For years, it’s been the standard practice among kitchen cabinet dealers to outsource the installation process to contractors. There’s a whole slew of practical reasons for this related to taxes and labor costs. It saves you money from not having to worry about equipment costs and hiring qualified employees. But in the long run, is it really in the best interest of your business to outsource this work?
Many look to software solutions for streamlining kitchen cabinet dealer operations without really considering the overall structure of their business. With much of their attention focused on sales and suppliers, most dealers find themselves at a loss on having a good handle on the fulfillment end of orders when it comes to installers.
Whats really happening
More often than not, cabinet dealers overlook the fact that the subcontractors pass along the costs of equipment and labor at grossly inflated rates per job. When you’re dealing with multiple installs a day by different contractor organizations those costs can really add up. If you’re looking to scale your business it might end up costing you more long term by choosing to stick with subcontracted installers.
Being able to have employee installers waiting in the wings to install your customers’ orders would be a dream come true for many cabinet dealers. Ever get sick of having to send subcontractors back to the site multiple times to fix something? Employee installers are likely to have a stronger commitment to your company. This means that they’re more likely to take ownership of their work and get the job right the first time.
Having installers as part of your team may even eliminate the need for field managers. Their invaluable practical input based on hands-on experience can also benefit other areas of your company such as kitchen cabinet sales, design, and delivery. Awareness of the actual install process is something that many kitchen cabinet dealers lack. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to position yourself away from your competitors as the only dealer in town who understood the kitchen remodeling process from start to finish?
