In focus: Renarte General Trading

Q: Tell us a bit about your business and what sets you apart from your competitors?

Rajath: Renarte Hospitality Supplies was established 15 years ago with one vision in mind, affordable and design orientated OS&E solutions for the F&B industry.

Fast forward to 2021 and Renarte has a global presence with two offices in Middle East and one in North America.

Our staff have worked within the hospitality sector for quite some time and we have experienced hospitality professionals who act as consultants more than sales to help attain common goals with our clients.

Q: What feedback gathering mechanisms do you have in place? How do you use customer feedback to bring about positive changes in your organization?

Rajath: We work in a customer service centric environment, following up is key to our success. Most of our feedback is via follow ups directly with our clients, sales process does not stop once the product is sold, a successful sales process is to ensure your customers are satisfied not only with your product but also with your overall service. This is important as this prompts not only repeat business but also word of mouth which is imperative in our industry. Moreover, we use our experience on current installations to be proactive on the next, offering ideas to our clients.

Q: What are the usual concerns which customers have and how do you deal with customer queries?

Rajath: Hospitality in the UAE is very fast paced. One of our major concerns is the turnover time for new openings.

Most of our products are imported from Europe, Asia and America and if the turnaround time is very short, it might influence the customer to sway away from their design direction and “manage” with whatever is available in the market.

With such a vibrant industry, differentiation is key for any operator and we try our best with the help of our logistics team to ensure we meet our customer’s deadlines. Addressing customer concerns is very specific to each situation, there cannot be generic solutions.

Q: What is your philosophy when it comes to ensuring brand loyalty?

Rajath: We have to nurture our brand RENARTE and simultaneously inspire brand loyalty for our partners who have put a lot of faith in us to advocate their products the best way possible in the region.

For us we have to manage both expectations and always maintain that parallel to each other.

Renarte operates on one and only one philosophy – Good old fashioned customer service.

Managing client expectations is paramount and this has been the company’s philosophy since inception.

Q: How has the current pandemic impacted your business and how has it changed the customer experience?

Rajath: The pandemic has impacted almost every sector worldwide. We faced a complete shutdown of the hospitality industry for 5-6 months in the UAE.

Thankfully UAE has bounced back much faster than other countries and much of it is attributed to how well it was contained and ensuring strict measures whilst reopening.

Customer experience in general has dropped more than 60% percent during the pandemic, the only way to ensure successful continuity would be to invest more than before on the overall customer service experience.

Our industry is a people industry, given the lack to personal contact due to social distancing measures and following safety protocols, we had to depend on technology to show our offerings to our clients and conduct meetings.

Q: How do you incorporate the latest technology to enhance customer service?

Rajath: Without divulging much, we have been using CRM to get in touch with our clients on a regular basis. This helps us keep a track of our client’s preferences and likes and helps us reach out to them should something befitting be launched by our partners.

We use the same resources to get feedback on after sales and take into consideration feedback on how we can improve not only our product range but also our overall customer service process.

Q: Do you have any staff training programs in place and what key skills do you focus on while training your staff?

Rajath: No matter what the industry, product knowledge is key to sales. The more you are aware about your product the more ahead you are of your competition.

Most of our internal trainings are focused solely on our product’s technicality and of course how we differentiate from our competition.

Q: Are you planning to add any new product/services in the coming year?

Rajath: Every business has room for growth. New trends within hospitality emerge every day. Having more brands or products in our portfolio is primarily to attain the goal of being a one stop shop solution for the industry.

It’s only fair to say we have some exciting product ranges that we will be announcing shortly this year so keep an eye out for more exciting times ahead.

Q: How do you plan on making customer experience better in the future?

Rajath: Ditch the suit and tie approach, talk to your customers and get a feel of what their expectations are.

Expect your clients to leave more enlightened than they arrive, pair that with a warm friendly approach and you can elevate your customer’s overall experience.

About Rajath Radhakrishnan

Mr. Rajath Radhakrishnan is currently holding the position of General Manager for Renarte General Trading LLC, he has held various roles over the past 10 years & has grown into his position within the company heading the GCC region. Renarte has been designed to operate as a one stop shop solution for the hospitality industry, with products covering various areas of the hotel and universally renowned brands to give hoteliers/restaurateurs ample choice to conceptualize their ideas.