Joe Kunkler does not think of his patrons as customers at Eisenhard's Decorating Center, 1031 Chestnut St., Emmaus. Rather, he thinks in terms of relationships and describes his highly personal way of conducting business as his competitive edge over big box decorating stores.

Eisenhard's became well established at its Chestnut Street address after opening in 1952 by founders Al and Jake Eisenhard.

"When I acquired the business in 1977, its primary product was vinyl flooring," Kunkler said. "Over the years we expanded into a full-service home decorating store."

For shopper convenience, Eisenhard's also provides free estimates and in-home consultations. While Kunkler said he offers fair prices for his goods he said it is the tremendous selection and reliability of their great service reputation bringing customers back again and again.

"We offer one-stop shopping for our patrons. Whether they want floor covering, countertops, wall coverings or a complete remodel, they can have a seamless experience with people they know. We've got professionals who have stayed with our store for many years and our installers have been with us for equally long periods. We don't go out and grab anyone who's available for our installs. We want people to be able to deal with familiar faces."

Kunkler said another advantage he has over big box stores is the selection of products he offers.

"We are part of a buying group of 500 'Flooring America' stores," he said. "That gives us tremendous leverage in pricing and we have a tremendous selection, including offerings that people will not find anywhere else – and we advertise frequently to get our brand out there."

The personal touches count, too.

"Each woman that comes in to shop here gets a pink rose in a vial of water to keep it fresh," Kunkler said. "If it's not convenient to drive to our location, we will pick up our patrons and return them to their home.

"We don't believe in high pressure tactics and our sales and decorating professionals are here to help people find the exact match for what they envision. That helps build relationships and over time we see the same folks come in again when they have additional needs," Kunkler said.

If you get to Eisenhard's to look around, inquire whether Kunkler is available and ask him to tell you the story of the 40-foot color mural on the outside wall of his store.

Kunkler was in New York City to enjoy a stage production about 16 or 17 years ago and was seated in a bus for the return trip from the city.

He noticed a woman in a nearby seat sketching another passenger on the bus. Kunkler complimented her on her work and struck up a conversation. While she enjoyed sketching, the artist told Kunkler she really wanted to paint a large wall mural.

Kunkler asked her to come up with an idea that would express "decorating" for the outside wall of his store.

"Some time later she showed up with a presentation that left me 'flabbergasted'," Kunkler said. The sketch mural included a side profile of a woman and Kunkler could hardly believe his eyes.

"I just met this exact woman last night on a blind date and we strolled around Trexler Park to get acquainted," Kunkler said. There was no reasonable explanation for the artist's depiction of the woman.

Kunkler ended up marrying his blind date, Susan Abrahams, 16 years ago.

"I figured if I put a woman's face on a 40-foot wall, I'd really better marry her," Kunkler joked.

If you stop in to Eisenhard's, you're likely to find the products you like and you just might end up with a new friend.