Ikea Kitchen Installation: Why We Chose to be Independent

We’ve been doing remodeling projects that include the installation of IKEA kitchen cabinets for five years now, with hundreds of projects completed successfully. We still love these cabinets for their great price, European look and the all the creative ways they can be used. There are limitations, of course. But overall, an IKEA kitchen remodel is a smart choice for many homeowners.

Our company has coordinated with the Los Angeles IKEA stores on various projects. We installed kitchen displays in the Carson store last summer, and shortly after that, at the request of Corporate IKEA, we became a certified IKEA installer for that store. “Certified” in this context simply means we agreed to certain terms that IKEA sets forth. The store, in turn, referred their kitchen cabinet customers to us directly.

Our experience in this relationship quickly proved to us that our company’s standards could not be met while in a direct relationship with IKEA. This is not to cast aspersions on IKEA. We simply found that we could not work with a small handful of local IKEA employees, particularly those who have long functioned as liaisons to outside service providers. Their ways and means were intolerable to us.

You could say that we chose to give up an easy life, a constant stream of customer referrals from the stores. We chose instead to be independent, to be able to offer a level of customer service and professional care that we felt we could not provide under the “certified” label. Sometimes things just work out this way. We have not regretted our decision to abide by our professional code.

It is entirely understandable that a homeowner could consider the “certified” installer referred by the store to be some protection or guarantee that their cabinets will be installed correctly. We consider that it comes at a hidden price but, more important, the guarantee we offer is enhanced by the fact that we genuinely care about doing a good job, being honest, and gaining a happy customer who will refer us.

If respectful customer service, good communication, and professional standards in all service channels appeal to you, give us a call to discuss your project and your needs when considering a kitchen, or other type of home improvement project.