Essential Research before Buying a Kitchen
One important thing that generally goes amiss
when sourcing a product for your new kitchen is that too few consumers undertake
research into the quality of the product or first determine the best price
available to them.
Given that we now live in an internet age where
you can contact any supplier or manufacturer at the click of a button, it
would seem unwise to ignore the power you quite literally have at your fingertips
to achieve the best deal.
Kitchen Manufacturers are keen to win your business
as are their dealers and all have one thing in common, a website presence.
Now ask yourself this, if you entered a kitchen
showroom in search of a new cooker and stood there twiddling your thumbs
having waited for the salesperson, who you’d been beckoning over to
attend to your needs for the past half hour, what would you do? Well, like
me and most others, you’d hotfoot it out of there and seek better service
elsewhere.
Company websites are no different to showrooms
and if, after receiving your e-mail or submission form, the company decides
to sit on it for a week or worse still, ignore it, then you’ll take
your business elsewhere.
All orders for goods, no matter how large or
small, are of equal importance and a glance around the many consumer review
forums will tell you why.
Both cyberspace and terrestrial traders alike
ignore consumer power at their peril and if the goods they sell are subject
to hefty profit margin or if their services are of poor quality or if the
product they sell you has a poor track record, then it won’t be long
before a few google searches confirm this.
Affordability, service and quality of the goods
are the deciding factors in any consumer decision and it takes little effort
to discover the true worth of your chosen goods, supplier and cost.
The tools you now have at your disposal are
the most powerful in any business – they are the opinions of
those who have already bought the goods and been subject to the services.
Site testimonials are a common tool used by
sellers yet mean very little and as a retailer it would be most unlikely
if you highlighted the response of Mrs Brown from Chichester who stated
“The delay of 3 months for
the delivery of my washing machine was as unacceptable as your installation
service that left my kitchen flooded and I shall not be recommending
your services”.
Speaking to other buyers via a forum will tell
you more about a product, retailer, manufacturer or service but beware of
the one-off “posters” who, in the guise of a consumer, will tell
you that they have never had such a wonderful product with a service to match.
It may be that they are indeed being truthful and our tendency is to believe
this prior to purchasing but take some time first to investigate the opinions
of others.
Every company you deal with, will, at one time
or another, have been subject to client complaints but what maintains a good
reputation and may well lead to a recommendation, is their ability to deal
with it quickly, efficiently and with a satisfactory outcome.
Some useful tips to consider before purchasing
goods over the internet are:
1. Check that the website clearly
displays a UK postal address and not just an e-mail address or PO Box number.
( A definite non-starter if they don’t)
2. Determine how long they
have been established in the industry they are trading from (Some sellers
have little or no product knowledge and may never have worked in an industry
associated with the goods they sell)
3. Can you visit a showroom
or are they a third party seller? (Third party sellers may well be offering
a very good service so this isn’t to be dismissed in all cases but
you may prefer the option of seeing the goods before making your decision)
4. Do they accept credit card
payments? (If you buy something that costs more than £100 and less
than £30,000, and partially or fully pay for it on a credit card, you
gain a valuable legal protection known as ‘section 75'. This means
the credit card company is equally liable with the retailer if you have a
problem with your statutory consumer rights. In other words if you buy something
and the company goes bust, or it isn't fit for purpose then you can go straight
to the credit card provider).
5. Can you speak with previous
clients of theirs to determine the standard of service (If they have the
same surname as the owner of the company – be suspicious)
Kitchen Manufacturers tend to get away with
possible repercussions lightly but they too have to be held accountable for
their goods they produce and the guarantees they offer and my advice is to
utilise their websites to ask them why you should purchase their goods ahead
of a competitors. If you get no response then treat it as you would a showroom
salesperson who ignored you and hotfoot it out of there.
There is no better way, in my opinion, than
seeking the opinion of the experts via the many useful forums that now exist
and a consensus of opinion from qualified personnel is a good indicator of
a products worth.
Some useful website links to visit are:
Kelkoo (A price comparison website for internet
buyers)
UK
Whitegoods An excellent website operated
by appliance experts who will tell you the wheat from the chaff in the appliance
market
Clik2Complaints An index of consumer complaints
that also offer the right of reply
The
Kitchen Buyers Guide A very useful website
for the kitchen buyer with a number of informative articles
Hints
and Things A website full of great tips
and advice passed on through the generations
The
Good Web Guide A review site that rates
categorised websites
Money
Saving Experts A forum with a wealth
of money saving tips in every category
Kitchen
Installation and Design Forum A plug
for my own forum offering expert advice on all matters kitchen related and
we do welcome questions or contributions from all.
T Foley Interiors are a national provider of
Corian, Quartz and Stainless Steel worksurfaces and counters, offering template,
fabrication and installation to commercial and residential clients across
the UK. Our website offers free advice for kitchen buyers via our popular kitchen
design and installation forum and includes a number of informative
articles.
If you wish to contact me in any regard please
e-mail t.foley@kitchensfitted.co.uk
© Tim Foley2008
|
