kitchen discounts (Howdens)

benson1980

CKdesigner wrote: »

Hi

I think you can tell from previous posts on this thread that I'm a kitchen designer! Virtually every day we get customers coming to us saying they are having some building work done and the builder recommended Howdens, or Another 'trade' type kitchen supplier for the new kitchen. But they visited said kitchen supplier and came away less than impressed for various reasons. They do a bit of research and find us! Which is great! But I suspect for every 1 person that leaves a trade supplier unimpressed there is probably 3 people that think it's fine and go with that company.

Personally I think builders should stick to 'building' and leave kitchens to kitchen people!

In short do some research and don't just stick to the national suppliers, you will find a vast array of Independent Kitchen Specialists who are ultimately the specialists in the industry.

CK

That's all very well but when I went to shop at the kitchen specialists they wanted to sell German kitchens which were minimum double the price of Howdens. They openly admitted that they couldn't compete with the big sheds for bog standard kitchens hence why they had to do something different, and much more expensive. They started telling me how their carcasses were much thicker/sturdier but as already said when the carcass itself is under so little stress, quite frankly it comes down to whether I want to spend my hard earned money on a carcass that no-one sees unless the cabinet doors are open. I'm sure they're lovely kitchens that will last longer but it's not like a Howdens kitchen starts to fall to bits after a few years.

Of course the German kitchens are going to be better if they're double the price. But not all of us want to, or can spend 10-20k on a kitchen, plus fitting.

CKdesigner

benson1980 wrote: »

That's all very well but when I went to shop at the kitchen specialists they wanted to sell German kitchens which were minimum double the price of Howdens. They openly admitted that they couldn't compete with the big sheds for bog standard kitchens hence why they had to do something different, and much more expensive. They started telling me how their carcasses were much thicker/sturdier but as already said when the carcass itself is under so little stress, quite frankly it comes down to whether I want to spend my hard earned money on a carcass that no-one sees unless the cabinet doors are open. I'm sure they're lovely kitchens that will last longer but it's not like a Howdens kitchen starts to fall to bits after a few years.

Of course the German kitchens are going to be better if they're double the price. But not all of us want to, or can spend 10-20k on a kitchen, plus fitting.

I understand what you are saying but there are many Independent Kitchen Specialists all over the country and as they are all 'independent' they cater for all different points of the market. The trick is to find one that does different ranges and has something to compete with the sheds in terms of price but also hopefully with better quality.

Many times we have customers come to us with 'designs' done by the sheds and the relative quotation, then when we pick it apart we often do better.

CK

Furts

CKdesigner wrote: »

I understand what you are saying but there are many Independent Kitchen Specialists all over the country and as they are all 'independent' they cater for all different points of the market. The trick is to find one that does different ranges and has something to compete with the sheds in terms of price but also hopefully with better quality.

Many times we have customers come to us with 'designs' done by the sheds and the relative quotation, then when we pick it apart we often do better.

CK

I will counter this by putting my building head on. There are a couple of independents near me which are not to be touched with a barge pole. So the verdict is be as wary of independents as one would be wary of the DIY sheds.

There is no way an independent can compete with the buying power of the DIY sheds, or the major trade outlets. This means that if an independent is getting business by matching or under cutting the DIY sheds then the consumer is being taken for a ride. This simply means the DIY sheds have not been bartered and negotiated down to an acceptable price by the consumer.

A reasonable UK made mass produced kitchen should last 20+ years. There is little that can go wrong with it, and the carcasses are simply chipboard sheet material which is no different to that in the German kitchens.

I have said it before but will repeat it for the benefit of new mse users. The typical UK home and UK consumer will be adequately served by a UK made kitchen. There is no need to go to an independent and buy a German kitchen. But equally it is the consumers choice on where their money is to be spent. Hence independent kitchen retailers exist and I am happy with this.

CKdesigner

Furts wrote: »

I will counter this by putting my building head on. There are a couple of independents near me which are not to be touched with a barge pole. So the verdict is be as wary of independents as one would be wary of the DIY sheds.

There is no way an independent can compete with the buying power of the DIY sheds, or the major trade outlets. This means that if an independent is getting business by matching or under cutting the DIY sheds then the consumer is being taken for a ride. This simply means the DIY sheds have not been bartered and negotiated down to an acceptable price by the consumer.

A reasonable UK made mass produced kitchen should last 20+ years. There is little that can go wrong with it, and the carcasses are simply chipboard sheet material which is no different to that in the German kitchens.

I have said it before but will repeat it for the benefit of new mse users. The typical UK home and UK consumer will be adequately served by a UK made kitchen. There is no need to go to an independent and buy a German kitchen. But equally it is the consumers choice on where their money is to be spent. Hence independent kitchen retailers exist and I am happy with this.

Hi Furts

Its always good to have balance!

You are right as always about the basics with regard to construction of a typical kitchen unit. But where, in general terms an Independent Kitchen Specialist should be far better than a national supplier is in customer service and design expertise.

Replacing a kitchen for a 'normal' person is quite a daunting thing, so an Independent should be better placed to look after the customer, focused on customer service and offering the best advice on all aspects of the project and of course being value for money. Obviously this will never always be the case with independents but certainly would be for the vast majority of successful ones. Where in contrast we all know that national kitchen suppliers are focused more on showing 'discounted' prices and 'deals' rather than what I feel to be the important stuff!

CK

woodbutcher_2

CKdesigner wrote: »

Sorry I don't mean to offend as I am sure you do a very good job for your customers. My problem is with dishonesty, and I believe Howdens trade dishonestly. It's irrelevant if double glazing companies or the like do the same, it's no justification.

I have been in the industry for more than 2 decades and I believe in sustainable growth through customer service, this means doing my research, knowing everything I possibly can about the industry, manufacturers and products. Without this information then I can't do my job properly. I also expect the same dedication from people that work for me.

Just to clarify for the second time about my point about kitchen designers held in the same regard as Architects. I certainly was not talking about in the UK. We work closely with several German companies so therefore I have a fair bit of knowledge about the German kitchen industry, and it's in Germany that kitchen designers are well trained and are regarded like architects. So what I am saying is it's a shame the UK industry isn't more like the German one as then I believe the standard of design and product quality would rise in the UK.

CK

Fair comment. Think we are both trying to do right by our customers but just coming at it from different directions. I wish you well in your business.

cddc

Howdens have possibly the most ludicrous, convoluted and unjustifiable discount structure in an industry that specialises in it. This is up against some very stiff competition.

Also as an end user, you hold no warranty with them. The tradesman whose account it is bought on holds that. The warranty is also shorter than most of the competition.

The upsides are mainly for the tradesman rather than the end customer overall. Though if you pay the right price for it, there is nothing wrong with the product. A well fitted Howdens kitchen should give you many years of service.

Gastines3

Having just bought a Howdens kitchen to our own design,at half the price of my usual trade supplier,I am quite happy with the carcase and door quality. The main advantage with this supplier seems to be that if there is a fault with anything ,it can usually be dealt with quickly by your local branch. However,I'm amazed that the Company haven't the intelligence to realise that their pricing policy is losing them business due to the obvious bad publicity it receives.As serial renovators we want to know one thing very quickly"That's what we want,best price please". My usual trade supplier having taken over a kitchen manufacturer know limits themselves to one range and takes days to get you a price!!!