No I have not created some new technology just as we are getting to grips with the current one, this is about the barrage of of TV ads we are about to have bestowed upon us by that wonderful kitchen specialist Magnet Plc. and others.
The ads have started "Magnet sale starts Boxing Day" mega bucks off, free appliances and now also they must have acquired some new technology "Bring in your measurements for an instant quote". This must mean they have downgraded their "Designers" to scan technology consultants were they put your measurements into a scanner it then transfers them to a CAD system and produces a design and quotation for your new kitchen, clever stuff Magnet.
But maybe it is not such a bad idea because from the experiences that our clients have had by going to Magnet & other multiples/sheds 1st because the Human form of Designers have not done a very good job any way.
Countless customers across the country will be waiting with baited breath outside their local Magnet & kitchen multiple store on Boxing Day wearing their in fashion Christmas Jumpers, but a lot of them will be disappointed once they have had their kitchens designed as most of them (not all) but a lot will have poorly designed kitchens that may not fit due to mis-measured or incorrect advice, that is not saying the people charged with offering such design advice are incapable, given some training they would probably pick up things and learn you would hope by their mistakes. This not being the only problem, the other problem lies with Magnets and the DIY markets obsession with making the public & it's staff believe that it's massive discounts and free appliances are the answer to peoples kitchen dreams.
I understand companies like Magnet, Wickes, Hombase etc... have to pull people in their doors and it seems the only way they think they can do it is by offering huge discounts well it's not. Here is something novel: try training your staff correctly and continue training them, not on how to sell but how to measure, plan & design, then offer a truly honest service, with proper back up should things go wrong (because they do) then maybe people will believe that kitchen companies are not their to rip them off but to help them improve their living and cooking standards.
The buying public need to stop being so naive by not being taken in with these mega sale discount offers because they are not real and choose a kitchen based on something that will improve their lives and possibly cost a lot less than they thought, how? by going to a professional kitchen company.
So until such time when they wake up and smell the coffee take your measurements to the magic quoting machine at your local kitchen multiple and spend more than you need to on something you don't want, need or even worse the new design does not do what it is supposed to do.
I don't offer mega discounts, I don't need to because my prices and other proper kitchen companies prices are not inflated and are in fact in most case less expensive than the huge discounted kitchen sales offers that are about to flood the media.
Have a Happy Christmas and not such an expensive New Year.
Russell
Stuart Henry Kitchens.
Thursday 20 December 2012
Saturday 15 December 2012
Customer Letter yesterday 14/12/12
Here is a letter we received yesterday from a customer in Cunningham Avenue Bromborough. I have translated the letter so it can be easily read & I have also added a photo of the letter.
Dear Russell & Diane.
When you are really delighted with something then it's really worth writing to pass on your gratitude.
Russell & Diane I've got to say a huge thank you for all your help, guidance in helping me choose a fabulous new kitchen.
I was first drawn because of my perception of your quality, value for money, honesty & attention to detail.
I haven't been disappointed. You have helped me so much in the design & planning of my kitchen, guided me through tough decisions along the way as well as having a great deal of patience. I would thoroughly recommend you.
May I also pass on my thanks to David (Tyson Installations) his team, all of the work from fitting the units, appliances, plastering, electrics & tiling has been faultless & to a very high standard throughout the work, he communicated the plan of what was happening on what day so I clearly knew what was happening.
The team have all been very friendly, committed right until the end to ensure the job was done right.
Yours Mrs A
This letter is one of many thank you cards along with chocolates, flowers and wine that we receive on a regular basis but is is really heart warming when you receive such a nice letter from a nice lady who entrusted us into her home and guide her through a major purchase and upheaval in her home.
Russell & Diane
Dear Russell & Diane.
When you are really delighted with something then it's really worth writing to pass on your gratitude.
Russell & Diane I've got to say a huge thank you for all your help, guidance in helping me choose a fabulous new kitchen.
I was first drawn because of my perception of your quality, value for money, honesty & attention to detail.
I haven't been disappointed. You have helped me so much in the design & planning of my kitchen, guided me through tough decisions along the way as well as having a great deal of patience. I would thoroughly recommend you.
May I also pass on my thanks to David (Tyson Installations) his team, all of the work from fitting the units, appliances, plastering, electrics & tiling has been faultless & to a very high standard throughout the work, he communicated the plan of what was happening on what day so I clearly knew what was happening.
The team have all been very friendly, committed right until the end to ensure the job was done right.
Yours Mrs A
This letter is one of many thank you cards along with chocolates, flowers and wine that we receive on a regular basis but is is really heart warming when you receive such a nice letter from a nice lady who entrusted us into her home and guide her through a major purchase and upheaval in her home.
Russell & Diane
Monday 10 December 2012
Kitchen appliance companies, who to use
There is a little debate within the industry at the moment regarding kitchen appliance companies & which ones to use without filling your showroom & clients kitchens with the usual manufacturers such as Neff, Bosch, Siemens & Miele. It was even quoted on Linked In by one Linked in user "Experiences with alternatives to the usual appliance manufacturers? -I'm bored of Neff & Bosch!!"
I have a kitchen studio & I would say 80% of my displays are Neff and that mirrors in the sales split also. I have looked at other manufactures for a couple of reasons one of them being Neff's ability to hold themselves in God like status & behold anybody who is blasphemous to the brand, the other being to search out something not as expensive for clients who cannot afford to kit out their new kitchens with Neff's appliances. I do say to all customers if you are going to spend your money on something in the kitchen make sure you get quality appliances because this is the reason you are getting a new kitchen in the first place so that you can enhance you home and cooking experiences, but like I said even then not all people can stretch their budgets beyond a reasonable limit.
I have had personal experience in not only sourcing appliance for my studio but also for my home and I can honestly say after extensive research including look, touch and feel that Neff are the only brand that offer an extensive across the board range of appliances that can be married with each other in looks, they have some appliances that don't cost the earth albeit with less features than the pricier models but nonetheless they will do what they are supposed to do and you can match across the range. The features on some of their appliances far outweigh their competition, like the telescopic flex rails, steam setting in normal ovens, dough proving and then bread baking without the need to remove it from the proving process.
This sounds like a promotional blog for Neff, I can assure you it is not, Neff as a company have many flaws like most companies which I will not mention here but if the whole debate is about the appliance, it's after sales back up and it F+B's then in my honest opinion there is not better.
Russell
I have a kitchen studio & I would say 80% of my displays are Neff and that mirrors in the sales split also. I have looked at other manufactures for a couple of reasons one of them being Neff's ability to hold themselves in God like status & behold anybody who is blasphemous to the brand, the other being to search out something not as expensive for clients who cannot afford to kit out their new kitchens with Neff's appliances. I do say to all customers if you are going to spend your money on something in the kitchen make sure you get quality appliances because this is the reason you are getting a new kitchen in the first place so that you can enhance you home and cooking experiences, but like I said even then not all people can stretch their budgets beyond a reasonable limit.
I have had personal experience in not only sourcing appliance for my studio but also for my home and I can honestly say after extensive research including look, touch and feel that Neff are the only brand that offer an extensive across the board range of appliances that can be married with each other in looks, they have some appliances that don't cost the earth albeit with less features than the pricier models but nonetheless they will do what they are supposed to do and you can match across the range. The features on some of their appliances far outweigh their competition, like the telescopic flex rails, steam setting in normal ovens, dough proving and then bread baking without the need to remove it from the proving process.
This sounds like a promotional blog for Neff, I can assure you it is not, Neff as a company have many flaws like most companies which I will not mention here but if the whole debate is about the appliance, it's after sales back up and it F+B's then in my honest opinion there is not better.
Russell
Friday 30 November 2012
KBB Steak your claim
The one thing all KBB people have in common and we can all
agree on is: we like food. So having
received a copy of a cute little recipe book I thought I would share some of the
delightful meals from the 1950s and 1960s
with you and, in keeping with the KBB theme, the odd picture of retro
kitchens just to keep us smiling.
STEAK DIANE
4 pieces of thin fillet steak
1 oz butter
1 small onion, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
Fry the steak in the butter and oil for 1 to 2 minutes on
each side. Remove with a slotted spoon
and keep warm. Stir the Worcestershire
sauce and lemon juice into the pan juices.
Warm through, then add the onion and parsley and cook gently for 2 to 3
minutes until the onion is softened, stirring regularly. Serve the sauce
spooned over the steaks.
Enjoy xx
Diane
Thursday 29 November 2012
A Financial Directors view of KBSA
Again the
industry is throwing around the “should I shouldn’t I be a member of KBSA” who
are now recommending that customers only buy from their members as they are the
only ones offering “vital
protection in volatile market.”
As the finance
director of an independent kitchen studio here is my view
I have always
thought that for the KBSA to work it would have to have the same public
recognition as ATOL and ABTA. But we all know why we choose to purchase from
ATOL/ABTA members it is because we half expect problems with late or cancelled
flights overbooked hotels or lost luggage so we protect ourselves.
I have had
customers ask me “how do I know you will be here in 6 months” and to this I
have replied with honesty that as I do the finances I can guarantee that we
will be here and If I thought the company wasn’t financially
viable then I wouldn’t take the order.
Also by keeping a good set of accounts I am aware of the state of my
suppliers which allows me to be vigilant regarding their stability.
I would not want a
customer to choose my company over another because I had certain letters of
insurance. I do not want to advertise myself as the company who might stuff it
up but its ok I’m covered.
So in conclusion
to my first albeit short blog the answer is quite simple customers do not need
extra financial insurance from a well managed business with well managed
accounts.
Diane
Wednesday 28 November 2012
What is our worth.
I have been in the kitchen industry since 1984, I started at MFI as a part time furniture sales assistant and quickly grasped that the kitchen side was more lucrative and rewarding than writing out a sales docket for a "Nest of tables". I have worked at all levels of the industry from like I said the MFI's of this world to Studio Manager/Designer at John Lewis of Hungerford, as you know Diane & I opened our own family run kitchen studio in May 2007.
Let me be the first to say that I do not profess to know everything there is to know about kitchens and the industry, one reason for this is it's a fast paced moving business with some fantastic developments over the years and innovative developments for the future just over the horizon, also it is impossible for one person to know everything about everything life is for learning and we all learn everyday.
The reason for this blog is to give you an actual customer account of how they think our worth is and how we are all tarred with the same brush. the customer is not in any way to blame for this perception it is what we are deemed to be in fact in the transcript of the one of the emails later on in this blog it is evident that he now appreciates what I do.
Several weeks ago a local builder who we have worked with before asked me to look at a project for one of his clients that was planning some alterations to his kitchen and to the extension on his kitchen that the said builder had done several years ago. My brief was a white gloss slab kitchen, a list of required appliances and prices for three types of worksurface, laminate, granite and quartz. it also had to have informal eating for up to four people. I spent a day or so deciphering the builders rough measurement along with making some educated assumptions as to what some of the dimensions were and then came up with a basic un-annotated un-accessorised 3D CAD drawing and a worked out costing based on the brief. In all this was approx two full working days work. I emailed everything over to the builder who was really happy with what I had come up with. Two weeks or so later the builder telephoned me and said the the client wanted to meet with me and come and look at our products, being given the clients details I contacted them and made an appointment for them to come into the studio.
The day came five weeks ago for the client to come in, as always I set out the door style, a handle choice and worksurface sample by my workstation so that when the client is looking at my CAD drawings they can actually see the in front of them what is on the computer, this is a great visualisation tool. During my two and a half hour meeting with the clients and several cups of coffee later we had made extensive changes to the original design because the original brief was in fact just that "brief", I had discussed in great detail the reasons for the way things need to be designed the way they where, I.E working triangle, aesthetics, ergonomics and anthropometrics. I did explain to the client that I would need to site measure myself because with all due respect the measurements I already have in some cases do not add up, I then made an appointment for a couple of weeks time to do a site measurement.
During my site measurement which took approximately two hours, because when I measure I take every conceivable dimension at three different heights, then add up all length and width dimensions to see if they tally up to the overall dimension, also during my meeting I will discuss certain points about what should go where, explaining the reasons why, I would then inform the client that about a week later I will have their design and cost ready, bearing in mind I had already spent days on this project.
One week later as promised I had the clients back in to go through in great detail the new design fully accessorised 3D images (photo realistic), this time again spending over two hours and lots more coffee showing them in the studio set up what I meant by a particular point I was making, at the end of the meeting the client was really happy and was then just waiting for the builder to give him some costs so he could move forward with the project, I left it with them to come back to me to confirm the order in due course. I was really surprised a couple of days later when I received this email:
Let me be the first to say that I do not profess to know everything there is to know about kitchens and the industry, one reason for this is it's a fast paced moving business with some fantastic developments over the years and innovative developments for the future just over the horizon, also it is impossible for one person to know everything about everything life is for learning and we all learn everyday.
The reason for this blog is to give you an actual customer account of how they think our worth is and how we are all tarred with the same brush. the customer is not in any way to blame for this perception it is what we are deemed to be in fact in the transcript of the one of the emails later on in this blog it is evident that he now appreciates what I do.
Several weeks ago a local builder who we have worked with before asked me to look at a project for one of his clients that was planning some alterations to his kitchen and to the extension on his kitchen that the said builder had done several years ago. My brief was a white gloss slab kitchen, a list of required appliances and prices for three types of worksurface, laminate, granite and quartz. it also had to have informal eating for up to four people. I spent a day or so deciphering the builders rough measurement along with making some educated assumptions as to what some of the dimensions were and then came up with a basic un-annotated un-accessorised 3D CAD drawing and a worked out costing based on the brief. In all this was approx two full working days work. I emailed everything over to the builder who was really happy with what I had come up with. Two weeks or so later the builder telephoned me and said the the client wanted to meet with me and come and look at our products, being given the clients details I contacted them and made an appointment for them to come into the studio.
The day came five weeks ago for the client to come in, as always I set out the door style, a handle choice and worksurface sample by my workstation so that when the client is looking at my CAD drawings they can actually see the in front of them what is on the computer, this is a great visualisation tool. During my two and a half hour meeting with the clients and several cups of coffee later we had made extensive changes to the original design because the original brief was in fact just that "brief", I had discussed in great detail the reasons for the way things need to be designed the way they where, I.E working triangle, aesthetics, ergonomics and anthropometrics. I did explain to the client that I would need to site measure myself because with all due respect the measurements I already have in some cases do not add up, I then made an appointment for a couple of weeks time to do a site measurement.
During my site measurement which took approximately two hours, because when I measure I take every conceivable dimension at three different heights, then add up all length and width dimensions to see if they tally up to the overall dimension, also during my meeting I will discuss certain points about what should go where, explaining the reasons why, I would then inform the client that about a week later I will have their design and cost ready, bearing in mind I had already spent days on this project.
One week later as promised I had the clients back in to go through in great detail the new design fully accessorised 3D images (photo realistic), this time again spending over two hours and lots more coffee showing them in the studio set up what I meant by a particular point I was making, at the end of the meeting the client was really happy and was then just waiting for the builder to give him some costs so he could move forward with the project, I left it with them to come back to me to confirm the order in due course. I was really surprised a couple of days later when I received this email:
Dear Russell,
We are definitely interested in your offer.
However, in order for us to undertake a good quality comparison of the different offers and designs can you please provide me with the dimensioned plan and elevation of the kitchen and also some of the cad pictures ( can they be dropped into adobe or a format that I can read without the program you use?)
We are due to have all offers in by 10th Dec and will decide as soon as possible after that date.
Can you also confirm the normal lead time for delivery. This is not to look for a faster completion, but to ensure we can link in with our planned vacation and the building works that would be required. We have not discussed with the builder yet his timings but if you are successful the provisional and approximate timetable would be:
Building works and making good, installing all electrics and plumbing between Feb 8th to 21st (approx. 2 weeks)
Kitchen installation after that. (How long to install please)
We will give you a call in the next 2 weeks to visit and go over any further details/changes we may have.
Many thanks
Now this above email really threw me back due to the fact the amount of time and effort already spent on this project. This just shows that no matter how much time and advice you give in the end you are just a commodity and not of any real worth.Through all the meeting and conversations with the client I was always given "buying signals" and they did not speak in generic tones nor did they say at any time they where getting other quotes/designs. I do know who the other companies are and one is a shed and one is a multiple. I was a bit taken aback and had took some time compose my reply email below:
Thanks for getting back to me.
As I am sure you can appreciate, we put of lot of time into each potential client that we see, from meetings in the studio to extensively measuring the kitchen area and offering excellent unrivalled advice with regards to their kitchen projects. We also produce photo realistic CAD images that we know other companies cannot and will not do. With this in mind we do not release any CAD images or plans before the purchase of the kitchen. As set out in the companies terms and conditions, there is an option for potential clients to receive all copies before ordering which incurs a £250 design fee which is refundable on purchase of their kitchen. Also our CAD system is set up by 2020 fusion to not reproduce images via computer exporting this is to ensure that their rights are protected.
We again would like to thank you for considering our company & hope that you can appreciate our response.
Very kind regards.
When I sent this reply I wondered what type of response I would get if any but I waited with baited breath for a response in the hope that my belief in people would be redeemed, I did receive a reply and here it is:
Hi Russell,
I fully understand your position and protection of your proprietary knowledge.
I do however need you to give me some information to assist me in getting an accurate quote from The builder. I attach an excel spread sheet and ask you to comment on the items marked in blue in terms of locations and dimensions and your opinion on such items as the number of down lighters and positions. For example how many sockets have to be moved and by how much.
Additionally we will very probably wish to visit again to tweek things – e.g. if the prices of the total job are within budget we will probably go for the combi microwave. If it easier to get all this information at you premises we can drop by this week some time.
Thanks and regards
This response renewed my faith that not all potential clients are the same and that once I had pointed out out my position it was reasonably thought about and it was agreed after some thought that my time and expertise are appreciated and also maybe the light bulb moment hit home about how much honest and correct advice they had actually received against the two other companies that they had received quotes from. Just for the record and again how much effort we actually put in to our clients I emailed back the requested electrical requirements:
Electrics for kitchen design.
The double
socket currently 354mm left of hall door architrave, move towards door by 150mm
and just above skirting board.
Double
socket currently next to existing cooker socket needs removing (new socket
further right see last point)
Existing
cooker socket can be left at its current left/right dimension but needs
lowering so it sits in back of pan drawer base 368mm off floor 65mm off back
wall so sits on back panel (but replace cover with new small shallow depth)
A 2nd
cooker point needs bringing in from the fuse board and fitted just left of the
1st new positioned cooker socket. (65mm off wall) 368mm off floor
Spur for
gas hob ignition required just left of 2nd cooker socket (65mm off
wall) 368mm off floor.
Extractor
socket needed 2338mm to the centre of the socket from hall door architrave door
125mm from ceiling, you can also add a switch spur next to new double socket if
you wish.
Junction
box for under wall cab lights on top of cooker tower 880mm from hall door
architrave 2150 from floor.
2nd
junction box required for remainder under lights 2150mm off floor 3916mm left
of hall door architrave.
Junction
box on floor where utility radiator is now this is for plinth heater, also fit
fused switch spur at double socket height to switch on and off.
Reposition
existing double socket on back of utility room wall 420mm to the right and at
normal socket position.
Socket
required for USA
Reposition
outside light switch to new position.
Reposition
boiler timer to inside 1st 300 larder unit on back panel (65mm off
wall) at accessible position to use.
Socket for
dishwasher required centre of kitchen window approx 1510mm from back door
reveal 300mm off floor 65mm off wall on back panel.
Socket for
pope up worktop socket 1200mm from soil stack box 600
1 new
double socket 1265mm from left of back of utility room wall at normal socket
height.
1new double
socket 1280mm from hall door architrave at normal socket height.
This does
not include replacing any existing sockets with new ones that are not being moved.
I have put in all the copies of the emails and content just to show the difference between what we actually do for our clients compared to the majority of multiples, sheds and local independents. To end on a nice note today we received a box of chocolates, bottle of wine and a thank you card from one client who's kitchen is now finished and another elderly client came in by bus from distance to tell us how pleased she is and how all her friends and family love the kitchen and the thought put into the design and to ask us what wine we drink.
Faith is restored and I move onto my next project with the same trials and tribulations but this shows the need for respect for the good guys in our industry and there are many of them, but while potential clients tar us all with the same brush it will be a battle until we can get an industry standard on planning of kitchens etc..The design side of things will come in time and design is one persons perception of how something looks.
Russell
Friday 16 November 2012
Homebase "Make a house a mess"
A lady came into our studio today and wanted a price for an integrated fridge she said" I don't want a kitchen just the fridge because Homebase are doing my kitchen. At first the reaction would be to politely tell her to go to Homebase to buy the fridge but when she started to explain why she was having a Homebase kitchen then you will be as gobsmacked as we were it even pales my last blog about incorrectly measured Magnet kitchen into significance.
The lady began to explain that she purchased a fitted bathroom from Homebase recently and in all spent around £7k, she had concerns whilst it was being installed and mentioned her concerns during the installation to the 'Trustmark' Homebase registered installers who assured her that it was being installed correctly.
Shortly after the bathroom was completed she heard a dripping noise during the night and in the morning went downstairs to the kitchen to find the kitchen ceiling on the floor, wall / base units and worktops, everywhere else was wet even the walls.
After complaining to Homebase they agreed to replace the kitchen units and worktops but she had to buy her own appliances. She was wondering whether to ask if she could be given the money instead so she could choose her own kitchen company to buy it from.
We felt really sorry for this lady and hope that she gets sorted to her satisfaction.
The lesson to be learnt here is; even if the company seems to be reputable they may not be. If you are a member of the public and read this blog may I suggest before you make a major purchase such as a kitchen, bathroom etc.. then please look up that particular company on the internet first to see what experiences other people have had, just type into the search bar "Problems with.....such and such a company, only then you will be armed with the information required for you to spend your hard earned money.
Russell
Wednesday 14 November 2012
Magnet mismeasures kitchen
Just listen to this.
A customer came in to my studio last week armed with a Magnet kitchen plan and 3D drawings, the customer asked me if I could give her a price based on what Magnet had planned, I did this and the price came in £3k cheaper for better quality cabinets. I proceeded to tell the customer that before placing an order I would need to check the measurements myself as I would never trust another persons perception of a dimension of the room.
I went out and measured the kitchen on Monday evening and was absolutely astounded but not surprised that the measurements that magnet had taken two weeks earlier had measured the room over two foot longer on one wall than it actually was, plus there was a boxed in lintel that had not been accounted for and then to top it off the actual ceiling height would have left the extra tall larder units in the void space between the kitchen and the above bedroom.
I never made any assumptions that this had been previously measured by a "Professional Designer" thinking that the measurements could have been taken from assumed architects drawings or even taken by the customer, so I asked the question "Had Magnet actually been out and measured this room and if so was all the work complete to as it is now" the customer told me that the Magnet Designer had measured up and that all the work was complete.
Now I am not making this up I actually have a copy of the plan in front of me. This would have meant the customers range cooker being installed over the doorway from the hall and on the opposite side where the breakfast bar is situated people would be sitting on stools with their backs up against the larder unit behind them.
I did not know whether to laugh or cry. This is not the first time the Designers from this particular Magnet store have made measurement errors, and these are only the ones I have seen what about the ones that got away.
I felt I should go over to Magnet in Bromborough and speak to the manager and let him know what is happening in his store but that is not my responsibility. This is why there needs to be some legislation on who is allowed to take responsibility for measuring, planning and designing peoples kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.
If anybody would like to see a twitter photo of the magnet planned measurements and the actual measurements please let me know.
Russell
A customer came in to my studio last week armed with a Magnet kitchen plan and 3D drawings, the customer asked me if I could give her a price based on what Magnet had planned, I did this and the price came in £3k cheaper for better quality cabinets. I proceeded to tell the customer that before placing an order I would need to check the measurements myself as I would never trust another persons perception of a dimension of the room.
I went out and measured the kitchen on Monday evening and was absolutely astounded but not surprised that the measurements that magnet had taken two weeks earlier had measured the room over two foot longer on one wall than it actually was, plus there was a boxed in lintel that had not been accounted for and then to top it off the actual ceiling height would have left the extra tall larder units in the void space between the kitchen and the above bedroom.
I never made any assumptions that this had been previously measured by a "Professional Designer" thinking that the measurements could have been taken from assumed architects drawings or even taken by the customer, so I asked the question "Had Magnet actually been out and measured this room and if so was all the work complete to as it is now" the customer told me that the Magnet Designer had measured up and that all the work was complete.
Now I am not making this up I actually have a copy of the plan in front of me. This would have meant the customers range cooker being installed over the doorway from the hall and on the opposite side where the breakfast bar is situated people would be sitting on stools with their backs up against the larder unit behind them.
I did not know whether to laugh or cry. This is not the first time the Designers from this particular Magnet store have made measurement errors, and these are only the ones I have seen what about the ones that got away.
I felt I should go over to Magnet in Bromborough and speak to the manager and let him know what is happening in his store but that is not my responsibility. This is why there needs to be some legislation on who is allowed to take responsibility for measuring, planning and designing peoples kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.
If anybody would like to see a twitter photo of the magnet planned measurements and the actual measurements please let me know.
Russell
Friday 12 October 2012
Vodafone & customer service
I know this is not about kitchens but the issue is customer service, this is something we all deal with on a day to day basis whether it be in kitchens or retail in general.
I have been a very long standing Vodafone customer and in general have had very few issues that I can say would spring to mind if I was asked, however all the major problems have descended on me in one week:
Firstly I get a text message thanking me for my upgrade and my new phone will be with me as per arrangement. At this point I thought I had received somebody else's message but to be sure I logged into my online Vodafone account to find that my contract had been upgraded to a completely new price plan and that I have ordered a brand new phone, which incidentally will be posted to an address 90 miles away in Birmingham.
My question is this how could somebody order a new phone and price plan without going through some security questions, like mothers maiden name etc..This leads me to believe it is an inside job.
I telephoned the Police in Birmingham and gave them the address the phone was to be delivered to and also informed them of my suspicions of an inside job. They took the details and said "they would look into it" Hmmm.
As soon as I saw this I contacted the call centre and spoke to a pleasant guy who stopped the phone being delivered and cancelled the upgraded contract, he also said he would inform the fraud dept.. great service so far. He then asked me if I was actually interested in upgrading my phone and contract, I told him I was happy with my current phone and plan but that I have another contract that I would be interested in upgrading i asked if he could call me in an hour's time to which he did.
When he called me back he advised about the options on price plans available and recommended a Sony Xperia T phone, again excellent service so far. the phone was sent out and I received a series of text updates informing me of when the phone is to arrive, again great service. the phone arrived the next morning but it had an iPhone sim card in the pack, I rang the call centre who apologised and said they would send the correct sim out (upto 3 days). Two days later 2 sim cards arrive which I did not get until I got home from work so I thought I would sort it all out the next day (today Fri 12/10/2012). I followed the instructions on computer by transferring my old style sim details to the new micro sim but it kept coming up with error sim not transferred, I then phoned the call centre again for help, the operator went through a series of tests and telling me to do this and do that with the phone, the final conversation was to switch it off and leave it for an hour then switch it on again and the operator will phone me back which he did, he informed me that the sim card is live and activated bit thinks the problem is traffic, now I have been stuck in traffic many times but none have been as frustrating as this, M25 eat your heart out. I was then advised to switch it off again and switch it on every 2 hours to see whats happened.
I keep swicthing it on and off but nothing happens, I tweeted @Vodafoneuk about the problem and even gave them what the phone was saying, that was an hour ago 1.37pm it is now 2.50pm and they have not even acknowledged my tweet.
We are none the wiser do I have a faulty phone who knows. This is an important phone line because it is an emergency number for a vulnerable elderly lady from a help contact centre who will phone me if there is a problem and a school number for our daughter.
I am on the phone again to Vodafone now, and have been told that the sim is switched on and to just keep switching on and off and it will all be Ok.
If I was informed in the first place that it could take upto 24hrs for sim to activate then I would not be writing this blog.
Businesses need to manage their customers expectations. There is a say prevention is better than cure and I think Vodafone have not prevented or cured anything today.
Not happy with Vodafone.
Russell
I have been a very long standing Vodafone customer and in general have had very few issues that I can say would spring to mind if I was asked, however all the major problems have descended on me in one week:
Firstly I get a text message thanking me for my upgrade and my new phone will be with me as per arrangement. At this point I thought I had received somebody else's message but to be sure I logged into my online Vodafone account to find that my contract had been upgraded to a completely new price plan and that I have ordered a brand new phone, which incidentally will be posted to an address 90 miles away in Birmingham.
My question is this how could somebody order a new phone and price plan without going through some security questions, like mothers maiden name etc..This leads me to believe it is an inside job.
I telephoned the Police in Birmingham and gave them the address the phone was to be delivered to and also informed them of my suspicions of an inside job. They took the details and said "they would look into it" Hmmm.
As soon as I saw this I contacted the call centre and spoke to a pleasant guy who stopped the phone being delivered and cancelled the upgraded contract, he also said he would inform the fraud dept.. great service so far. He then asked me if I was actually interested in upgrading my phone and contract, I told him I was happy with my current phone and plan but that I have another contract that I would be interested in upgrading i asked if he could call me in an hour's time to which he did.
When he called me back he advised about the options on price plans available and recommended a Sony Xperia T phone, again excellent service so far. the phone was sent out and I received a series of text updates informing me of when the phone is to arrive, again great service. the phone arrived the next morning but it had an iPhone sim card in the pack, I rang the call centre who apologised and said they would send the correct sim out (upto 3 days). Two days later 2 sim cards arrive which I did not get until I got home from work so I thought I would sort it all out the next day (today Fri 12/10/2012). I followed the instructions on computer by transferring my old style sim details to the new micro sim but it kept coming up with error sim not transferred, I then phoned the call centre again for help, the operator went through a series of tests and telling me to do this and do that with the phone, the final conversation was to switch it off and leave it for an hour then switch it on again and the operator will phone me back which he did, he informed me that the sim card is live and activated bit thinks the problem is traffic, now I have been stuck in traffic many times but none have been as frustrating as this, M25 eat your heart out. I was then advised to switch it off again and switch it on every 2 hours to see whats happened.
I keep swicthing it on and off but nothing happens, I tweeted @Vodafoneuk about the problem and even gave them what the phone was saying, that was an hour ago 1.37pm it is now 2.50pm and they have not even acknowledged my tweet.
We are none the wiser do I have a faulty phone who knows. This is an important phone line because it is an emergency number for a vulnerable elderly lady from a help contact centre who will phone me if there is a problem and a school number for our daughter.
I am on the phone again to Vodafone now, and have been told that the sim is switched on and to just keep switching on and off and it will all be Ok.
If I was informed in the first place that it could take upto 24hrs for sim to activate then I would not be writing this blog.
Businesses need to manage their customers expectations. There is a say prevention is better than cure and I think Vodafone have not prevented or cured anything today.
Not happy with Vodafone.
Russell
Tuesday 18 September 2012
Kitchen Comparison Website
People's hunger for viewable Internet price comparisons before deciding to purchase a kitchen should not even be the issue. In my opinion all this does is make the potential customers aware that it is all down to price; for example, they view the site and see that Such & Such is cheaper on a particular basket of goods than So & So. The potential customer will then go off to Such & Such down the road only to be given poor advice and the hard sell, this will leave the customer with a bad taste who then might assume that we are all the same, that same customer could have gone to another of Such & Suches branches a few miles further and might have seen different advisor who could have given them more sustainable advice with regards to their kitchen design and purchase.
You cannot assume that the current three companies that are on the comparison site all offer the same design service as each other, I know this for an absolute fact. Each of the three companies will have persons within their stores offering varying levels of advice & service and even within each particular store they would have more than one advisor working on the kitchen department and each advisor would offer variable levels of knowledge. So the only certain thing that this website will do is to drive potential customers into the lowest price store and even worse possibly into a Lions Lair.
On a bit more positive note if somebody who was looking at the website was a bit more savvy they may realise that the companies being compared are not the only ones out there and it may spur them to look around.
I do feel it is very important that the Kitchen Compare Website in question has the foresight to put a footnote at the bottom of their comparisons that says "Please note the above comparisons are based on a basket layout and that other multiple kitchen companies or independents may offer similar products for the same or similar prices, please also note that purchasing a kitchen can enhance your lifestyle and home and therefore it is important that you receive the correct advice before making a purchase"
It would be virtually impossible for independents to have their products put on a comparison website because the majority don't just sell boxes on walls, they secure products from various suppliers and put them together to suit a clients needs and each client is different along with the massive difference in the quality of the product.
Competition is a good thing for all concerned as it keeps everybody on their toes but in equal measure competition has to be to be able to offer customers an un-blindfolded view of what it is they are buying.
You cannot assume that the current three companies that are on the comparison site all offer the same design service as each other, I know this for an absolute fact. Each of the three companies will have persons within their stores offering varying levels of advice & service and even within each particular store they would have more than one advisor working on the kitchen department and each advisor would offer variable levels of knowledge. So the only certain thing that this website will do is to drive potential customers into the lowest price store and even worse possibly into a Lions Lair.
On a bit more positive note if somebody who was looking at the website was a bit more savvy they may realise that the companies being compared are not the only ones out there and it may spur them to look around.
I do feel it is very important that the Kitchen Compare Website in question has the foresight to put a footnote at the bottom of their comparisons that says "Please note the above comparisons are based on a basket layout and that other multiple kitchen companies or independents may offer similar products for the same or similar prices, please also note that purchasing a kitchen can enhance your lifestyle and home and therefore it is important that you receive the correct advice before making a purchase"
It would be virtually impossible for independents to have their products put on a comparison website because the majority don't just sell boxes on walls, they secure products from various suppliers and put them together to suit a clients needs and each client is different along with the massive difference in the quality of the product.
Competition is a good thing for all concerned as it keeps everybody on their toes but in equal measure competition has to be to be able to offer customers an un-blindfolded view of what it is they are buying.
Monday 2 July 2012
Beware induction hobs
Here is something that you might need to think about if you have an induction hob. After watching Jnr Masterchef Australia last week it became apparent that the induction hobs that they use for the show can cause a problem if you have not switched off your hob when you have finished (this is not a brand specific problem).
during the show one of the jnr chef's had stopped using the induction hob, they had taken the pans off but did not switch off, because the hob has pan recognition it did not look like the hob was on.
This is what happened next.
They were baking a cake in the oven below the hob, the cake was in a tin that was made of ferrous metal, when the cake was cooked it was taken out of the oven and placed on the hob above, ceramic hobs are good for an extra work space if needed and we have all probably used them as such, however what happend was that the jnr chef walked away and in seconds the cake burnt to a crisp because the tin it was in reacted to the induction hob.
This was a TV show so it was noticed before a fire would have taken hold but if this was yours or my kitchen and we walked away thinking all was safe then we could be looking at a major disaster. So next time you have finished using your induction hob switch it off rather than leaving it in suspend, If you don't, be thankful that the only thing that could be burnt is the food you put on top of the hob.
Russell
during the show one of the jnr chef's had stopped using the induction hob, they had taken the pans off but did not switch off, because the hob has pan recognition it did not look like the hob was on.
This is what happened next.
They were baking a cake in the oven below the hob, the cake was in a tin that was made of ferrous metal, when the cake was cooked it was taken out of the oven and placed on the hob above, ceramic hobs are good for an extra work space if needed and we have all probably used them as such, however what happend was that the jnr chef walked away and in seconds the cake burnt to a crisp because the tin it was in reacted to the induction hob.
This was a TV show so it was noticed before a fire would have taken hold but if this was yours or my kitchen and we walked away thinking all was safe then we could be looking at a major disaster. So next time you have finished using your induction hob switch it off rather than leaving it in suspend, If you don't, be thankful that the only thing that could be burnt is the food you put on top of the hob.
Russell
Friday 22 June 2012
Do suppliers listen?
Isn't journalism great, throw in a provocative article or statement and watch a war of the words break out.
Do suppliers listen?
Listen has many meanings, it could mean they will sit with retailers in the know write an action plan to improve product quality / service and then put this action plan into force. It may mean every now and then the supplier gets its sales team to ring you up to ask if there is anything they can do to help you or to ask what they can do for you to get you to buy more products from them and then there is a just paying lip service by pretending to listen to make themselves look and feel good.
I have had experiences in all of the above in fact on Wednesday this week I was at Omega plc in Doncaster with 19 other retailers and senior Directors, department managers, buyers, reps and customer service managers from the Omega team, I say team because that is how we felt as if we are part of the team, I have been to three other Omega retailer forums and each time when our opinions have been voiced we have been listened to, obviously not every wish or gripe can be actioned upon as we have to be objective and understand as Omega do that in the end it's all about money, they want to make money and they in turn want us to make money which is what makes businesses successful.
I think that if I am fair to the suppliers then in turn they will be fair back, this sometimes though is not always the case. I have recently stopped buying kitchens from one particular supplier because no matter how many times that I and other retailers have asked them to do things that would help not only us sell more kitchens but provide them with an improved product offering. I know this to be fact because having spoken to certain people within that company they have told me that they are sick of going back and telling their bosses the same thing and nothing gets done or listened to, only that they want more accounts open. We see this all the time when drivers of said companies turn up with virtually nothing on their vans or their run has been doubled or even tripled up so as to fill a van up. There are other suppliers who change things at will and don't even tell you, this causes major headaches, so not only are they not listening they are speaking either.
There was an article in KBB review online update a couple of weeks ago about the worth of distributors, distributors are suppliers only with more products, the article in the main was right but not all distributors should be tarnished with the same brush, I have had great service from Waterline, again it is how I am with them that determines how they are with me. Some suppliers are even dictatorial thinking that they are God and we should do as they say and dance to the tune that they are playing. I don't dance not even a dad dance, I will professionally and politely tell them how it is,
give them so long and then if they continue to stay the way they are I will then not use them anymore.
If we are all to get on which is a must for survival then it is very important for suppliers to listen to us because at the end of the day if we are not selling their products to the end user then only they will suffer because there are other suppliers out there who will listen and will offer products and services that suit us better. In turn though we must give the suppliers a chance and work with them to manage customer expectations.
Russell
Do suppliers listen?
Listen has many meanings, it could mean they will sit with retailers in the know write an action plan to improve product quality / service and then put this action plan into force. It may mean every now and then the supplier gets its sales team to ring you up to ask if there is anything they can do to help you or to ask what they can do for you to get you to buy more products from them and then there is a just paying lip service by pretending to listen to make themselves look and feel good.
I have had experiences in all of the above in fact on Wednesday this week I was at Omega plc in Doncaster with 19 other retailers and senior Directors, department managers, buyers, reps and customer service managers from the Omega team, I say team because that is how we felt as if we are part of the team, I have been to three other Omega retailer forums and each time when our opinions have been voiced we have been listened to, obviously not every wish or gripe can be actioned upon as we have to be objective and understand as Omega do that in the end it's all about money, they want to make money and they in turn want us to make money which is what makes businesses successful.
I think that if I am fair to the suppliers then in turn they will be fair back, this sometimes though is not always the case. I have recently stopped buying kitchens from one particular supplier because no matter how many times that I and other retailers have asked them to do things that would help not only us sell more kitchens but provide them with an improved product offering. I know this to be fact because having spoken to certain people within that company they have told me that they are sick of going back and telling their bosses the same thing and nothing gets done or listened to, only that they want more accounts open. We see this all the time when drivers of said companies turn up with virtually nothing on their vans or their run has been doubled or even tripled up so as to fill a van up. There are other suppliers who change things at will and don't even tell you, this causes major headaches, so not only are they not listening they are speaking either.
There was an article in KBB review online update a couple of weeks ago about the worth of distributors, distributors are suppliers only with more products, the article in the main was right but not all distributors should be tarnished with the same brush, I have had great service from Waterline, again it is how I am with them that determines how they are with me. Some suppliers are even dictatorial thinking that they are God and we should do as they say and dance to the tune that they are playing. I don't dance not even a dad dance, I will professionally and politely tell them how it is,
give them so long and then if they continue to stay the way they are I will then not use them anymore.
If we are all to get on which is a must for survival then it is very important for suppliers to listen to us because at the end of the day if we are not selling their products to the end user then only they will suffer because there are other suppliers out there who will listen and will offer products and services that suit us better. In turn though we must give the suppliers a chance and work with them to manage customer expectations.
Russell
Friday 15 June 2012
Franke sinks and taps
Here is something I want to take issue with, Franke sinks and taps.
This is not about their products as they are very good quality, this is not about their customer service this also is very good, this is about their pricing policy.
Now I am a small fish in a big pond and could not sell enough of their products to warrant a direct account with Franke UK so I use a distributor or distributors ( this is not the distributors fault either). I have just been asked for a price on a Minerva kettle tap, Franke's own brochure has a recommended retail price of £1116.72 inc vat silk steel, my buying price £704.40 inc vat, internet price on the first click £634.49 inc vat and delivery.
Don't get me wrong here I am not against the internet companies selling whatever they like on the net because we all buy and can sell on the internet and I applaud the genuine companies who trade their wares and offer the same customer service levels as all good retailers do. What really gets my goat on this issue is that I display Franke products, I demonstrate to customers Franke products and I promote Franke products but I cannot buy their products at trade price cheaper than retail prices from some internet companies.
If Franke can sell their products to internet companies and still make a healthy profit and those internet companies can then in turn sell them to retail customers cheaper than I can buy them for then there is something definitely wrong with their pricing policy.
The distributor I buy from are the worlds largest distributor of Franke goods and I know that they are not buying these products at a price that they make a ridiculous mark up. So can somebody at Franke respond to this and tell me and other kitchen retailers how and why they can offer their goods to different outlets at vastly different prices.
Russell
This is not about their products as they are very good quality, this is not about their customer service this also is very good, this is about their pricing policy.
Now I am a small fish in a big pond and could not sell enough of their products to warrant a direct account with Franke UK so I use a distributor or distributors ( this is not the distributors fault either). I have just been asked for a price on a Minerva kettle tap, Franke's own brochure has a recommended retail price of £1116.72 inc vat silk steel, my buying price £704.40 inc vat, internet price on the first click £634.49 inc vat and delivery.
Don't get me wrong here I am not against the internet companies selling whatever they like on the net because we all buy and can sell on the internet and I applaud the genuine companies who trade their wares and offer the same customer service levels as all good retailers do. What really gets my goat on this issue is that I display Franke products, I demonstrate to customers Franke products and I promote Franke products but I cannot buy their products at trade price cheaper than retail prices from some internet companies.
If Franke can sell their products to internet companies and still make a healthy profit and those internet companies can then in turn sell them to retail customers cheaper than I can buy them for then there is something definitely wrong with their pricing policy.
The distributor I buy from are the worlds largest distributor of Franke goods and I know that they are not buying these products at a price that they make a ridiculous mark up. So can somebody at Franke respond to this and tell me and other kitchen retailers how and why they can offer their goods to different outlets at vastly different prices.
Russell
Thursday 14 June 2012
A little thought solves a lot of potential problems
We have just had a major issue with one of our direct account suppliers, I am not going to say who as the issue has now been resolved but if the problem was handled in a different way then the problem would not have arisen in the first place. I used to work for a major kitchen player and they had an "Operation White Glove" 'If the customer had a problem sought it out straight away and then resolve any who was at fault issues later'
The problem we had was that the company called us to ask for payment up front for goods we had not yet received otherwise our account would be on hold. I went ballistic, our account credit limit was quite high and we had not reached it, so I enquired as to why they were requesting payment, they told me that "my credit limit had been reduced because a credit insurance company told them to". This made me more infuriated as we are extremely good payers to all of our accounts so much so one of them has given us an unlimited credit limit. Even the company concerned acknowledged yesterday that we always pay our account before the due date. I sent lots of emails to various people within the company from the sales director to the sales rep, letting them know that we would not be treated this way. After some argy bargy and a loss of goodwill on my behalf we received another call from the account supervisor apologising and re-instating our credit limit plus some on top.
The lesson is if the company concerned had looked at our account and called us to discuss things instead of just informing me that they wanted prior payment then I would not be writing this blog and they would have got themselves some brownie points because they could have called me and said there has been an issue with a credit insurance company but we have resolved it, but they didn't #lessonlearnt.
Russell
The problem we had was that the company called us to ask for payment up front for goods we had not yet received otherwise our account would be on hold. I went ballistic, our account credit limit was quite high and we had not reached it, so I enquired as to why they were requesting payment, they told me that "my credit limit had been reduced because a credit insurance company told them to". This made me more infuriated as we are extremely good payers to all of our accounts so much so one of them has given us an unlimited credit limit. Even the company concerned acknowledged yesterday that we always pay our account before the due date. I sent lots of emails to various people within the company from the sales director to the sales rep, letting them know that we would not be treated this way. After some argy bargy and a loss of goodwill on my behalf we received another call from the account supervisor apologising and re-instating our credit limit plus some on top.
The lesson is if the company concerned had looked at our account and called us to discuss things instead of just informing me that they wanted prior payment then I would not be writing this blog and they would have got themselves some brownie points because they could have called me and said there has been an issue with a credit insurance company but we have resolved it, but they didn't #lessonlearnt.
Russell
Friday 8 June 2012
Next's kitchen offering
Next are advertising that they design, sell & install kitchens, that's fine If a company wants to set themselves up as kitchen specialists then they have as much right as anybody to do so.
This is were the sticky bit comes in:
Next are a national retailer with branches all over the country and some of those branches that they will set up kitchen displays in will be close to other kitchen retailers, not a problem so far, a little competition never hurt anybody and national advertising will bring in general enquiries to other kitchen retailers in the area. But what if I have a kitchen showroom set up with the same kitchens that Next are selling, this brand being the JJ Ormerods Colonial kitchens using the same range names as the independent retailer who may have a showroom nicely and expensively fitted out with the same kitchens and the same range names as the Next kitchens, I can tell you I would be miffed.
It is not beyond common sense that the kitchens that Next and the independent retailer displays should have been given different names with different brochure shots, by not doing this I think it cheapens the brand and thus makes it look like a mass produced product similar to what you can pick up from a DIY outlet which I know is not true of Colonial kitchens because they are good quality and have a great range of sized cabinets.
I currently have eight kitchen displays from Chippendale / Sheraton (soon to be nine) and one other, if my supplier suddenly decided to supply another kitchen retailer with the same kitchens as mine using the same range names, brochure shots etc then I would be looking for a new supplier who will show respect to the time ,effort and investment that I have put into their brand.
Russell
This is were the sticky bit comes in:
Next are a national retailer with branches all over the country and some of those branches that they will set up kitchen displays in will be close to other kitchen retailers, not a problem so far, a little competition never hurt anybody and national advertising will bring in general enquiries to other kitchen retailers in the area. But what if I have a kitchen showroom set up with the same kitchens that Next are selling, this brand being the JJ Ormerods Colonial kitchens using the same range names as the independent retailer who may have a showroom nicely and expensively fitted out with the same kitchens and the same range names as the Next kitchens, I can tell you I would be miffed.
It is not beyond common sense that the kitchens that Next and the independent retailer displays should have been given different names with different brochure shots, by not doing this I think it cheapens the brand and thus makes it look like a mass produced product similar to what you can pick up from a DIY outlet which I know is not true of Colonial kitchens because they are good quality and have a great range of sized cabinets.
I currently have eight kitchen displays from Chippendale / Sheraton (soon to be nine) and one other, if my supplier suddenly decided to supply another kitchen retailer with the same kitchens as mine using the same range names, brochure shots etc then I would be looking for a new supplier who will show respect to the time ,effort and investment that I have put into their brand.
Russell
Monday 14 May 2012
To train or not to train that is the question?
K and B News
To train or not to train a double edged sword.
There is a lot of debate at the moment between the KBB media, retailers and various organisations that offer KBB back up and training as to whether or not KBB planners and designers should have qualifications and or training to be able to offer advice to prospective customers in our industry.
Any current and past professional retailers, designers and planners should really be saying that yes without a doubt all people offering advice to potential customers that are thinking of having a kitchen, bedroom or bathrooms installed in their homes should have some sort of standardised training and ongoing support to deal with the legal implications in designing such projects, after all the kitchen and bathroom are the most dangerous rooms in the house and failure on the part of the planner / designer to offer correct advice can have serious health and safety implications and can also mean customer not getting the correct ergonomic design for to suit their needs.
There is a but in all this; it’s the double edged sword scenario. I would imagine that most independent retailers that have studios situated close to a multiple or DIY KBB retailer will have mixed feelings about such a move to professional training for all in the industry.
I for one am situated only a stones throw away from a DIY shed, a multiple and a supermarket who sell kitchens and several other independent kitchen specialists who are also within walking distance from my studio.
The vast majority of my clients are from recommendations, they have chosen to come to me because of the professional advice, service and honesty that we gave their friends and family, we know this because we won Merseyside trader of the year in 2010 as voted by our customers.
Of course the design side of the project is completely different to the planning side because ‘Design’ is one person’s perception of how something should look but planning should be a firm fixed no room for manoeuvre stance that we all should be following.
But if all the retailers close to me had the same professional training then the only difference between me and them is the ‘Design’ and the service which I am sure at some point these companies will catch on that this is also a very important area that needs addressing. So with regards to potential sales ,where will this leave the multitude of independent KBB retailers who have the knowledge, advice, service and design skills that our near neighbours don’t have, possibly out of business because we pick up the pieces and then thrive on the mistakes of others.
For me every time somebody walks through my doors telling me they have also been to such and such across the road, I mentally rub my hands with glee because I know that the majority of the time I will be taking the sale from my so called competitors.
I am sure that lots of independents will now if not already be thinking the same. So as much as I do not want ‘so and so’ kitchen company having all the training that they should really have I am also an advocate that people in this industry should know what they are doing before being able to offer advice to potential customers who want to purchase these important products for the homes. I think the only true way forward to combat the ‘fly by nights, charlatans and generally untrained’’ is to have government legislation which states that any person who undertakes to plan or design a KBB project should have some sort of professional training in basic safety and planning skills, you cannot open a café/ restaurant or prepare food for the general public without having a basic food hygiene certificate. There are lots of companies out there offering KBB planning / design courses but there is no stomach for such a move at government level because it will open a huge can of worms.
Russell
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