Do you provide free quotes?

Yes, if you want we can give you an estimate or a quote if we have enough detail, just email us at info@empatika.uk some rough dimensions and a sketch and ideally some pictures of the area you have in mind and you will get a quote very quickly by email. If you are happy with the estimate then we can come and visit you when it suits you and talk in detail.

How reliable are your carpenters?

We are very reliable, stick to start times and days agreed, we do what we say we will do, we turn up on time every day in order not disrupt your schedule. And we are there throughout the job, not disappearing for one day to do something else.

Do you provide drawings?

Yes once we receive your deposit, we provide you with a hand drawn from scratch 3D computer scale drawing precise to the millimetre for you to check how it looks and to see if you are happy with the dimensions. If you like you can make any changes until the drawing is perfect.

How do I know you will do a good job?

Before I buy anything I read reviews so I suggest you do the same, we have over 100 independent testimonials on the internet. Please have a look at our testimonial page to see what our clients say about us

You call or email us, we asses your needs and give you an estimate or quote, then we arrange a time to come round and visit you, ask you more questions in detail to find out exactly what you would like, listen very carefully to your ideas and offer design ideas and solutions to best use your space and needs. We go away, email you a final quote. Once you decide to go ahead, we take a small deposit, then send you the drawings, once you have agreed the drawing we can book your place in the diary and we agree a start date. We then turn up with the materials and tools and build your units, then once built we paint them or oil them. Then once we are totally finished and you are delighted, only then do you pay us the balance, lastly if you feel testimonials have helped you choose us, please help us keep them fresh and leave us a testimonial here: https://plus.google.com/101927655300158702077/about?hl=en&review=1

Are you going to make a big mess in our house?

We understand that your home is precious and we do everything we can to make sure we leave it in the state we found it. All our materials are cut to size by a specialist cutting company before being delivered to your home, so minimal cutting is required onsite, even then we cover and protect the floors, cover your furniture with plastic sheets, use dust extractors connected directly to power tools, we even use a fine dust and chemical extractor for really sensitive areas, this is well over the top but we like to do the very best we can and offer the best service, and when the work is all finished we take all our rubbish away and give your place a clean.

What materials and finishes do you offer?

Our units are built of quality Medite FSC certified MDF wood then painted, or made of wood veneer we can oil or use matt water based clear varnish, and also melamine coated wood as typically found in kitchen units. We are also pioneering research in alternative healthier eco friendlier materials, we are the first UK fitted furniture company to use UK sourced strawboard which is totally natural and bound with no glues at all to make our bespoke furniture, we can build your units out of formaldehyde free MDF too, we also use recycled plastic sheeting for decorative purposes with lighting behind and recycled glass as well as many other sustainable materials and finishes to find out more please see our eco page.

Do you paint the units and what colours do you offer?

Yes, we use the best quality professional waterbased DULUX and Farrow and Ball eggshell semi matt white paint . If you would like the eco option using more natural paints please see our environment page. We mostly use white but can paint any colour you like (If you would like to paint your fitted furniture we can offer you free advice).

Do you spray the units and do high gloss?

We can arrange to spray the doors and outside visible parts and make the internal carcass of a white or other colour melamine coated laminate.

Are your charges transparent?

All charges are stated in advance in the final quote, you know what you will pay from the start, everything is listed in the quote. Only handles are optional and to be supplied by you or us, also parking is extra, so they are priced separately. All of which is clearly stated in your quote.

Does your service represent value?

For the quality of service we offer from beginning to end we offer outstanding value, we take great pride in producing only the best bespoke furniture that you will be proud to own for years to come, we offer a 2 year guarantee on our work, we are endorsed by various independent certification bodies, we take customer service very seriously, we understand that there is more to producing furniture than wood and screws, your total satisfaction is our number one priority, but don’t take our word for us see what our clients say.

How flexible are you once the work has started if something needs changing?

Our craftsmen all speak good English and have a great deal of skill and will do everything they can if you feel that something needs adapting, for example you change your mind about how many shelves you want, or the spacing between them, then if it is possible we will do what we can to please you, either free of charge or at extra cost depending on what it is.

Can you fix stuff in my home?

Yes if you need anything fixing in your home while we are there making your fitted furniture, if we can do it we will help you out. I like to offer a service that I would like to use myself so for such things as hanging pictures, fixing doors that don’t close and generally anything wood related tell us when we come to measure up for your fitted furniture.

Do you use real wood?

We use real wood veneers or plastic laminates that look like wood but not generally solid wood, we work with close associates who use solid wood, just ask us for contacts.

We don’t do bathrooms but if we are already working in your house doing other fitted furniture, we will consider any storage you would like for your bathroom.

I have sockets where I want my fitted furniture how will you deal with this?

If you have an electrical, phone or TV areal socket that is ok as we can cut a hole in the back so you can still access them, we can move electrical sockets around if they haven’t got far to go. Phone sockets we can more if there is enough spare wire.

Do you make kitchens?

No we don’t make kitchens but sometimes can make units that go in your kitchen such as a bookcase.

I like Rude Customers

Home » Blog » I like Rude Customers

[I am not trying to be funny… I like potential customers who are rude on the phone… I find all the different types of people fascinating that call me everyday for fitted furniture, I love picking up the phone to hear who is on the other end, what they have to ask, what they would like doing, how they think, how they speak, how fast, slow, sometimes I can’t even understand them and I wonder if they think that they are being understood! I think it would be great if I spoke 20 different languages, I would love that, then I could just talk to everyone in their own language. I speak French and English though, I really feel privileged to be able to speak another language, I love it, it is nice to be able to go into another world for a bit. When I speak a different language I feel different, I feel the places where they speak that language, I feel the food of that country and the people I know…

…if you are thinking of getting fitted furniture with us, don’t speak bad things of me in french…

Sometimes I go to visit customers, and they are French, and I laugh to myself when they speak french between themselves and don’t think I understand. Be warned, if you are thinking of getting fitted furniture with Empatika, don’t speak bad things of me in french as I won’t be happy!! I seem to get alot of French people contact me for fitted furniture who turn into customers, I do like french people, they remind me of where I was brought up in Belgium, I love their accent and they really like the detail and nice clean design I provide. I love France, it is one of my favourite places to go on holiday, I love eating nice food and I love menus that you get over there, I love food, good food. I like all sorts of other people too, I like anyone as long as they are kind, generous, considerate, thoughtful, I like to work with people who have the same ethics as me really.

…I thank them for being rude…

Anyway why do I love it when new customers are rude on the phone? Well it’s simple, I thank them (in my head) for being rude because they have saved me a lot of aggravation and potential problems further down the line. My sister works with me as my PA, and I sit next to her and sometimes over hear conversations and I can’t believe how ignorant some people are to think that they can talk to a secretary or PA in a rude and disrespectful way and think that they will get what they are wanting.

The secretary or PA is the most important person you need to get on with…

The secretary or PA is the most important person you need to get on with because if you don’t come across like a nice caring kind of person who respects others, you won’t be put through and you won’t get the beautiful fitted furniture you want, you can’t talk down to someone because of their position and think that the boss won’t find out about it. So really it’s great when people are rude from the word go, that way the job is a simple one, no more hassle, job is done without it even having started, easy, no money though, but for me money is not money, I don’t want money form disrespectful people, only kind people, if I worked just for money, I would have given up long ago, I work because I want to make a difference to the people who I engage with, I want to help them, not screw them over, I take it very very personally, I can’t sleep if I feel I have done something wrong.

…as much as they choose us, we choose them…

Walnut veneered shelving and white back

Customers think they choose us, and they do, but just as much as they choose us, we choose them, we like to work with nice people, my job is not about designing and fitting furniture, it is about making people happy, making their lives easier and more enjoyable, and I am there to help them if they are the right person with the right attitude, money isn’t enough to compensate for people we don’t like, I like to work with people who I like and I know I can better their lives, make them totally satisfied and make the whole process a pleasure, we can’t do that with people who don’t respect us and are rude to us.

…my job is not about designing and fitting furniture, it is about making people happy…

modern white bookcase shelving

Working for a customer, is working with a customer, it is a partnership where our ideas come together to make the perfect modern fitted furniture. Here is a what one of our many wonderful customers Andrew Pinnington from London has to say about working with us:

“both the carpenters and painters employed were courteous, prompt, tidy, efficient and hard working. This is not going to be the cheapest service that you sue, but they are worth every penny because of that quality and reliability. There are no hassles associated and the finished product looks great.”

If you have any questions feel free to ask, email me at info@empatika.uk Thank you for reading, Tristan Titeux