WARNING

MODERNISE OR DIE ...

MAKING KBB RETAILERS BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF INSTALLERS!

A recent blog from the owner of a Rugby based kitchen specialist retailer created a lively debate through the medium of KBB Review, one of the leading trade magazines for the KBB

industry.

The retailer, Trevor Scott, criticised comments that Damian Walters had made when the BiKBBI, CEO, conducted a seminar at the recent kbb 2018 exhibition. In his address, Damian had referred to several points that emanated from research that the institute had conducted with both its members and installers outside their membership.

Trevor’s main discussion point in his blog was about apprenticeships but the case in point that sparked the debate centred around a part of the research where results clearly demonstrated that currently the majority of KBB installers, rather than be ‘employed’ by a retailer fulltime, would rather work more autonomously as pricing and fair payment terms were important to installers and sadly, when it comes to retail relationships its financially better for them to operate more remotely.

It has become a hot topic in the industry and it would be amiss of The Installer Magazine not to make its readers aware of the details of the discussion that’s been bubbling away in the trade press on their behalf. The following is a transcript of a section taken from Trevor’s blog and interjected with comments that Damian made in reply:

TS (Trevor Scott) Certainly, in our business developers are having to pay through the nose for skilled tradesmen who are walking off one site and on to another if they’re offered a larger day rate.

DW (Damian Walters) That statement is a little unfair. Of course, there will be elements of all industry that will follow the money (why wouldn’t they – they’re selfemployed with interests to support their respective families). Equally, there are very loyal installers who value their relationship with those retailers they represent.

Perhaps the problem here is 

that some ‘skilled tradesmen’ (and women) have been treated like a commodity over the years, and will subsequently show as little respect for the business developers, as perhaps they’ve been shown themselves in the past? Just a thought of course.

For us it’s all about building mutually beneficial relationships. One business supporting another with a common goal. Commercial success gained via the delivery of a great installation service to the customer. It’s all about balance, but in this changing world, where installers are kettled into compliance with new regulations and rising operational costs, why shouldn’t they demand better pay for services rendered?

Those businesses that have built great relationships with their installers over recent times will have little to worry about in terms of loyalty. The risk of these installers ‘walking off site at the lure of a bigger purse’ will be negligible.

Those who have failed to build great relationships with their installers… good luck, you’ll be needing it. TS This in turn results in delays on completions and our installations being put back. But worse than that our prices are at risk of being squeezed as more and more cash is being thrown at the build leaving the developer and the consumer alike with less cash to spend on their kitchen - which in many cases was the whole point of the build in the first place!

DW Or perhaps the installer has been ‘squeezed’ for long enough over the years and now the shoe is on the other foot? Now that’s a thought. Fact is, where a skills shortage (or a commodity shortage in any warp of life is concerned), the rule of ‘supply and demand’ enters the equation. Fact is, as the pot shrinks, those left become more valuable… that’s just retailing isn’t it?

What we need to do, to ensure the consumer gets a fair deal, is ensure the pot is replenished at every opportunity. Growing our own, via apprenticeships, strengthening relationships with the existing and retraining from other sectors for some quick wins. Retailers would be foolish not to value installer retention (if our research has anything to go by).

TS We have found ourselves becoming increasingly more involved in organising and managing the kind of building works we wouldn’t have entertained a few short years ago as consumers can’t find builders to do the smaller jobs as they’re too busy on bigger projects. DW We live in a ‘done-for-you’ society… We shouldn’t be negative about changing times, but to instead embrace it.

TS Yet we’re not a small building firm, we’re kitchen specialists, but the edges are becoming well and truly blurred.

DW Evolve and adapt like the rest of the world is what I'd say. It’s like a car garage thinking that consumers should be able to change their own tyres (and being upset when they don’t want to!). Rather than belly ache about it, invest in tyre installation as part of your service (as it’s what your customers want). Connect with a great fitter, pay him/her competitively and charge the client (who just wants a tyre fitted) for a professional service at a service driven rate.

TS We’ve had no choice but to separate out room preparation, in whatever form that might take, from the pure installation of the kitchen itself once the room is ready to receive it. We now estimate the prep but quote the installation. 

After the sales has been made the lead installer will go in with other specialist trades such as the electrician or the plasterer and firm up on the estimate for preparing the space. The client is under no obligation to accept their price and we as a business are only accepting liability for and warranting the actual kitchen installation.

DW If you’re recommending an installer, you may want to check out The Consumer Rights Act of 2015… I believe you have a responsibility. So, you either sell installations or you don’t. The lines are clearer now than ever!!!

TS This has helped make things much clearer and easier to control. All we need now are more installers so I was very disappointed to read Damian Walters (BiKBBI) is claiming installers don’t want to work for independents.

DW

Like I said at the kbbreview Conference… It’s all very well ‘wanting more installers’, but without a magic wand, you need to understand why we are, where we are and invest in the sector if you want to reap the reward. For the record, ‘Damian’ isn’t “claiming” anything!

Damian, in actual fact, recited results from The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation, who undertook research with members and nonmembers in 2017. It appears you don’t like what the research has revealed – but I guess, sometimes the truth hurts right?

The research revealed that pricing and fair payment terms were important to installers when it comes to retail relationships – Are you seriously surprised by this?

As an industry, we’ve got a couple of choices here ...

1. Let’s all feel sorry for ourselves, kick the cat and moan about installations as being the bane of our lives and how damaging “Damian’s” comments were; or 2. Perhaps we drop the dated thinking, read, digest and take the time to fully appreciate the research… and then, consider developing our respective models, with a true understanding of the industry and those installers you wish to engage.

TS He alluded to us retailers not being well organised enough and not good enough payers, saying “Money Talks”! DW What the RESEARCH actually revealed was that money is important, amongst other attributes may I add...

It also identified that perception was a problem and that retailers aren’t collectively doing enough to change this perception.

There was no mention of retailers being un-organised within my comments.

TS Well thanks Damian, that’s really helped loads...

DW You see, this is the problem. For far too long, some retailers have viewed installations as a bolt-on to their service. Dare I say it, an un-necessary evil perhaps? If not an evil, maybe a ‘them and us’ relationship.

Your ‘thanks’ to me (for publishing research from those installers you speak of), is an example of this ‘themand-us’ mentality unfortunately.

You shouldn’t be upset by the research, you 

should be thankful that someone is actually out there asking the opinions of those installers you so dearly seek…

Perhaps if you take the time to understand installers (via our research and perhaps your own) , you may actually stand a better chance of connecting and retaining their valuable services?

My general advice would be this… Instead of viewing installations as a separate part of the industry – the bastard relative that no-one likes to invite to Christmas gatherings, how about you try embracing it, work with it, value those tradespeople who represent your brand on the front line and bring installers out from the cold and into the family?

If you interact well with it, give it love, appreciation, treat if fairly and with respect, it’s less likely to run off in the park when someone else waves a juicy bone from a distance. I would recommend that installers work with retailers who are fair, competitive and willing to work with their installers. Why wouldn’t we encourage this?

These relationships can be rewarding for all parties, resulting in the professional installation of the beautiful products that our industry produces.

The research wasn’t undertaken to ruffle the feathers of retailers, but instead to help them better understand installers, and what would attract them to a relationship with retailers. It should be used as a tool to recruit, not a stick to beat you with if you’re getting it wrong.

In summary; though many of Trevor’s comments were wide of the mark, you must respect him for caring and feeling so passionately about his business and the wider industry in general and also for having the courage to speak out. Respect also to KBB Review for running with the debate.

Reaction to Damian’s comments have been very positive. Basically, if retailers want happy customers, they must get their installation proposition right by better understanding how installers think and what they need to keep their installation businesses running successfully. The best sales people in any walk of life think like a buyer.

Installers are far too often overlooked and in fact if you glance at any of the trade KBB press you would be hard pressed to find anything remotely installer orientated. This magazine (The Installer) is the only magazine that serves KBB installers.

The fact is, the only way that we can improve overall conditions for KBB installers and safeguard the longterm future of our industry is by improving standards, improving education with CPD (continuous product development) for members and beyond and creating modules to close the skills gap (apprenticeships and more) and critically, by having a voice. The BiKBBI and this magazine facilitates this so please don’t just be a member, get involved by contacting the team at the institute or drop me a line at the magazine as I’m always happy to give you guys a say.