How to Source a Kitchen Using the Internet.

One important thing that generally goes amiss when sourcing a product for your new kitchen is that too few consumers start by undertaking research into the quality of the product or determining the best price available to them.

Given that we now live in an internet age where you can contact any supplier or manufacturer at the click of a button, it would seem unwise to ignore the power you quite literally have at your fingertips to achieve the best deal.

Manufacturers are keen to win your business as are their dealers and most have one thing in common - a website presence
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Now ask yourself this, if you entered a showroom in search of a new cooker and stood there twiddling your thumbs having waited for the salesperson, who you’d been beckoning to for the past half hour, what would you do? Well, like me and most others, you’d hot foot it out of there and seek better service elsewhere. Company websites are no different to showrooms and if, after receiving your e-mail or submission form, the company decides to sit on it for a week or worse still, ignore it, then equally you’ll take your business elsewhere.

All orders for goods, no matter how large or small, are of equal importance and a glance around the many consumer review forums will tell you why. Both cyberspace and terrestrial traders alike ignore consumer power at their peril and if the goods they sell are subject to hefty profit margin or if their services are of poor quality or if the product they sell you has a poor track record, then it won’t be long before a few Google searches confirm this.

Affordability, service and the quality of the goods are the deciding factors in any consumer decision and it takes little effort to discover the true worth of your chosen goods, supplier and cost.

The tools you now have at your disposal are the most powerful in any business – they are the opinions of those who have already bought the goods and been subject to the services.  Site testimonials are a common tool used by sellers yet mean very little and as a retailer it would be most unwise if you highlighted the response of Mrs Brown from Chichester who stated

“The delay of 3 months for the delivery of my washing machine was as unacceptable as your installation service which left my kitchen flooded and I shall not be recommending your services”.

Speaking to other buyers via a forum will tell you more about a product, retailer, manufacturer or service but beware of the one off posters who, in the guise of a consumer, will tell you that they have never had such a wonderful product with a service to match. It may be that they are indeed being truthful and our tendency is to believe this prior to purchasing but take some time out first to investigate the opinions of others.

Every company you deal with will, at one time or another, have been subject to client issues but what maintains a good reputation and may well lead to a recommendation, is their ability to deal with it quickly, efficiently and with a satisfactory outcome.

Some useful tips to consider before purchasing goods over the internet are:

• Check that the website clearly displays a UK postal address and not just an e-mail address or PO Box number. ( A definite non-starter if they don’t)
• Determine how long they have been established in the industry they are trading from (Some sellers have little or no product knowledge and may never have worked in an industry associated with the goods they sell)
• In contradiction to a previous article I wrote and after further investigation, I would now tend to avoid price comparison websites as the best yardstick for achieving most affordable prices as one at least charge at a cost rate per click to those who advertise with them.  Consequently, you may not be getting the best price available because the more affordable sellers may not wish to pay to advertise their goods with these websites and therefore you may not hear about them. My advice is to use these sites as a comparison to a straightforward Google search for the product you are seeking
• Do they accept credit card payments? (If you buy something that costs more than £100 and less than £30,000, and partially or fully pay for it on a credit card, you gain a valuable legal protection known as ‘section 75'.  This means the credit card company is equally liable with the retailer if you have a problem with your statutory consumer rights. 
  In other words if you buy something and the company goes bust, or it isn't fit for purpose then you can go straight to the credit card provider.
• Can you speak with previous clients of theirs to determine the standard of service?

Manufacturers tend to get away with possible repercussions lightly but they too have to be held accountable for the goods they produce and the guarantees they offer and my advice is to utilise their websites to ask them why you should purchase their goods ahead of a competitors. If you get no response then treat it as you would a showroom salesperson who ignored you and go elsewhere.

There is no better way, in my opinion, than seeking the opinion of the experts via the many useful forums that now exist and a consensus of opinion from qualified personnel is a good indicator of a products worth.

If you enjoyed my article and find it may be useful for your own project then I'd be grateful if you could take the time to click the share buttons at the top of this page and let others know. Thank you for visiting our site and good luck with your project - Tim Foley

Some useful website links to visit are:
UK Whitegoods An excellent website operated by appliance experts who will tell you the wheat from the chaff in the appliance market.
Money  Saving Experts A forum with a wealth of money saving tips in every category.
Kitchen Installation and Design Forum This is a plug for my own website - we welcome questions or contributions from all.

If you wish to contact me in any regard please e-mail t.foley@kitchensfitted.co.uk
© 2012 Tim Foley