With heavy installer workloads showing little sign of abating, merchants able to recommend products known for robust testing and longevity — as well as ease of fit — can offer their customers valuable time efficiencies that go beyond the installation stage. Keith Dyson, National Technical Sales Manager at Hansgrohe UK, reveals more.
Upgrades to the bathroom remain a key area for consumer renovation projects, bringing the obvious businesses opportunities with it. But as installers consider how they will juggle these extra jobs, consideration also needs to be given to where efficiencies can be made.
Speed of installation is one point, however being able to offer your customers showers, taps and accessories you know will provide the expected performance without the worry of them failing in a short space of time has additional benefits. For your customers, not having to fit an emergency call-back into the day or knowing that products can be delivered next day can go a long way to alleviating further pressure.
While some installers may have the ability to integrate intelligent scheduling software and CRM systems into their operation, time-saving opportunities can just as easily be found by selecting high-quality products that are made to last, supported by robust warranties and long-term availability of spare parts.
Tested for assurance
I am sure consumers looking to replace a bathroom only a few years after it has been installed have always been few and far between, however, recommending products that truly embody a ‘fit and forget’ ethos now feels more important than ever. Indeed, there is a significant step change in our buying habits happening as more of us move away from responding to trends and replacing items regularly to carefully selecting products that will last for years to come.
This provides a great platform to advocate products known for high quality materials, innovative design, and robust testing processes.
For example, Hansgrohe showers and taps only use high-quality materials that are approved for use with drinking water, with every single part complying to the relevant standards. Everything is tested with water or air to get as close to the bathroom experience as possible. We also ‘over-test’ to ensure robustness of all our showers and taps — in the UK, three bar working pressure tends to be the average water pressure but our products are all tested to sixteen bar as standard.
Reviewing the guarantee
The terms are often bandied around frequently, but with so many brands offering different guarantees and warranties it can be difficult to navigate the products with the most longevity. Hansgrohe, for instance, manufactures its own mixer cartridges and the whole product comes with a five-year manufacturing guarantee for that added peace of mind.
And it needs to continue to look good too. It stands to reason that aesthetic longevity is just as important when it comes to securing ongoing product confidence and satisfaction. If a consumer has gone for Chrome or a finish, such as Polished Gold Optic, they want it to stay this way and not look worn after a few years of use.
By investing in a refined finishing process that is resistant to external factors, we can offer a colour intensity that is durable. As a result, our Premium PVD coatings last for up to 50-years and 25-years for our special lacquer finishes.
Quick delivery
When a customer has decided on what fittings to have, the next inevitable question installers will get asked is ‘when can I get it?’ Increased wait times have been a resulting issue across many industry sectors following the pandemic, so knowing you can call in product for next day delivery can go a long way.
To ensure that merchants can turn orders around at speed and get products where they need to be, we’ve made 115 of our most popular products available on a ‘Next Day Delivery’ option, so customers know exactly when they can fit a shower or tap installation into their job schedule.
Additionally, with the initial outlay of a bathroom often being a considered purchase by the consumer and with ‘repair not replace’ very much back in fashion, knowing you can suggest products that can be can be repaired over a longer period where possible is a further valuable — and sustainable — selling point. The spare parts guarantee on Hansgrohe products is upheld for up to 15 years after the product is discontinued, saving not only on having to replace the whole product but also helping avoid longer, more complicated jobs that require having to disrupt tiling and flooring unnecessarily.
Speed of installation
Of course, being able to fit a product quickly and easily must not be forgotten. For over 120 years, Hansgrohe has been developing forward-thinking and clever bathroom solutions. That is why we developed the iBox universal to make concealed valve installations as straight-forward as possible.
Designed with installers in mind, the iBox was launched over 20 years ago and is a single point of installation for most shower valves, from fully thermostatic to manual versions. The iBox is also installed for use with a selection of wall mounted multifunctional showerheads, three-way diverters and even a selection of wall mounted electronic basin mixers.
In fact, the circular design makes the iBox virtually impossible to fit incorrectly and provides a future-proof installation for many years that can be updated to the latest designs and colours without breaking into the tiled finished wall. The universal footprint of the iBox makes it compatible with most Hansgrohe valves and the shower valve can simply be removed from the centre of the iBox and updated or maintained as required.
Click here for more information on Hansgrohe’s range of products and services.
A version of this article appeared in the October edition of PBM. Click here to read the full digital issue via the PBM website.
