Kitchen companies - unprofessional

[AndyHCZ]

After 20 years, our kitchen is looking rather dated and in much need of a refresh. So we have made the decision to have a brand new kitchen in the Spring next year.

We contacted a few kitchen companies, ranging from the mid-range to high-end. was one of the high-end.

In terms of sales, they really do push. After ordering a brochure, they contacted us every few weeks to see if we wanted to get a design/quotation etc. So we got the designer to come out and she was very good.

We were due to see their design for our kitchen in one of their showrooms and the day before the appointment, we had a phone call that our designer could not meet us because she was on leave (no indication whether sick or what). The other designer would step in as he said he had all the information to present the designs/styles/costing.

So, we met the designer who was to step in and were not impressed by some of the things he did/said:

- He criticised some of the ideas of our original designer, saying he wouldn't have done things that way.
- He said our designer was on sick leave and that she had done this before, being away for 8 weeks. He said he had no idea if or when she would return.
- The design and costing was only half complete, they had not finished the utility room. This was not mentioned when he contacted us before and we would have to go to their showroom again to see the plans (75 mile roundtrip).
- The building work did not have a breakdown (we don't know what it included).
- He had prepared an estimate for the appliances, but ignored the specification sheet written by our original designer.
- He was critical of Mark Wilkinson, saying they use MDF for some parts of their kitchens. I think he said use plywood.

I would never criticise the work of another colleague in front of prospective customers and I would certainly never discuss a colleague's leave in a negative manner.

All rather unprofessional in my opinion - anyone else had similar experiences? I think it's back to the drawing board with this kitchen

Edited by AndyHCZ on Saturday 25th October 10:58

ETA

No naming and shaming please.

Edited by Big Al. on Saturday 25th October 11:08

Edited by AndyHCZ on Saturday 25th October 11:11

[AndyHCZ]

Woops - sorry, didn't realise I broke the rules (edited to remove another name).

I was quite shocked at how unprofessional they were. Certainly not the way to attract any customers.

Kitchens are a big expense (and hassle!) for any house. We all probably spend more on a kitchen than any other room in the house.

To be honest, their quotation is quite confusing. Everything is broken down but over a lot of paperwork which makes it a little nauseating to read.