When things go wrong, people are quick to point fingers at others. But Graham Parnell, owner of The Kitchen & Bathroom Installer, believes both retailers and installers can learn to work better together, instead of against each other.
There’s a quiet war going on in the industry, and it’s costing everyone.
Retailers blame installers for delays. Installers blame retailers for poor plans and specifications. Customers stand in the middle wondering why their dream kitchen has turned into a slow motion car crash. And the truth? Most of it’s avoidable, if we just start working like we’re actually on the same team.
I don’t work for a retailer – I work with one. And that difference matters. Because when retailers and installers build proper partnerships, not handshakes, not quick favours, but real working relationships built on trust, respect, and shared responsibility, that’s when the magic happens.
Retailers: it’s time to stop pretending installation is just the bit that happens at the end. Design all you like. Sell the dream. But if your installer turns up to a site with missing plans, zero contact, and a customer who’s already twitchy, you’ve set them up to fail. And when the job does go south, the Google review won’t say: “The showroom was nice.” It’ll say: “The kitchen’s a disaster!”
If you treat your installer like a necessary evil, you’ll get a devil of a result.
Installers, let’s not get too smug either. There are certain installers out there who give the rest of us a bad name – late, lazy, incompetent and allergic to communication. But for those of us who take pride in the job, who know how to manage a full refurbishment without the drama, we’re worth our weight in boiling taps. And we’ve earned the right to be heard, not just herded in at the end.
I work closely with an independent kitchen and bedroom retailer. We’ve cracked the formula: open communication, honest feedback and no egos. Every job is a team effort. They value my insight from pre-installation visits, and I respect the graft that goes into designing a dream kitchen.
So why are so many getting it wrong? Because too many retailers see trades as a bolt-on, not a partner. Because too many installers shrug and say, “Not my problem!” when a customer’s been mis-sold a layout that won’t work. And because no one wants to take ownership of the full customer journey, just their bit of it. This has to change.
More backbone
Here’s what a real partnership should look like: Designers involving installers early. Not as a tick-box, but as a valued opinion. Installers giving honest feedback. Not slagging off a design, but suggesting better ways to make it work.
This industry is facing a real skills shortage. Good installers are walking away from jobs where they’re treated like a necessary inconvenience. Retailers are losing money and reputation on jobs that spiral out of control because the site team wasn’t looped in until the day before install.
Customers don’t see the divide between showroom and site. They see one brand. One business. One result. So if you’re still working like it’s “us and them”, you’re already losing.
Retailers: Stop treating installers like the end of the line. Bring us in from the beginning. We don’t want your job. But we do want the same outcome. A job done properly, on time, and with a customer who wants to tell the world about it.
Installers: Step up. Act like the professionals you say you are. Communicate, cooperate, turn up when you say you will. If you want respect, earn it.
The industry needs less blame and more backbone. Less silence and more collaboration. Because this isn’t just about kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. It’s about pride, reputation and doing the job right – together.