ᐅ Are bathroom showrooms generally very expensive?

matte, I didn’t mention heating either. That was just the general contractor’s leverage because earlier, with tiles, plumbing, etc., the atmosphere was poisoned... you get it?
By the way: my solution is plumbing – forget the bathroom showroom. What can you get at a good price? What do you offer at Hotel Stransdistel when they have 10 bathrooms installed?
He: Sanifair. A private label from our wholesale supplier. Good quality, fair price, I make some profit, you don’t go broke. Maybe you should ask? Only those who speak up can get help. Karsten

Another interesting story... but what exactly is your point again?

Is everyone an idiot for taking subcontractors out of general contractor contracts or for not building with a general contractor at all?

Business managers, software people (whatever that means), and those who compare prices and focus on the price/performance ratio, too?

Hey, wait a minute, aren’t you the smarty-pants when it comes to other topics, like kitchen units from Ikea, flooring, etc.? So why are you (or people like you) smart and everyone else fools? Hmm... no, I can’t figure it out...

You already understand the point, you’re not stupid. The point is: all the legal stuff, all being in the right doesn’t help if they want to push through, they hold the stronger position. That’s how it is. You should know that as a building client. And then approach your cost-saving strategies with them, not against them. That’s all. Karsten

HilfeHilfe schrieb:
Hello, so what now? Nobody will install it for you, or they charge you an exorbitant price without any warranty because they don’t know the stuff from the internet (even if it were from Villeroy & Boch).

Personally, I was already hesitant to change a faucet (washing machine). The plumber who installed the expensive equipment for me came by and did it for 10 euros.

That way, you build a relationship.

For our friends who built with the same construction company, installing the sanitary fixtures they supplied themselves was also no problem. After all, they get paid to do it. And let’s be honest, the credit we will receive is far below what was originally charged. Everyone probably benefits except us [emoji85]

Nordlys schrieb:
You’ve already understood the point; you’re not dumb. The point is: all the legal stuff, being right, doesn’t matter—if they want to, they hold the stronger position. That’s how it is. Anyone in the position of a client should be aware. And then you work on your cost-saving strategies with them, not against them. That’s all. Karsten

A poor attempt to maintain a business model through unfair means, which won’t last forever in this form.

Why don’t these companies simply buy directly from Reuter, add a 10% surcharge for the all-in-one service, and call it a day? They don’t do that because for 40 years, everyone has been sent to Harald’s showroom. In return, Harald might throw in a free washing machine hose now and then.
That’s how outdated systems are kept alive, but luckily this will eventually fade out—it just takes some time.
There are plenty of examples of this. Look at municipal utilities losing customers. There used to be only a few who switched providers online. Over time, more and more people do this because even older customers lose their fear of digital contact or simply “grow out of it.” This is transforming the entire industry. The same is happening in plumbing. Eventually, end customers won’t accept the old supply chains—initially, it’s some IT people and business professionals, but that number will grow, not shrink.

It’s just like the assumption that Reuter craftsmen, MyHammer… these must be the bottom of the industry? Why? They have simply outsourced their sales. In this area, these guys were never that bright anyway; it’s just a burden.
You present it as if they have to prostitute themselves on platforms. For some, maybe. But others simply recognize a huge opportunity.
I bought tires online this spring. Try bringing tires you bought online to a local tire shop and ask them to mount them on rims. Nope, they won’t do it unless the tires were purchased from them. But those tires are about 25% more expensive than online. The online shop knows this and has built a partner network—you can see all partners in your area, have the tires delivered directly there, and they’ll mount them. I think it was about $10 per tire and $2 for disposal. Deal.
So I went there, booked the appointment online, and found a small garage with two lifts and all the necessary equipment. Nothing more, nothing less. And everything was top-notch! They seem to be doing very well with their $10 per wheel, while the online platform provides a steady stream of customers.
But Harald the heating engineer doesn’t even bother with a decent website. I’m working with an architect, and besides their recommendations, I also search online for potential partners. If they’re not online, they’re not even considered. This might work for Harald as long as loyal customers keep coming and word of mouth draws people in—but that will decrease. Not today or tomorrow, but it’s coming. Younger people just do it this way because it’s fast and simple.

Nordlys schrieb:
Well, that’s what happens. Software people, business economists, and so on try to act smart.... and when the general contractor or their subcontractors get fed up, they just work a bit slower, or sometimes not at all. There are better clients who aren’t so annoying, and Mr. Smarty-pants has to move out of his old house/rental apartment by the 1st, and scopes of work are flexible, legal processes are slow, and letters go back and forth with deadlines—otherwise they withhold payment, but he couldn’t care less about that. The move falls through, and the move-out happens quickly into another expensive vacation rental... We have some smart neighbors... the general contractor showed them what’s what by simply not delivering heating equipment, and the 15% retainage doesn’t bother him at all. It simply didn’t arrive, but the move couldn’t be postponed, so the closest plumber and heating technician quickly made a small profitable side business, because then there’s no time left to compare much, only: “Can you come next week? Please, please!” “Yes, we’re not monsters, I’ll squeeze you in, but my price is X.” Saved 100 euros on the toilet bowl.... Karsten

I take it easy. I think our construction company is under more time pressure than we are.

But apart from that, I’m not trying to get the cheapest possible price. However, if the surcharge is disproportionately high, then I’m not willing to pay it.