Protected update

BREAKING NEWS!

PROTECTED INITIATIVE GOES LIVE! A MUST-READ FOR ALL INSTALLERS!

After months of dotting I’s and crossing T’s, the new BiKBBI initiative protected, has finally gone live.

protected is a new and innovative service that connects professional tradespeople directly with customers, protecting the relationship, ensuring that installers get paid and their customers receive a great service. There’s no middle man, clear contracts, easy to administrate and best of all, it will cost installers nothing to use!

protected works with specialist retailers to connect their customers directly with professional and approved kitchen and bathroom installers.

So how does it work?

• As part of the sales process, the retailer discusses the topic of installation with their customer and signposts them to the protected website.

• The customer then visits: protectmyinstall.co.uk, where they are able to create a ballpark estimate with the easy-to-use protected online calculator.

• If the customer is happy with the estimate, they’ll input their details and upload their design.

• The information is then matched with the most suited KBB installer and the job is created for the chosen protected installer.

• The selected installer then undertakes a pre-installation survey, prices the job, using the App and the customer is sent an itemised quote and contract for service.

• If the customer is happy with the quotation and an installation date is agreed, they pay a deposit to confirm the details and the balance 14 days before the installation.

• The entire installation fee is now secured in an independent escrow* account before the job is started and the installers money is now protected.

• When the installation is complete the money in the escrow is released and paid to the installer within 2 hours!

• Therefore installers will no longer have to chase payments, with no purchase orders and no invoices as the App takes care of the admin. It’s an absolute win, win, win for all parties in the process as its protects retailers and consumers too.

*An escrow is similar to a joint bank account but between the customer and installer - anyone can pay into it, but both parties must agree to withdraw from it. The escrow is secure and protected by The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), so there’s no chance that either the customer or installer will ever lose money. 

It really is a ‘no brainer’ for BiKBBI member installers to benefit by getting involved follow the guidelines below:

1. Register your interest online at www. protectmyinstall.co.uk/installers. There’s no commitment and the BiKBBI will send you an information pack with all details.

2. Once you receive the information pack, make sure you’re happy with all the detail before making the full application.

3. Make your application online at protectmyinstall.co.uk/iapply - it’s a completely painless and simple process to set up your profile with protected.

4. The BiKBBI will then check the details.

5. Join the network and have access to free training material to help you use the service and you’ll be assigned a dedicated Account Manager and will begin receiving work. 

Summary of benefits:

• No cost – there’s no cost for installers to use the protected platform – ever!

• Connect with new customers as protected installers will receive free, quantified leads direct to their inbox.

• One customer, one lead, one installer. protected will only match one customer with one installer.

• protected installers price their own jobs. There are guidelines, but they are in control.

• Work where you want – protected installers set their own geographic territory.

• Clear, concise contracts are the foundation for protecting both parties with clarity and understanding.

• protected’s easy-to-use App reduces admin as the tech takes care of the quote, contract, sign off, invoices and payments.

• Transact directly with customers – protected ensures that there is no middle-man, it’s just the installer and his/her customer.

• No chasing invoices - money is paid into the installer’s bank account within just 2 hours of completion of the project!

• No loss of income as payment is protected, meaning protected installers will never ever again lose money to retail collapse as their money is secured in an escrow*.

• Work with some great brands – protected already works with an impressive portfolio of retailers nationwide.

• Retain your self-employed status. Installers will be their own boss and take care of their own tax affairs.

• There is no minimum commitment, protected installers can take as much or as little work as they like. It’s entirely down to them.

• Dispute support. Sadly, by the nature of installers work, disputes happen and the protected team is on hand to assist an amicable resolution.

Rob Nicholls, Editor, The Installer Magazine

Last word from the Editor:

The Installer magazine completely endorses this bold and ground-breaking initiative.

In what’s been a turbulent and challenging year for the nation and the KBB industry at large, many installers have been effected negatively.

The new protected scheme will do exactly what it says on the tin by protecting installer’s income whilst helping them grow their businesses by providing new work. Work that they know will be paid for and within 2 weeks! What impresses us most is that it also protects the retailer and the consumer too, thus raising the reputation positively of kitchen, bathroom and bedroom installation. This is something that the team at The Installer Magazine applauds and therefore pledges to support, encourage and help grow to the benefit of the entire industry.

We urge our readers to take the first step by going to www.protectmyinstall.co.uk/installer to register their interest. There’s absolutely no commitment and the BiKBBI will send you an information pack with all details. You seriously have nothing to lose!