For a long time we’ve offered our design service through dealers and installers within the industry, but we’ve realised that getting lost in translation really is a thing, and that there can be too many cooks in the kitchen.
Continuing with the cooking theme – in our industry we’re seeing less and less focus on quality execution – less Michelin star, and more Saturday night takeaway. Don’t get us wrong, both absolutely have their place, but there is no chance you’re mistaking one for the other within their unique settings. Certainly not when it comes to getting what you paid for.
Alas, with everyone competing to be the head chef, and no sign of there being a Chef de Partie doing any actual work; it’s all air-fairy sales talk and fluffy promises, mostly resulting in underperformance, and deflating experiences; the guests at the table get food, but not at all what they thought they’d ordered, or were sold from the nonexistent menu – mostly because there’s been far too little emphasis placed on designing for, and managing of, expectations.
Sometimes both sides of the tables are also missing a few kahunahs, an ethical backbone, perhaps even a few lightbulbs – whether that be singular or grouped.
So, we’re starting afresh and throwing down the gauntlet; we’re offering our services directly so the end results are predictable and consistent. So that customers get what they order, once they’re aware of what’s on the menu.
As a distributor of product to the trade, we understand that there will always be sales pitches and preferences, but our professional perspective is that you simply can’t argue with engineering and maths when putting together a design which utilises the best products in the marketplace.
As a representative of manufacturing partners we know everyone wants to move product – boxes pay bills – but we all also realise that products only perform at their peak when designs have been well thought through, products picked to meet minimum specification, and compromise is addressed in a sensible way.
As an end user, many times the technical details aren’t explained or conveyed properly, nevermind documented well, if at all. The person trying to nail down that sale isn’t even remotely interested in helping understand anything properly; they’re purely focussed on the what – They need to sell, and how it works is the problem for the poor guy who comes to install it for you. The sales guys just want to get their hands on your money, and they need to make you believe – in that moment – that it’s the best option for you.
None of those reasons they’ll use address the why factor, and that’s where we step in; we focus on delivering a product-neutral, unbiased, technically-proficient and fundamentally functional set of documents that emphasise empathic, human centric designs for specification and performance, and less on brand and price. Why? because clients deserve to understand what they are getting. Why? because we want to prove that this industry isn’t simply made up of bakkie brigades who hang and bang tv’s on walls. Why? Because clients deserve better, (although in some cases, they also deserve to burn their fingers so they don’t make those mistakes again – such is life, such are school fees, c’est la vie?!)
So, without further ado, let’s be more inquisitive, let’s be more rigorous in our acceptance of standards, and let’s not allow carelessly planned, poor design to rule the roost.
If you’ve got something special you want to build, reach out, get in touch; we’re only an [insert your communication method of choice here] away!