Browse Forums Kitchen Corner Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 2Apr 29, 2009 6:50 pm This is probably not a very helpful answer, but we had to use our builder's preferred kitchen company. Fortunately they were fantastic and we were really happy with the service, but we didn't have the option of going elsewhere. Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 3Apr 29, 2009 8:36 pm We're in the same boat of using the builder's chosen kitchen company as we had limited other choices. Hopefully they will be good Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 4Apr 29, 2009 9:24 pm Smartpack, are you the same as the company in SA? Sorry to go off the topic a bit. For me in general its because BIL is a cabinet maker but in saying that we are about to fit out our reno/rental/investment that we are about to move into and we are not prepared to spend the same dollars so we have gone for the cheapest and easiest option for this purpose and we just couldn't find a cabinetmaker could do it as cheap as the flatpack option..... Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 5Apr 29, 2009 9:30 pm We have gone to three different companies so far. Two were referred from our stonemason - one described everything I wanted / pricing seemed excellent. I was very excited to have the right kitchen designer first go - then I waited 2.5mths for the quote. And this was with me phoning / texting him at least twice a week for the whole time. Needless to say he was brushed. The next company seemed good - but they were $3k dearer then the first guy. So I went to see the firm I am 99.9999% sure we will go with. Reasons for this company are - they work with our builder as their standard company; we personally know the man who owns the company; nothing during the design process has been a problem - and I have made 3 lots of substantial changes so far; they have come in cheaper then the other two and designed more then anyone else did (lots of added extras). They also have previous work experience with my stonemason so are happy to coordinate with him as well. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 6Apr 29, 2009 10:06 pm I stayed clear of the big kitchen companies like Impala, Smith & Smith and others whose names escape me for now. I did go to one kitchen company in West Heidelberg - Melb and got them to quote but found they had no ideas and I felt they just didnt care what i wanted.....as it turned out they were way more expensive than i had hoped. I was talking to a mum in my daughters class at school and she told me about her kitchen so i asked if i could have a look. I fell in love with it and got their cabinet makers number. That was November last year and since then this guy has bent over backwards. He made me feel like ours was the only kitchen he was designing, he had fabulous ideas and was just so enthusiastic and helpful and reasonably priced. We are now at the stage this cabinet maker is currently making our kitchen and laundry and he will also do an inbuild bookshelf for us. I thought about doing it cheaper and going for a flatpack for our laundry but i felt loyal to our cabinet maker now and with a broken foot i can't really get out to research anymore, so there's the long version of how we choose our kitchen maker. Oh yes our builder suggested a cabinet maker he likes to use but i found his ideas boring and when he sent the quote it was just on a fax sheet with no drawing or anything so i had no idea what he was quoting for really so ditched him. Now its only a few weeks till its installed its very exciting! Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 8Apr 29, 2009 11:21 pm How interesting... The reason I asked this question was to see what aspect of the kitchen provider clicked the most with people. So far its been * through a builder so no real choice there * price definitely governs a decision * the relationship with the designer The last one intrigues me. I am a 23 year old kitchen designer based here in sydney. I work hard at my job and place alot of time and effort into designs and extracting the customers needs, wants and desires for there new kitchen. However my kitchen turnover in terms of signed contracts isn't comparable to the rest of the sales assistants. Hence why I'm at this point, asking the world wide web for honest opinions:) Kitchens are like finger prints, no two are ever the same!! SmartPack did the kitchens for Channel 9's Home Made TV Show Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 9Apr 30, 2009 12:11 am My experience with a major hardware store was absymal to say the least. I basically had a new build. The back of the house was being totally pulled down, same footprint as original house, hence no plans to council or draughtsman drawings. It was all in my head, and the builders knew what I wanted. I had a 4mX3mX2m I could comfortably work with. U shape. The guy said ...can't help, gotta have measurements....I said 4mX3mX2m....Nah he said, get measurements and come back...I had to wait over half hour to see him, he was at lunch. Next one, Bunnings. Basically same thing, only she was a lot nicer about it. come back with measurements. I didn't have measurements, just wanted them to draw me something i could look at to work with! Enter Kitset in Hamilton. Said to the lovely Caroline...4mX3mX2m..what can you do? Right, how about this here, that cupboard here, peninsula over here, so on...and so on...can we fit that in? Hour later I had a kitchen and decided there and then they had my $5000! Probably a willingness to help, coupled with an interest in the person, and I felt she had experience and knew what she was talking about. Cannot pinpoint the second I decided...probably when she said...Right, how about this here? Hope that has helped. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck! - Dalai Lama Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 10Apr 30, 2009 6:58 pm Ok here is my honest opinion. * To be a successful kitchen company, PLEASE do not ask for a deposit straight after you give a quote A good company will give you time to think about it and ask a lot of question and view the 3d model again and again BEFORE any money is handed over. This takes at least 3-5 visits to the showroom with the designer. * Have your own ideas...nothing ** me off more when the "designer" gave me no creative ideas but the ones I was suggesting We want to be blown off our feet with great space saving ideas and stunning design. * Have a large showcase of doors, benchtops and handles. Have a good range - from budget to expensive. Do not give the client limited options. If you do not have all the handles in the showroom show them the book you order them from. * Listen to what we want. Make our sometimes ordinary ideas into something great, dont settle for the easy option. * Make us feel like you have all the time in the world for us even when you dont. Anyway this is what I have experienced in the past month when choosing my kitchen company. Any company that asked for a 10% deposit after only 1 hour of their time got written off straight away Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 11Apr 30, 2009 8:47 pm Alrighty- although I said earlier that we had no choice, there were some specific reasons that we were so comfortable with the builder's choice after the first meeting with the kitchen company. - We had definite ideas about some things, and felt that we really got listened to (and not argued with) - The items we weren't sure about (like an appliance cupboard), she was happy to draw us up different 3D models with them included or excluded so we could decide what looked best - She was honest about what material upgrades were worth the money, and what ones weren't worth spending the extra cash on. Everyone likes being told they don't need to spend money! - Where we wanted to consider materials upgrades, or including extra drawers, etc, all these items were priced separately to the 'base' price of the kitchen cabinetry so that we could cross them off if the overall price was too much Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 12Apr 30, 2009 9:23 pm What I liked so much about our kitchen company is that the first time I went in to have a chat and a look around I left a hour later with such a smile on my face I didn't bother looking anywhere else. I didn't even have an appointment but was made to feel very at ease and were given some great ideas to look at. I really liked that there were photos of work that they had done that I could look through at my leisure and that NO pressure at all was put on me. He explained that everyone has a budget that needs to be worked with and when I received the quote the total was made up of the cheaper options ie: laminex everything. Then the cost for changes ie: from laminex to 2 pack or laminex benchtops to composite stone were listed for each component for both in the kitchen and bathrooms which was great for me to work with to see what would come within budget. But the number one thing for me was the positive things that I heard from everyone around the town. Whenever I tell people who is doing our kitchen they all rave about how fantastic the work is. To be honest I think I was sold before I even walked through the door Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 13May 01, 2009 12:19 am number one complaint i have with customer service these days is sales people just dont listen they are rude and really arent interested. please do not interupt a customer when they are talking if they say something you need to address write it down and wait for them to finish have sugestions for them but dont tell them they are wrong if its something they want offer solutions not more problems be confident if you dont know something dont pretend you do tell them your sorry but you will definately look into it for them and if you say you are ringing friday at 2pm then bloody well ring at 2pm or let them know the day before that you may be delayed nothing worse then waiting on companies that dont call be polite,be sensitive,be competetive and number one above price and everything else be reliable stay safe happy building Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 14May 01, 2009 9:05 am I knew what I wanted so gave the designers and companies my plans and a brief. All my quotes came back between $40,000 and $50,000. That was for 2 x kitchens one with an isand bench, 5 vanities and laundry. All were 2pac except for laundry. Mind you none of the companies were big like Impala. I ended up getting it for $28,000 including the black galaxy granite. I was lucky as I had already seen the work that the company had done in 6 townhouses that my partner was building. The builder uses and has used this company for a long time so he got significant rates as he orders quite a bit from the company for his builds/developments. I also know that the builder is very picky and only installs quality products as he sells the houses for top dollar upon completion. He just pulled out his mobile, called the boss of the company ans informed then that he is sending his niece down (mind you I do NOT look arab) and to charge me the same rate as what he gets charged. I was lucky as he considers my partner like a son, they have a brilliant relationship so he did that for me. At the end of the day for most companies I have used either my partners contacts or those through the builders my partner does work for. The quality of their homes reflected the work and materials used and again this was reflected in the sale prices upon completion. Best of luck with your business. Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 15May 01, 2009 12:44 pm I am currently getting quotes for my kitchen reno. i have 3 know and it all comes down to service. if your cheap but give cr@p service then I am not going to give you my business. it's all in the way you work with people. take the advice of all the other people and you will do great. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it. W.C. Fields Brought Established. Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 16May 01, 2009 2:53 pm SmartPack I would like to put the question out there; What makes/has made you go with a particular kitchen provider, builder or cabinet maker? What was the one thing that made your mid up to say 'yes! Where do I sign' As being with the industry for a while now i have noticed various trents however none are set in concrete. Also what made you totally run a mile or mark a providor as a no go zone? SmartPack, The fact that you use this quote "Kitchens are like finger prints, no two are ever the same!!" you are on the right track. Maybe you need to brush up on our marketing skills . You really need identify the reason you are not signing contracts before you can fix it. Hope it works out for you. Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 17May 01, 2009 3:16 pm Quote: number one complaint i have with customer service these days is sales people just dont listen they are rude and really arent interested. please do not interupt a customer when they are talking if they say something you need to address write it down and wait for them to finish bingoshelley is spot on! I can still hear the M****10 guy's intake of breath when I again asked a question I did not fully understand. He did not roll his eyes, I think because I wasn't looking at him! He was totally rude, and waited for me to speak instead of offering suggestions, or at the 'very' least getting out the graph paper to work out something!! The customer should come first!...maybe I looked poor, but they missed out on $5000 because I liked their kitchens...this guy let the company down. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck! - Dalai Lama Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 18May 02, 2009 11:08 am we needed someone could could custom make a kitchen Harvey Norman missed out because they priced themselves out of the pitcure Kitchen Connection (although pushing up hill as they don't custom make) didn't return our call so missed out Another guy made didn't seem to friendly over the phone - like he was doing us a favour for quoting - so stuff that We went with people that priced fairly, clearly understood what we were looking for and came up with ideas for us. We seems down to earth and a solid guy Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 19May 02, 2009 2:52 pm I'm happy to admit i don't believe in pressuring for sales. I hate it being done to me so i don't do to others. I probably do need to work on my sales/marketing skills to try and distinguish early on who is genuine and who is a fly by. Otherwise I end up putting in all that work for nothing alot of the time. To respond to Bingoshelley, my number one complaint about customers is honesty. Why dont people tell us up front what there intentions are. If we knew we can then appropriate the sales pitch accordingly. If you are gaining two or three quotes then great lets get to it. If you dont know why your looking at the kitchens then say so, we can both have a laugh and a giggle and move on. But when people come in and haggle for the best price then say its too much...why??? Just say what the price is you have been given and we will do our best to match it or beat it, is it that hard? The worst is if your after a price to undercut another quote and subsequently get a better price from them. This drives me nuts! Ive been upfront and honest and given my undivided attention and experience so why cant a customer be courteous and do the same with me??? Sales can be unforgiving hence the bad rath you can get from sales people..rightly or wrongly. Kitchens are like finger prints, no two are ever the same!! SmartPack did the kitchens for Channel 9's Home Made TV Show Re: What makes you select a kitchen company? 20May 02, 2009 6:24 pm We are in the process of getting quotes for our kitchen and price is important. As the two quotes we have already received have been for $40,000 and $37,000 (cabinets, bench and splashback only), we are in a state of shock. We are hoping the next ones are cheaper. However, this is only one area which will influence our decision. Just a few points: 1. We have always told the companies that we were getting other quotes. The two firms which have given us quotes have then told us to come back when we have all the quotes and they may be able "to work things out to give us a better deal". I hate this as it implies they have padded out their first quote to see how much extra they can get out of us. This immediately makes us trust them less. How do we know that if we come back they won't substitute inferior fittings? 2. People skills are important. I told the first young salesman that I was using this forum for information and I did not appreciate the snide comment when, in response to my comment about hinges, he smiled in a condescending way and said, "Did you learn that on your forum?" A big mistake. He had appeared to be much nicer when we were first discussing our plans and he was good about answering our questions but all that work was for nothing when he treated me like a child. 3. We have a kitchen which is challenging in terms of layout. Out of all the firms we have gone to, not one has offered us anything which is innovative or even indicative that they have studied the problem areas and tried to come up with a solution. All have just given us back our ideas, even when we have shown them the problem areas and asked for solutions which would work better than ours. 4. We were asked to make an appointment to receive our first quote. We expected to go over the details. My husband took time off work and when we arrived we were not shown the plans nor were we given even a vaguely detailed quote. We were verbally told one figure and told to add GST to it. Why did we both have to go to the showroom when a two minute phone call would suffice? This was poor service. So although price is important, the main issue is that we want a kitchen which is of good quality, innovative and which is the result of us feeling a sense of trust in our relationship with the designer. No. It's not original. Circa early to mid 90s would be my guess and maybe even as late as early 2000s 1 6631 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39682 Looking to start the journey of becoming an owner builder in SA. Feeling pretty (overly) confident on the building and construction details, but really struggling to find… 0 8415 |