. The article talks about Bath Planet and what the brand will offer the community. The Q&A article showcases Randy Dinwiddie as a long-tern veteran in the remodeling industry, and includes information about why he chose to open Bath Planet. This was a great introduction of the business in Lynchburg!  

Tell us the basics: Who are you, what’s your company’s name, and how long have you been at this company?

I’ve been in the home remodeling industry for 25 years, and opened a Bath Planet business in the economy to create a steady revenue stream that provides more quality products/services to current and new customers. I feel this concept will fare well in Lynchburg because the age of the properties in the area are primed for this type of product/service, and the price point is attractive to the customers.

Describe your business — what do you do?

With Bath Planet, we do bath remodeling, specializing in tub to shower conversions to make bathrooms safer for the baby boomers. We offer a private label of acrylic bath and shower liners made available through BCI Acrylic Bath Systems, a national manufacturer and distributor and Bath Planet’s parent company. Bath Planet offers stylish, cost-effective, low-maintenance and long-term bath improvements to homeowners, commercial customers and consumers seeking aging-in-place solutions. The acrylic on the shower walls give the customer the best, easy to clean, most durable product available with a lifetime warranty. Also, Bath Planet has earned the coveted Good Housekeeping Seal, recognizing the exceptional quality of its liner systems, and even received a customer recommendation rating of 97 percent by an independent, third-party company.

How did you get into this business?

I used to do ceramic tile showers. When I found acrylic bath systems, I knew it would be a hit after listening to my wife fuss about having to scrub the grout lines, which were hard, time consuming and messy to handle. Now I think if I put tile in our shower, I think she would leave me. Just kidding, but with the style and colors of our acrylic bath lines, it was a no brainer for me to make the jump into this business.

What’s the market like for your business?

We are remodeling the baths of the growing baby boomer generation, and making the bathing area safer. We expect our business will continue to grow as many of these people will partner with us on remodeling their bath or shower to ensure they can enjoy their lifestyle freedom in their own home.

What’s a lesson you’ve learned during the recession?

It is a tough market out there, and we must give the customer the very best value and high-quality service for their dollar.

Is there a secret to your personal success? Perhaps a piece of advice you’ve always remembered?

In the service industry, you must treat people like you want to be treated and stand behind your work.

What’s coming up in the next year for you and your company? What about in the next five years?

Our goal is to continue to grow the business, provide more jobs, and to become the best-known bath remodeling company in the community.

What’s the part of your job you dread the most? : I dread the most when something goes wrong on a job beyond my control, and I can't do anything about it. An example is when something is lost or broken in shipment. Until I get the order, I have no control. I want happy customers so sometimes this can be a struggle.

What’s the part of your job that excites you the most, the thing that makes you want to hurry to work? : The thing that excites me the most is providing bathroom remodeling solutions that help people stay in their homes longer as opposed to an assisted living home. Also, I have a great team in place, which includes my lovely wife. My team is some of the best, most-dedicated employees my wife and I have employed over the years working in this industry.

If you weren’t in this career, what would you do for a living? :  If I wasn’t working in this business, I would have to spend my time with our sister company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, which still helps people with their remodeling and home-based solutions.

Expert Tips for Spring Cleaning in your Bathroom

Spring is the perfect time to take hold of bathroom cleaning. America Now News recently featured a few expert tips to making sure your bathroom is in its best shape for the summer:

"Don't overdo it. Avoid using too many cleaners and dilute the products you do spray in the bathroom. The fumes in cleaning products can affect the lungs, Duberg explained. It's also important to open windows or turn on a fan while cleaning to avoid breathing in fumes. "These chemicals are carcinogenic, they can affect your endocrine and nervous system," she cautioned.

Don't let things go. If basic cleaning, such as removing visible dirt, occurs regularly, spring-cleaning to remove scum, mold and lime scale, which can breed bacteria, isn't as big a challenge.

Read directions. Read cleaning product labels carefully and be sure to follow the manufacturers' directions on how they should be used. "The label will have information on how long the sanitizer needs to stay on the surface and how to dilute the product," Duberg said.

Take extra precautions. When someone is sick, surface areas should be cleaned more frequently. Paper towels should be used to dry hands rather than a cloth towel to prevent the spread of germs. Toothbrushes should also be dried and put away. "If you leave it out in the bathroom, the aerosols from flushing the toilet with the lid up (there are approximately 3 million bacteria per square inch in most toilet bowls) will float over all the surfaces including your toothbrush," Duberg said. "It's time to break the cycle of infection."

Use bleach properly. Bleach is effective against germs, but it isn't safe for children or pets. When using a 10 percent bleach solution, wash the surfaces with hot, soapy water afterwards. Bleach solution must also be made fresh and used within 24 hours.

Try vinegar. Vinegar can be an effective surface cleaner. Mix one part white distilled vinegar with nine parts water to create a safe and inexpensive cleaning product. Undiluted white distilled vinegar mixed with baking soda can also be used to remove scum. "The fewer the cleaning products, the better," Duberg said. "Vinegar is inexpensive, is not harmful to kids and pets, and always leaves a shine."

Tips from America Now News.

Bath Planet in Business New Haven

Bath Planet was recently featured in an article in Business New Haven on February 26th, 2013 entitled “Rub-a-Dub-Dub: Bath Planet Cleans Up”.  The article was coordinated with Bath Planet Senior Vice President Rick Hirschhaut and Bath Planet Dealer Brad Pompilli and reporter Felicia Hunter.

The article talks about how Bath Planet grew during the recession and was prepared when the housing remodeling boom hit.  They talk about how Brad Pompilli’s Connecticut dealership is booming.  The article also gives information on how much certain services cost, and how much it costs to become a dealer.

"Most CEOs might consider that advice counterintuitive. But it's worked for Bath Planet Senior Vice President Rick Hirschhaut, who oversaw the opening of his company's first licensed dealership in Connecticut last year. More are welcome, he says. 'When the world took a turn in 2008 in the economy, when a lot of people went into their cocoon, we doubled the size of our manufacturing facility and added headcount (staff) instead of reducing headcount,' says Hirschhaut. The reason? 'We knew there was a wave coming and we wanted to be ready for that wave,' Hirschhaut expains. That wave swelled towards the remodeling industry, which has been a very lucrative business over the past few years, says Hirschhaut." 

Read the rest of the article here.