Kütchenhaus | ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
at head office helped us every step of the way’
‘The team
Justin Clarke from Kütchenhaus in Shoreham-by-Sea explains how he went from being a kitchen designer to a franchisee
S
purred on by a desire to see better customer service from KBB retailers, Clarke (pictured left with business
partner Craig Holder) took a leap of faith with a Kütchenhaus franchise. During a precarious time when the country was going into lockdown, the kitchen designer-turned- franchisee managed to open a shop and has big plans for the future.
Q & A
Q: Tell us about your past experience as a KBB designer A: I started designing at MFI back in 1987, worked my way up to foreman in 1990, then moved to the sales fl oor in 1992. Since 2006, I’ve been selling Nobilia kitchens with MFI, Homebase and various independent retailers. So, I’ve been managing installations and all aspects of the kitchen journey for nearly 30 years.
Q: Why did you decide to switch from being a designer to a franchisee? A: I’d been thinking about it and had a chance meeting with Sean Ford at the Nobilia factory in Germany in 2019. He mentioned the opportunity and the seed was planted. We’re a family business and use the same installation team that I’ve used
December 2020 ·
over the past 13 years, so I can control the complete project with the confi dence that we have a great team around us. We offer the best personal service to our customers, but are also part of a larger franchise with the backing of the biggest kitchen manufacturer in the world. After seeing 30 years of not-so-great service in the industry, we are building this business on good old-fashioned customer service.
Q: You launched during lockdown so how has your fi rst few months of trading been? A: We received the keys to our shop on February 1 and were due to open on April 6. It was all hands to the pump getting the shop ready. Lockdown was a weird experience for everyone, but we just carried on working behind the scenes at the shop – we even managed to plan and sell a few kitchens. We had lots of interest as people seemed excited by the new shop in the high street. It’s been challenging, but we are pleased with our fi rst few months and we’re now booking installations for next year.
Q: Why choose Kütchenhaus as your franchise? A: Honestly, Kütchenhaus is such a great fi t for
me. After 13 years of selling the Nobilia product, I feel I have the knowledge and experience of the brand. Nobilia supplies a great product at a great price, and as a designer you can really personalise the kitchen. I try to make every kitchen a statement, rather than just putting boxes on a wall, and Nobilia allows us to do this.
Q: What support is available from Kütchenhaus for franchisees? A: We receive great support from our sales manager and the team at head offi ce have helped us every step of the way. Having spent some time in Germany and Manchester with the team, we felt welcome and support is always available in case we have any queries. The technical team in Manchester check the orders, which is great because, even as an experienced designer, they will ask questions and pick out errors that we might have missed this end. All the appliances are then collated and delivery is arranged directly with the customer.
Q: What advice would you give a designer considering a Kütchenhaus franchise? A: When we started this process, a couple of the other franchisees offered advice and really helped us. I have also done the same for a couple of new starters, too. Kütchenhaus has big plans for the future and we want to be part of this and open up another shop at the beginning of 2022.
For more information on Kütchenhaus contact: Tel: 0161 855 2745 •
www.kutchenhaus.co.uk E-mail:
franchise@kutchenhaus.co.uk
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