In being extremely pissed off by this company?

[Dancergirl]

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.

[TastesLikePanda]

I experienced something a little bit like this when I wanted my house painted - I made the apt, DH was upstairs playing xbox working when the man came round. He was happy enough to look at the walls, take measurements etc with me, but wanted me to 'call the husband down to talk about colours and prices'

I wasn't happy because he insisted. I was paying for it, which I told him, but just at that precise moment DH walked across the balcony to go to the loo, and the painter man called him down Dh was most bemused!

I ended up using another man who came round and jokingly told me off for not weeding my garden, but he had a lovely twinkle in his eye, so I knew it would be nice having him around!

[takethisonehereforastart]

Avoid them. Avoid any company who tries that on with you.

He sounds like those salesmen you see on consumer programmes, that camp on the sofa for four days straight to force 90 year olds to sign up for a conservatory on their top floor flat etc.

We are currently looking into a similar project and Kitchen Magic are on our companies to avoid list now.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Why on earth would you want to get into any dealings with these people? That phonecall would put me off instantly. Get thee down to Howdens and do it yourself, as they say :o

[breatheslowly]

Definitely pressure. I regularly use the excuse of "I'll have to ask my husband" when I mean "layoff the pressure".

[prettybird]

If a product is good enough, it doesn't need high pressure sales tactics to close the deal.

If they were confident enough in their own product when compared to competitors, they would be comfortable that if given some time, you would review the options and choose them.

Cancel.

[Dancergirl]

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?

[vj32]

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.

[ItsCHEEKYTime]

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!!!

[Danthe4th]

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.

[Bathsheba]

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.

[jeee]

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.

[thetideishigh]

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.

[vintageteacups]

Avoid like the Plague!!!

[Dancergirl]

'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.

[FreudianSlipOnACrown]

"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...

[FreudianSlipOnACrown]

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?

[Quenelle]

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.

[Mamaz0n]

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.

[frgr]

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

[ExitPursuedByALamb]

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.

[ratspeaker]

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?

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

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?

[MrSpoc]

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.

[frgr]

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?