IdeaRoom Customer Spotlight: Keen's Buildings

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Keen's Buildings, established in 1999, has consistently demonstrated a commitment to quality, convenience, and customer satisfaction. Based in Live Oak, Florida, and serving the Southeastern United States with seven total locations, Keen's Buildings specializes in a wide range of prefabricated structures including sheds, garages, carports, and metal buildings. Within the last year, Keen’s Buildings took a leap into yet another market: pole barns!

Craig Heineman, the Director of Marketing at Keen’s Buildings, says that “it came as a natural fit with us having all of that experience in the metal building industry.” Given that Keen’s Buildings supplies so many different types of buildings, we wanted to understand why a consumer might prefer a pole barn to a standard carport of metal building.

From Craig’s perspective, pole barns “really are just an alternative product to metal buildings. Typically the biggest differentiator is aesthetics and preference. Some people just want a wood post out of preference or because they’ve had pole barns in the past. Others like the aesthetics and the more natural look of wood. We’ve actually noticed that pole barns tend to be a great option for DIYers.”

And the team members at Keen’s Buildings are intent on listening to the customer. Craig says that he and the team pride themselves “on customer service and quality above all else” and that it’s “been the driving force behind every decision that we make”. A focus on the customer touches every aspect of the Keen’s Buildings business, from their service team to their financing options to their tech. The primary goal is giving customers an excellent experience, which is one of the reasons they chose to adopt an IdeaRoom 3D designer.

Craig says that IdeaRoom “helps us provide a better customer experience and it improves our sales tools. Our customers can still come and visit one of our locations in person to see a building, but we only have so many buildings on our lots. With thousands of options available (different sizes, colors, and everything like that), the 3D builders are where we really focus in on providing customers with exactly what they want. Now they can do it themselves and even make tweaks and changes to their designs in real time.”

The incorporation of consumer-facing 3D design technology has been a game-changer for Keen's Buildings. Customers who visit the Keen’s Building website now have an interactive experience that engages customers from the start. They can select different design options, view their building from various angles, and make adjustments in real-time. This level of engagement helps to keep potential customers interested and invested in the process. Sales representatives can use the tool to guide customers through the design phase, answer questions, and provide instant feedback. This efficiency reduces the time required to finalize a sale and improves overall sales productivity.

Craig says that “probably the most exciting thing for us was we had our first lead literally 42 minutes after the 3D builder went live on our website.” 

Craig notes that one of his favorite features from IdeaRoom “the augmented reality, where you have the ability to see the design on your property. It’s even more helpful if one of our specialists is building out a design for someone over the phone or via social media chat. We can send them a link and they can open it on their phone or tablet and see exactly what that building would look like right on their property.” 

Ultimately, the use of the 3D designer tool enhances customer satisfaction. Customers appreciate the ability to customize their buildings and see the results immediately. This transparency and control contributes to a positive buying experience, leading to higher satisfaction rates and more referrals. Craig says that Keen’s Buildings has “seen a shift to digital and online sales really picking up since the pandemic. There were some pre-existing online sales before then but the pandemic really skyrocketed that need for us being online. Our customers like to design a building online, look at the different color options, and have it delivered to their doorsteps without any extra hassle… a lot of times without going and visiting one of the lots.” 

When it comes to competing online, the Keen’s Buildings team has landed on a winning recipe: A great digital presence, an engaging 3D design experience for the end consumer, and a focus on customer service. When you add 25+ years of experience in owning retail centers, manufacturing facilities, and logistics and construction companies, it’s no surprise that buyers trust Keen’s Buildings to serve up an excellent product. 

If you are in need of a pole barn, you can learn more about Keen’s Buildings by visiting https://keensbuildings.com/ today!