The Decking Difference: 3 Best Practices for Nailing Down the Customer Experience in Decking and Railing

Having a well-organized, customer-focused display can make all the difference for the decking and railing category. At Budget Home Supply in Longmont, Colorado, the decking and railing category displays how attention to detail—on the salesfloor and behind the scenes—can meet customer needs.

Morgan Stevens, Budget Home Supply’s sales manager, has been with the store for nearly a decade and has built a team of salespeople focused not just on selling, but also on building lasting partnerships with customers.

“Our goal isn’t to push product,” Stevens says. “It’s to guide customers through their projects and make sure the outcome meets their expectations.”

1. Create a Hands-On Showroom

Budget Home Supply’s success in the decking and railing category starts with an organized, interactive showroom that makes the product selection process both intuitive and engaging, Stevens says. Budget Home Supply’s showroom is designed to help customers explore different decking options in an interactive environment.

Before this category’s redesign in 2021, the decking and railing category’s setup wasn’t user-friendly and didn’t show the products in the best way possible, Stevens says.

“Before, each manufacturer had their own A-frame display, and they were competing for attention,” he says. “Now, we’ve standardized the layout. Every brand has the same display format, so customers can focus on the product differences, not the presentation.”

The showroom features wall-mounted decking and railing samples. Beneath each wall is a drawer stocked with take-home samples.

“The idea is to be able to pull a board off the wall, set it on the floor, walk on it and hold it up against the railing options,” Stevens says. “We don’t want customers walking out with analysis paralysis. The goal is that they leave with a better understanding of their options and feel confident in their choice.”

2. Educate Your Employees

Stevens says employee training plays a large role in how his sales team helps customers succeed in this category. Understanding every aspect of the customer’s project is important to make sure your sales team helps the customer make the right choice.

“We take pride that our sales representatives are the ones with the knowledge about each product we sell,” Stevens says.

Stevens says every decking and railing manufacturer produces similar products, so identifying the priorities for the customer is important, whether it’s longevity, resistance to weather or even pricing. All are key pieces of information the employees need to know to help the customer make the best choice for their needs.

“We have a training plan for new hires where we go through the basics,” Stevens says. “Then we bring in our manufacturer representatives and they teach us about the features of their product. When I’m setting up these trainings, I want our employees to know what each brand prides itself on, so when my staff is talking with a customer, they’re able to show them the best about each brand.”

3. Tailor the shopping experience

Contractors make up the bulk of Budget Home Supply’s clientele, but Stevens and his team recognize the opportunity in serving DIYers as well.

“We treat every customer as an individual,” Stevens says. “A lot of our sales come from contractors, and they usually know exactly what they want. Our DIY customers need more support. DIYers aren’t normally familiar with decking, but that’s where we make the difference from our competition—we provide the information they need on each decking product.”

Stevens takes a dual approach depending on the type of customer he is working with, offering durability, speed and sourcing efficiency for contractors and personalized guidance and education for DIYers. By offering personalized service, Stevens’ sales team has grown its customer base and attracted repeat customers.

“We often find contractors return to us because we can source exactly what they need quickly,” he says. “For DIYers, it’s about walking them through the decision-making process and offering recommendations based on their project goals. Whether they want low-maintenance options or a specific style, we ensure they leave with confidence.”