Issues with having a Schuller Kitchen

I was asked the other week what the negatives or issues are with our Schuller Kitchens.

So that got me thinking!

To be honest I found it difficult to come up with negatives of a German Schuller Kitchen. They do such a good job from start to finish, its hard to find faults. However, through our experience these are the issues we see – nothing major I might add.

Below is what came to mind,

This first example actually happened with a customer of ours.

After the kitchen units were fitted, our customer decided instead of having standard shelved base units either side of their AGA, they wanted drawer units.

This brought up a few issues.

From point of order, it takes 4-5 weeks for the units to be made in Germany and shipped over to us. In the meantime, it meant that the quartz worktops and splash backs couldn’t be properly fixed in place until the units were replaced.

So, instead of the normal fit out taking 1-2 weeks or whatever it would normally take given the size of the job. This job then took a further 5-6 weeks to be finished.

We’re not saying this a bad thing about Schuller, It’s reality for all made to order manufacturers.

So, we’re basically saying make sure you have your design and how you see the kitchen functioning for you absolutely nailed when you hit the buy button if you don’t want to delay the completion of your dream kitchen or cost yourself more money.

Our second point,

On the same line as the delivery time of Schuller Units above or any other made to order manufacturer it should be noted  occasionally an item can get damaged in transit.

So, because by the time delivery to our store happens the fit of the kitchen is usually scheduled pretty soon after delivery.

Maybe a panel, drawer front or unit front might be damaged in transit and sometimes the damage is not evident until the packaging is removed after we deliver the units to the customer.

You should be aware It takes the usual 4-5 weeks to get the new panel, which we would swap over just as soon as it arrives

Issue Nr 3 - Ordering

Schuller Kitchens being made to order cannot be cancelled after a deposit is paid.

Once the order is placed with Schuller a payment is made to them within a week and the process has begun.

Make sure all the details of your kitchen has been discussed and agreed with your designer before the order is placed.

Issue Nr 4 - Impact of Possible delivery delays.

Since we are importing from Germany there are a few things to consider like the transport, ferries and customs in the UK that can affect the delivery.

We’re told weekly from Germany what the current delivery time is from point of order. So, there are no surprises for you when ordering. You’ll know from the outset how soon delivery and installation can be.

Generally, it’s 4-5 weeks for delivery after the order is placed with Germany.

99% of the time that happens and delivery is on time

However, there may be occasion that the delivery is delayed. It may be some changes were made to the design at a late stage, which delays manufacture or it could be issues with the economy, political climate etc.

Just look what happened with COVID for delivery of practically everything.

Brexit also produced some issues at the time, but that’s something that the Freight Company has sorted out to allow smooth transition between Germany and the UK.

Finally,

Each year during the summer the Schuller factory shuts down for essential maintenance for a couple of weeks.

This obviously has an effect on delivery times around that time of the year and can add on a further 2 weeks to the delivery time.

Again at the time of order we will be able to inform you of the current delivery times taking int account the shutdown and any other things that may be affecting delivery like the things mentioned in Nr 4 above.

So, on reflection these potential issues above are nothing major, but you should be aware despite our and the manufacturers best efforts small issues as mentioned can happen. Rest assured we will always deliver the highest quality and best service we possibly can.