Here is something you don't find as often as you should; Excellent customer service.
Yesterday I was due a delivery of a kitchen from Omega plc, quite a large kitchen so I was getting all the other daily things out of they way before it arrived. At 9.30am the back door bell rang it was a UK mail courier driver with a parcel, nothing unusual about that except I was not expecting a parcel, I opened the delivery note and it was from Omega plc. The note read 3x 450 drawer fronts Gloss Stone Shaker for customer Mrs x. I was a little perplexed as to why I had received these drawer fronts as I had not requested any because I had not yet received the main delivery.
Later that day Omega's delivery van arrived with the expected kitchen, I took the notes off the driver and read at the bottom to follow 3x 450 drawer fronts.
I have never in over 25 years in this job received a to follow remedial before even receiving the original order.
Later on that I evening I received a call from Omega customer service to explain about the unusual delivery sequence, the customer advisor informed me that the three drawer fronts had not arrived to them before the kitchen was loaded so they sent them via courier the moment they came in, subsequently the courier arrived before the Omega delivery van.
If all my suppliers took this stance then their businesses would be flourishing. Well done to the Omega plc Customer service team.
Thanks
Russell
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Friday 4 November 2011
The cost of not knowing
Let me set the scene.
A customer has their kitchen "designed" by an employed kitchen professional (or so they think). The customer tells the professional that they want to hide their existing washing machine behind a door. (This is possible but not as straight forward as it sounds). The professional says no problem and costs in a 596mm integrated appliance door. The customer is thrilled to bits they they are going to have their new kitchen and guess what they can even hide away their five year old free standing washing machine. Having received professional advice the customer orders and pays for their new kitchen.
5 weeks later their brand new kitchen arrives, the customers installer starts to put the kitchen in place and fits the washing machine in the designated position on the plan.
later that day the customer comes home from work and sees that their old washing machine is on show, they ask the installer why he has not fitted the door that was supplied by the professional.
The installer explains that the door is 596mm wide, the washer is 595mm wide, the is no hinge space and the washer is deeper than the normal depth of a worktop and the adjacent cabinets, this also means continues the installer that a plinth cannot be fitted in front of the washer because again it is deeper than the cupboards.
Now infuriated with their new fitted kitchen the customer sets off to the shop where they bought the kitchen from and confronts the professional, after explaining to the professional what the installer had told them the professional looks very embarrassed and has to bring down his manager to deal with the situation.
The customer informs the manager that the only reason they went ahead and purchased the kitchen was that they were told they could hide their washing machine and that the professional employed by the company should have know that this was not possible using standard sized worktops, the customer then insists that they want this situation rectified and at the cost of the company.
There are two resolutions to this problem:
1. The company provides an integrated washing machine for the customer at a cost of approx £350 to the company and then there is the cost of a new continuous plinth, another £20, plus the space that the freestanding washer was fitted in is bigger than the space required for an integrated one, so the cupboards will need moving and the worktop removing and cutting (£200 labour), the worktop cannot be removed without breaking the corner joint result new worktops (£250), the seal on the tiles has to be broken thus new worktop sealing. the bill for the professional not knowing his job is £820.00 minimum. A plumber will be needed as well so now at least £1000
2. The customer keeps their washing machine but the company have to provide deeper worktops, but this means a re-design of their kitchen beacuse the adjacent return of units needs moving up by approx 80 to 100mm, this is a total nightmare solution and will cost far more that option 1.
Conclusion. The customer eventually gets the hidden washing machine but has to go through a lot of disruption and upset to get what they wanted in the first place.
The professional not knowing their job has cost his company a lot of money and it's reputation not to mention any future recommendations, who knows the value in pounds of that.
It is not considered a mistake because a mistake is something done in error, not knowing the job you are paid to do is not deemed as an error, ordering the wrong colour worktop is an error, not knowing the consequences of your actions if foolish.
This will not have been the first time that the professional would have given the "hide your washing machine behind a door" advice it's just that that last person didn't complain. Lets hope that they have learnt a lesson.
If you absolutely know the all the consequences of what you are about to do then dont do it unless of course you are prepared to face the wrath.
Do not assume that the installer will get round it, " preparation is the key to success"
Russell.
A customer has their kitchen "designed" by an employed kitchen professional (or so they think). The customer tells the professional that they want to hide their existing washing machine behind a door. (This is possible but not as straight forward as it sounds). The professional says no problem and costs in a 596mm integrated appliance door. The customer is thrilled to bits they they are going to have their new kitchen and guess what they can even hide away their five year old free standing washing machine. Having received professional advice the customer orders and pays for their new kitchen.
5 weeks later their brand new kitchen arrives, the customers installer starts to put the kitchen in place and fits the washing machine in the designated position on the plan.
later that day the customer comes home from work and sees that their old washing machine is on show, they ask the installer why he has not fitted the door that was supplied by the professional.
The installer explains that the door is 596mm wide, the washer is 595mm wide, the is no hinge space and the washer is deeper than the normal depth of a worktop and the adjacent cabinets, this also means continues the installer that a plinth cannot be fitted in front of the washer because again it is deeper than the cupboards.
Now infuriated with their new fitted kitchen the customer sets off to the shop where they bought the kitchen from and confronts the professional, after explaining to the professional what the installer had told them the professional looks very embarrassed and has to bring down his manager to deal with the situation.
The customer informs the manager that the only reason they went ahead and purchased the kitchen was that they were told they could hide their washing machine and that the professional employed by the company should have know that this was not possible using standard sized worktops, the customer then insists that they want this situation rectified and at the cost of the company.
There are two resolutions to this problem:
1. The company provides an integrated washing machine for the customer at a cost of approx £350 to the company and then there is the cost of a new continuous plinth, another £20, plus the space that the freestanding washer was fitted in is bigger than the space required for an integrated one, so the cupboards will need moving and the worktop removing and cutting (£200 labour), the worktop cannot be removed without breaking the corner joint result new worktops (£250), the seal on the tiles has to be broken thus new worktop sealing. the bill for the professional not knowing his job is £820.00 minimum. A plumber will be needed as well so now at least £1000
2. The customer keeps their washing machine but the company have to provide deeper worktops, but this means a re-design of their kitchen beacuse the adjacent return of units needs moving up by approx 80 to 100mm, this is a total nightmare solution and will cost far more that option 1.
Conclusion. The customer eventually gets the hidden washing machine but has to go through a lot of disruption and upset to get what they wanted in the first place.
The professional not knowing their job has cost his company a lot of money and it's reputation not to mention any future recommendations, who knows the value in pounds of that.
It is not considered a mistake because a mistake is something done in error, not knowing the job you are paid to do is not deemed as an error, ordering the wrong colour worktop is an error, not knowing the consequences of your actions if foolish.
This will not have been the first time that the professional would have given the "hide your washing machine behind a door" advice it's just that that last person didn't complain. Lets hope that they have learnt a lesson.
If you absolutely know the all the consequences of what you are about to do then dont do it unless of course you are prepared to face the wrath.
Do not assume that the installer will get round it, " preparation is the key to success"
Russell.
Friday 5 August 2011
Who knows what?
There is some great debate going on about industry representation and a force for the good of the consumer, if the consumer does not know who is right and who is wrong then everything is only hearsay. So here is a list of questions that a kitchen planner designer with experience would know the answers to.
1. What is the 300 rule regarding sinks and hobs?
2. What is the 300 rule regarding built in ovens & hobs?
3. What is the 300 rule regarding hobs and windows?
4. What is the 750 rule?
5. What is the 900 rule?
6. What is the 1200 rule?
7. What is the 1000 rule?
8. What do you need to do to get the 750 rule to work?
9. What is the dropped hob rule?
10. What is the island rule?
11. What distance per breakfast bar stool should be allowed for each person?
There are many more rules and many more common sense rules. Can you answer these questions more importantly can the average salesperson whoever they work for answer these questions.
1. What is the 300 rule regarding sinks and hobs?
2. What is the 300 rule regarding built in ovens & hobs?
3. What is the 300 rule regarding hobs and windows?
4. What is the 750 rule?
5. What is the 900 rule?
6. What is the 1200 rule?
7. What is the 1000 rule?
8. What do you need to do to get the 750 rule to work?
9. What is the dropped hob rule?
10. What is the island rule?
11. What distance per breakfast bar stool should be allowed for each person?
There are many more rules and many more common sense rules. Can you answer these questions more importantly can the average salesperson whoever they work for answer these questions.
Friday 22 July 2011
One industry body
From Russell @RussRB
One industry body will not work because the industry is very diverse in it's supply of products to a multitude of retailers some being sheds, some multiples and others are independent retailers.
If we do need one body it needs to be a Government KBB ombudsman that can force companies to comply with strict rules who consistently create problems for it's customers. Retailers should have to display on all literature that they comply with their regulations. Now some of you might be saying there is a government backed scheme in place, the problem is you have to pay to join and when you have to pay they will not be fussy who they take because the money is more important, a lot of retailers are already affiliated with such bodies and they constantly have problems with either there design service, supply chains or installations so this proves it does not work. The furniture industry has a body that offers different levels of membership most of which are given to the sheds and multiples this body has no credibility with independents because they give their gold standard to companies that appear on consumer programmes and in consumer magazines with their problems. The buying public is being misled with massive fictitious discounts to lure people in only to receive a sub standard planning service with a 'designer' that has had little or no experience in the industry and although they will purchase KBB goods from either large or small retailers both areas will have good and bad instances of the whole buying experience. The public need to to have on the tips of there tongues a body that they will instantly recognise and the retailer will be proud to say I am a member because we fully comply and offer a very professional and comprehensive service. To summarise who will this body represent? will I just be buying an other acronym to put in my window. In my opinion there is no better accreditation than being recommended by your customers, we won the Liverpool Echo Merseyside trader of the year in December 2010 as voted by over 50 of our customers, so it is up to us to market that and show our potential customers that we do not need letters after our name to provide an excellent service.
One industry body will not work because the industry is very diverse in it's supply of products to a multitude of retailers some being sheds, some multiples and others are independent retailers.
If we do need one body it needs to be a Government KBB ombudsman that can force companies to comply with strict rules who consistently create problems for it's customers. Retailers should have to display on all literature that they comply with their regulations. Now some of you might be saying there is a government backed scheme in place, the problem is you have to pay to join and when you have to pay they will not be fussy who they take because the money is more important, a lot of retailers are already affiliated with such bodies and they constantly have problems with either there design service, supply chains or installations so this proves it does not work. The furniture industry has a body that offers different levels of membership most of which are given to the sheds and multiples this body has no credibility with independents because they give their gold standard to companies that appear on consumer programmes and in consumer magazines with their problems. The buying public is being misled with massive fictitious discounts to lure people in only to receive a sub standard planning service with a 'designer' that has had little or no experience in the industry and although they will purchase KBB goods from either large or small retailers both areas will have good and bad instances of the whole buying experience. The public need to to have on the tips of there tongues a body that they will instantly recognise and the retailer will be proud to say I am a member because we fully comply and offer a very professional and comprehensive service. To summarise who will this body represent? will I just be buying an other acronym to put in my window. In my opinion there is no better accreditation than being recommended by your customers, we won the Liverpool Echo Merseyside trader of the year in December 2010 as voted by over 50 of our customers, so it is up to us to market that and show our potential customers that we do not need letters after our name to provide an excellent service.
Monday 27 June 2011
The demise of Moben & other KBB retailers
There are too many words to say in a 140 characters on #twitter so I thought I would blog some view points.
The first and most important thing to be asked here is did top managment at Moben/Dolphin/Homeform group know how bad things were did they continue to take deposits off customers? This should be investigated and if any wrong doing is found to have taken place then legal proceeding's should follow, this should be a standard matter of course for all companies that do the administration type thing.
Secondly do people not watch BBC's Watchdog programme, when a company is on there that many times and this goes for other companies not just the afore mentioned then this should be a sign for them to steer clear of that particular company because BBC will not put you on there unless they have received a sustained number of complaints, again this shows massive mis-managment by these companies companies when they are on there that many times and yet fail to prevent themselves from appearing again.
Thirdly there seems to be a number of companies trying to take advantage of the situation by offering Moben customers who have already paid a deposit some financial assistance if they buy a kitchen off them, good business move for the companies but the last time I looked some of these companies do not have a price list so you do not know for sure if you are going to be offered a genuine deposit refund, I.E any company that has no price list can make up a figure and deduct a fictional discount which Moben did for years, again some gullible people who have just been bitten will no doubt be bitten again. The other companies who are offering some financial assistance who do have a price list still do not offer their best price first off in the hope that the customer pays the higher price thus more profit, this is still a sharp selling practice that the Government needs to get hold of.
KBB retailers who offer a deposit guarantee scheme either covered by the manufacture such as Sheraton / Chippendale or by the KBSA is a good thing and can be dropped into the conversation especially now when customers are feeling vulnerable.
The national media have a lot to play in the hype that surrounds peoples perception of the retail industry and economy as a whole, it is sensationalising the issue, they should not name retailers that have not gone into administration who take cash sales for take-away-goods today because the customer pays today & takes it away today. The News announced this morning that Jane Norman (womans fashion retailer) and Clinton Cards are having trouble, If they were not in trouble then they surely are now because the national news has just told us all.
The news is now available twenty four hours a day seven days a week and from a huge amount of sources, it would be in ours as retailers and consumers interests if they also mentioned that there are good solvent companies out there who are doing an honest job who are not in financial trouble, if everybody here's the word bomb we all run.
In summary: Thanks to negative reporting by national news corporations to the general public (not industry publications as they are reporting to trade customers) the day will come when there will be few retailers left and we will all be looking for somebody to blame. People who go out and buy large ticket items should really do their homework first and not accept what they think is a good deal as they say if it sounds to good to be true it usually is and finally KBB retailers who rip people off should watch their backs because they could be next.
Russell
The first and most important thing to be asked here is did top managment at Moben/Dolphin/Homeform group know how bad things were did they continue to take deposits off customers? This should be investigated and if any wrong doing is found to have taken place then legal proceeding's should follow, this should be a standard matter of course for all companies that do the administration type thing.
Secondly do people not watch BBC's Watchdog programme, when a company is on there that many times and this goes for other companies not just the afore mentioned then this should be a sign for them to steer clear of that particular company because BBC will not put you on there unless they have received a sustained number of complaints, again this shows massive mis-managment by these companies companies when they are on there that many times and yet fail to prevent themselves from appearing again.
Thirdly there seems to be a number of companies trying to take advantage of the situation by offering Moben customers who have already paid a deposit some financial assistance if they buy a kitchen off them, good business move for the companies but the last time I looked some of these companies do not have a price list so you do not know for sure if you are going to be offered a genuine deposit refund, I.E any company that has no price list can make up a figure and deduct a fictional discount which Moben did for years, again some gullible people who have just been bitten will no doubt be bitten again. The other companies who are offering some financial assistance who do have a price list still do not offer their best price first off in the hope that the customer pays the higher price thus more profit, this is still a sharp selling practice that the Government needs to get hold of.
KBB retailers who offer a deposit guarantee scheme either covered by the manufacture such as Sheraton / Chippendale or by the KBSA is a good thing and can be dropped into the conversation especially now when customers are feeling vulnerable.
The national media have a lot to play in the hype that surrounds peoples perception of the retail industry and economy as a whole, it is sensationalising the issue, they should not name retailers that have not gone into administration who take cash sales for take-away-goods today because the customer pays today & takes it away today. The News announced this morning that Jane Norman (womans fashion retailer) and Clinton Cards are having trouble, If they were not in trouble then they surely are now because the national news has just told us all.
The news is now available twenty four hours a day seven days a week and from a huge amount of sources, it would be in ours as retailers and consumers interests if they also mentioned that there are good solvent companies out there who are doing an honest job who are not in financial trouble, if everybody here's the word bomb we all run.
In summary: Thanks to negative reporting by national news corporations to the general public (not industry publications as they are reporting to trade customers) the day will come when there will be few retailers left and we will all be looking for somebody to blame. People who go out and buy large ticket items should really do their homework first and not accept what they think is a good deal as they say if it sounds to good to be true it usually is and finally KBB retailers who rip people off should watch their backs because they could be next.
Russell
Saturday 7 May 2011
No middle ground
I have read with interest this week that Hombase have become the only retailer to receive the FIRA gold award for products & installation. Now I am not knocking either Homebase or FIRA, but the question that needs to be asked is where does this leave the middle ground.
What do I mean 'the middle ground' and why? Well the middle ground are kitchen retailers either multiple or independent that has a product and service that is perceived to be of a better standard than Hombase, I mean just look at the quality differences in the product, thicker cabinet back panels, PVC edged cabinets, concealed hanging brackets, not multi holed side panels to name but a few. If retailers who sell these products have or do not have the FIRA gold award how can they distinguish themselves from Hombase during the sales process.
Scenario:
Customer to retailer: "Why should I buy a kitchen from you and not Homebase"?
Retailer: "Well our products have a so many year guarantee and have these specifications and are covered by FIRA Gold certificate".
Customer: "Aah yes but so are Homebase and they are cheaper than you".
Retailer: "Yes but ours are better quality than theirs".
Customer: But you have just told me that you are covered by FIRA Gold & so are Homebase, so there cannot be any difference can there"?
So where do we go from here? Are FIRA going to introduce a Platinum standard for the perceived better quality products that are available, I think not because this would then lessen the Gold standard and I cant see Hombase then upping its product quality to get the Platinum standard.
Then there is the Installation FIRA Gold award.
It is widely known that you only have to look at Internet review sites on companies before you buy and see how many people have written on them how they have experienced a poor installation service (not all poor I might add and some top end companies will have poor reviews as well, although not as many.) So again where does this leave the middle ground, where the installation service from companies that truly project manage each fit and rarely get problems, another Platinum award maybe? again I think not.
Where does the retailer and the customer stand in all this? As I said at the beginning where does this leave the middle ground. I have not picked on Hombase because I may think they have poor quality products, They don't, they have a value product within the market place, but if the market place is determined by the FIRA industry standard then I feel FIRA need to categorise the kitchen industry into Sheds, Multiples and independents.
If I am wrong on any detail or have missed something I am happy to stand corrected
Your comments are welcome
Thanks
Russell
What do I mean 'the middle ground' and why? Well the middle ground are kitchen retailers either multiple or independent that has a product and service that is perceived to be of a better standard than Hombase, I mean just look at the quality differences in the product, thicker cabinet back panels, PVC edged cabinets, concealed hanging brackets, not multi holed side panels to name but a few. If retailers who sell these products have or do not have the FIRA gold award how can they distinguish themselves from Hombase during the sales process.
Scenario:
Customer to retailer: "Why should I buy a kitchen from you and not Homebase"?
Retailer: "Well our products have a so many year guarantee and have these specifications and are covered by FIRA Gold certificate".
Customer: "Aah yes but so are Homebase and they are cheaper than you".
Retailer: "Yes but ours are better quality than theirs".
Customer: But you have just told me that you are covered by FIRA Gold & so are Homebase, so there cannot be any difference can there"?
So where do we go from here? Are FIRA going to introduce a Platinum standard for the perceived better quality products that are available, I think not because this would then lessen the Gold standard and I cant see Hombase then upping its product quality to get the Platinum standard.
Then there is the Installation FIRA Gold award.
It is widely known that you only have to look at Internet review sites on companies before you buy and see how many people have written on them how they have experienced a poor installation service (not all poor I might add and some top end companies will have poor reviews as well, although not as many.) So again where does this leave the middle ground, where the installation service from companies that truly project manage each fit and rarely get problems, another Platinum award maybe? again I think not.
Where does the retailer and the customer stand in all this? As I said at the beginning where does this leave the middle ground. I have not picked on Hombase because I may think they have poor quality products, They don't, they have a value product within the market place, but if the market place is determined by the FIRA industry standard then I feel FIRA need to categorise the kitchen industry into Sheds, Multiples and independents.
If I am wrong on any detail or have missed something I am happy to stand corrected
Your comments are welcome
Thanks
Russell
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Hung up on technical detail
I don't think people do get hung up too much on technical detail, otherwise they would not be buying lots and lots of kitchens from Hombase, Ikea, some B&Q, Howdens and possibly Moben among others. I think the only thing people get hung up on is ridgid or flat pack. We tell our customers that the only difference between flat pack and rigid built is where it is built unless you are buying a Smallbone or similar.
We always point out the higher spec of our cabs, range and size availability of the cabinets compared to our competitors, but to be honest the majority either did not realise there was so much involved or they are not bothered.
I totally agree with Majji (twitter) that the design is the important thing, only real experience and the true understanding of how a kitchen works will make a real difference whether or not somebody buys from you, even then it is difficult because you are just having your brains picked then they will go and buy the cheaper less tech spec version from one of the you know who's. The only way to combat this is to design something your competitors can't.
Thanks
Russell
We always point out the higher spec of our cabs, range and size availability of the cabinets compared to our competitors, but to be honest the majority either did not realise there was so much involved or they are not bothered.
I totally agree with Majji (twitter) that the design is the important thing, only real experience and the true understanding of how a kitchen works will make a real difference whether or not somebody buys from you, even then it is difficult because you are just having your brains picked then they will go and buy the cheaper less tech spec version from one of the you know who's. The only way to combat this is to design something your competitors can't.
Thanks
Russell
Tuesday 19 April 2011
A poem for our bereavment
When our friends and family pass away
The sun still shines, we look up and pray
When we stop and want them near
The rain still falls like a tear
We stare in the mirror and we see our pain
The grass still grows we wish in vain
We think of happy times that have passed
The wind still blows and the clouds move fast
People ask us are we fine
But there is no stopping of the time
When we awake, for one brief moment
we realise that your not there
It seems that the world does not care
But through all the grief we must move on
And believe one day we will be one.
Saturday 16 April 2011
Short memories
People have very short memories, maybe we are all related to goldfish and not primates.
It has only been a couple of weeks since Which? published a report on the state of the kitchen industry with big problems reported at the major suppliers.
This week, goundhog day arrived when the usual suspects bombarded us on TV adverts with their massive sales discounts.
I am sure that there will be a steady queue of people at these stores over Easter waiting to receive poor service and sometimes poor quality goods at a price they thought was a bargain. Unfortunately people will never learn unless they shop around and make their choice on the advice received and have done their homework, taken references and seen through the salesperson talk.
Thanks
Russell
It has only been a couple of weeks since Which? published a report on the state of the kitchen industry with big problems reported at the major suppliers.
This week, goundhog day arrived when the usual suspects bombarded us on TV adverts with their massive sales discounts.
I am sure that there will be a steady queue of people at these stores over Easter waiting to receive poor service and sometimes poor quality goods at a price they thought was a bargain. Unfortunately people will never learn unless they shop around and make their choice on the advice received and have done their homework, taken references and seen through the salesperson talk.
Thanks
Russell
A funny one "Where am I"
Here's a funny story that just goes to show how some customers do not know which shop they are in when buying things.
I worked at B&Q Wallasey in the early nineties, I was sitting at my desk planning a kitchen when I noticed a very angry looking man and woman with a bundle of paperwork in his hands walking across the store heading towards me. He arrived with a bang and slammed down the paperwork on my desk and then he started a tirade of verbal abuse of how he would never buy anything from us again and he is going to tell everybody how rubbish we are, and demanding our head offices phone number. After he had stopped shouting at me I picked up his paperwork and opened the invoice and took a look at it, I then asked him if he knew where he was, he started shouting at me again then I stopped him in his tracks by totally agreeing with him that the service he received was abysmal and if I was him I would not buy anything from the company again and I would definitely be on to head office, he looked stunned as I continued that he should also go over to MFI across the road where he bought the kitchen from and shout the abuse at them that he had just shouted at me.
Thanks
Russell.
Another funny one.
I had just opened our studio in Bromborough in May 2007, spent a fortune looks stunning and it was quite obvious what we are about, on the third day of being open a little old lady came in and sat on one of our stools at a breakfast bar, I approached her and asked if she was ok, She then asked me for a coffee and two slices of toast.
Thanks
Russell
I worked at B&Q Wallasey in the early nineties, I was sitting at my desk planning a kitchen when I noticed a very angry looking man and woman with a bundle of paperwork in his hands walking across the store heading towards me. He arrived with a bang and slammed down the paperwork on my desk and then he started a tirade of verbal abuse of how he would never buy anything from us again and he is going to tell everybody how rubbish we are, and demanding our head offices phone number. After he had stopped shouting at me I picked up his paperwork and opened the invoice and took a look at it, I then asked him if he knew where he was, he started shouting at me again then I stopped him in his tracks by totally agreeing with him that the service he received was abysmal and if I was him I would not buy anything from the company again and I would definitely be on to head office, he looked stunned as I continued that he should also go over to MFI across the road where he bought the kitchen from and shout the abuse at them that he had just shouted at me.
Thanks
Russell.
Another funny one.
I had just opened our studio in Bromborough in May 2007, spent a fortune looks stunning and it was quite obvious what we are about, on the third day of being open a little old lady came in and sat on one of our stools at a breakfast bar, I approached her and asked if she was ok, She then asked me for a coffee and two slices of toast.
Thanks
Russell
Friday 15 April 2011
Orangutan Sancuturies.
Sorry this is not about kitchens but something close to my heart, Orangutans and the destruction of their natural habitat.
A customer that had recently purchased a kitchen from us, popped into our studio today just to say hello, as most of our previous customers do. To cut a long story short he told us he had just come back from Borneo where they stayed at hotel virtually attached to one of the sanctuaries, during our chat he told me that the locals and the sanctuary rangers had told him that other local residents had sold their land which was part of the rain forest area to a Chinese business man for what would be an absolute fortune to them, he subsequently flattened the land and planted a rubber plantation and a palm oil plantation on them which netted him a fortune, because he made these plantations it destroyed the natural habitat of some of the Orangutans, they were then pushed out, when the alpha male came back to what was once his and his families home they shot him. This then left the Orangutan family without their provider, it then meant his family had been rescued and put into one of the sanctuaries.
One of the main sanctuaries in the area is funded by guess who? The Chinese businessman that had caused the issue in the first place. You can ask why he would do this? Did he have a feeling of remorse and needed to redress the balance in some way? Of course not, he is now seen as a local hero for funding a sanctuary to help the homeless Orangutans that he made homeless. The reason he has funded the sanctuary is tourism, he has seen another pot of gold in the people who want to see these rescued creatures and he willingly plays on the heart strings of human beings. People now pay thousands of pounds to visit the area and stay in hotels that charge a small fortune, all the time lining the pockets of the unscrupulous businessmen. If the people who pay a fortune to go on holiday to these places really thought hard about the Orangutans plight then instead of spending thousands on a holiday they could donate the money to help fight the causes of the deforestation.
Big international businesses play a huge roll in buying palm oil from the companies that destroy the rain forests when in actual fact man made palm oil is available and is less expensive than the real stuff. Next time you purchase products from a supermarket or anywhere really look at the ingredients, most of them use palm oil, our thirst for wanting things never diminishes so we turn a blind eye and pretend it is not going on. So next time you eat a chocolate bar look at the ingredients you will be surprised at how many Orangutans you are making homeless.
Thanks
Russell. (I am not a Greenpeace activist or any other kind of activist)
A customer that had recently purchased a kitchen from us, popped into our studio today just to say hello, as most of our previous customers do. To cut a long story short he told us he had just come back from Borneo where they stayed at hotel virtually attached to one of the sanctuaries, during our chat he told me that the locals and the sanctuary rangers had told him that other local residents had sold their land which was part of the rain forest area to a Chinese business man for what would be an absolute fortune to them, he subsequently flattened the land and planted a rubber plantation and a palm oil plantation on them which netted him a fortune, because he made these plantations it destroyed the natural habitat of some of the Orangutans, they were then pushed out, when the alpha male came back to what was once his and his families home they shot him. This then left the Orangutan family without their provider, it then meant his family had been rescued and put into one of the sanctuaries.
One of the main sanctuaries in the area is funded by guess who? The Chinese businessman that had caused the issue in the first place. You can ask why he would do this? Did he have a feeling of remorse and needed to redress the balance in some way? Of course not, he is now seen as a local hero for funding a sanctuary to help the homeless Orangutans that he made homeless. The reason he has funded the sanctuary is tourism, he has seen another pot of gold in the people who want to see these rescued creatures and he willingly plays on the heart strings of human beings. People now pay thousands of pounds to visit the area and stay in hotels that charge a small fortune, all the time lining the pockets of the unscrupulous businessmen. If the people who pay a fortune to go on holiday to these places really thought hard about the Orangutans plight then instead of spending thousands on a holiday they could donate the money to help fight the causes of the deforestation.
Big international businesses play a huge roll in buying palm oil from the companies that destroy the rain forests when in actual fact man made palm oil is available and is less expensive than the real stuff. Next time you purchase products from a supermarket or anywhere really look at the ingredients, most of them use palm oil, our thirst for wanting things never diminishes so we turn a blind eye and pretend it is not going on. So next time you eat a chocolate bar look at the ingredients you will be surprised at how many Orangutans you are making homeless.
Thanks
Russell. (I am not a Greenpeace activist or any other kind of activist)
Monday 4 April 2011
Buying a new laptop a true customer experience
Just thought I would let you know about a recent shopping experience when I went to purchase a new laptop.
It was a mystery shopping experience with a difference where the only mystery was the poor service and training from the staff.
I wanted to buy a new laptop, did my homework before hand so I knew what to look for when I got to my shopping destination so as not to be baffled with salesman talk when I got there.
Firstly went to PC World at Rock Retail Park in Birkenhead, I looked around every laptop spec trying to find what I had researched, I was there at least twenty minutes, and had gone back to the same laptop several times to compare to other laptops, the one I found was a Dell at £399. I stood around and looked for a member of staff I even stood on tiptoes and stretched my neck but to no avail so I decided to leave, as i was leaving there were five members of staff at the till talking and laughing, when I walked through the checkout no one member acknowledged me or asked if they could help, result -0 out of 10.
So I went off to the Croft retail park In Bromborough firstly went to Tesco Home to see if they had what I was looking for but I will come back to them as this is a whole new experience, I quickly ran up to Comet and did not see anything I wanted although I was in there for five mins and nobody approached me, they are normally good in that store result slightly better no minus I gave them 0 out of 10. I then went up to Currys which is about to move up five units to a mega mega store so they did not have much on display but I did see the laptop I saw in PC world (part of the same group of companies) for a £100 pound more at £499, I double checked my info that I had written down and yes it was the same laptop only a £100 dearer (Dell N5010). result another minus this time --0 out of 10 for trying to rip people off, I left Currys and went back to Tesco as I had seen one there and I could also get clubcard points.
The Tesco experience was well how can I put it very shabby. They had the wrong info card on the laptop I was looking at although the correct price, I then enquired about the Sony VAIO next one along, it was a £100 pound dearer than the Dell but I could get an extra 2000 clubcard points he confirmed when I asked him about it, so I bought the Sony, I did not get my extra point because I later found out that I had to buy it from Tesco Direct although their POS did not state this and the duty manager confirmed this also, I was not offered any extra warranty either, an important add on sale especially these days when any sale is hard to come by. I found the staff un-knowledgeable about their products and services result 2 out of 10 because I did get some clubcard points and they had it in stock.
Maybe I am a pick shopper because I expect a certain level of service when I do shop for larger items because I would give good service in my shop I don't think in the age of austerity shops could afford not to give good service.
Thanks
Russell
Friday 1 April 2011
It's official kitchen independents are the best
I have just read this weeks KBB news update regarding the WHICH? report finding that kitchen independents are the best to buy from, thanks to Graham for publishing these findings.
None of the findings in the report come as any surprise to me and probably many many others.
The fact that some retailers declined to offer their assistance for the report is indicative of the major players attitude not only to their most important customers but to the industry as a whole, this is another reason why an individual kitchen industry body would not work.
My opinion on the retailers who did fail to assist is this: Firstly the company that tells us to "To ask your M***N designer", they claim to be a bespoke service, this is factually untrue you only have to look up the definition of the word 'Bespoke' and this will tell you what it really means, I think what they really meant to say was they did not want to reveal their prices knowing they would be published in the Which? magazine and then the "unsuspecting" public will find out their true worth. It is well known that you get one of their 'designers' round to your house and they sit for several hours trying to persuade you to buy their kitchen at the most ridiculous price they could come up with, then when you say no to that price they phone their boss and hey presto the price comes down a bit, you say no again and the price comes down again thus the 'designer'
only gets their expenses and call out fee paid, I know this is true because an ex colleague of mine worked for them, so no wonder they did not want to tell us their prices because they did not know which one to show us, the sky high one or the one they hope not to sell at.
One of the other companies who did not assist was the joinery company that only deals with the trade, again the price list they have is a magic price list that reveals only the true price once the tradesperson has negotiated a discount from them, they also say they only sell to the trade again I know this is not strictly true because I have had retail customers who have been their and purchased a kitchen from them. Also what happens when an unsuspecting member of the public has their tradesperson buy a kitchen for them the tradesperson gets after negotiation the full 70% discount and a lot of the time tells the customer "I got you a massive 50% discount" thus keeping the difference and then also charging the customer to fit it as well. As with the first company I know this to be true because one of my ex colleagues was a manager at one of their stores and he told me what happens because he wanted me to open an account with them.
The third company that declined to assist was the company who says 'It has got our name on it'. Currently this company is probably the most transparent of the three but probably did not want to assist because they are out of sale period and their kitchens are selling at full price, although they did say they where having 'imminent range changes', this makes no difference to the prices that are available today but at least they do sell them at full price before they put them back on sale again, even then their sale prices can be quite pricey,
How do I know this well I worked for them for several years and they have had two large price increases on the before sale prices in the past 6 months.
So to summarise the general public are being led down a blind alley in the dark with no torch or guide and from what the report says they will continue to do so because potential customers still go to the major players first, this is because they either think they are getting a bargain or they think that because these companies are big that they will be safe with the bigger company, all's that I can say to that is MFI
Thanks
Russell
None of the findings in the report come as any surprise to me and probably many many others.
The fact that some retailers declined to offer their assistance for the report is indicative of the major players attitude not only to their most important customers but to the industry as a whole, this is another reason why an individual kitchen industry body would not work.
My opinion on the retailers who did fail to assist is this: Firstly the company that tells us to "To ask your M***N designer", they claim to be a bespoke service, this is factually untrue you only have to look up the definition of the word 'Bespoke' and this will tell you what it really means, I think what they really meant to say was they did not want to reveal their prices knowing they would be published in the Which? magazine and then the "unsuspecting" public will find out their true worth. It is well known that you get one of their 'designers' round to your house and they sit for several hours trying to persuade you to buy their kitchen at the most ridiculous price they could come up with, then when you say no to that price they phone their boss and hey presto the price comes down a bit, you say no again and the price comes down again thus the 'designer'
only gets their expenses and call out fee paid, I know this is true because an ex colleague of mine worked for them, so no wonder they did not want to tell us their prices because they did not know which one to show us, the sky high one or the one they hope not to sell at.
One of the other companies who did not assist was the joinery company that only deals with the trade, again the price list they have is a magic price list that reveals only the true price once the tradesperson has negotiated a discount from them, they also say they only sell to the trade again I know this is not strictly true because I have had retail customers who have been their and purchased a kitchen from them. Also what happens when an unsuspecting member of the public has their tradesperson buy a kitchen for them the tradesperson gets after negotiation the full 70% discount and a lot of the time tells the customer "I got you a massive 50% discount" thus keeping the difference and then also charging the customer to fit it as well. As with the first company I know this to be true because one of my ex colleagues was a manager at one of their stores and he told me what happens because he wanted me to open an account with them.
The third company that declined to assist was the company who says 'It has got our name on it'. Currently this company is probably the most transparent of the three but probably did not want to assist because they are out of sale period and their kitchens are selling at full price, although they did say they where having 'imminent range changes', this makes no difference to the prices that are available today but at least they do sell them at full price before they put them back on sale again, even then their sale prices can be quite pricey,
How do I know this well I worked for them for several years and they have had two large price increases on the before sale prices in the past 6 months.
So to summarise the general public are being led down a blind alley in the dark with no torch or guide and from what the report says they will continue to do so because potential customers still go to the major players first, this is because they either think they are getting a bargain or they think that because these companies are big that they will be safe with the bigger company, all's that I can say to that is MFI
Thanks
Russell
Monday 28 March 2011
£3500 kitchen offer
All this for £3500 (excludes installation)
12 high quality units with cornice / pelmet & plinth. Two 3mtrs Bushboard laminate worktops, Alto 1.5 bowl stainless steel sink and Targa chrome tap. Baumatic Essentials 50/50 frost free fridge freezer, Single electric oven, stainless steel gas hob, stainless steel chimney extractor and a fully integrated dishwasher. Delivered free any where withing 15miles of our studio.
Units are colour co-ordinated inside and out with PVC face edges, solid backs on wall and base cabinets, cocealed wall cabinet hanging brackets, 'Soft Close" full extension drawers, 'Soft Close' hinge attachments.
All This from the Local Mole 'Trader of the year' 2010 category winner
12 high quality units with cornice / pelmet & plinth. Two 3mtrs Bushboard laminate worktops, Alto 1.5 bowl stainless steel sink and Targa chrome tap. Baumatic Essentials 50/50 frost free fridge freezer, Single electric oven, stainless steel gas hob, stainless steel chimney extractor and a fully integrated dishwasher. Delivered free any where withing 15miles of our studio.
Units are colour co-ordinated inside and out with PVC face edges, solid backs on wall and base cabinets, cocealed wall cabinet hanging brackets, 'Soft Close" full extension drawers, 'Soft Close' hinge attachments.
All This from the Local Mole 'Trader of the year' 2010 category winner
Friday 11 March 2011
Kitchen Designer Association ?
The things to consider as to whether or not there should be an association for kitchen designers / planners is how do you determine what is a designer and then how would they accredit themselves to an association without there being any checks to prove that they are a true designer / planner.
So what quantifies a designer? in reality anybody who can put a pen to paper and put something together that resembles few units in a room and as every kitchen is different and every body's interpretation of a design is different then it would be hard to quantify.
How would a designer / planner be accredited to a body? This would need an existing body to have an additional arm that would have the time and organisational skills to set up a system where by a designer planner could pay a fee to sit an in person exam ( taking ID with them) and a yearly subscription to maintain their association which would not be out of financial reach. The exam would be necessary to prove that the designer / planner understands and can demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to plan a kitchen safely knowing all the current legislation and best practice guidelines, I so often here my customers say "Oh I never thought of that" or " I never realised there was so much to think about", I tell my customers that I would not expect them to know all the issues involved in designing a kitchen because I would not expect to be able to do their jobs.
Once a designer has sat this exam and can demonstrate their knowledge it is only then that the designer comes in to their own as a true designer because an individuals flair and imagination to create something that is 'outside the box' becomes a a truly individual work of art.
The KBSA is probably in a good position to do this. But we have to be careful who joins as a professional designer otherwise any tom dick or harriet can join and then we are back to square one.
In my opinion a body for designers is a must and this would give the public something to look for when searching for a reputable person or company. I do know that there are independents out there at the moment who are members of a body that use that bodies name as a way of attracting customers but I have come up against these people and their designs and plans are sometimes not only awful (my view) but downright dangerous and no thought to the ergonomics.
I also believe that companies should not be aloud to abuse the said designer association as this would also just become another logo in the window and eventually dis-credit the industry body because they could keep the said logo and membership and then employ somebody who is not up to the job, so the membership should be for individuals and they can take this with them to the companies that they work in and then the companies can say that they have an industry body designer working for them.
Another point to consider is that when a kitchen extension is being built it is followed through by building regs and it is soon to become the most dangerous room in the house but when the room is built and signed off by building regs all the real dangerous bits are designed in by somebody who has no professional qualifications who can say what is safe and what is not.
Thanks
Russell
So what quantifies a designer? in reality anybody who can put a pen to paper and put something together that resembles few units in a room and as every kitchen is different and every body's interpretation of a design is different then it would be hard to quantify.
How would a designer / planner be accredited to a body? This would need an existing body to have an additional arm that would have the time and organisational skills to set up a system where by a designer planner could pay a fee to sit an in person exam ( taking ID with them) and a yearly subscription to maintain their association which would not be out of financial reach. The exam would be necessary to prove that the designer / planner understands and can demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to plan a kitchen safely knowing all the current legislation and best practice guidelines, I so often here my customers say "Oh I never thought of that" or " I never realised there was so much to think about", I tell my customers that I would not expect them to know all the issues involved in designing a kitchen because I would not expect to be able to do their jobs.
Once a designer has sat this exam and can demonstrate their knowledge it is only then that the designer comes in to their own as a true designer because an individuals flair and imagination to create something that is 'outside the box' becomes a a truly individual work of art.
The KBSA is probably in a good position to do this. But we have to be careful who joins as a professional designer otherwise any tom dick or harriet can join and then we are back to square one.
In my opinion a body for designers is a must and this would give the public something to look for when searching for a reputable person or company. I do know that there are independents out there at the moment who are members of a body that use that bodies name as a way of attracting customers but I have come up against these people and their designs and plans are sometimes not only awful (my view) but downright dangerous and no thought to the ergonomics.
I also believe that companies should not be aloud to abuse the said designer association as this would also just become another logo in the window and eventually dis-credit the industry body because they could keep the said logo and membership and then employ somebody who is not up to the job, so the membership should be for individuals and they can take this with them to the companies that they work in and then the companies can say that they have an industry body designer working for them.
Another point to consider is that when a kitchen extension is being built it is followed through by building regs and it is soon to become the most dangerous room in the house but when the room is built and signed off by building regs all the real dangerous bits are designed in by somebody who has no professional qualifications who can say what is safe and what is not.
Thanks
Russell
Monday 28 February 2011
No money left for the kitchen
What never ceases to amaze me is the amount of couples we have in requesting a design for their "Fab new kitchen extension" only to later be informed that they are on a restricted budget because they have no money left over for the kitchen.
I pose a question to these mis-guided couples. Why in the first place go to the bother and expense of a kitchen extension only then not to be able to afford a kitchen to put in it?
The idea in the first place I would imagine is to get more storage space, with a better ergonomical design a more structurally sound cabinet with appliances to suit the purpose, so to leave no money for this to be done is what? in my opinion defeating the object of having the extension in the first place. this is all to often the case that I and other kitchen retailers are finding.
But not only this these couples want granite tops, Neff appliances, hot water tap etc... so do you really need an extension of should you have the existing kitchen re-designed with your wish list intact
The way to fix this is either to make sure before you sign up for a developer / builder to undertake the work, that you have sufficient funds in place so that you do not have to compromise on the kitchen, or not to go through all the stress, hassle and upset of a major building project and take a holiday instead. After all the reason for the whole exercise in the first place is to improve your quality of life and living standards.
Thanks
Russell
I pose a question to these mis-guided couples. Why in the first place go to the bother and expense of a kitchen extension only then not to be able to afford a kitchen to put in it?
The idea in the first place I would imagine is to get more storage space, with a better ergonomical design a more structurally sound cabinet with appliances to suit the purpose, so to leave no money for this to be done is what? in my opinion defeating the object of having the extension in the first place. this is all to often the case that I and other kitchen retailers are finding.
But not only this these couples want granite tops, Neff appliances, hot water tap etc... so do you really need an extension of should you have the existing kitchen re-designed with your wish list intact
The way to fix this is either to make sure before you sign up for a developer / builder to undertake the work, that you have sufficient funds in place so that you do not have to compromise on the kitchen, or not to go through all the stress, hassle and upset of a major building project and take a holiday instead. After all the reason for the whole exercise in the first place is to improve your quality of life and living standards.
Thanks
Russell
Friday 18 February 2011
Company Reps
Company reps, we need them they need us, I do not dislike reps, they are ordinary people like me & you doing a thankless job covering many thousands of miles a year trying to sell their companies wares, They can be a great source of information and you can also have a friendly chat and moan about the industry as a whole.
I would not like to be a rep, loads of reports to do at home in your own time on a laptop, stuck in traffic for hours, and then being ignored or even dismissed when entering business premises whether looking for new business, visiting an existing business or evenly more importantly going into an existing business informing them of new products or promotions.
If your a rep & reading this you must be thinking wow what a nice guy this is, he actually understands what we do and how hard the job is for us, well I do but here is the bit I don't like. Mine and many other KBB companies have one person that has to have all the information because either they are the buyer, designer, MD etc.. or all of these put together.
So it is quite frustrating when I am sitting in my studio either designing or with a customer or I am at a clients home and a rep calls in, so I am unable to speak with them or worse still because I am not there they can only pass on a limited amount of information about why they have called.
So I think it would not only benefit their company, themselves and us the retailer that they should give us a day or two's notice as to when they will be calling, this way I am totally free to take in any info they put my way, they have not had a wasted journey and their company could see an upturn in sales due to the fact that we are more confident in selling the product on offer because we understand it better.
So I am not trying to put you off coming I genuinely want you to come & see me so your visit benefits every body plus we do a great cup of coffee and we are a good sounding off board.
I am sure there are a lot of companies that feel the same way, like I said you do a difficult job so why make it more difficult.
Thanks for reading
Russell
I would not like to be a rep, loads of reports to do at home in your own time on a laptop, stuck in traffic for hours, and then being ignored or even dismissed when entering business premises whether looking for new business, visiting an existing business or evenly more importantly going into an existing business informing them of new products or promotions.
If your a rep & reading this you must be thinking wow what a nice guy this is, he actually understands what we do and how hard the job is for us, well I do but here is the bit I don't like. Mine and many other KBB companies have one person that has to have all the information because either they are the buyer, designer, MD etc.. or all of these put together.
So it is quite frustrating when I am sitting in my studio either designing or with a customer or I am at a clients home and a rep calls in, so I am unable to speak with them or worse still because I am not there they can only pass on a limited amount of information about why they have called.
So I think it would not only benefit their company, themselves and us the retailer that they should give us a day or two's notice as to when they will be calling, this way I am totally free to take in any info they put my way, they have not had a wasted journey and their company could see an upturn in sales due to the fact that we are more confident in selling the product on offer because we understand it better.
So I am not trying to put you off coming I genuinely want you to come & see me so your visit benefits every body plus we do a great cup of coffee and we are a good sounding off board.
I am sure there are a lot of companies that feel the same way, like I said you do a difficult job so why make it more difficult.
Thanks for reading
Russell
Which is cheaper D.F.Y or D.I.Y
D.F.Y ( done for you) or D.I.Y ( do it yourself )
Which one should we choose. Obviously people think the cheapest option is DIY, they nip to their local DIY store buy what they want go home and do it, this is ok if you are competent at taking on such tasks & as long as you know your limitations, but if you don't know your limitations & take it too far then this spells DIYD
( do it yourself disaster) so in the long run it can be more expensive having to put right what has gone wrong.
DFY you would think is the most expensive option but not in most cases, picking a reputable company or tradesperson is the key to success when taking this route & if you have picked the right company then all the hassle is taken away and you get a good job with a guarantee, but beware DO YOUR HOMEWORK on the companies you are going to get to do the work for you because like DIY if you do it wrong then this can not only be financially expensive but also added stress, time & upset. Do not be persuaded by the advertising hype because you think they will give you the best price, the Internet is a wonderful tool for investigating companies to see if they are suitable to do a job in your home try googling problems with (such & such a company), ask the companies you intend to use if you could speak to customers that they have done work for. Another important point is not to go around to too many companies because you could lose the will to carry on and get confused at who said what.
So with this information at hand "Happy Shopping"
P.S D.S.I.D.W.Y ( don't say I didn't warn you )
Russell
Which one should we choose. Obviously people think the cheapest option is DIY, they nip to their local DIY store buy what they want go home and do it, this is ok if you are competent at taking on such tasks & as long as you know your limitations, but if you don't know your limitations & take it too far then this spells DIYD
( do it yourself disaster) so in the long run it can be more expensive having to put right what has gone wrong.
DFY you would think is the most expensive option but not in most cases, picking a reputable company or tradesperson is the key to success when taking this route & if you have picked the right company then all the hassle is taken away and you get a good job with a guarantee, but beware DO YOUR HOMEWORK on the companies you are going to get to do the work for you because like DIY if you do it wrong then this can not only be financially expensive but also added stress, time & upset. Do not be persuaded by the advertising hype because you think they will give you the best price, the Internet is a wonderful tool for investigating companies to see if they are suitable to do a job in your home try googling problems with (such & such a company), ask the companies you intend to use if you could speak to customers that they have done work for. Another important point is not to go around to too many companies because you could lose the will to carry on and get confused at who said what.
So with this information at hand "Happy Shopping"
P.S D.S.I.D.W.Y ( don't say I didn't warn you )
Russell
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Exasperated
I am completely exasperated.
I visited a customers home two weeks ago to discuss designing them a new kitchen, this customer was a recommendation so they knew what we had to offer and were assured of a good price and excellent service.
I took all the required measurements, discussed ideas of what I could design into the kitchen and left it with the client to come in to the studio to finalise a door so that I could give a firm quotation.
The customer came in when she said she would and had a look at different door styles (obviously they are all different price groups and some kitchens offer different features than others) After meeting with them they went away not completely decided on which door to choose, I had already sketched out a design on paper but had not priced anything. The last conversation we had was that they would call me on Monday to tell me which door to price.
Today is Wednesday so I made a courtesy call to see if they had decided on which door they had chosen so I could finalise the quotation, this is were I was totally EXASPERATED, the client dually informed me that they had been to **** kitchens (in case you cannot work out who **** kitchens are their namesake designed St Pauls Cathedral). The client informed me that "they had done them a great deal and that they were cheaper than us". I politely informed the customer that we had not yet given them a quote so how do they know that **** kitchens are cheaper than us, they then went on to explain that **** kitchens had told them ".that because they make the kitchens themselves they can cut out the middle man and provide it cheaper than anybody else". So I left it with them and decided to cost up the both doors that the customer could not decide on. About an hour later I rang them explaining that I was a little taken back by what they had told me and that I had worked out a cost based on what we had discussed at their home, I did not ask what **** kitchens had quoted I just told them what my cost was and hey presto we where £75 cheaper and not only that our cabinets are definitely of a higher specification, I also informed them that **** kitchens did have an installation service, " I know" they replied "we would have to sort that out ourselves".
Any way the result is the client is now coming in to see me on Friday.
This goes back to my blog yesterday about the 50% off culture and people being misled.
Fume over
Thanks Russell
I visited a customers home two weeks ago to discuss designing them a new kitchen, this customer was a recommendation so they knew what we had to offer and were assured of a good price and excellent service.
I took all the required measurements, discussed ideas of what I could design into the kitchen and left it with the client to come in to the studio to finalise a door so that I could give a firm quotation.
The customer came in when she said she would and had a look at different door styles (obviously they are all different price groups and some kitchens offer different features than others) After meeting with them they went away not completely decided on which door to choose, I had already sketched out a design on paper but had not priced anything. The last conversation we had was that they would call me on Monday to tell me which door to price.
Today is Wednesday so I made a courtesy call to see if they had decided on which door they had chosen so I could finalise the quotation, this is were I was totally EXASPERATED, the client dually informed me that they had been to **** kitchens (in case you cannot work out who **** kitchens are their namesake designed St Pauls Cathedral). The client informed me that "they had done them a great deal and that they were cheaper than us". I politely informed the customer that we had not yet given them a quote so how do they know that **** kitchens are cheaper than us, they then went on to explain that **** kitchens had told them ".that because they make the kitchens themselves they can cut out the middle man and provide it cheaper than anybody else". So I left it with them and decided to cost up the both doors that the customer could not decide on. About an hour later I rang them explaining that I was a little taken back by what they had told me and that I had worked out a cost based on what we had discussed at their home, I did not ask what **** kitchens had quoted I just told them what my cost was and hey presto we where £75 cheaper and not only that our cabinets are definitely of a higher specification, I also informed them that **** kitchens did have an installation service, " I know" they replied "we would have to sort that out ourselves".
Any way the result is the client is now coming in to see me on Friday.
This goes back to my blog yesterday about the 50% off culture and people being misled.
Fume over
Thanks Russell
Tuesday 15 February 2011
50% rip OFF Britain
We have all gone mad, it is like we have all lost our marbles and sense of knowing what is a 'true bargain' and what is just a total con.
We have come to accept as normal big red 50% off sale banners across the whole of Britain, like we cannot buy anything any more that is not discounted because we are 'not getting a bargain'.
We are all guilty of it not only as consumers taken in by it but as retailers promoting it.
It has become a social acceptance to not only be taken in by the 'at least 50%' off ads but to be disgusted and not even entertain going to a shop that has not got one.
When I worked in B&Q in the eighties ( arghh the good old eighties ) They tried the 'lets not have a sale approach' with EDLP (every day low pricing). It did not really work they soon had EDLP with 20% off, why because they had to compete with their rivals as we do. Is it about time that the Government stepped in and said enough is enough, because nobody actually sells these goods at their previous prices, when I say sell I do not mean have them in a price list and advertise them at full price and tell all the customers to wait a couple of weeks because it will be cheaper, I mean sell them at full price you know hand over cash and take delivery. Or are the government turning a blind eye knowing that if they step in and stop this crazy practice, then nobody would buy anything at all because there would be no enticement for customers to go into a shop,
thus creating mass unemployment, not VAT coming in, no income tax or National insurance paid, and even worse more people on benefits, result Bankrupt Britain.
I know this is true becuase there are 'shed' kitchen companies out there and others in a whole range of goods that have vastly inflated prices just so they can offer "at least 50% off". I know of at least one of these companies who increased their base price by approx 25 / 30% in November 2010 so they could offer the 'said' discounts in the 'January Sale'
I own a kitchen studio we have 50% off on some kitchens. I can assure you that even without the 50% off our kitchens some of them are cheaper than 'said' shed with 50% off. The companies I use will in a short time possibly after 1st of April will change their promotion around and different kitchens will be on 50% off. But we still sell kitchens that have not been discounted, due to good honest advice and service. I am not trying to plug my company I am merely trying to make a point because there are a lot of other companies offering good honest advice and service, the consumer is being taken for a ride and it seems they are happy to get in to the fast moving vehicle that takes them there.
Russell
We have come to accept as normal big red 50% off sale banners across the whole of Britain, like we cannot buy anything any more that is not discounted because we are 'not getting a bargain'.
We are all guilty of it not only as consumers taken in by it but as retailers promoting it.
It has become a social acceptance to not only be taken in by the 'at least 50%' off ads but to be disgusted and not even entertain going to a shop that has not got one.
When I worked in B&Q in the eighties ( arghh the good old eighties ) They tried the 'lets not have a sale approach' with EDLP (every day low pricing). It did not really work they soon had EDLP with 20% off, why because they had to compete with their rivals as we do. Is it about time that the Government stepped in and said enough is enough, because nobody actually sells these goods at their previous prices, when I say sell I do not mean have them in a price list and advertise them at full price and tell all the customers to wait a couple of weeks because it will be cheaper, I mean sell them at full price you know hand over cash and take delivery. Or are the government turning a blind eye knowing that if they step in and stop this crazy practice, then nobody would buy anything at all because there would be no enticement for customers to go into a shop,
thus creating mass unemployment, not VAT coming in, no income tax or National insurance paid, and even worse more people on benefits, result Bankrupt Britain.
I know this is true becuase there are 'shed' kitchen companies out there and others in a whole range of goods that have vastly inflated prices just so they can offer "at least 50% off". I know of at least one of these companies who increased their base price by approx 25 / 30% in November 2010 so they could offer the 'said' discounts in the 'January Sale'
I own a kitchen studio we have 50% off on some kitchens. I can assure you that even without the 50% off our kitchens some of them are cheaper than 'said' shed with 50% off. The companies I use will in a short time possibly after 1st of April will change their promotion around and different kitchens will be on 50% off. But we still sell kitchens that have not been discounted, due to good honest advice and service. I am not trying to plug my company I am merely trying to make a point because there are a lot of other companies offering good honest advice and service, the consumer is being taken for a ride and it seems they are happy to get in to the fast moving vehicle that takes them there.
Russell
The worlds manufacturing base is not in safe hands
Before I start this is not a ("I don't like that country issue so I will have a go at them") rant.
This affects the whole world and it will and can be any country in the future.
There has been a lot of media coverage recently about this and other countries manufacturing base disappearing abroad mainly to China, in fact there is a TV programme on this week (W/C 13/02/2010) about the USA's manufacturing vanishing east wards.
So why has it and why is it happening and will get worse, well you can bet your bottom dollar will.
Why? due to our greed of wanting everything we see, not just wanting it fast but wanting it cheap, electronics is a very good example of this. I have not long finished Lord Sugars Auto biography, fantastic almost a like a fictional novel at times, but it wasn't it was real and this gives a very big insight into the mass importing of cheap electronic goods, this is not in anyway detrimental to Lord Sugar he just filled a gap and gave us what we wanted "supply & demand" if it was not going to be Lord Sugar then it would have been somebody else.
This is not just an electronics issue, kitchen doors, acrylic worktops, appliances, pottery for bathrooms, and much much more.
Back in the industrial revolution in England & what is now known as Europe there were massive companies manufacturing everything and anything you could think of, we exported all over the world from famous ports like Liverpool. Nostalgia it may be history definitely but how did we manage to do it, the answer in short was cheap labour and very lax health and safety laws.
There are now emerging economies in parts of the world that once took weeks or even months to get their products to this country now it is several hours plane journey away.
These countries have millions of people wanting to work to earn money to feed their families and to feed their new 'Western' lifestyles, so they are cheap and expendable just like we where.
Our problems have arisen from unions and tight health and safety laws, I am not saying this is wrong far from it, we all deserve to be safe and be able to afford to live although some unions take it too far ( perks and the likes) but when companies are being screamed at to get the next latest thing out and get it cheap and quick, well we cannot do that anymore. It seems to me like the Disney Lion King movie "The Circle Of Life" only our part of the circle stopped revolving.
Russell
This affects the whole world and it will and can be any country in the future.
There has been a lot of media coverage recently about this and other countries manufacturing base disappearing abroad mainly to China, in fact there is a TV programme on this week (W/C 13/02/2010) about the USA's manufacturing vanishing east wards.
So why has it and why is it happening and will get worse, well you can bet your bottom dollar will.
Why? due to our greed of wanting everything we see, not just wanting it fast but wanting it cheap, electronics is a very good example of this. I have not long finished Lord Sugars Auto biography, fantastic almost a like a fictional novel at times, but it wasn't it was real and this gives a very big insight into the mass importing of cheap electronic goods, this is not in anyway detrimental to Lord Sugar he just filled a gap and gave us what we wanted "supply & demand" if it was not going to be Lord Sugar then it would have been somebody else.
This is not just an electronics issue, kitchen doors, acrylic worktops, appliances, pottery for bathrooms, and much much more.
Back in the industrial revolution in England & what is now known as Europe there were massive companies manufacturing everything and anything you could think of, we exported all over the world from famous ports like Liverpool. Nostalgia it may be history definitely but how did we manage to do it, the answer in short was cheap labour and very lax health and safety laws.
There are now emerging economies in parts of the world that once took weeks or even months to get their products to this country now it is several hours plane journey away.
These countries have millions of people wanting to work to earn money to feed their families and to feed their new 'Western' lifestyles, so they are cheap and expendable just like we where.
Our problems have arisen from unions and tight health and safety laws, I am not saying this is wrong far from it, we all deserve to be safe and be able to afford to live although some unions take it too far ( perks and the likes) but when companies are being screamed at to get the next latest thing out and get it cheap and quick, well we cannot do that anymore. It seems to me like the Disney Lion King movie "The Circle Of Life" only our part of the circle stopped revolving.
Russell
Wednesday 26 January 2011
That Kevin McLoud Thing
That Kevin McLoud thing needs a bit more input.
5K or 50k that is the question. Is there a significant difference between the material make up of the 5k kitchen and the 50k kitchen.
At this particular time I am in the right place to in part answer this as I am having a new kitchen fitted on Friday (28/11/10).
My Kitchen is a Chippendale Hilton Ivory over painted solid ash door, veneered painted cornice & pelmet rail. I will be having solid 30mm Medura Gold granite work surfaces with upstands, behind hob granite splashback and window cill, two Neff single ovens, Neff five burner gas hob, Neff semi integrated dishwasher, Neff built in large fridge, Baumatic curved stainless steel extractor. (All available to view at the end of next week on Twitter #kitchenproject).
Now this kitchen would retail at approx £13,000 excluding installation, decorating, flooring, stainless steel sockets, this would add approx £3k.
I could have gone to a DIY outlet to purchase my cabinets, but would not have got a solid wood painted door, cornice & pelmet rail, 18mm colour co-ordinated PVC face edged cabintes, with 15mm solid backs, anti tip shelves, blum clip on/off Soft Close hinges, none collapsable Grass drawer boxes.
I would have got 15mm white melamine edged cabinets, 3mm hardboard backs, plastic or metal shelf studs, normal screw on hinges and a cheap Metabox look-a-like drawer box for half the price of the Chippendale cabinets. The benefit of my purchase is the USP's and quality of the materials Chippendale use to construct their cabinets. If I was trading up on the cabinetry I could have gone to one of the higher end companies like Intoto and probably got 19mm HDF cabinets with fittings that will have other USP's, maybe this would have added 4 0r 5k to cabinetry. An even greater leap I could have gone to a bespoke manufacturer I.E Todd Hunter Davies, and had solid wood cabinets as well as doors, true the fittings would not have been that much different although again there would be different USP's probably adding 25 to 35K to the cabinetry.
If I chose one of the the latter two I would have still chosen the same appliances, worktops, sink taps etc... so the kitchen cabinetry would differ from say 5k for the Chippendale to 10k for Intoto or 30 to 40k for the bespoke. The construction process between each company would be similar but the overall differences would be noticed not only by a trained eye but any person who is looking for a kitchen, a persons perception of what a kitchen costs is not made by looking through a shop window but by opening, touching and feeling the product you know as the advert says "sounds like a golf but isn't".
When Kevin made this statement he should have made himself clear as to what he was refering to in the differences between the 5 and 50k kitchens. On the appliances I definately would not want an old oven from the skip becasue it does not do what the Neff ovens I have bought do.
I am very happy with the purchase of my kitchen and would not want to spend any more to get a different specification of cabinet unless money was no object. I purchased my kitchen based on the door style and quality, if I had another 30k spare I would still have chosen the door but maybe got the solid wood cabs,
"A lifetimes purchase" either way. So in my opinion there is a difference between the two price ranges and it is not just a status symbol. Is there a difference between a £129 Technica LCD TV and a Panasonic Viera LCD were I can look at the screen from any angle and still see a perfect picture?
The debate will roll on I am sure and maybe Kevin will have some answeres for his views on the 5th May.
5K or 50k that is the question. Is there a significant difference between the material make up of the 5k kitchen and the 50k kitchen.
At this particular time I am in the right place to in part answer this as I am having a new kitchen fitted on Friday (28/11/10).
My Kitchen is a Chippendale Hilton Ivory over painted solid ash door, veneered painted cornice & pelmet rail. I will be having solid 30mm Medura Gold granite work surfaces with upstands, behind hob granite splashback and window cill, two Neff single ovens, Neff five burner gas hob, Neff semi integrated dishwasher, Neff built in large fridge, Baumatic curved stainless steel extractor. (All available to view at the end of next week on Twitter #kitchenproject).
Now this kitchen would retail at approx £13,000 excluding installation, decorating, flooring, stainless steel sockets, this would add approx £3k.
I could have gone to a DIY outlet to purchase my cabinets, but would not have got a solid wood painted door, cornice & pelmet rail, 18mm colour co-ordinated PVC face edged cabintes, with 15mm solid backs, anti tip shelves, blum clip on/off Soft Close hinges, none collapsable Grass drawer boxes.
I would have got 15mm white melamine edged cabinets, 3mm hardboard backs, plastic or metal shelf studs, normal screw on hinges and a cheap Metabox look-a-like drawer box for half the price of the Chippendale cabinets. The benefit of my purchase is the USP's and quality of the materials Chippendale use to construct their cabinets. If I was trading up on the cabinetry I could have gone to one of the higher end companies like Intoto and probably got 19mm HDF cabinets with fittings that will have other USP's, maybe this would have added 4 0r 5k to cabinetry. An even greater leap I could have gone to a bespoke manufacturer I.E Todd Hunter Davies, and had solid wood cabinets as well as doors, true the fittings would not have been that much different although again there would be different USP's probably adding 25 to 35K to the cabinetry.
If I chose one of the the latter two I would have still chosen the same appliances, worktops, sink taps etc... so the kitchen cabinetry would differ from say 5k for the Chippendale to 10k for Intoto or 30 to 40k for the bespoke. The construction process between each company would be similar but the overall differences would be noticed not only by a trained eye but any person who is looking for a kitchen, a persons perception of what a kitchen costs is not made by looking through a shop window but by opening, touching and feeling the product you know as the advert says "sounds like a golf but isn't".
When Kevin made this statement he should have made himself clear as to what he was refering to in the differences between the 5 and 50k kitchens. On the appliances I definately would not want an old oven from the skip becasue it does not do what the Neff ovens I have bought do.
I am very happy with the purchase of my kitchen and would not want to spend any more to get a different specification of cabinet unless money was no object. I purchased my kitchen based on the door style and quality, if I had another 30k spare I would still have chosen the door but maybe got the solid wood cabs,
"A lifetimes purchase" either way. So in my opinion there is a difference between the two price ranges and it is not just a status symbol. Is there a difference between a £129 Technica LCD TV and a Panasonic Viera LCD were I can look at the screen from any angle and still see a perfect picture?
The debate will roll on I am sure and maybe Kevin will have some answeres for his views on the 5th May.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Kitchen Designers & Architects
Being a Kitchen designer and an architect isn't like riding a bike (or buying a dress)
If you were once a Kitchen Designer and then re-trained to be an Architect & you then do not design a kitchen for several years you can not then get back on once you have fallen off because things change and move on, you might forget some law or worse still not know a new one.
The same can be said for any industry in any profession. Communication is the key to success in everything.
We should all work together for the good of our industry.
Russell
If you were once a Kitchen Designer and then re-trained to be an Architect & you then do not design a kitchen for several years you can not then get back on once you have fallen off because things change and move on, you might forget some law or worse still not know a new one.
The same can be said for any industry in any profession. Communication is the key to success in everything.
We should all work together for the good of our industry.
Russell
To Design or not to Design
Just to invoke more debate on the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom design industry I thought I would yet again add my two penneth worth.
I think there is probably four levels of kitchen designers three of which could step up down or mix into three of the levels and the fourth can only be loosely termed as a designer.
Level one, the very bespoke end of the market the £70k to £200k plus, these designers are creative in what is manufactured by the craftsman / woman, the Artisan of designers, were not only do they have a big input in where the products are sourced and what they are made of but also ergononics of the design, the decorative finishes and the on hand project managemnet catering for the every whim of their client, they will have complete autonomy and the overall visual and practical creativity to truly design a room or rooms.
Level two, the mid to high end of the market from £30k up to and occasionally over the £70k areas. These designers are slightly more restricted in the "what can be created" in the design by the use of what their manufacturer constructs albeit they will have a masssive array of sized cabinets, panels and other materials to choose from. They would typically design kitchens for professional people.
You could say this designer could be a better designer than level one because he / she has to create something from what he/ she has got in their portfolio of products. These designers although can design traditional and or classic kitchens they tend to design the modern and sleek look with quirky boxed finishes and step ups, ins, outs and long islands.
Level three, is the independent company designer usually designing £15k to £30k projects sometimes slightly over and sometimes slightly under. This designer will have less sizes of cabinets to play with, again needs to be ultra creative in their approach to the finished look, but tends to concentrate more on just the kitchen aspect of the design with some flooring, lighting and colour tones experience. They will be designing kitchens for people with generally hard earned money to spend and have had an major building project so that they can create the kitchen of their dreams but will want practicality, flair added to their design, which this designer is very capable of but they will have in mind that this client will have done their homework and they will be dealing with people who have had quotes and designs from other local companies so they will have to combine their design skills with honed sales skills so they can convince their client that they should buy from them.
Level four, is the shed and multiple designer (loosely) although there are some very good people working for these companies but have not made the step up for one reason or other possibly they are in a comfort zone and are happy earning what they earn and like the environment they are in, some of these people are only really planners with no real kitchen experience and have been recruited from the double glazing company down the road. They will tend to deal with the up to £10k and sometimes slightly over this figure end of the market. They usually would have been sent on the obligitory sales design course offered by their company.
They will be focussed on getting the sale and once bagged don't give an after thought to their last customer, they will only have to deal with the planning and selling process and then pass off any customer concerns to their floor manager.
The last level four sounds like me being a snob, I am not because this is where I learnt my trade and will not forget my roots, some of the people I have worked with do really care about their clients, it is the companies that they are working for that don't care. They sometimes probably wish they can move on and up but are trepadacious in moving to the unknown.
The architect debate is a different one all together, it depends on the level of architect and the level of project
being created. Maybe architects should commission kitchen designers to assist in the design of the rooms for their clients before plans are okayed and submitted, this would be a fantastic selling tool for the architect to have on hand a designer to liaiase with between them and their clients, this of course works not only for kitchens but bathrooms and bedroom too.
Russell.
I think there is probably four levels of kitchen designers three of which could step up down or mix into three of the levels and the fourth can only be loosely termed as a designer.
Level one, the very bespoke end of the market the £70k to £200k plus, these designers are creative in what is manufactured by the craftsman / woman, the Artisan of designers, were not only do they have a big input in where the products are sourced and what they are made of but also ergononics of the design, the decorative finishes and the on hand project managemnet catering for the every whim of their client, they will have complete autonomy and the overall visual and practical creativity to truly design a room or rooms.
Level two, the mid to high end of the market from £30k up to and occasionally over the £70k areas. These designers are slightly more restricted in the "what can be created" in the design by the use of what their manufacturer constructs albeit they will have a masssive array of sized cabinets, panels and other materials to choose from. They would typically design kitchens for professional people.
You could say this designer could be a better designer than level one because he / she has to create something from what he/ she has got in their portfolio of products. These designers although can design traditional and or classic kitchens they tend to design the modern and sleek look with quirky boxed finishes and step ups, ins, outs and long islands.
Level three, is the independent company designer usually designing £15k to £30k projects sometimes slightly over and sometimes slightly under. This designer will have less sizes of cabinets to play with, again needs to be ultra creative in their approach to the finished look, but tends to concentrate more on just the kitchen aspect of the design with some flooring, lighting and colour tones experience. They will be designing kitchens for people with generally hard earned money to spend and have had an major building project so that they can create the kitchen of their dreams but will want practicality, flair added to their design, which this designer is very capable of but they will have in mind that this client will have done their homework and they will be dealing with people who have had quotes and designs from other local companies so they will have to combine their design skills with honed sales skills so they can convince their client that they should buy from them.
Level four, is the shed and multiple designer (loosely) although there are some very good people working for these companies but have not made the step up for one reason or other possibly they are in a comfort zone and are happy earning what they earn and like the environment they are in, some of these people are only really planners with no real kitchen experience and have been recruited from the double glazing company down the road. They will tend to deal with the up to £10k and sometimes slightly over this figure end of the market. They usually would have been sent on the obligitory sales design course offered by their company.
They will be focussed on getting the sale and once bagged don't give an after thought to their last customer, they will only have to deal with the planning and selling process and then pass off any customer concerns to their floor manager.
The last level four sounds like me being a snob, I am not because this is where I learnt my trade and will not forget my roots, some of the people I have worked with do really care about their clients, it is the companies that they are working for that don't care. They sometimes probably wish they can move on and up but are trepadacious in moving to the unknown.
The architect debate is a different one all together, it depends on the level of architect and the level of project
being created. Maybe architects should commission kitchen designers to assist in the design of the rooms for their clients before plans are okayed and submitted, this would be a fantastic selling tool for the architect to have on hand a designer to liaiase with between them and their clients, this of course works not only for kitchens but bathrooms and bedroom too.
Russell.
Monday 17 January 2011
Questions you never thought you would be asked
One of the differences between a salesperson and kitchen designer is what you will be asked during your consultation.
Do you have any pets that eat etc.. in the kitchen?
Is there anybody going to use the kitchen that would need wheelchair access or consideration for lower worktops?
Would you like to eat in the kitchen. If so formal or informal and for how many?
Where is your stop tap, gas meter and gas point. Where is your electric meter and fuse board?
Are you Ok for bending down to ovens etc..
How large a bowl would you need for your sink, do you like to wash roasting dished grill pans in the sink, if so you will need a larger bowl.
What type of lighting would you like under the cupboards and in your ceiling.
What type of worksurfaces do you require, a designer will explain the pros and cons of all types and suggest something that suits your lifestyle.
There are many more questions to be asked and answered so please consider your purchase carefully
Do you have any pets that eat etc.. in the kitchen?
Is there anybody going to use the kitchen that would need wheelchair access or consideration for lower worktops?
Would you like to eat in the kitchen. If so formal or informal and for how many?
Where is your stop tap, gas meter and gas point. Where is your electric meter and fuse board?
Are you Ok for bending down to ovens etc..
How large a bowl would you need for your sink, do you like to wash roasting dished grill pans in the sink, if so you will need a larger bowl.
What type of lighting would you like under the cupboards and in your ceiling.
What type of worksurfaces do you require, a designer will explain the pros and cons of all types and suggest something that suits your lifestyle.
There are many more questions to be asked and answered so please consider your purchase carefully
Friday 14 January 2011
The shoe is on the other foot
We are great when it comes to advising our customers on which kitchen to buy, which worktop to choose and which appliances they need to make their kitchen not just beautiful but practical & efficient, "it's not a problem" we tell them well it isn't.
But now the shoe is on the other foot, for those of you who have been following our kitchen extension project on Twitter #kitchenproject you will have seen the photos and comments on how it is has all been going.
We thought we had it all sorted, the door, Chippendale Hilton Ivory with handle suite 83, The worktop Black Radianz quartz, the hob, dishwasher and fridge all Neff the oven Fisher Paykel True double oven and extractor Prima 70cm curved glass and stainless steel.
Then we went and had a look at the granite suppliers, we spent over an hour running backwards and forwards between displays with our sample door and handle, in the end we chose Madura Gold a complete opposite of what we thought we where going to have.
On the way home we called in built in to appliances in Liverpool to look at extractor fans and to see if the Fisher Paykel oven was on display, here lies another couple of changes, the ovens were very small inside and the telescopic shelves did not extend out very far and as for the extractor I would have banged my head on the corner of the glass every time I lent over the hob, so the changes, the extractor is now a Baumatic BTC675 full curve in stainless steel
and the ovens are either going to be Neff B15E54 and B45E54 with extra telescopic flex rails or AEG B5741-5-M with telescopic rail and pyrolux cleaning
So we can truly say to our customers we know what you are going through, it is not a problem if you want to change your mind because we did.
But now the shoe is on the other foot, for those of you who have been following our kitchen extension project on Twitter #kitchenproject you will have seen the photos and comments on how it is has all been going.
We thought we had it all sorted, the door, Chippendale Hilton Ivory with handle suite 83, The worktop Black Radianz quartz, the hob, dishwasher and fridge all Neff the oven Fisher Paykel True double oven and extractor Prima 70cm curved glass and stainless steel.
Then we went and had a look at the granite suppliers, we spent over an hour running backwards and forwards between displays with our sample door and handle, in the end we chose Madura Gold a complete opposite of what we thought we where going to have.
On the way home we called in built in to appliances in Liverpool to look at extractor fans and to see if the Fisher Paykel oven was on display, here lies another couple of changes, the ovens were very small inside and the telescopic shelves did not extend out very far and as for the extractor I would have banged my head on the corner of the glass every time I lent over the hob, so the changes, the extractor is now a Baumatic BTC675 full curve in stainless steel
and the ovens are either going to be Neff B15E54 and B45E54 with extra telescopic flex rails or AEG B5741-5-M with telescopic rail and pyrolux cleaning
So we can truly say to our customers we know what you are going through, it is not a problem if you want to change your mind because we did.
Monday 10 January 2011
10 Reasons to buy a kitchen from Stuart Henry Kitchens
1. All of our kitchens are quality colour co-ordinated cabinets with solid backs
2. 95% of our orders are from recommendations
3. We can deliver supply only kitchens from seven days
4. We have just been awarded Merseyside Trader Of The Year 2010
5. We offer genuine un-biased advice when helping you design your kitchen
6. Our prices are very competitive
7. We are passionate about what we do
8. We are a genuine family run business with over twenty years experience
9. We do not inflate our prices to offer big discounts
visit http://www.stuarthenrykitchens.co.uk/
2. 95% of our orders are from recommendations
3. We can deliver supply only kitchens from seven days
4. We have just been awarded Merseyside Trader Of The Year 2010
5. We offer genuine un-biased advice when helping you design your kitchen
6. Our prices are very competitive
7. We are passionate about what we do
8. We are a genuine family run business with over twenty years experience
9. We do not inflate our prices to offer big discounts
visit http://www.stuarthenrykitchens.co.uk/
Saturday 8 January 2011
Wickes 50% off Winter kitchen sale is not so cheap
We can beat Wickes 50% kitchen sale prices on most of our full price kitchens and others we are cheaper with our sale prices, some of our prices are truly unbelievably cheaper and our spec is much much higher, details further down.
So Wickes have a 50% off sale on every kitchen. I can say with absolute no doubt that the previous price for each Wickes kitchen unit is extortionate for it's spec & quality. This begs the question are the multiple kitchen retailers taking the British public for mugs. I have not been able to get price lists for the following companies (Moben, Magnet, Betta Living, Kutchen Hause) so you can read into that what you like, although some of them say it is because they are made to measure units, what was it Jim Royle said "My a**e".
Below is a list of some of the kitchens from Wickes and our equivalents, we can say that our price is cheaper, plus our spec is colour co-ordinated cabinets with concealed wall hanging brackets, PVC face edged cabinets and most kitchens come with anti tilt shelves.
Wickes Caledonia Handle free white gloss.
Our Lakes Sculptured White Gloss is not on sale and is cheaper than Wickes at their 50% off
Wickes New Jersey cream slab gloss
Our Technica Gloss Stone and Krystal kitchens are cheaper at full price than Wickes 50% off and we also have these on sale which makes them even cheaper
Wickes Casablanca gloss black slab & Glencoe gloss white slab
Our lakes Glacier Black / White and Technica Black / White Gloss are cheaper and the Glacier range is massively cheaper than Wickes 50% off prices.
Wickes Manhattan gloss cream slab
Technica Gloss Stone & Krystal is cheaper with our 15% discount than Wickes with their 50% discount
Wickes Atlanta gloss white shaker
Our lakes Gloss White Shaker is cheaper without any discount than Wickes 50% off and we also have 20% off which makes it cheaper again.
We have lots more kitchens that are less expensive than Wickes and many other kitchen companies but there are too many to list, If you would like to find out more please contact us www.stuarthenrykitchens.co.uk
The point I am trying to make is shop around and use independents because you will get a better service, design, higher specification than the multiple retailers.
So Wickes have a 50% off sale on every kitchen. I can say with absolute no doubt that the previous price for each Wickes kitchen unit is extortionate for it's spec & quality. This begs the question are the multiple kitchen retailers taking the British public for mugs. I have not been able to get price lists for the following companies (Moben, Magnet, Betta Living, Kutchen Hause) so you can read into that what you like, although some of them say it is because they are made to measure units, what was it Jim Royle said "My a**e".
Below is a list of some of the kitchens from Wickes and our equivalents, we can say that our price is cheaper, plus our spec is colour co-ordinated cabinets with concealed wall hanging brackets, PVC face edged cabinets and most kitchens come with anti tilt shelves.
Wickes Caledonia Handle free white gloss.
Our Lakes Sculptured White Gloss is not on sale and is cheaper than Wickes at their 50% off
Wickes New Jersey cream slab gloss
Our Technica Gloss Stone and Krystal kitchens are cheaper at full price than Wickes 50% off and we also have these on sale which makes them even cheaper
Wickes Casablanca gloss black slab & Glencoe gloss white slab
Our lakes Glacier Black / White and Technica Black / White Gloss are cheaper and the Glacier range is massively cheaper than Wickes 50% off prices.
Wickes Manhattan gloss cream slab
Technica Gloss Stone & Krystal is cheaper with our 15% discount than Wickes with their 50% discount
Wickes Atlanta gloss white shaker
Our lakes Gloss White Shaker is cheaper without any discount than Wickes 50% off and we also have 20% off which makes it cheaper again.
We have lots more kitchens that are less expensive than Wickes and many other kitchen companies but there are too many to list, If you would like to find out more please contact us www.stuarthenrykitchens.co.uk
The point I am trying to make is shop around and use independents because you will get a better service, design, higher specification than the multiple retailers.
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