PROTECTED INITIATIVE

PROTECTED INITIATIVE – DEFINED SIMPLY!

KITCHEN & BATHROOM INSTALLERS: PROTECT YOUR FUTURE

Many installers will by now have heard of the new Protected initiative which was originally unveiled, by the government sanctioned BiKBBI at The Houses of Parliament in 2019, however, the team at The Installer magazine wonders just how many understand the simplicity of the initiative and how incredibly beneficial it will be to them if they get on board, to be fair, it’s an absolute game-changer! We thought therefore, that we would take a quick look and explain it concisely for those who don’t have the time to research these things…

The new Protected initiative is set to change the way homeowners find, appoint and transact with specialist kitchen and bathroom installers, bringing about much needed change and unrivalled protection for installers.

Protected is a new digital platform that connects customers with installers, which supports the project and protects the relationship in a number of innovative ways. Customers are linked with local installers via the website and installers are sent contact details directly to form a direct relationship. The platform works on a one-job for oneinstaller basis, so Protected registered installers will not be in competition for the same customer. There’s no cost for installers to join the platform, there are no lead-fees and there are no deductions from projects. It’s completely free to installers.

The platform then takes care of the admin, helping to schedule appointments, create quotes and importantly creates a Trading Standards approved agreement between them and their customer. Installers create their own quotes and have flexibility to adjust regional pricing to suit the project specifics.

Once the agreement is made, the customer pays a deposit to secure an installation date, into a third-party payment processor and protected by an escrow agreement. An escrow is an agreement that governs the movement of money and under what conditions payments are made. 14 days  The new Protected initiative is set to change the way homeowners find, appoint and transact with specialist kitchen and bathroom installers, bringing about much needed change and unrivalled protection for installers.

before the install, the balance is made into the escrow protected account and is protected in full from there on.

“Throughout my extensive career in the home improvement industry, I’ve been constantly disappointed by the lack of protection for hard working, reputable tradespeople. Retail collapse, sometimes unfair customer expectation and the economy has hit small businesses hard and it’s not something that we should just accept. The Protected initiative means that a tradesperson will never lose money again if they’ve upheld their end of the deal by doing a good job. And that’s guaranteed,” comments Damian Walters, CEO at BiKBBI.

In the event of dispute, both the consumer and the installer have access to on-site assessment from the BiKBBI to support resolution. The consumer is fully financially protected, as is the installer and the entire proposition is underpinned by insurance Protected provides an installation solution that is professional, robust and protective of both the consumer and, crucially, the installers’ best interests. It’s the new way to find, appoint and transact with specialists whilst removing the risk. For more information about Protected visit:

www.protectmyinstall.co.uk

How many understand the simplicity of the initiative and how incredibly beneficial it will be to them if they get on board, to be fair, it’s an absolute game-changer! There’s no cost for installers to join the platform, there are no lead-fees and there are no deductions from projects. It’s completely free to installers.