Alexander / Masterfit | RETAILER PROFILE


FIT


And having a reliable installation business is


attractive to customers


who have already experienced diffi- culty in finding tradesmen.


“That has become evident by our lead times,” says Beechinor. “Kitchens aren’t quite so bad, because people will find a kitchen fitter or electrician, but when you need a plumber, then a tiler and plasterer and an electrician, and they need them to work in unison, the whole thing can collapse because of one element, especially with Covid. Then schedules go to pieces. And customers recognise that. It is normally those that have had a bad experience who realise that they want to go with the Alexander experience.” We all appreciate there is a nation- wide skills and installer shortage, so finding good tradespeople


is May 2022 · very important to delivering the standards


Alexander and Masterfit aspire to. Masterfit employs 80% of its installers and they will undertake any building work a project may require, short of actually building a full extension. But Beechinor highlights a growing problem: “Experienced fitters are becoming a bit of a dying breed. But


we embrace the task of finding new blood and there has never been a year that we haven’t had someone that’s linked to a college. The downside is, potentially, that you train them up and they leave. It is a massive investment.” And Hockley adds that the right aptitude is key: “You have to be a


certain way to be on the tools. You need to be organised – and it’s simply not for everyone.”


He mentions a local bus driver they recently took on who had signed up at the local college to become a plumber. “He knocked on our door saying we were the sort of company he would love to learn from. He saw the value of working alongside our guys who have worked for us for 20 years and maybe on their own for 10 years prior. And there is only so much you can learn at college. Work experience is key.” So would they say it is getting easier to find the right people?


Beechinor feels it became tougher because of the first Covid lockdown. Hockley explains: “One of my fitters was coming close to retirement. During that short period of furlough, and not knowing we could carry


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