Mark Conacher – Why better installation strategies give you long-term wins

Installation is where your reputation as a retailer is either protected or damaged, says Mark Conacher, CEO of consultancy KBB Momentum, so it pays to invest in the right processes.

For many kitchen and bathroom retailers, installation is seen as one of the final stages of a sales process. Something that happens between the design being sold and the deposit being taken. From there, the baton is passed over to the installer. In reality, installation is the part of the journey that customers will judge your business on most harshly if things don’t go as expected.

Installation starts way before the fit
One of the biggest misconceptions in the KBB industry is the belief that an installation begins when the fitter turns up on the first day. The truth is, it starts when the customer agrees to proceed with the installation, and from there, the expectations are set. It continues with the pre-installation survey, the product checks, and communication between the sales team and the installers. By the time an installer arrives on site, the success or failure of that project has already been decided.

When retailers rely on informal processes or “the way we’ve always done it”, information can be missed and responsibilities can become blurred. The installer turns up on day one, and suddenly, they are dealing with problems that should never have materialised in the first place. None of this is good for the customer or your reputation.

Consistency reduces risk
Mistakes happen, but what separates strong businesses from struggling ones is how often those mistakes occur, and then, how they're handled. Putting in place well-defined, consistent procedures and documentation will limit misunderstandings. When everyone follows the exact same steps, in the exact same order, problems become easier to predict and a lot easier to resolve.

Installers, who are rarely professionally trained in customer service or conflict handling, can suddenly feel cornered when an issue arises. Even when they know something has gone wrong, their instinct can be to defend their own work rather than step back and look for a solution. That panic reflex often stems from a lack of support and an absence of clear pathways for resolving problems without blame.

When a retailer has strong installation procedures in place, mistakes are treated as process issues, not personal failures, and so the attention moves away from who is at fault to what needs to be done next. Those processes can protect relationships and reputations.

Installation can impact profit
There’s no getting away from it – installation problems are expensive, even when they appear small. A return visit and an unhappy customer who holds back the final payment. A negative review that undermines future sales. These costs are rarely recorded on any spreadsheet I’ve seen, but they are very real.

Retailers who invest time and energy into their installation procedures see fewer callbacks, fewer remedials, and better cash flow. More importantly, they sleep better knowing that their business is not one installation away from a major headache. Installation processes are not about control, they are about clarity. They allow retailers to step back from firefighting and focus on growing the sales side of their business, and allow installers to focus on what they do best, instead of constantly dealing with the latest problem.

Installers are part of your team
Whether an installer is employed directly or subcontracted, they are part of your team. Customers certainly see it that way. They are the face of your business in the customer’s home. How they communicate and how issues are handled on site all reflect back on the showroom that sold the product and design.

Supporting installers does not mean telling them what to do. It means understanding the pressures they face and putting systems in place that work for them as well as for your own business. When installers feel supported, communication improves and accountability strengthens, because nobody feels isolated.

Installers often spot issues that sales teams never see. Practical feedback from surveys can improve future designs and help manage customer expectations earlier in the journey. When that feedback loop is encouraged and structured, everyone benefits – retailers who listen to their installers make better decisions, and installers take greater pride in their work and ownership of the outcome.

Processes make growth possible
As businesses grow, informal systems grind to a halt. What worked with 2 installers does not work with 10. There is help available for businesses willing to take installation seriously. Industry bodies, frameworks, and accreditations exist to support retailers who want to raise standards and reduce risk. The key is being open to the idea.

Customers rarely remember the specification of a cabinet; what they will remember is how the experience made them feel. Did the project run smoothly? Were problems handled professionally? Did the process feel organised or chaotic? When installation is supported correctly, everything else becomes easier. Sales improve. Stress reduces. Reputation grows. In a competitive market, installation can be the difference.