Most homeowners research cabinet lines before selecting the brand they will buy.
Unfortunately, sometimes little research goes into selecting the cabinet dealer and kitchen designer that they will buy from. The later can be more important than the former and here’s why.
When you select a good cabinet dealer and an ethical kitchen designer, they will give you the vital information you need to select a cabinet line that will be the best fit for you. The best kitchen cabinet dealers carry cabinet lines that are well made and of good value. Being a knowledgeable dealer means selecting the cabinet lines that you believe will offer the best construction, styles and finishes to your customers for the best price.
Unfortunately, many cabinet dealers either don’t know much about cabinetry or don’t have homeowner’s best interests at heart.
For example, if a dealer’s primary business is selling directly to contractors and builders then they will carry the cabinet lines that contractors prefer. IE cheap, less durable cabinetry with more flash than quality. This is because spending extra money for better cabinet construction is something most builders are not willing to do unless the cabinetry is for their own homes.
About half of all cabinet dealers focus on getting and retaining commercial customers, this makes sense for them.
Contractors are repeat customers and selling to them and to new home builders is the easiest market to sell to. Kitchen design is less valued among these customers so less design expertise is needed to sell to them. Often just giving architects and builders the cheapest cabinet that looks good and taking them golfing is a recipe for success.
For homeowners and for the contractors that value construction quality, selecting a cabinet dealer that specializes in selling to consumers is usually the better choice. By selling directly to homeowners, confusion concerning orders is reduced and there is not a middleman between the dealer and the end user. This is why Main Line Kitchen Design chooses to sell directly to homeowners.
Selecting a dealer that is financially stable with a great reputation and working with a talented kitchen designer with many years’ experiences is also essential.
Savvy customers should do a google search of the dealers and designers they are considering. Do they get good reviews? Are they registered with the Better Business Bureau? Do they have outstanding complaints?
Look on the Houzz.com page of any kitchen cabinet dealer you are considering. Legitimate companies will have many of their projects posted for you to review and evaluate. Are their kitchens attractive? Do they have odd or out of place design features? Remember, companies will be posting only their best work, so posting odd kitchens is a bad sign.
Reading the bad reviews, a company gets can be telling. Do the customers who complain seem to have a valid problem or do they seem a little nutty? Did the company you are considering address the complaint in a satisfactory way?
Does the company you are considering insist on measuring your kitchen? Good companies will insist on this, while poor ones will take any measurements simply to expedite a sale.
Big sales on cabinetry from a cabinet dealer with expiration dates are a bad sign.
Reputable kitchen cabinet dealer should always be offering their best price. So big sales mean inflating prices to begin with which is dishonest. Pressuring customers to order complicated kitchen projects possibly before they are completely planned out and selections soberly considered is irresponsible. A kitchen is not a toaster. Selling kitchen projects like they are shows incompetence and a disregard for your customer’s best interest.
These considerations are possibly more important than researching cabinet lines but can be overlooked by consumers.
Below are two important related blogs:
Why Price Comparing Kitchen Cabinets Can be a Bad Idea
Cabinet Reviews: Ratings for the top 150 cabinet brands.
Hoping you do all your research.
And as always…
Bon Appetit!
Paul, Julie, Chris, Ed, Jeremy, Juliet, Camilla, and Mark.
Main Line Kitchen Design
