Remodeling a kitchen requires planning and teamwork. One of the more important decisions you will make, after you set your budget and expectations, is where to purchase top kitchen appliances.
The appliance distributor you choose will ultimately become an important part of the kitchen remodeling team. If you can’t spot the difference between a ringer and a bench warmer when it comes to appliance stores, read on. Tim and I can clear that up for you.
Look for energy-efficient appliances, like Liebherr, if you want a green kitchen remodel
Tim Hillebrand works for Hillmon Appliance Distributors of Cranberry, PA, which is the largest appliance showroom in the greater Pittsburgh area. Predictably, Tim has some tips on sorting the toaster pusher from the appliance pro who works with you to build the perfect kitchen. The two primary issues at stake are appliance selection and customer service.
Appliance Selection
Appliance selection is easy to spot. If you visit an appliance store and see a sales floor full of plasma televisions and four refrigerators against the back wall, you are in the wrong store. Tim says, “A customer driving 3 hours to get to our showroom wants to see everything, so we give them that experience.” If you can’t see and touch all of your appliance options, why bother going to the store?
A wide selection of appliances will also ensure that you get the right products. “One rant that we have here at Hillmon is companies who try to talk a customer out of what they want and into what the store sells,” Tim said. An example he cited was one customer who was sold a range instead of a built-in wall oven and cooktop, simply because the appliance store didn’t stock cooktops. A team player should have an inventory large enough to meet everyone’s needs.
Appliance distributors who care about the kitchen remodel team will appreciate and carry green appliances. “Not only do the companies we work with make green appliance products; the companies themselves are green,” says Tim, “In this day and age, we want to leave the smallest carbon footprint and these companies do that.” For example, it’s good for you to want a Liebherr fridge freezer, which has the best energy efficiency in the industry, but it is just as important to know that the refrigerator was manufactured in an environmentally responsible manner.
A team player will also educate you about all your options and the latest hot kitchen trends. Dual-purpose appliances like a convection/microwave oven can be a space-saving solution for a small kitchen. Some wall ovens have menu-driven technology which allows you to insert the food and push a button – the oven will do the rest. Most of us wouldn’t know these appliances exist if they weren’t available on a showroom floor.
Appliance Service
Of course, having the best possible equipment in your kitchen won’t help if everyone on the team doesn’t know how to use them, and this is where customer service makes a huge difference. “For example,” says Tim, “customers come in to us and are afraid to use their convection ovens because no one explained to them how convection works.” A well-managed store will educate their customers about how appliances work. Some exceptional stores, like Hillmon, employ professional chefs who offer classes on how to plan and create meals using their new appliances.
After the purchase, the difference between bench warmers and team players will be immediately apparent. A distributor who routinely works with local builders can talk directly to your cabinet makers about how wide your dishwasher is or how much clearance your stovetop requires. You will have fewer details to worry about, and more time to pick out curtains. While most appliance stores offer delivery and installation, the team players will also offer follow-up and warranty service, if necessary.
Finally, you shouldn’t have to pay extra to be treated right. You can always get a cheaper stove somewhere else, but if you are shopping for high quality appliances, good appliance stores should have prices comparable to the big box stores.
So, now we have a game plan. Set your appliance budget, pick your paint samples, and find a real team player who is as interested in your new kitchen remodel as you are.
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