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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

In being extremely pissed off by this company?

30 replies

Dancergirl · 03/05/2011 09:55

I saw a big advert in The Times yesterday for a company called Kitchen Magic. They do kitchen refurbs, change cupboard doors, drawers and worktops. This is exactly what we are looking to do so I phoned them to book a time for them to come out and give me a quotation.

However when I phoned them, the man I spoke to insisted that my husband was there too as 'they present to couples'. I was a bit taken aback but wanted to proceed with the appointment so I made a few rubbish excuses along the lines of my husband not being around etc. I'm obviously not v good at lying because in the end he said he wouldn't make the appointment!

I was absolutely furious but still wanted the appointment so I phoned back and said my 'partner' would be there and eventually persuaded him to make the appointment. He kept asking me if I would be able to make the decision there and then so I just said yes.

We've done loads of thing to our house, I mostly do the arranging, seeing people, getting quotes etc and this this first time I have come across this. Thinking about it, I don't actually think it's a sexist thing, eg a woman must have her husband there to make a decision....I think it's a high pressure selling thing and that's why they like to see the couple together.

OP posts:

amberleaf · 03/05/2011 09:57

I would cancel the appt tbh.

Thats so ridiculous. im

NinkyNonker · 03/05/2011 09:57

Hell, I'd avoid them like the plague. If all you're doing is changing doors and work surfaces etc just pick the ones you want and either do it yourself or find a tradesman to do it for you. You shouldn't need a specialist company to do it.

daimbardiva · 03/05/2011 09:59

Totally ridiculous - tell them to stick it. They should be bending over backwards to get your business, not putting out conditions like that. What if you live on your own??

Crazy.

frgr · 03/05/2011 10:02

Well if your perception isn't that it's a sexist thing then fair enough BUT I would be weary about a company who tries to remove barriers to selling on the spot. Any company that doesn't permit its prices, quality, reviews etc to be asked around/searched online doesn't get my business. I never, ever buy things because of those selling tactics. When we did our bathroom up, I dealt with similar things in some shops - I point blank refuse to buy something then and there.

I understand from a practical point of view that they don't want to make appointments for time wasters (my brother owns his own firm, and when he was starting up a huge proportion of his time/effort/expenses went on pitching for work they needed but hardly ever won due to competing against established competitors at first - very thin line between any profit margin). BUT I think they should be able to learn to filter out the time wasters/unlikely to buy from more subtle methods e.g. your level of interest, knowledge, area where you live, proposed budget, whatver.

So YANBU to be pissed off at all. I think it's poor show really.

FabbyChic · 03/05/2011 10:03

I'd also tell them to stick it.

I'd be more inclined to go with a local builder to be honest who will be cheaper.

frgr · 03/05/2011 10:03

daimbardiva, the OP has said she didn't perceive it to be a sexist thing, but more of a "we want the prospect to be able to make a decision on the day" sort of criteria, I think?

MrSpoc · 03/05/2011 10:03

its not a sexist thing as you say but more of a sales / timewasting excersise. I worked in a similar sales environment and they always told you to make sure both partners are present so nothing is lost in translation. it also makes it easier to get the sale there and then.

StewieGriffinsMom · 03/05/2011 10:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 03/05/2011 10:05

That is totally unacceptable.

Let's hope they do a vanity google and find this thread.

Kitchen Magic you say?

Kitchen Magic with their ludicrous demands?

ratspeaker · 03/05/2011 10:07

I had that with a double glazing company, they even said they wouldn't send out unless DH was there for "insurance purposes".
Dh mum was ill so he couldn't be there

But we'd agreed we needed windows, I was paying with "my" money so can't see the problem
We never made the appointment so went with a local firm that turned up when they said they would, knew planning regs, did what we wanted and did a brilliant job
and didnt want us to take out high intrest finance

I think you are right in that these firms want to apply high pressure selling. I take the view if that's what they're like before doing work, ie not listening to the customer, what is their after sales going to be like?

ExitPursuedByALamb · 03/05/2011 10:07

Get them round, waste loads of there time, and then tell them you need time to think.

Reminds me of when were getting quotes in for our new kitchen. One chap turned up, looked me up and down and then said "You do know our kitchens start from £20,000 don't you?" He measured up in a half hearted way and then never bothered to come back with a qoute. We live in a quite large detached house in a 'good' area, but I think I was in my mucking out clothes so he clearly decided I could not afford one of his kitchens.

Can't believe people put up such barriers to making a sale.

frgr · 03/05/2011 10:08

ChaosTrulyReigns, I've done searches online for companis before and seen MN threads popping up on the page, i always do a little read in that case! haha

amazing, the power of MN

Mamaz0n · 03/05/2011 10:08

they don't want to send a salesman to your home for a couple of hours, do a load of work and then you say "i will need to discuss it with my husband" they want to be able to see you both there and put the hard sell on so that they can have a firm booking from as many appointments as possible.

Quenelle · 03/05/2011 10:10

As an exercise, why not get your husband to contact them and see if they insist on you being there too?

Agree with FabbyChic, find a local builder to do the job.

FreudianSlipOnACrown · 03/05/2011 10:12

I dont see why anyone should have to make a decision on the spot anyway when it such a massive commitment financially!

What if you didn't have a husband/partner anyway?

FreudianSlipOnACrown · 03/05/2011 10:13

"As an exercise, why not get your husband to contact them and see if they insist on you being there too?"

Yes do it do it do it (using different name/contact details obviously!) and post the results here...

Original poster

Dancergirl · 03/05/2011 10:16

'As an exercise, why not get your husband to contact them and see if they insist on you being there too?'

I did think about that....but I suspect they would say the same thing. I really do think it's a pressure thing rather than a sexist thing. Just the impression I got.

OP posts:

vintageteacups · 03/05/2011 10:19

Avoid like the Plague!!!

thetideishigh · 03/05/2011 10:23

Why would you want to persist with any business that uses pressure selling.

They have told you that they need your other half there on the day so that a decision can be made there and then. This is pressure selling and I personally would not want to let them cross my threshold.

There are other companies that do the same thing. Do you have a "Dream Doors" franchise local to you for example.

If you still want them involved ask them about the cooling off period and get it in writing on the day.

jeee · 03/05/2011 10:27

It's not sexist - honestly. When we were getting double glazing quotes nearly every one of the larger firms insisted that both DH and I needed to be present - and this was said to DH who booked all the appointments.

They know that if only one of you is present you won't make an on-the-spot decision. And they don't want to leave without you signing up.

Try smaller firms - they tend to be less aggressive on the sales front.

Bathsheba · 03/05/2011 10:35

Do Venture not do that too (I've never used Venture but I'm sure I've seen this mentioned in threads about them) - they insist the whole family is there for the viewing as they have clearly found that people spend more.

I suspect this compnay have found that when they only present to 1 person the "buyer" almost always says "I'll need to discuss this with my H/W beofre I sign" and I'll bet they don't convert as many calls to sales because of this - whereas if everyone is there then there can't be the same stalling tecnique used - "well, If you need to discuss it I'll tidy up and oput the sampls back in the car while you do that, and then we can get signing" type of thing....

I wopuldn't like to deal with a company that did that either I have to say but the company is insisting on it to maximise theirsales.

Danthe4th · 03/05/2011 10:38

If they can afford to put a large advert in The Times, I would forget it as you will be paying over the odds for what you would get.

ItsCHEEKYTime · 03/05/2011 10:43

Sexist bastards! I? would have asked him what he meant by 'the authority to make a decision - what if you were a single mother?!

Cheeky twats

Kitchen Magic - Load of bollox!!!

vj32 · 03/05/2011 12:19

A decent kitchen company shouldn't want you to sign up on the day - they measure up, then get back to you with pictures/3d model of what your new kitchen will look like. None of the ones I had round tried to get me to sign up on the day. I saw all 3 of them alone. I spent about £10k with fitting/electrics etc for a small kitchen so not cheap but not really expensive either.

One kitchen company insisted they had to see my partner. I didn't book an apt with them.

Original poster

Dancergirl · 03/05/2011 12:53

There are other companies that do the same thing. Do you have a "Dream Doors" franchise local to you for example

thetideishigh - funnily enough I've had a quote from someone at Dream Doors and he's been v helpful. In fact he's coming back tonight with some samples to show me.

I just wanted a couple of other quotes for comparison.

Do you have any experience of Dream Doors?

OP posts:

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