How do I check a cabinet shop’s installer and delivery arrangements?
Find out who installs and delivers the cabinets, how each person or crew is engaged, and what is written down. Ask whether installers work only for this shop, who handles damage and call-backs, and whether the arrangements carry on after the owner leaves. These people are the shop’s face at the customer’s door.
Ask for a list of everyone who installs or delivers, and how each is engaged. Some may be employees, some independent crews, and some may be the owner’s own family. The difference affects pay, insurance and what happens if they leave. Your lawyer and accountant can tell you how each arrangement should be treated.
Next, look at the quality of the work. Ask how many jobs needed a return visit, and what caused it. Ask how damage in transit or on site is handled and who pays for it. Visit a couple of recent jobs, or speak to customers, if the seller will arrange it. The installer’s manner often becomes the customer’s memory of the shop.
Finally, test the continuity. Are the installers loyal to the shop or to the owner? Do they work for other shops too? If a key installer is nearing retirement or only works with the owner, plan how to replace them. Ask them directly, with the seller’s permission, whether they intend to stay. Build their introduction into your first weeks after closing. Ask too how installers are scheduled and how customers are told when to expect them, since poor communication here is a common source of unhappy customers.
Key takeaways
- List every installer and driver, and how each is engaged.
- Ask how call-backs and damage are handled, and who pays.
- Ask key installers directly whether they plan to stay.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentAfter buying a business, what is the next step?
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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