Kitchen and bathroom specialist Meliora has resumed with customer enquiries, having stopped taking on new business in January said co-owner Kelly Roden.

The Doncaster-based business “pressed pause” on new enquiries from January 15 until February 1, 2012, to ensure the company’s service levels met with its own expectations.

Speaking exclusively to Kitchens & Bathrooms News, as part of its video interview series #KBNOne2one, Kelly Roden said the husband and wife team had about 30 outstanding designs.

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“I saw it backing up. I’m just trying to keep the service level and not overwhelm ourselves because we’ve got to think about our own well-being.”

Roden was given confidence about the decision, as she had seen other businesses outside the industry choosing not to take on more work, until they could serve customers in the way they would like.

And following the announcement Meliora would stop taking on new business, Roden reports she immediately had four new enquiries.

She comments: “It’s so hard as a small business to stand up for yourself and say ‘this is not working for us’ or be really honest about what your capabilties are.

“You are trying to sell yourself as a company but also saying to them [customers] this is what we can do for you at the minute, so just bear with us.

“I think it’s just about bring open and honest, really. We’re normal, down-to-earth, Yorkshire people. It’s just who we are and that’s what we set the business up to be.”

In line with Government restrictions, the  Meliora showroom in Bawtry remains closed but the business is operating remotely, offering design consultations by Zoom and providing customers with samples or “moodboards in a box”.

Roden says its about making sure customers have got “samples, colours and handles and all the things they need to pick, like they would in the showroom, and taking that to them.

“You just adapt, change and go with the flow, and try and find a way to give that same level of service.

“That’s why I took the stand and said let’s take a step back and say no more new enquiries until we’re in a position to service them appropriately, and give everybody the best version of us.”