I am going to be very blunt about this, Who the bloody hell does Matt Thomas think he is by accusing "Kitchen & Bathroom independent retailers of offering little security for their customers deposits". (KBB Review 12/12/13). I can only assume by such a provocative statement that has he got a book or something coming out that he wishes to promote or he has been mis-quoted, this has the same bad tones as the Howdens boss saying only builders can fit kitchens correctly.
I and others KBB retailers will be astounded at his comments, there are 100's of retailers that offer deposit protection schemes either through one of the industry bodies that they are members of or their suppliers are members of the same schemes, plus this is a ruse because everybody knows that if you pay by credit card then the credit card company also offers full protection against a company going under. We ourselves have recently been showcased in The Guardian Small Business Showcase for "having very sound financial management forecasting", thus ensuring our business is on a stable footing which benefits not only our clients but our suppliers too.
I can also definitely say with 100% confidence that we offer our quality products at a better price than John Lewis not only that our award winning design service is second to none, this is because we do not work on commission and have our clients sole interests at heart. We and others most definitely do not "Feel Threatened" by John Lewis's KBB offering and to quote Mr Thomas "Despite selling kitchens for more than 10 years many consumers are unaware of the company's KBB offering", he hit the nail on the head "selling"
in effect we all sell but our sales are a result of what we offer our clients (not consumers), a professional design, advice and installation service with an personal after sales service, if you ring our studio you either speak to me or my business partner every time. The wording in Mr Thomas's statement suggests he puts sales before the clients interests. So I and others would like to give Mr Thomas the chance to retract his statement and to get off his holier than though pulpit.
Russell Buckley
Stuart Henry Kitchens Ltd
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Saturday, 16 November 2013
A day in the life of an "Award Winning" kitchen studio.
The case study that we have set out below gives you an insight into the process we undertake for each of our clients no matter how big or small their kitchen is.
In October this year we won the Neff Master Partner Excellence Awards Kitchen Design of the Year 2013.
In October 2011 one of our designs was "Highly Commended" by the Designer Magazine.
In December 2010 we won the accolade of "Local Traders of the Year," we received this award for outstanding customer service as voted by our clients.
Just in case people think my job is easy and I get paid loads of money for creating a couple of pretty pictures I am going to give you an insight of how my job works via this case study.
This is an actual kitchen that was ordered by my client on Saturday 09/11/13.
The initial contact with the client was in February 2013, The client was proposing to have a large kitchen extension so that they could have the kitchen of their dreams plus a separate utility room. After taking copies of the architects drawings we had a meeting which lasted a couple of hours were we discussed the clients requirements (wish list) and the reason for them wanting certain things, this also involved in me having extensive demonstrations of live studio appliances to discuss the benefits of certain features of each individual appliance that would benefit the client in a way that they proposed to use them.
Part of the wish list was an informal eating area that faced the main kitchen cooking/washing area, this also needed to be decorative looking but also functional ( I suggested working sockets for mobile phones, lap tops etc..).
The worksurfaces would be in Black Mirror Quartz with upstands, extractor splashback and window board, I recommended quartz as the material that would suit their lifestyle (i.e rolling pastry & hard wearing & low maintenance)
The overall look of this kitchen needed to have a "wow" factor. We also discussed waste bins, drawer inserts, under and internal cabinet lighting, style of sink which will be a 1.5 bowl steel undermount with full recessed sink area & drain grooves.
The kitchen materials that we chose was the Chippendale Hilton Ivory (solid painted ash frames) with painted ash tongue & groove add on side panels
After extensive discussions it was decided that the appliances would all be Neff with the exception of the slimline wine cooler (Caple), the Neff appliances were to include a tall integrated larder fridge, tall integrated no frost freezer, multi function slide & hide oven, multi function oven with microwave, warming drawer, large 5 burner gas hob with wok support (900mm) so larger pans can all fit on at the same time, 900mm vented matching steel and black extractor fan, large dishwasher with info light so when the floor light goes off you know the wash cycle has completed.
Some time at the end of February I sat down with my drawing board, pencil, scale rule calculator and eraser (just in case) and drew out the area at 1:20 scale on a large sheet of paper, the measurements were taken from the architects blue prints which were in 1:50, although some of the printed dimensions did not mirror the scaled dimensions (which later had ramifications to the design)
I always start by drawing a fine pencil line 600mm from the walls that are to have cabinets etc.. placed on them (the depth of a standard worktop), this gives a starting point to work from. When designing larger rooms I never assume that the worktop depth will be 600mm as I need to allow for step out features (this is an inexpensive way of creating depth to a design) and reducing infill panels.
I always calculate the dimensions of the appliances that have to go into the design and deduct these from the measurements of the overall wall space that has to have things like cabinets on them.
Having been at this for several hours and penciling different ideas it was a good time to take a break and take stock of what I had done so far, this gives me time to reflect and to see if there was another way I could do things to achieve the best outcome for the design & the client.
In between me doing what I have already done with this design I had taken in and checked off several deliveries of items for other clients kitchens, spoken to potential new clients in the studio and had a meeting with installers who are installing ongoing kitchen fits.
having stopped for my usual 7 minute lunch break I got back to the penciled design, I made a couple of small changes (more to do with the ease of installation for the installer than being unhappy with the design).
It was now getting to 4.30pm I had calls to make and start the locking up of the studio for the day and 4.30pm is too late to start listing the layout to cost the materials and estimate the installation.
Next day after opening up, going through emails answering some other client queries, taking in 2 more deliveries and checking them I started to write out the list of materials required for this particular design, and having calculated how much cornice, pelmet, plinths and painted panels that are required so as not to over cost the quotation and having trawled through quite a few suppliers price lists and noting them down I had finally come to price as to how much the materials cost would come to (4 hours), at which time my partner and I opened the post went through some invoices to check they were ok, answered a couple of calls from the kitchen installers and replied to a couple of emails, oh and had my usual 7 minute lunch break which was interrupted by a potential new client coming into the studio for a look around and arrange a home visit (1.15mins), I finished my lunch break (2 mins over my normal 7 mins, I shall reprimand myself later if I get the time). I then went onto costing the installation of the project. (1hr). I typed out the quotation & installation estimate and called the client to make an appointment to go through the penciled design and prices.
Fast forward to the following Saturday morning. The clients came in at 10am I had previously prepared the set out the of the clients door, worktop and suggested handle style (sort of a 3D mood board), we sat down had a couple of coffees over the next two hours and discussed the design, this meant a lot of getting up and down to show them working items from my displays that I had incorporated in to the design ( two couples came in whilst this process was going on at which I briefly spoke to and then my partner dealt with them and booked in appointments for me to go out to their homes) After agreeing my design was just what they wanted (this actually happened, the client actually cried because she said " after visiting a couple of other companies none of them had actually been able to do what they wanted and you had done this and more", hankies passed, tears wiped we went through the prices, so far so good, I did at this point advise the clients that the architects drawing & measurements did not match and that all this was subject to survey once constructed, the client understood this and then asked if we could show them what it would be like in 3D cad images, I agreed this was the next step forward and pointed out that we charge £250 to transfer penciled drawings to CAD when it is only at blue print stage due to that amount of time required to complete the CAD process and given the architects drawing are rarely the actual finished measurements (unforseen things can happen along the way once building has begun), the client said they understood and paid the fee (which is fully refundable on paying the deposit for the order, which I wont take until the final detail has been agreed)
On the following Monday after loading the delivery van and going out with the driver to deliver a kitchen that was being installed that day then going back into the studio to do the normal Monday things, post, emails, telephone calls and more deliveries in and checked, I sat down to start transferring the penciled drawings to CAD (fast forward 3 days with all the other usual stuff in between) I had now completed the CAD drawings and fully accessorised them so that they would be as realistic as possible for the client to visualise them as their kitchen, I called the clients to make a further appointment to come in and view them. (further fast forward 2 more days with all the other usual stuff and two more 7 minute lunch breaks). The clients came in at 10.00am again I had prepared the door, worktop and handle style for them to see and we sat down with coffees to go through the 3D images, 2 hours and four hankies later the clients went away with beaming smiles and in eager anticipation for the completion of their extension.
Fast forward to June 2013, ( by which time I had amassed the legal amount of lunch time hours that a normal person would get in three days) Client comes in to inform me that they had hit a snag with planning and things will need to go on hold until resolved plus the builder who was set for the job was not as good at his word as they had hoped for and were looking for a new one. ( I manged to get 12 mins for lunch on June 26th )
Fast forward to end of July, Client phoned to say planning issues sorted builder sorted but cant start until end of August, great progress made and all systems go.
Fast forward to middle of October (lost time on lunches in July, August and September due to being extremely busy, The EU will be calling me sometime soon to say I can take myself to an employment lawyer to sue myself for breach of the Working Time Directive), The outside walls are up and I can now go and take some measurements, appointment made for middle of the 2nd week. Off I went in very heavy rain briefcase in hand filled with paper, calculator, pens, very long expensive tape measure, architects drawing and my plans in a nice clear plastic folder, arrived at clients house still very heavy rain, I sat in the car for 10mins waiting for the builder to arrive and to see if the rain would go off and wondering if I would get lunch today, the rain did not go off and the builder was late so I made a run for it through a builders sand pit and bricks to the clients front door rang the bell and waited, the client opened the door with a smile and let me in, as I wiped my feet on the door mat he said I wouldn't bother I would wipe them on the way out if I were you.
The builder was going to be late due to heavy traffic. I made a dart for the extension whilst the rain eased slightly, there was no roof yet because the builder was trying to point the side wall but had not managed to do it due to the monsoon rains we had had in October so far, I placed my pad on the brick window opening, trying not to get it wet and started to measure the walls of the extension, smart brown shoes were not the best footwear for this job as I was already up to my ankles in water, I managed to take the measurements and then go back into the clients existing kitchen dripping wet and rain smudged writing on my pad, warm cup of tea in hand I copied the measurement to the plan and cross referenced them with the architects drawing measurements.
Oh Oh (or something like that) a problem had arisen (I now have a not surprised look on my face) something is not right with the measurements, did I write it down wrong has the rain made my four look seven, out into the rain (feet already wet so it doesn't matter) to double check that measurement, no I was right it was a four not a seven, went back inside to break the news to the client that his sink cabinet will be 600mm instead of 800mm and his drawer pack by the dishwasher will be 400mm instead of 500mm and the pullout waste bin just got smaller plus the radiator they wanted by the tall bespoke wine rack will need to be closer to the door because the width of the room is 300mm narrower than the blue prints suggested. 25mins later the builder arrives also very wet, I went through the dimensions that would be required after he finished plastering then made a further appointment with the client to come back to the studio at 10am on Saturday to view the changes to the design, Now 2.30pm (lunch missed, EU not happy) I head back to the studio to do all the other things that I do as well as plan, design other clients kitchens and project manage deliveries and ongoing installations.
The following Saturday after a whole Friday of changing the original design ,you guessed it 10am door, worktop handle already prepared blah blah blah...
the client arrives not wet as the rain had stopped (briefly) and we sat down with coffee and this time with some biscuits I had bought to munch on during my working day (given up on lunch times, I decided constant munching might get the EU off my back) I went through the changes to the design and the client was very happy with what we had done and agreed to pay the deposit (minus the £250 design fee) and book in a delivery date for the 13th January 2014, deposit taken, hands shaken and thanking them for their business, the clients left with printed colour copies of their design and a promise that I would email the designs to them and promise I would now to draw up the electrical plans ( which I would leave until Monday as I had other clients booked in to view and order their kitchen) so their electrician could get all the sockets, spurs etc in place before the plasterer would get the room ready for the kitchen, this took a whole day as it had to be absolutely spot on (as usual) so as not to cause problems to the installer when he fits the kitchen.
Monday came, the usual deliveries out, deliveries in, phone calls and then emails to go through (no lunch just biscuits, reminder to self : buy more biscuits) I then sat and wrote out all the orders for the clients kitchen (6 pages of order forms for 6 different suppliers) and then fax them off, sit down and complete the electrical drawings and annotated plans for the installer. It is now 3.30pm and eight biscuits later (note to self: inform the EU work Directive Department that I consider biscuit interludes to be classed as lunch and that I am the boss at least that is what my partner lets me believe and I will give myself a good talking to later) where was I, oh yes, 3.30pm the order confirmations start coming through by email which I check and confirm back with the suppliers which leaves me enough time to ring the installers to check on things for other fits they are on.
Tuesday, after getting very wet ( I did say the rain had only stopped briefly) whilst taking in a delivery the phone rings and it is my client, he explains that the builder has now decided that he will be finished by the end of November and can we either bring the installation forward to the 1st week in December because they would be without a kitchen all over Christmas & New Year and he has to take out the old kitchen to do the knock through or could I put the kitchen back a couple of weeks so he can go in after New Year (6th January) and do all the electrics and plastering which would take a couple of weeks. My client said he felt very embarrassed that he was making this phone call and he understood our timings were critical as he wanted to use the installer that installed our Award Winning Kitchen Design, After explaining that this would be impossible the client again apologised for asking as he knew what the answer would be but said his builder asked him to ask as he did not want to inconvenience them (understandable). After a couple more deliveries a good soaking (rain still not stopped) a biscuit ( EU Directive) and a coffee the phone rings again this time its the builder informing me how put out he will be and how put out the client is going to be and is there definitely no way of moving the fit date, after calmly informing him of our process and time scales he started to get a bit shirty and put the phone down on me, The client then phoned me back and apologised for for what the builder had said and he explained to him that it was not a problem that they would be without a kitchen as they knew what they were letting themselves in for and not to worry and to keep everything as planned, panic over another biscuit and two coffees and I can get on with the rest of my busy day.
What I have written so far is the point up to were I have got an order, In January their delivery will come in along with other clients deliveries and then I will check it all which includes opening every box that contains a door (60 of them) plus open sink. tap and lighting boxes to check that they are good quality (this also prevents any delays in the installation) On the 13th of January I will go with my driver to deliver this kitchen to the clients home and place it in a position that the installer will commence his fitting start point, I will then during the next two / three weeks (between some biscuits & coffee) visit the site several times to check that things are going to plan and to make sure the client is happy with the progress, once the worksurfaces are installed, the taps and hob have been put in and the decorating completed I will then make an other visit to take some photographs to put on our facebook page.
As you can see from above I wanted to keep this a brief as possible so as not to bore you too much and just to let you in on what we do for each individual client, of course not all orders are for extensions and most are for kitchens in existing rooms, but the process is exactly the same.
Every time we take an order and complete a kitchen we ask the client why they chose us and nearly ever time we are told that it was our attention to detail, invaluable advice and service that made them choose us over our competitors, so much so some people come in to us having been to six or seven companies already, they are filled with dread at looking at more kitchens but were recommended to come and see us, they go away refreshed knowing that the whole process going forward is not going to be as daunting as they thought it was going to be and that they now feel happy that the project they started will be a good experience not a bad one.
Russell Buckley
Stuart Henry Kitchens Ltd
Multi Award Winning Kitchen Studio
In October this year we won the Neff Master Partner Excellence Awards Kitchen Design of the Year 2013.
In October 2011 one of our designs was "Highly Commended" by the Designer Magazine.
In December 2010 we won the accolade of "Local Traders of the Year," we received this award for outstanding customer service as voted by our clients.
Just in case people think my job is easy and I get paid loads of money for creating a couple of pretty pictures I am going to give you an insight of how my job works via this case study.
This is an actual kitchen that was ordered by my client on Saturday 09/11/13.
The initial contact with the client was in February 2013, The client was proposing to have a large kitchen extension so that they could have the kitchen of their dreams plus a separate utility room. After taking copies of the architects drawings we had a meeting which lasted a couple of hours were we discussed the clients requirements (wish list) and the reason for them wanting certain things, this also involved in me having extensive demonstrations of live studio appliances to discuss the benefits of certain features of each individual appliance that would benefit the client in a way that they proposed to use them.
Part of the wish list was an informal eating area that faced the main kitchen cooking/washing area, this also needed to be decorative looking but also functional ( I suggested working sockets for mobile phones, lap tops etc..).
The worksurfaces would be in Black Mirror Quartz with upstands, extractor splashback and window board, I recommended quartz as the material that would suit their lifestyle (i.e rolling pastry & hard wearing & low maintenance)
The overall look of this kitchen needed to have a "wow" factor. We also discussed waste bins, drawer inserts, under and internal cabinet lighting, style of sink which will be a 1.5 bowl steel undermount with full recessed sink area & drain grooves.
The kitchen materials that we chose was the Chippendale Hilton Ivory (solid painted ash frames) with painted ash tongue & groove add on side panels
After extensive discussions it was decided that the appliances would all be Neff with the exception of the slimline wine cooler (Caple), the Neff appliances were to include a tall integrated larder fridge, tall integrated no frost freezer, multi function slide & hide oven, multi function oven with microwave, warming drawer, large 5 burner gas hob with wok support (900mm) so larger pans can all fit on at the same time, 900mm vented matching steel and black extractor fan, large dishwasher with info light so when the floor light goes off you know the wash cycle has completed.
Some time at the end of February I sat down with my drawing board, pencil, scale rule calculator and eraser (just in case) and drew out the area at 1:20 scale on a large sheet of paper, the measurements were taken from the architects blue prints which were in 1:50, although some of the printed dimensions did not mirror the scaled dimensions (which later had ramifications to the design)
I always start by drawing a fine pencil line 600mm from the walls that are to have cabinets etc.. placed on them (the depth of a standard worktop), this gives a starting point to work from. When designing larger rooms I never assume that the worktop depth will be 600mm as I need to allow for step out features (this is an inexpensive way of creating depth to a design) and reducing infill panels.
I always calculate the dimensions of the appliances that have to go into the design and deduct these from the measurements of the overall wall space that has to have things like cabinets on them.
Having been at this for several hours and penciling different ideas it was a good time to take a break and take stock of what I had done so far, this gives me time to reflect and to see if there was another way I could do things to achieve the best outcome for the design & the client.
In between me doing what I have already done with this design I had taken in and checked off several deliveries of items for other clients kitchens, spoken to potential new clients in the studio and had a meeting with installers who are installing ongoing kitchen fits.
having stopped for my usual 7 minute lunch break I got back to the penciled design, I made a couple of small changes (more to do with the ease of installation for the installer than being unhappy with the design).
It was now getting to 4.30pm I had calls to make and start the locking up of the studio for the day and 4.30pm is too late to start listing the layout to cost the materials and estimate the installation.
Next day after opening up, going through emails answering some other client queries, taking in 2 more deliveries and checking them I started to write out the list of materials required for this particular design, and having calculated how much cornice, pelmet, plinths and painted panels that are required so as not to over cost the quotation and having trawled through quite a few suppliers price lists and noting them down I had finally come to price as to how much the materials cost would come to (4 hours), at which time my partner and I opened the post went through some invoices to check they were ok, answered a couple of calls from the kitchen installers and replied to a couple of emails, oh and had my usual 7 minute lunch break which was interrupted by a potential new client coming into the studio for a look around and arrange a home visit (1.15mins), I finished my lunch break (2 mins over my normal 7 mins, I shall reprimand myself later if I get the time). I then went onto costing the installation of the project. (1hr). I typed out the quotation & installation estimate and called the client to make an appointment to go through the penciled design and prices.
Fast forward to the following Saturday morning. The clients came in at 10am I had previously prepared the set out the of the clients door, worktop and suggested handle style (sort of a 3D mood board), we sat down had a couple of coffees over the next two hours and discussed the design, this meant a lot of getting up and down to show them working items from my displays that I had incorporated in to the design ( two couples came in whilst this process was going on at which I briefly spoke to and then my partner dealt with them and booked in appointments for me to go out to their homes) After agreeing my design was just what they wanted (this actually happened, the client actually cried because she said " after visiting a couple of other companies none of them had actually been able to do what they wanted and you had done this and more", hankies passed, tears wiped we went through the prices, so far so good, I did at this point advise the clients that the architects drawing & measurements did not match and that all this was subject to survey once constructed, the client understood this and then asked if we could show them what it would be like in 3D cad images, I agreed this was the next step forward and pointed out that we charge £250 to transfer penciled drawings to CAD when it is only at blue print stage due to that amount of time required to complete the CAD process and given the architects drawing are rarely the actual finished measurements (unforseen things can happen along the way once building has begun), the client said they understood and paid the fee (which is fully refundable on paying the deposit for the order, which I wont take until the final detail has been agreed)
On the following Monday after loading the delivery van and going out with the driver to deliver a kitchen that was being installed that day then going back into the studio to do the normal Monday things, post, emails, telephone calls and more deliveries in and checked, I sat down to start transferring the penciled drawings to CAD (fast forward 3 days with all the other usual stuff in between) I had now completed the CAD drawings and fully accessorised them so that they would be as realistic as possible for the client to visualise them as their kitchen, I called the clients to make a further appointment to come in and view them. (further fast forward 2 more days with all the other usual stuff and two more 7 minute lunch breaks). The clients came in at 10.00am again I had prepared the door, worktop and handle style for them to see and we sat down with coffees to go through the 3D images, 2 hours and four hankies later the clients went away with beaming smiles and in eager anticipation for the completion of their extension.
Fast forward to June 2013, ( by which time I had amassed the legal amount of lunch time hours that a normal person would get in three days) Client comes in to inform me that they had hit a snag with planning and things will need to go on hold until resolved plus the builder who was set for the job was not as good at his word as they had hoped for and were looking for a new one. ( I manged to get 12 mins for lunch on June 26th )
Fast forward to end of July, Client phoned to say planning issues sorted builder sorted but cant start until end of August, great progress made and all systems go.
Fast forward to middle of October (lost time on lunches in July, August and September due to being extremely busy, The EU will be calling me sometime soon to say I can take myself to an employment lawyer to sue myself for breach of the Working Time Directive), The outside walls are up and I can now go and take some measurements, appointment made for middle of the 2nd week. Off I went in very heavy rain briefcase in hand filled with paper, calculator, pens, very long expensive tape measure, architects drawing and my plans in a nice clear plastic folder, arrived at clients house still very heavy rain, I sat in the car for 10mins waiting for the builder to arrive and to see if the rain would go off and wondering if I would get lunch today, the rain did not go off and the builder was late so I made a run for it through a builders sand pit and bricks to the clients front door rang the bell and waited, the client opened the door with a smile and let me in, as I wiped my feet on the door mat he said I wouldn't bother I would wipe them on the way out if I were you.
The builder was going to be late due to heavy traffic. I made a dart for the extension whilst the rain eased slightly, there was no roof yet because the builder was trying to point the side wall but had not managed to do it due to the monsoon rains we had had in October so far, I placed my pad on the brick window opening, trying not to get it wet and started to measure the walls of the extension, smart brown shoes were not the best footwear for this job as I was already up to my ankles in water, I managed to take the measurements and then go back into the clients existing kitchen dripping wet and rain smudged writing on my pad, warm cup of tea in hand I copied the measurement to the plan and cross referenced them with the architects drawing measurements.
Oh Oh (or something like that) a problem had arisen (I now have a not surprised look on my face) something is not right with the measurements, did I write it down wrong has the rain made my four look seven, out into the rain (feet already wet so it doesn't matter) to double check that measurement, no I was right it was a four not a seven, went back inside to break the news to the client that his sink cabinet will be 600mm instead of 800mm and his drawer pack by the dishwasher will be 400mm instead of 500mm and the pullout waste bin just got smaller plus the radiator they wanted by the tall bespoke wine rack will need to be closer to the door because the width of the room is 300mm narrower than the blue prints suggested. 25mins later the builder arrives also very wet, I went through the dimensions that would be required after he finished plastering then made a further appointment with the client to come back to the studio at 10am on Saturday to view the changes to the design, Now 2.30pm (lunch missed, EU not happy) I head back to the studio to do all the other things that I do as well as plan, design other clients kitchens and project manage deliveries and ongoing installations.
The following Saturday after a whole Friday of changing the original design ,you guessed it 10am door, worktop handle already prepared blah blah blah...
the client arrives not wet as the rain had stopped (briefly) and we sat down with coffee and this time with some biscuits I had bought to munch on during my working day (given up on lunch times, I decided constant munching might get the EU off my back) I went through the changes to the design and the client was very happy with what we had done and agreed to pay the deposit (minus the £250 design fee) and book in a delivery date for the 13th January 2014, deposit taken, hands shaken and thanking them for their business, the clients left with printed colour copies of their design and a promise that I would email the designs to them and promise I would now to draw up the electrical plans ( which I would leave until Monday as I had other clients booked in to view and order their kitchen) so their electrician could get all the sockets, spurs etc in place before the plasterer would get the room ready for the kitchen, this took a whole day as it had to be absolutely spot on (as usual) so as not to cause problems to the installer when he fits the kitchen.
Monday came, the usual deliveries out, deliveries in, phone calls and then emails to go through (no lunch just biscuits, reminder to self : buy more biscuits) I then sat and wrote out all the orders for the clients kitchen (6 pages of order forms for 6 different suppliers) and then fax them off, sit down and complete the electrical drawings and annotated plans for the installer. It is now 3.30pm and eight biscuits later (note to self: inform the EU work Directive Department that I consider biscuit interludes to be classed as lunch and that I am the boss at least that is what my partner lets me believe and I will give myself a good talking to later) where was I, oh yes, 3.30pm the order confirmations start coming through by email which I check and confirm back with the suppliers which leaves me enough time to ring the installers to check on things for other fits they are on.
Tuesday, after getting very wet ( I did say the rain had only stopped briefly) whilst taking in a delivery the phone rings and it is my client, he explains that the builder has now decided that he will be finished by the end of November and can we either bring the installation forward to the 1st week in December because they would be without a kitchen all over Christmas & New Year and he has to take out the old kitchen to do the knock through or could I put the kitchen back a couple of weeks so he can go in after New Year (6th January) and do all the electrics and plastering which would take a couple of weeks. My client said he felt very embarrassed that he was making this phone call and he understood our timings were critical as he wanted to use the installer that installed our Award Winning Kitchen Design, After explaining that this would be impossible the client again apologised for asking as he knew what the answer would be but said his builder asked him to ask as he did not want to inconvenience them (understandable). After a couple more deliveries a good soaking (rain still not stopped) a biscuit ( EU Directive) and a coffee the phone rings again this time its the builder informing me how put out he will be and how put out the client is going to be and is there definitely no way of moving the fit date, after calmly informing him of our process and time scales he started to get a bit shirty and put the phone down on me, The client then phoned me back and apologised for for what the builder had said and he explained to him that it was not a problem that they would be without a kitchen as they knew what they were letting themselves in for and not to worry and to keep everything as planned, panic over another biscuit and two coffees and I can get on with the rest of my busy day.
What I have written so far is the point up to were I have got an order, In January their delivery will come in along with other clients deliveries and then I will check it all which includes opening every box that contains a door (60 of them) plus open sink. tap and lighting boxes to check that they are good quality (this also prevents any delays in the installation) On the 13th of January I will go with my driver to deliver this kitchen to the clients home and place it in a position that the installer will commence his fitting start point, I will then during the next two / three weeks (between some biscuits & coffee) visit the site several times to check that things are going to plan and to make sure the client is happy with the progress, once the worksurfaces are installed, the taps and hob have been put in and the decorating completed I will then make an other visit to take some photographs to put on our facebook page.
As you can see from above I wanted to keep this a brief as possible so as not to bore you too much and just to let you in on what we do for each individual client, of course not all orders are for extensions and most are for kitchens in existing rooms, but the process is exactly the same.
Every time we take an order and complete a kitchen we ask the client why they chose us and nearly ever time we are told that it was our attention to detail, invaluable advice and service that made them choose us over our competitors, so much so some people come in to us having been to six or seven companies already, they are filled with dread at looking at more kitchens but were recommended to come and see us, they go away refreshed knowing that the whole process going forward is not going to be as daunting as they thought it was going to be and that they now feel happy that the project they started will be a good experience not a bad one.
Russell Buckley
Stuart Henry Kitchens Ltd
Multi Award Winning Kitchen Studio
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Super discounts from the multiples & buying habits
Having spoken with several reps from suppliers of kitchens and their related accessories including solid worksurfaces / appliances, they are all saying pretty much the same thing that in general the independent kitchen studios are quite quiet at the moment and January, February and March have not been good months, however the sheds and multiples have seen an upturn in business due to their perceived massive discounts and even under the table discounting (non advertised discounts to get the sale). I have been told straight from the horses mouth from one particular company "To get the sale whatever it takes" and they have done so, yes with reduced margin but they got the sale, some may say this is fool hardy (MFI) did this and look what happened, I personally think that this is a game between the sheds and multiples to out do one and other and to gain market share from the others and they do not even consider the independents as a risk to them in becoming number 1.
The above tells me that the general public still believe that the "sale" discounts on offer are genuine and it seems they are being sold to on price rather than what is best for them or their circumstances.
Another big player who just seem to be getting bigger is Howdens, in my view they are successful because you can go and pick it up or have it delivered virtually straight away, and the local tradesman who convinces the unsuspecting client into believing that they are getting a massive discount because they have a trade account with them. Howdens are not the cheapest nor the best quality and how long will it be before they sell directly to retail customers and not just trade, if not doing so already.
One thing is for certain the general buying public perceive the sheds, multiples and Howdens to be offering a value for money product at the best price without the need to shop around, but the customers that do shop around are obviously not getting the right design that suits them, they will then go to an independent and get a better design / service but because the kitchen in the main has been designed correctly it can sometimes be more expensive as the independent is offering a better quality product across the board, this can then create tension in some cases as the customer is expecting the better design and product for the less expensive price they were quoted from the shed. What do you think?
Russell
Saturday, 9 March 2013
Time for KBB Designers to stand up for themselves
I am replying to a thread on the www.fkbd.eu Titled "Time for designers to stand up for themselves" in respect to charging for designs and the cost benefit this will have in relation to potential lost sales based on average sale conversion per design.
I can see where you are coming from but this charge I am introducing at this stage is for architects drawings only, this is because I seem to get more than my fair share of them and because this is a much longer process than say somebody coming in and wanting me to go out and measure with the intention of buying a kitchen from me or the other people they are getting out. With an architects blue prints and I am speaking from great experience here they are never ever correct with what actually happens with the final build so I end up changing and more changing and this is without the initial work involved of converting 1:50 and 1:100 to 1:20 scales and then its a relatively a blank canvas so you are thinking and designing more than you would with a straight forward dare I say it run of the mill kitchen where sales is more involved than the design aspect, coupled with this the transferring of the pencilled plans to CAD images will take much longer as the kitchens tend to be larger due to the extension and more technically difficult thus more time consuming, I then have to factor in that the design on paper and CAD are my ideas and the client will in most cases tweak things I then have to cost the whole project and that is where the stumbling block is, because I am and have found that people are getting these extensions so they can have a larger living/ kitchen space and want the kitchen to be the focal point with all the bells and whistles but they do not realise the cost involved in the purchase of a kitchen,and the overall build cost of the extension, they ALWAYS underestimate the build cost with a contingency fund and they then say they need to cut the cost of the kitchen ( http://stuarthenrykitchens.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/no-money-left-for-kitchen.html ) (Here is a blog I did). This then means more work which I am not getting paid for.
I now seriously have to balance this with the conversion rate of these build projects and the realisation of the potential client. I am finding myself in a position where people are coming to our studio because they have been recommended to me for my advice, design skills and customer service but still want a cheap kitchen. I would like very much for people to come to me for the advice, design & service and tell me that they realise that good kitchens and service are not cheap, and that they want my service etc and also understand that this comes at a reasonable cost.
This does not mean that I will rip them off on a supply and demand basis, but an honest days pay for an honest days work.
Russell
Friday, 1 March 2013
Magnet & reality are Poles apart
I am sure the majority of the KBB world and the buying public watched Channels 4's Britain's Secret Shoppers last night (28/02/13), this covered various tips on how to haggle for a discount when buying goods on the high street, hosted by the charming and smiling Justin Preston @justinmeatmogul on Twitter.
Most of us agree as Justin informed us that we pay more for the same goods in this country than the citizens of the USA do, I do not know how much the running costs are for business premises are in the states but here in the UK they are certainly expensive. A lot of companies may well overprice goods to maximise their profits to pay for the extortionate rents & rates and other numerous overheads that we have to tend with and then there are companies that knowingly hyper inflate their retail prices knowing that they will give a perceived massive discount, up to 60/70% off and "must end this weekend", further still "Now extended for seven days only plus an extra 20% off", this seems to be the accepted norm for our retail sectors, it must be that us as a consumer expect to see these offers before we will buy anything. What happened to the notion that we pay for goods based on their true value and perceived value for money.
Last night's Channel 4 show of "Britain's Secret Shoppers" gave a scenario of a young couple doing up the whole house and had a wish list for a kitchen that even her partner was surprised at given their budget (which we did not know yet). When Justin & his camera crew arrived even he was a little surprised of the small budget and the larger size of the kitchen than he thought it was going to be, but hey ho lets see what we can do.
The really big surprise in this for me was not the £7300 discount that Magnet gave because as we all know in this industry as I said earlier multiples stack the prices to offer big discounts the big surprise was it was not a secret shopping trip, the couple went into a Magnet showroom with Justin and camera crew and he introduced himself ad then went and sat in the car with his ear piece, so this actually under a trade the Trade Description act would probably get slated because there was nothing secret about it.
The couple picked what looked like an expensive painted wood kitchen and solid wood worktops plus a large wish list to boot. I cant really comment on the plan of the kitchen because that was very brief in the scheme of things but for then to go off to Wren Kitchens to get a like for like quote on the Magnet kitchen bared all the signs of how stupid some people can be in the misleading stakes, because the Wren kitchen that they had the like for like quote on bared no resemblance to the Magnet product nor their remaining wish list.
That is not the fault of Wren kitchens, the salesperson told them what he had similar and then went on to price their like for like plan, but this just showed how the couples perception of what they really wanted and what they thought they wanted were poles apart, but saying that Wren were being used as a price comparison only because their dream kitchen was in Magnet. The question needs to be asked why Wren agreed to take part in the show, was it just to show that they are cheaper than Magnet in which case they succeeded.
Then back to Magnet, the "Designers" comments went something like I can see you are wanting to get a lower price for the kitchen, So far OK, he then said something like, (wait for the corny salesman line) "Well that kitchen has just come on a special offer and we can bring it down to £11.5k (I think he said). This time with Justin outside they were being coerced into asking for a lot more discount only this time in a blink of an eye the "Designer" said we can do it for £6600, after telling them it had come on offer for the £11.5k. If that was me my credibility would have gone straight out of the window & I would have been very embarrassed.
Still not happy they ended up getting the kitchen for £5500, only £500 pound more than their original budget with the promise of a bottle of wine thrown in (I normally get the wine as a thank you when we finish the stunning job).
So Magnet started off with £12,800, obviously very well overpriced, then to knock off approx £1300, which is in the realms of possibility if they did have a promotion start between the 1st visit and them going back, but to then get a further massive £6000 knocked off without any haggling (which is what the show is about) was absolutely astounding.
This just shows how stupid some consumers are in believing the huge pre sale discounts in the 1st place and how stupid Magnet are for making themselves look like mugs. Not so long ago MFI went bust not for the 1st time because in the end they sold kitchens at virtual cost just to get the sale, this was to keep the cash flow coming in but it did not cover any of the massive overheads a company like MFI and Magnet have, All's that will happen now is that anybody who watched the show who is in the market for a kitchen will just try and take Magnet to the cleaners, they will also try it at other KBB retailers too, because let's face it the other multiples do exactly the same I know this for an absolute fact. The people that will be hit are the "Designer salespeople and employees of the said companies" as they will get no or reduced commission but ultimately the company will put itself in such a difficult financial position that they will end up shrinking the company and its costs by way of job losses, true the idea of the show was to haggle prices down for the consumer and that what it did, but at what cost to the reputation of the KBB market by the way the UK Government endorsed Trustmark status is clearly displayed by Magnet, so can you Trust them and other KBB retailers not to rip you off, the answer is yes, at the hundreds if not thousands of independent KBB retailers out there who offer great products, great design, advice and service at a reasonable and value for money cost and who the majority of will not make you and them look like fools.
The owners of Magnet kitchen if they watched the show must have steam coming out of their ears, I cant wait for their next annual report on sales and profits.
Russell Buckley
Most of us agree as Justin informed us that we pay more for the same goods in this country than the citizens of the USA do, I do not know how much the running costs are for business premises are in the states but here in the UK they are certainly expensive. A lot of companies may well overprice goods to maximise their profits to pay for the extortionate rents & rates and other numerous overheads that we have to tend with and then there are companies that knowingly hyper inflate their retail prices knowing that they will give a perceived massive discount, up to 60/70% off and "must end this weekend", further still "Now extended for seven days only plus an extra 20% off", this seems to be the accepted norm for our retail sectors, it must be that us as a consumer expect to see these offers before we will buy anything. What happened to the notion that we pay for goods based on their true value and perceived value for money.
Last night's Channel 4 show of "Britain's Secret Shoppers" gave a scenario of a young couple doing up the whole house and had a wish list for a kitchen that even her partner was surprised at given their budget (which we did not know yet). When Justin & his camera crew arrived even he was a little surprised of the small budget and the larger size of the kitchen than he thought it was going to be, but hey ho lets see what we can do.
The really big surprise in this for me was not the £7300 discount that Magnet gave because as we all know in this industry as I said earlier multiples stack the prices to offer big discounts the big surprise was it was not a secret shopping trip, the couple went into a Magnet showroom with Justin and camera crew and he introduced himself ad then went and sat in the car with his ear piece, so this actually under a trade the Trade Description act would probably get slated because there was nothing secret about it.
The couple picked what looked like an expensive painted wood kitchen and solid wood worktops plus a large wish list to boot. I cant really comment on the plan of the kitchen because that was very brief in the scheme of things but for then to go off to Wren Kitchens to get a like for like quote on the Magnet kitchen bared all the signs of how stupid some people can be in the misleading stakes, because the Wren kitchen that they had the like for like quote on bared no resemblance to the Magnet product nor their remaining wish list.
That is not the fault of Wren kitchens, the salesperson told them what he had similar and then went on to price their like for like plan, but this just showed how the couples perception of what they really wanted and what they thought they wanted were poles apart, but saying that Wren were being used as a price comparison only because their dream kitchen was in Magnet. The question needs to be asked why Wren agreed to take part in the show, was it just to show that they are cheaper than Magnet in which case they succeeded.
Then back to Magnet, the "Designers" comments went something like I can see you are wanting to get a lower price for the kitchen, So far OK, he then said something like, (wait for the corny salesman line) "Well that kitchen has just come on a special offer and we can bring it down to £11.5k (I think he said). This time with Justin outside they were being coerced into asking for a lot more discount only this time in a blink of an eye the "Designer" said we can do it for £6600, after telling them it had come on offer for the £11.5k. If that was me my credibility would have gone straight out of the window & I would have been very embarrassed.
Still not happy they ended up getting the kitchen for £5500, only £500 pound more than their original budget with the promise of a bottle of wine thrown in (I normally get the wine as a thank you when we finish the stunning job).
So Magnet started off with £12,800, obviously very well overpriced, then to knock off approx £1300, which is in the realms of possibility if they did have a promotion start between the 1st visit and them going back, but to then get a further massive £6000 knocked off without any haggling (which is what the show is about) was absolutely astounding.
This just shows how stupid some consumers are in believing the huge pre sale discounts in the 1st place and how stupid Magnet are for making themselves look like mugs. Not so long ago MFI went bust not for the 1st time because in the end they sold kitchens at virtual cost just to get the sale, this was to keep the cash flow coming in but it did not cover any of the massive overheads a company like MFI and Magnet have, All's that will happen now is that anybody who watched the show who is in the market for a kitchen will just try and take Magnet to the cleaners, they will also try it at other KBB retailers too, because let's face it the other multiples do exactly the same I know this for an absolute fact. The people that will be hit are the "Designer salespeople and employees of the said companies" as they will get no or reduced commission but ultimately the company will put itself in such a difficult financial position that they will end up shrinking the company and its costs by way of job losses, true the idea of the show was to haggle prices down for the consumer and that what it did, but at what cost to the reputation of the KBB market by the way the UK Government endorsed Trustmark status is clearly displayed by Magnet, so can you Trust them and other KBB retailers not to rip you off, the answer is yes, at the hundreds if not thousands of independent KBB retailers out there who offer great products, great design, advice and service at a reasonable and value for money cost and who the majority of will not make you and them look like fools.
The owners of Magnet kitchen if they watched the show must have steam coming out of their ears, I cant wait for their next annual report on sales and profits.
Russell Buckley
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
My Kitchen Compare Prices.
I have just done a comparison price based on the Galley Kitchen 8 unit model as per the Kitchen Compare website for the B&Q Cooke & Lewis, High Gloss Cream kitchen, Homebase Milano, John Lewis City Gloss Ivory, Magnet Purely Range Studio Cream and Wickes New Jersey. The prices comparison below is the closest specification to the companies above.
I would say that the specification of the 3 kitchens I used are of a higher specification than my competitors ranges.
I priced 3 companies:
1: K Kitchens Krystal Gloss with gloss effect end panels, PVC gloss plinth and PVC gloss bullnose / cornice pelmet rail, 4.1mtr Egger laminate worktop.
£1717.65
2: Lakes Kitchens Euro Cream Gloss with gloss effect end panels, gloss effect plinth and PVC gloss cornice / pelmet rail, 4.1mtr Egger laminate worktop.
£2051.75
3: Chippendale Technica Gloss Stone with gloss effect end panels, gloss effect plinth and PVC gloss cornice / pelmet rail, 4.1mtr Egger laminate worktop
£1788.80.
The prices above are current until April / May 2013.
People need to be aware that using a comparison site that only gives a snapshot of what is available is short sighted and is not a true reflection of what is actually available from a kitchen independent with 28yrs experience and customer service and advice second to none.
There are also other independents in this country that will also offer a better quality product and price than that of the comparison against the companies listed above.
Russell
Stuart Henry Kitchens Ltd
I would say that the specification of the 3 kitchens I used are of a higher specification than my competitors ranges.
I priced 3 companies:
1: K Kitchens Krystal Gloss with gloss effect end panels, PVC gloss plinth and PVC gloss bullnose / cornice pelmet rail, 4.1mtr Egger laminate worktop.
£1717.65
2: Lakes Kitchens Euro Cream Gloss with gloss effect end panels, gloss effect plinth and PVC gloss cornice / pelmet rail, 4.1mtr Egger laminate worktop.
£2051.75
3: Chippendale Technica Gloss Stone with gloss effect end panels, gloss effect plinth and PVC gloss cornice / pelmet rail, 4.1mtr Egger laminate worktop
£1788.80.
The prices above are current until April / May 2013.
People need to be aware that using a comparison site that only gives a snapshot of what is available is short sighted and is not a true reflection of what is actually available from a kitchen independent with 28yrs experience and customer service and advice second to none.
There are also other independents in this country that will also offer a better quality product and price than that of the comparison against the companies listed above.
Russell
Stuart Henry Kitchens Ltd
Thursday, 7 February 2013
"Who is Homebase Targeting"?
In this months KBB Review Derek Miller asks Who is Homebase targeting?
Here are my thoughts.
Here are my thoughts.
Tim Wallace
KBB Review
editor
7/2/13
In reply to
Derek Miller page 12 KBB review February 2013
“Who is
Homebase Targeting”
I can say
with absolute assurance that they “sheds” I.E Hombase, B&Q etc will never
on a mass scale have the big name brands on their shelves or their offering. This
is for a couple of reasons:
1. The
sheds will devalue the major brands product and they will not want to be
associated with a “shed” in such a large scale, they may offer the “shed” a
smaller part of their product but not the main designer led product.
2. If the
“sheds” sell the major brands product then the shed in the end will dictate the
price and the quantity it wants, what also will happen is the shed will change
its course and the suppliers eggs are in one basket and they pull that brand,
this happened to Next Dimension in Scunthorpe with its better quality kitchens,
B&Q pulled and next Dimension went under, this has happened to other
companies that have dealt with them and it has happened to other larger
retailers & their suppliers.
In 2000 Wickes
had an idea it wanted to “Go Fluffy” and to be able to attract the female buyer
rather than the Tradesman which is what they are known for, it did not really
work for them other than it promoted their kitchen, bathroom offering, and now
Wickes has gone back to its core trade customer.
Homebase
has always been seen as the middle class DIY store especially when it was owned
by Sainsbury’s as some people would not be seen dead in another DIY store even
if they did sell the same product cheaper and for several years even when
Homebase was sold to the ARG group people still thought it was owned by
Sainsbury’s. Generally a certain type of person will shop at Homebase, the type
of person who sees them as a bit more homely (but they are a bit more expensive
as a result of that).
They have
upped their game on kitchens and bedrooms by offering Schreiber and Odina
kitchens but we all know it is still a DIY store with a bit of “Fluffy” going
on.
If they
want to be really serious about their strategy going forward then they need to
employ professional kitchen/bedroom/bathroom designers not salespeople or train
they salespeople they have to a very high standard, they also need to look at
their delivery side of things for high ticket items but mostly they need to
look at their so called installation service, having a Trustmark is definitely
no guarantee that the customer gets a top quality fit, I know this from
experience of clients who have bought from me. The top guy in Homebase should
type into a search engine “Problems with Homebase kitchens 2012” and see what
comes up.
Russell
Buckley, Managing Director. Stuart Henry Kitchens Ltd.
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