9 Things you should never say to your Kitchen Fitter… …and why!

At Kubo Kitchens, we know how complicated it can be when trying to communicate exactly what you want from your home renovations to a team of tradespeople – it feels like a project in itself!

So, once you’ve made the decision to re-vamp your home, it makes sense that you would want to get it right. It doesn’t matter how big or small the change is, what matters is that you and your family are happy once the dust sheets are lifted.

Choosing the right team is a big part of renovation work, particularly when it’s in your own home – you want to make sure your dream designs feel safe in their hands.

For us, a great project starts with effective communication; we want you to understand exactly what we have designed and what you are ordering. Having been in the bespoke kitchen business for a while, the team at Kubo Kitchens are experts at helping you create the perfect space to suit your needs, and while we might be all ears, but we want you to be too.

The Kubo Kitchen design process is about creating something beautiful and bespoke together – we design with you, so you get exactly what you want. We appreciate that trust is a big part of home renovations and tradespeople may have lost your trust from previous projects, but at Kubo Kitchens, you can feel safe knowing that everything we say is totally transparent and 100% understood.

For us, protecting the customer relationship is just as important as delivering a stunning kitchen, so, with that in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of phrases to avoid with your kitchen-fitting team to make sure you’ve got great communication and nothing gets lost in translation!

Avoid saying: Money is no object

Customer relationships are very important to us and to protect this we always define a realistic budget from the outset. When you contact us the first step will be to book in a design consultation to get the ball rolling. You should have a clear idea of the amount of money you are willing and able to spend, this will make it much easier to review all available options and provide you with a genuine, clear and confident quote.

Avoid saying: Can we have the quote by the end of the day, please!

We understand you are keen to get started, however it takes a while to price a truly stunning kitchen and we try not to rush the process. Your natural impatience can actually make our job really hard! We want to make sure you’re truly thrilled with the final results and that requires finding enough time to prepare your quotation – a little more time spent on pricing can really make a difference down the line.

Trade-Tip: Be cautious of anyone who can come out and deliver a consultation and quotation at a moment’s notice – maybe you just got lucky, but they may not have much work on for a reason! Appointments with us sometimes have to be booked weeks in advance so please do contact us at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.

Avoid saying: Can you finish this tomorrow?

We always work to agreed deadlines and putting pressure on us to rush can be unhelpful! The kitchen will be with you for years so the standard of craftsmanship, finish and fit are really important. We take pride in finishing everything beautifully and as with all crafts, this takes time. We promise that your finished Kubo Kitchen will be worth the wait so let’s work together to create a realistic deadline.

Avoid saying: My builder says [insert supplier’s] kitchens are best.

That may simply be because it is convenient for your builder to drive down the road and collect off the shelf components to make up a kitchen from their nearest depot. He’ll also be in control of what deal he can do with the supplier for his cut. Discuss the merits of different makes with your builder, and with us, and make up your own mind.

Avoid saying: Can you match online prices for appliances?

Unfortunately, no. As a small firm our prices will be slightly more than those you can find online but we are making up for the difference in price with excellent, personalised service! I always coordinate the deliveries, deal with any damage or missing parts and ensure they are plumbed in, set up and working as they should. You will be able to check all these things personally with me before we leave your project. We think that’s a service that is worth the extra pennies!

Avoid saying: It should only take you a couple of days!

We hear this all the time and it never fails to amuse us! Jobs take as long as they take, and often there is time spent doing things that are perhaps invisible to the customer but are necessary to build/fitted safely and in accordance with current legislation. Wishful thinking on timescales won’t change our pricing and we never skip a step to beat a competitor’s quote. We’d rather be safe and do things exactly as they are meant to be done than cut corners.

Avoid saying: Can I pay in cash?

No, we do not accept cash, ever. You should be aware that anyone offering you a cash deal could end up costing you a lot of money. If the trader fails to report that transaction and pay tax on it then they are liable, but if HMRC could prove a conspiracy to defraud them of the tax then you could, in theory, be liable too. Furthermore, if you pay in cash it is much harder to dispute matters or get your money back. We like to keep all our transactions legal and transparent at Kubo Kitchens – it’s best for all concerned.

Avoid saying: You’re too expensive.

There are lots of ‘handy’ people around that are willing to turn their hand to any job. In our experience, the cheapest is not the best option. By all means, stick within your budget, but this is your personal space that you live in – get the job done well the first time by trusted and experienced kitchen-fitters who can supply years of referrals from happy customers.

Avoid saying: Oh, were we supposed to empty the kitchen?

We are not a removal company. We will give you clear instructions about the start date of the project and we would hope everything is removed from your kitchen/rooms so we can go about removing your old kitchen, updating any structural components, and then installing your fantastic new kitchen. If we have to delay, even by a day whilst you clear your room/s then it may add weeks to the project as we have all the trades booked in to come at very specific times. Delays cause knock-on delays which can add a lot of unexpected time to the project.

Do say: You’ve got the job!

We know how much it means for you to put your dream kitchen in our hands, so we do everything in our power to make sure you feel happy with your decision to work with us, every step of the way! We believe great communication truly is the key to a great project that not only leaves you thrilled with your new space but also makes us proud to call it a Kubo Kitchen design. We’re here to make your dream kitchen a reality and so we’ll always be straight with you, explain our thinking and answer your questions.

To make the most out of your dream project, make sure you get in touch in advance to save yourself time on our waiting list – the first three months of 2021 are already looking very, very busy.

We offer a free 30-minute consultation so you can get a better idea of what you can expect from our bespoke design process and make sure you’re 100% happy before committing to the project. Get in touch today, we’d love to hear from you – we can even have a zoom call if you’d prefer!

Give us a ring for a free 30 minute consult on 01420 544995 and we’ll start making your dream kitchen a reality!