Breaking news A new dawn ...

A NEW DAWN FOR UK INSTALLATIONS!

It’s extremely rare that we hear of a new and truly industry defining initiative but BiKBBI Protected will be a true game-changer.

Announced at its recent annual conference held at the Houses of Parliament, BiKBBI Protected was originated in response to a number of industry challenges from the perspective of retailers, installers and the consumers they serve. Consumer legislation relating to payments and their rights launched in 2015 and a changing consumer landscape prompted BiKBBI to take a holistic look at how it can support the industry to deliver installations in a clear, risk and cost-free way – a galaxy away from where the industry is today.

BiKBBI Protected will immediately safeguard KBB retailers and installers from this unnecessary exposure. So how does it work?

“BiKBBI Protected is an innovative new retail solution and is set to change the way in which domestic KBB installations are operated in the UK” said BiKBBI, CEO, Damian Walters.

The new service will be operated by BiKBBI and is offered to retailers of all sizes, from independent single showrooms, to national retailers. The service, which is driven by leading technology and underpinned by the institute’s existing compliance management, will allow retailers to signpost customers to a robust installation service, which is either delivered by the retailers own approved installers, the wider BiKBBI membership or a mixture of both. Essentially, the 

The new service will be available in the spring and will completely revolutionise the retailer – installer – consumer proposition."

new service takes the retailer out of the contractual equation, connecting consumers with installers nationally, creating a robust direct legal relationship, to include contracts, schedules, pricing and payments.

Consumers pay for their installation service into a ringfenced, financially protected client account, which is paid to the installer upon satisfactory completion of the project. In the event of dispute, both the consumer and the installer have access to onsite assessment from the BiKBBI to support dispute resolution. The consumer is fully financially protected, as is the installer and the entire proposition is underpinned by insurance backed workmanship warranties and the high standards set by The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation.

BiKBBI Protected allows retailers to take a step back from the responsibility of installations, reducing or in some cases, entirely removing significant costs and risk associated to installation, whilst providing their customers with an installation solution that is both robust and protective of both the installer and crucially the consumer’s best interests. Best of all, it allows retailers to retail, installers to install and consumers to connect, with clear boundaries of responsibility, based on respective expertise and commercial aspiration.

Damian Walters comments, “The new service will be available in the spring and will completely revolutionise the retailer–installer–consumer proposition. Consumers will have access to a network of specialist installers nationally and therefore their relationship will be built upon solid foundations in the form of a direct contract, which will be lawful, fair and protected by BiKBBI Protected”.

Damian added: “We operate within changing times. Consumers are changing, as are laws and indeed the complexity of our industry and the world we live in. Retailers that operate any form of installation service, whether employed, sub-contracted or recommended do so because they know that it’s what their customers expect, but they do so with expense, complexity and for most a deviation to their core objective which is selling product of course. This service allows them to continue to do all of that, but with none of the cost or distraction.”

Damian summarised, “Advancements and change is often met with fear, the fear of losing something. We’ve seen it over the years, for example, the printing press, the automotive industry, electronic and industrial technology all created employee fear of how new innovations and changes might make their job obsolete, but in fact, it almost always actually created more jobs, delivering to more customers, more efficiently. Mark my words, this as a definitive moment for our industry and we will welcome those installers and retailers who want to be part of it”.

Those retailers interested in finding out more are invited to register their details at: www.supportchange.uk

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