Seven generations is a long time to keep a business in the family, but it’s been a joy for siblings Pam Boyle Blanch and Steven Boyle. This brother and sister team owns Boyle Appliance and Mattress Center located at 146 36th Street in Ogden. The Boyle family began their Ogden business in 1856 by making coffins. The brothers who opened the business made furniture on the side.
“It’s all they knew,” Blanch said of her ancestors. The business evolved into a general store and furniture store. Eventually, appliances were added, turning the Boyle Appliance Center into what it is today.
Although appliances are their focus, Boyle and Blanch decided to bring mattresses back to the business a year and a half ago. It worked well because they had the extra space in an older building behind the appliance center. “We kind of joined the two buildings together and it’s been a nice marriage,” she said. “It was a tough decision and a big risk but we decided we wanted to do it. Most people who are buying appliances for homes are also buying mattresses,” she said. It’s been a successful risk. “My brother and I really never sold mattresses but our dad did, but he’s pretty much retired,” she noted. But they have learned and learned quickly.
Blanch is used to learning the business speedily. She started working at the family business when she was just 12 years old and she is now 53. “Try telling that to the bank when you go to get a loan,” she said with a laugh. “I always see them doing the math to figure out how long I’ve really worked there compared to my age,” she laughed.
Both Blanch’s and Boyle’s children have worked there as well. “It’s a family thing. We are in our 7th generation and why not? It’s a good business and a good living,” she said. “It’s a legacy for our family,” she said, adding that it’s a good work, but hard work. “I say when you put in a 12-hour day you are doing pretty well and have plenty of work to do,” she noted.
They easily compete with the “big boys” of the appliance and mattress industry and follow the theme of “flying under the radar.” “That’s what we always say; it’s kind of our theme,” she said with a laugh.
One of the biggest secrets to their success is their customer service. “It’s always about the experience,” she said. They make it a rule to speak to customers within one minute after they walk in the door. It can just be a “Hello,” or “How is your day?” but some interaction is going to happen. “You may get a cold bottle of water on a hot day or some warm popcorn on a cold winter day,” Blanch said. And because of that approach, referrals have been a huge key to their great business. “We live on referrals. We know you and like you when you walk through that door,” she said happily.
Another secret is that they buy though Brand Source, a buying group her father started where small businesses work together to buy items in large quantities so they can compete with the “big boys.” “We have buying power and we run things leaner and cleaner,” she added. By running a tight ship, they can also make their profit because they don’t have a lot of excess fat to trim at the end of the day.
Their third secret is to help people out when appliances need service after they are purchased. They have a list of qualified repair people to service appliances when needed. They used to have just one repairman for everything, but there are now so many brands with different ways of fixing the appliances, they had to expand their list of those who can do the repairs.
These repairmen come with an expectation of trust. “If they don’t do a good job then they don’t work for us anymore,” she said. They stress to customers to call when they need their appliances serviced so they can track when there are problems and make sure their products are right where they need to be.
Internet sales have been tricky to tackle, but Blanch said people are realizing they want to buy local. They want to know their products are in good shape. “Who wants to order an appliance from New York? Who knows how battered and bruised up it will be when it gets to you and how are you going to get it in the house?” she quipped. They offer delivery and installment and all the bells and whistles, which she knows the customer wants.
This customer service stems from a love of Ogden and its patrons. The Boyle family is always eager to hear from their customers and learn new ways to service them.
