With so many suppliers and seemingly endless ‘special
offers’ and ‘end of season sales’ the
choice of where to buy can seem bewildering. It is worth
taking the time to visit at least three suppliers – ask
for suggested layouts and estimates and get a feel for
how the company operates.
It’s always a good idea to ask friends and family
for recommendations as this is one of the most reliable
ways of finding a supplier. As well as checking out the
big national chains don’t dismiss small local suppliers.
But always check what guarantees and warranties are available.
If possible, try to visit former customers and ask them
what their experiences of the company have been.
Make sure to quiz the supplier about who will be carrying
out the installation and get the name and number of who
to contact if there are problems or the work is not carried
out satisfactorily.
Although installation is often sub-contracted out, your
contract is with the kitchen company whose responsibility
it is, therefore, to deal with any problems.
If you do experience any problems with the kitchen company
keep copious notes about the things you are not happy with,
names of people you speak to, plus dates of phone calls
and correspondence. The company’s customer service
department should be able to resolve any difficulties but
should you not receive satisfaction, take your complaint
to the customer service manager.
With reputations at stake in a highly competitive market,
you can be confident of a satisfactory outcome.
One word of warning – avoid asking the installers
to do additional work outside their remit as the kitchen
company cannot be held responsible for extra jobs carried
out by the fitters.
