Process Of Bathroom Design And Installation
- davidcrossan@googlemail.com
- June 2021
-
Bathroom
In this article, we’ll examine the customer’s path necessary to assure a successful installation and what happens when it doesn’t.
Before we begin, let us take a quick look at some of the large firms that have lately failed in this field or discontinued providing installation
services entirely:
Improved restrooms – transferred to the administration.
Homebase has ceased offering installation services.
Wickes – gives advice but does not get involved in the installation on a hands-on basis.
B&Q no longer offers installation services.
Bathstore – placed in receivership
It begs the question of how all of this occurred in such a short amount of time. From my perspective, it was a matter of time. They are
constantly in a price war with one another, luring people in with lower and lower quotes, driving the market down to the point where the
consumer believes a genuine quote from an independent installer is prohibitively expensive, causing even more people to buy into their
installation service, but surely this is beneficial to them?Increased sales! How was it possible that it was a negative thing? To be sure, it
was, and here’s why…
A specialised job carried out in someone’s house must be properly planned and handled, period!
Sitting in a store, making arrangements, then transferring the task to a subcontractor who has been weakly vetted and over whom you
have little influence, then agreeing on a date and praying for the best is hardly a prescription for success. In most cases, the offerings
would have been fantastic on paper; buy now, pay later, zero interest financing, price guarantee guarantees, installed before Christmas,
and so on. What is the worst-case scenario?
Indeed, something did go wrong; on the day the installation was sold, the figures clearly stacked up for all parties, yet, when it came to
work delivery, the issues were plainly eating into business revenues and reputations for a variety of reasons that we will not discuss here.
As a result, the service was discontinued and nobody benefited, save those who were fortunate enough to be assigned a competent
installation by accident or who had a design consultant who cared enough to see the project through to completion by hook or by crook.
With too many individuals participating in these types of businesses, responsibility becomes murky and a blame culture develops,
trapping the homeowner with unsolved concerns.
I don’t have the statistics, but clearly more things went wrong than right; otherwise, these services would still exist; however, they were no
longer economically viable to continue.
There are horror stories aplenty on the internet; a short search will reveal them.
I’ve worked with several of the firms mentioned above over the years and acquired some valuable lessons along the way, lessons that
have become deeply ingrained in the way we do business today and are partially responsible for our success in ways that they weren’t.
As a result, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from them.
They had processes up to a point, but they were either not followed properly or were inadequate to begin with, most likely a combination
of the two.
Services for kitchen installation
What then assures the installation’s success?
My response is: A well-established method is followed for each and every job. Especially noteworthy,
We cannot speak for other bathroom companies, but I can speak for our own process, which has proven to be successful time and again.
To begin, one thing we do not do is become engaged in tasks that have gone wrong with another firm or with anyone who is pressed for
time to complete the job. A bathroom is a creative endeavour, and it takes time to get it right, followed by additional time to do final
inspections and meticulously plan the job. We prefer to devote our whole attention to each customer, and our business strategy is built
around delivering on that promise without being distracted by anything else.
Our lead time is typically 6-8 weeks; even if we had an empty diary, we require at least 4 weeks for design and planning.
This is how our procedure works; this is the language used in our service brochure.
STEP ONE – THE ORIGINAL VISIT
The first step is all about getting the details correct. We will visit you at your house to ascertain your intended use of the area, take
measurements, and conduct some preliminary planning.
THE SECOND STEP – THE PROPOSAL
Using the information obtained during our initial discussion, a design and product selection will be made for you that is consistent with
your initial thoughts and realistic.
Within 72 hours, you will receive your proposal. This email contains links to all of the catalogues we provide. The brochure title and page
number are listed next to each product in the quotation.
After reviewing it, tell us what you like and dislike and return with any further comments. We will often go through 2-3 iterations before
settling on a design, so don’t be afraid to make any changes.
All bids are based on either a complete installation service or the design & supply of goods alone. We do not provide fit-only services or
install third-party items.
STEP 3 – CONSULTATION ON DESIGN
Following our initial meeting, we will meet with you in our Wilmslow design studio to fine-tune your ideas and build your perfect bathroom.
We’ve built a design studio filled with tile and flooring alternatives, as well as cutting-edge technology that allows you to fully immerse
yourself in your new bathroom via a 4D Virtual Reality experience. View all of the things you’ve chosen in your new room!
Please note that while the aforementioned design service is complimentary for installation clients, our design-alone service costs £250
and is only applicable if you have had a design consultation with us but do not require our installation services.
STEP 4 – INSTALLATION BOOK
We will finish any documentation, sign off on your project, and schedule a date for your design consultation on the same day as your
payment is paid. Our installation service is approved by Which? and endorsed by BIKBBI. Assuring total peace of mind.
But what else is there?
We have invested significantly in our job management systems and, more importantly, we have committed to the time necessary to teach
all of our personnel how to use them effectively. A successful procedure is only part of the equation; we also use a plethora of technology
to manage it.Our management team meets twice a month to discuss and implement changes.
Automation of software
Everything is well organised from start to finish. This is not to say that we do not encounter difficulties; we do! The difference is that we
have given ourselves every opportunity to identify and resolve them quickly; in most cases, the client is ignorant of an issue even if one
exists, since it has been resolved!
If your
looking for a new bathroom in Glasgow, click here.