2020 has been a time of reflection, adaptation and flexibility. As we all get to grips with new ways of working, many tradespeople are coping with all kinds of increased pressures, from getting new work in and being able to complete projects, to adapting to the ever-changing social distancing and safety legislation and guidelines.
Elizabeth Briggs, category manager Sliding, Room & Building, Häfele UK explains: “We know there’s been a lot of pressure on our customers, both in terms of time and finances. Though Häfele has, like you, experienced a huge amount of change in the ways we operate, our priority has been to help our customers during these challenging times and make it as easy as possible for them to continue to work.
“To make sure we’re offering the best possible services and solutions, we’ve worked with our customers throughout lockdown to understand the hurdles they face, and how we can make changes to help you work effectively and safely.
“The pandemic may have impacted a lot of things about our personal and professional lives, but one thing always remains; whether you’re looking for technical or design support, we’re here as an extension of your team. So, to help you secure new work and continue growing your business during this new era, we’ve brought together some of our existing services and products, and also developed some new solutions, to help you in these challenging times.
Häfele Here to Help
“We recently launched Häfele Here to Help, a dedicated package of support for our industry. Designed in response to feedback from customers who shared their COVID-19-related concerns with us, the programme will help joiners, installers and furniture manufacturers to increase sales and enquiries, as well as deliver projects on time and on budget, despite the financial, operational and logistical challenges presented by the pandemic.
“To help customers plan future projects with confidence and support their cashflow, the package includes a price freeze on all products and a reduction in the free next day delivery threshold from £100 to £50 for the rest of 2020. It also brings together several existing, value added services to make the design and ordering process as easy as possible.
“This comprises a number of free specification tools and services, including our Lighting Design Service, which allows users to see different options on how our Loox LED lighting can transform furniture, units and other products when integrated into designs. Usefully, Loox is a plug and play modular system, meaning it can be fitted quickly and easily, without needing an electrician.
“Häfele Here to Help also incorporates Häfele to Order, our bespoke, made-to-order manufacturing service that allows customers to order personalised packed and – in the case of lighting – assembled and tested products for their project, saving time and improving efficiencies when installing and fitting products.
“Items that customers regularly put through the Häfele to Order service include wardrobe rails, sliding door gear and a newly added service of bespoke timber drawers. Usefully, there’s no minimum or maximum quantity for Häfele to Order and we work with customers to explore how it can be used across all of our product lines.
“Häfele to Order can also be combined with our free Lighting Design Service, to make one of the quickest and easiest ways to get furniture lighting in the UK market today.
Getting to grips with gears
“The pandemic has made it more important than ever for homes to be multifunctional. Now our properties are being used for everything from working and learning, to exercising and relaxing, and as a result, homeowners are looking to make changes for greater flexibility.
“In response, we’re seeing increased demand for sliding door gear. When not in use, sliding doors allow families to create larger, open plan areas for socialising, but can later be closed as a way to break up a space and create smaller, more private areas, such as home offices.
“Sliding door systems are made up of a track, rollers and guide, but there are several technical elements to consider to ensure you get the right hardware, materials and specification. To support this and make the ordering of sliding door systems as easy as possible, we’ve launched a new technical support service.
“Starting with the dimensions of the open space you want to fill, you can use our sliding door calculator to determine the size and weight of door you need to install. Then, simply contact our Technical Team who, using both those calculations, will help you choose the best system for the application. They will also help you decide which material would be best suited to the system and discuss options such as whether the door could be motorised. Additionally, you could also use Häfele to Order to deliver the door’s associated components, such as the track and rollers, cut to exact measurements.
“As an agile manufacturer, we’ve used the pandemic as an opportunity to look at which services and products would most benefit our customers to help them get back to what they do best. And as the impact of COVID-19 continues to emerge in new ways, we’ll carry on looking at ways we can support our industry further in these turbulent times.”
For more information on the packages available to support you throughout the pandemic and beyond, visit hafele.co.uk/hafele-here-to-help.
