Online, off sales
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29 January 2010

Like most independent retailers I am fed up of constantly being forced to price match internet prices after spending a lot of time designing and planning a project.

I often spend hours with a customers discussing every aspect of the project. I am also generous enough to provide a full itemised list of products, codes and prices because I am a firm believer that the customer has a right to know what it is they are being quoted for.

I also believe that everyone has the right to a good deal.Nevertheless, as one of your readers says, it can start off as a potential £15,000 sale and end up being £5,000 with a lot less profit but the same amount of hassle. They still expect you to still install it all for them and what happens when things go wrong? Who pays for the mistakes? Where do we as retailers draw the line? 

I had a major issue recently where a customer sourced a Miele hob themselves after visiting the Miele Centre and ordering it online. When it came to installation, it was too deep to fit on top of a Miele single oven.Miele didn't know why this was until someone from the technical department had investigated it. This not only affected the installation but also my relationship with the customer, as I do not hold myself responsible for this. 

It has cost me a lot of money to solve a problem with a product I didn't provide. It has also upset the customer, affected timescales and alienated fitters.Why has this issue cost me so much money, time and effort simply because the customer wanted it cheaper online?I would like to know how other retailers get around this type of situation. 

When we do jobs for our customers, we provide a fantastic service, but only itemise the products. So do you think we are well within our rights to charge for the service, planning and designs? 

Stuart Parry, Purple Kitchens, Liverpool

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