What are the advantages of offering your customers a food waste disposer as part of their new kitchen project? We ask Kevin Carr, UK sales director for InSinkErator…
Q: How important is it to have a long-term relationship between a retailer and supplier?
A: I think it’s vital for any business success to have that relationship. As a supplier, we obviously provide goods and services but more importantly I think we help with a wealth of information on industry trends, new technologies and – one of the most important – details and guidance on any new legislation. So I think a strong relationship between retailer and supplier is paramount.
Q: What are the benefits of dealing with InSinkErator specifically?
A: We invented food waste disposers back in 1927 and we are the world’s largest manufacturer. Our retailer partners have the knowledge and security that their customer will get a first-class product, of course, but also a first-class service which, in turn, reflects on their own brand.
Q: InSinkErator does a lot for the independent kitchen studio partner too, doesn’t it?
A: Absolutely, they’re so important to us. The Evolution 150 and Evolution 250 food waste disposers are exclusively available for the kitchen retailer partner via the InSinkErator Showroom Collection – a range specifically developed to offer unique products that consumers simply won’t find anywhere else.
Q: InSinkErator invests a lot in marketing the name as a brand of quality, even if it’s a product that isn’t very visible by its nature.
A: If you go into a beautiful showroom, you’re not going to see an InSinkErator food waste disposer unless you open a cupboard, but the trade know us as a quality brand and that’s incredibly important. Equally, consumers are now more attuned to researching products and when they start researching food waste disposers, the one that will come up time and time again will be InSinkErator. We’re very proud of that.
Q: Consumers often don’t know they want one until they’ve seen one, so it surely represents a massive opportunity for upselling?
A: The key is demonstrating how the product works, what it can do and how safe, clean and hygienic it is. That’s difficult to do in a brochure but so much easier to do in a practical demonstration. It means our kitchen retail partners are so important, because they are genuinely showing a customer something they might not have known they wanted, but the moment they see it working they’re on board.
Q: What sets InSinkErator food waste disposers apart from others?
A: There are a number of key USPs. We use Dura-Drive induction motors and they have very few moving parts. They’re similar to the motors used in large household appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. Our competitors use permanent magnetic motors that are used in things like hair dryers, blenders and power tools. By using an induction motor we put very little load on the machine. We also use stainless steel grind chambers, which offers the ultimate in corrosion resistance and durability. These are built to withstand all types of water and we have multi-grind technology, which will handle much tougher food waste, such as bones and fibrous foods like banana skins. We use advanced sound and anti-vibration technology, which ensures we have ultra-quiet disposer operation. When so many people see it for the first time, one of the first things they mention is how quiet the product is – a lot of the time you don’t even know it’s on.
Q: How about safety and reliability?
A: Safety is at the heart of it. When we demonstrate that there are no blades, there are no knives, and there are no sharp points, there’s always surprise and massive reassurance. It’s another reason why first-hand demonstration is so important, it’s vital to get those aspects over. And reliability is also so important. We will back all the technological prowess up with our unique in-home warranty service. It gives consumers and the retailer the peace of mind that if anything goes wrong, we will get a professional there to sort the issue out. I feel that’s so important in our market. We are an appliance manufacturer and you wouldn’t buy a cooker, washing machine or a dishwasher if there was no backup service – why should a food waste disposer be different?
Q: What technical requirements are there to have a working display?
A: It’s very, very simple, you just need a working sink. Most showrooms will have a working kitchen, so as long as you have a functional sink you can have a food waste disposer. We are very generous with retailers; we don’t stipulate a lot of conditions around displays, we don’t feel that’s the right thing to do. We want a retailer to display the product for the right reasons.
Contact details:
Tel: 01923 297881
insinkerator.co.uk