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
Monday 28 February 2011
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
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