Local business owner receives national recognition

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press

A local business owner has been honored with a National Customer Service Award by his franchise’s home office. 
James Pierce Jr. is the owner of a local Kitchen Tune-Up franchise and received the company’s customer service award for the month of July 2017.  
According to a press release issued by the Aberdeen, South Dakota-based company, every month the Kitchen Tune-Up home office honors a franchisee with their Customer Service Award. 
Locations across the country compete for the award, which recognizes the most outstanding customer service across the nation. 
“Thanks to his exceptional service and feedback from clients, James Pierce of Copperas Cove, Texas has earned top honors for July 2017,” stated the company’s marketing department.
There are 127 franchises across the country, and this is Pierce’s first time receiving the award.
“I get to help people and I get to see finished project that really change the outlooks of people’s houses and kitchens, and bathrooms,” Pierce said. “We go from wood reconditioning to refacing, re-dooring, and then new cabinets also.” 
The company has an approved list of vendors of American-made, solid wood cabinets from which franchise customers can choose, which keeps standards high, Pierce said.
“I don’t deal with any type or particle board cabinets. It’s a waste of time for people, throwing their money away. I use a local granite guy who has templates on site—Granite By Design. 
“Also, all of my employees live in Copperas Cove, and I take pride in that. I live in Cove, my employees live in Cove, a lot of my subcontractors work in Cove.” 
He encourages those looking for help with kitchen renovations to shop local, but be careful when doing so.
“Today, I was talking to a lady, and some local contractor did her really, really bad. This guy wasn’t even a licensed contractor, it was someone she found on the street who does handyman work. She bought cabinets from a big-box store and they ordered the wrong size cabinets for her, which delayed the cabinets coming to her hoers. She also bought countertops through them, and they ordered the wrong size countertops. They said, to get it fixed, it’ll be four more weeks. She’s been working on this for three months now.  
If more people, not just with me, if more people use local businesses that are licensed businesses in the area, you’ll get better service and it helps out our local economy also. I just want to do it the right way and take care of people.”
Pierce said his franchise specializes in getting projects done in one to five days, depending on the type of project. “That’s what we work toward. It’s always a standard of mine to get it done in that time frame,” Pierce said. “Whenever somebody wants their kitchen done, I want to find the most affordable way to use their money. I’m going to look into ways to make it fit into their budget. I’m not going to make a quick sale and run.” 
Of the award, Pierce said he was “totally surprised” when he learned about it.
“I didn’t even expect it. It’s a lot of hard work, and I finally got recognized for it. I do it because I like it,” he added. “I used to take care of soldiers, now I’m taking care of my customers and doing it the best way I can.” 
Pierce is looking forward to the company’s national reunion set for later this month in South Dakota, when for three days, franchisees get the chance to learn about the new products available to them, advance selling to help them talk to customers and offer them better options, he said. 
According to a press release issued by the company, the Kitchen Tune-Up home office considers the number of positive customer comments received and also the attitude of the franchise owners. 
Pierce has owned a local franchise that serves the Copperas Cove, Killeen and Gatesville area since 2012. Recently, Pierce also expanded to also serve his home stomping grounds in the Fort Worth area. 
He signed on with the company through its franchising program geared toward veterans interested in opening their own business, which gives a franchise discount to any honorably discharged veteran who has served in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or National Guard. 
All customer comments are on display on the company website, kitchentuneup.com. The company will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2018.