Safavieh Hires Rogers, Expands Service

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 4/23/2007 12:00:00 AM

Port Washington, N.Y. —

Upscale area rug supplier Safavieh, which is the licensee for the Thomas O'Brien and Martha Stewart rug progams, has hired Allison Rogers as customer service account executive.

For the past five years, Rogers was flooring specialist for Home Depot's Expo Design Center, and was based at the retailer's Commack, Long Island, N.Y. unit.

"Allison is a seasoned salesperson in rugs and floor coverings, and her understanding of our products and colors puts her way ahead of the learning curve," said John Thompson, national sales manager. "Her knowledge of Home Depot and Expo will help us become a better partner to these accounts."

Rogers is part of the company's larger plan to double its customer service department and to pair customer service professionals with salespeople. She is the first new hire to work in the new wing at company headquarters here.

Safavieh's 5,000-square-foot addition to its corporate headquarters accommodates a state-of-the-art customer service department and system.

"We have projected significant sales increases since the launch of our Thomas O'Brien and Martha Stewart licensed rug collections, and in the past year demand for Safavieh programmed collections has broken records in all retail channels," said Arash Yaraghi, a company principal.

Under Safavieh's new customer service operation, each sales representative will be paired with a customer service account executive to work in tandem for faster service response. Yaraghi explained the customer service reps will be important backups when their sales partners are on the road. "By pairing customer service reps in the office with sales associates in each of our 12 sales territories we will be able to track orders, provide inventory data, and delivery schedules seamlessly," he said.

"We are hiring the customer service reps by territory and ability," Yaraghi said, "and each will have an understanding of rug color and design from prior experience."