Making life easier

HÄFELE MAKING INSTALLERS LIVES EASIER

Becci Pell, Marketing Communications Manager, Hafele Not content with the launch of a range of innovative and installerfriendly products, fixtures and fittings specialist Häfele has now opened a new training academy offering even greater support for its customers. Marketing Communications Manager Becci Pell gives us the full story …

Think of Häfele and you might only think of hinges. But there’s a lot more to this German KBB giant than that – as installers will happily testify. Since way back in 1927, this global manufacturer and distributor of fixtures and fittings has pioneered many new industry standards, trends and best practices. When Häfele senses a demand for something new, it either creates it or sources it internationally. The drive to always think ahead is part of its corporate DNA, and today in the UK alone, it can offer over 25,000 products.

But Häfele UK also provides a range of additional services to help make 

Daniel McGlinchey, Hafele Technical Support Advisor, for all product advice and support

Axilo™ - Revolutionary Plinth Adjusting System

customers lives easier. Whether it’s bespoke cutting through its Häfele to Order service, or helping with an installation query via its free technical helpline, the company is proud of its intense focus on quick and effective customer care.

And if you want even harder evidence of how Häfele is going the extra mile to support installers, you only have to look back as far as last year and the launch of Axilo™ – a new plinth foot fitting system that underlines its commitment to developing genuinely innovative products.

“Axilo™ makes adjustment in situ quick and simple, using an extendable adjustment tool,” explains Häfele marketing communications manager Becci Pell. “It addresses the age-old issue that all installers face of adjusting rear cabinet legs in kitchens, and particularly in corner spaces. The tool can be used by hand or in conjunction with a drill to make easy work of accessing hard-to-reach legs.”

Another area that can be daunting for installers is kitchen lighting. Normally the job of a qualified electrician, installation throughout a kitchen can hold jobs up when not planned correctly. But Häfele has been manufacturing its own brand of lighting – Loox – since 2011 which is simple and effective to install.

It uses plug and play technology across a range of strip lights, down lights and plinth lighting – all connected to a central driver that either simply plugs into a normal 3-pin socket or can be hard wired. This completely removes the need for qualified electricians, leaving them free to complete other work on large-scale projects and the installation team completely in control of their schedule.

But even bigger news for retailers last year was the launch of Häfele’s brand new training academy which aims to support customers by providing them with superior product knowledge and a high level of installation skills.

“We understand that our customers are operating in a market where consumers expectations are high, and many businesses are relying on reputation to ensure their next enquiry,” says Pell. “If we can help to provide them with the means to avoid installation issues, it will save them time and money shortterm but hopefully contribute to their businesses long term as well. At the moment, we are rolling out product training across our internal teams, with a view to having a range of customer courses available in January 2020.”

This is all really positive stuff for installers, of course, but these are challenging times for the KBB sector as a whole. “At the moment the market is tough,” Pell admits. “There are lots of brands

Axilo™ makes adjustment in situ quick and simple, using an extendable adjustment tool. It addresses the age-old issue that all installers face of adjusting rear cabinet legs in kitchens, and particularly in corner spaces. ”

Anthony Waddingham, National Field Technical Sales Manager

offering similar products and we’ve noticed a trend, and need, to differentiate. Recently though, we’ve brought some really exciting product innovations to market, particularly because they are so installer friendly - Axilo is definitely one, but we are also exclusively distributing a fantastic splash back called AluSplash. It’s an alternative to glass and tiling splash backs, and is very versatile due to its aluminium composition. We’ve found the product to be very fitter friendly, and due to it being Fira tested and therefore able to be run behind gas jobs, offers consumers the ability to have a seamless run of coloured splash backs through their kitchen.” 

Another area that can be daunting for installers is kitchen lighting. Normally the job of a qualified electrician, installation throughout a kitchen can hold jobs up when not planned correctly. But Häfele has been manufacturing its own brand of lighting – Loox – since 2011 which is simple and effective to install.”

So is the challenging market linked to uncertainty over Brexit? And how much impact is the situation having on the business?

“Our stance on Brexit is to mitigate or reduce as much risk as possible regarding areas that we have control over,” Pell says. “We’ve made investments in additional stock and ensured all of our hauliers have the right qualifications and procedures to manage logistical impact, so that our customers don’t need to worry about how we will be able to continue supporting them.”

Häfele is also strongly behind the BiKBBi’s new Protected scheme launched in February. The muchheralded initiative helps offer everyone involved in the process of kitchen design and supply, peace of mind when it comes to installation and gets a big thumbs up from Pell.

“In our view, it can only help to create more valuable relationships between consumers and both retailers and installers,” she says. “It gives everyone the confidence that any conflict will be resolved fairly and no-one will walk away without getting the best result possible.”

Häfele is also hugely supportive of the BiKBBI’s apprenticeship scheme and warns that the kitchen industry faces a very serious skills shortage in the next 10-15 years unless it begins to attract new, young talent. “The BiKBBI are the perfect organisation to spearhead a change in approach in how we attract, train and retain young people, so that the retail sector continues to be supported by knowledgeable, skilled fitters and installers,” Pell says.

In terms of the wider market picture, Häfele believes the biggest current trend is how the industry helps end consumers get the most value from the spaces they own. “Everyone leads very busy lives, and there are a multitude of circumstances consumers find themselves on nowadays which puts pressure on habitable spaces,” she explains. “Our job is to continue bringing innovative products to market that make the most of valuable spaces, so our customers can continue to grow and diversify their own businesses in line with consumer demand.”

But clearly this is a time when the internet is playing a pivotal role in the evolution of the market. Häfele doesn’t sell directly to consumers, but Pell admits the competition across the sector is “fierce”, particularly with appliances.

“Online retailers are having a huge impact on the market because of their ability to price so competitively,” she concludes. “This is an area where we feel our ability to wrap a number of additional service offers, and provide a broad range of pricing points across appliances, helps to offer our customers choice and peace of mind when sourcing appliances for kitchens.”

www.hafele.co.uk

Darren Drage, Area Field Sales Technician

INSTALLER-FRIENDLY DESIGN SERVICE LAUNCHED

Sara Wells, Sara K Designs

All I need is to be supplied with accurate room dimensions and key features along with a project brief and I can provide technical drawings and presentations that would compare with any designer in any KBB studio.”

Sara K Designs is a new kitchen and bathroom design service has been launched for KBB installers who operate autonomously from a kitchen retailer.

The service will enable installers to offer customers a professional design at an affordable price so if they are quoting for a kitchen or bathroom, sourced by a consumer or they are purchasing it for a customer, they can compete with retailers in terms of service.

The service is the brainchild of KBB designer Sara Wells who is vastly experienced, learning and plying her trade for over 20 years. She began her kitchen and bathroom design career in a prestigious showroom on trendy Wigmore Street, Central London.

Sara also worked for other established and acclaimed London KBB retailers and with many Brands & Manufacturers, products that include kitchens by Poggenpohl and Siematic and bathrooms by Villeroy and Boch.

Speaking about the new service Sara says, “There are many installers who are not permanently contracted to retailers and therefore either install kitchens provided by a potential customer or purchase the kitchen themselves and do their best at designing for a potential customer. Others may provide for small housing projects or self-builds. It’s this sphere of installers that I can help by providing them with a professional design to present to their potential customers which will hopefully make them the preferred choice, thus increasing business for them.” Sara added, “All I need is to be supplied with accurate room dimensions and key features along with a project brief and I can provide technical drawings and presentations that would compare with any designer in any KBB studio.”

Contact Sara at Sara K Designs on 07736 876 818 for more details.