My mother always reminded me when I was young; “Timmy, watch what you wish for.” I never quite grasped at that age how important that one line would be as I matured in years. That line reminds me of many related things in my business. Being a kitchen designer/salesperson now for over 34 years, (I started my business in 1979) I have come across many lines from clients and perspective clients. I could probably fill a book with these and become a best seller. One of the most noticed line that comes to my mind is when a client tells me; “I want the kitchen to be as cheap as possible but I want good quality.” I have always understood what they meant by this but they really do not have a clue how that one line can hurt them and make their project more pain than they ever could imagine.

This trade in general from plumbers, electricians, contractors and kitchen people, are filled with many types of business people. As a client, I understand that out main objective is to get our project done as easy, as low cost and as little hassle as possible. On the other side as a business owner, I also know how this trade is filled with many so called business people that have no sense of ethics and business practices. Most of them seem nice and professional at first but somewhere midway through the project, and some early on, their heads spin completely around like Linda Blair in the Exorcist and poof, the devil appears. This is not a good or fun thing to witness. Your life from that point on will never be the same. I can hear many ask the question; “How does that relate to me wanting my project to be as low cost as possible?”

When we combine this one line with unscrupulous business people, we set ourselves up instantly to an unpleasant experience. Most people think they know quality but in my experience, they have a very fuzzy knowledge of what it is. I have heard many people try to tell me things from what they are hearing from the competitors that make me laugh. I remember one line that I heard many years ago that still makes me laugh. When some of the larger cabinet factories years ago started using automatic finishing systems, their goal was to speed things up in the factory in this area. Accompanied by the robot spray guns are ovens that cure the material faster so that it can cycle through the system quicker so that little time is wasted. Dealers who carried their cabinets used a line that they thought would wow their clients. “Our finishes are baked on the cabinets to give you a much tougher and lasting finish” rolled out of their mouths. It was a great thought but unfortunately, the only people that benefited from these ovens were the factories only. A true baked on finish is done electronically on metal which in turn makes it a stronger, more attached finish. Point being, we can be told almost anything that we can believe. These can be the things that turn your world upside down and wish that you never decided to remodel your kitchen.

What is a client to do? First thing first is to research a good company out. These will be the companies that will help you out in the gathering stage on their websites or in their showrooms. These are the businesses that are rated high with the BBB. These are the companies that will ask you good questions and listen intently so that they can come up with a design and plan that fits your needs and your budget. Good businesses are out there but if we have the thought on our minds of being as low cost as possible, we will drive ourselves away from them. Low cost is a great thing but it is soon forgot when the  pain and frustration from the experience is more than we can handle. Remodeling your kitchen does not have to be an unpleasant experience. Choose and prepare your mind with the right thoughts and your decisions will follow through. Dream First and watch how well things go from there.  Happy remodeling!                            Tim Holick

This entry was posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Remodeling on July 23, 2013 by THblog.