B&Q has announced that it is to make changes to its sales processes with 700 employees consulted over the changes.
The DIY retailer announced proposals to simplify the way it sells kitchens and bathrooms so that customers only deal with one member of staff.
B&Q has said that as a result a 400 new roles will be created however it is not yet clear how the restructuring will effect the 700 design consultants and homefit employees.
A spokesperson for B&Q said: “It is too early to say how many people will be affected and we are continuing to collectively consult with our colleague’s representative body – the National People’s Forum – about roles that are at risk, prior to consulting with impacted colleagues. The at-risk roles are the 400 design consultants and have 300 homefit employees.”
In addition, B&Q is proposing to move away from offering installation services to reflect customer preference citing that 90% of B&Q customers already choose to use their own fitter.
Paul Crisp, retail director, B&Q, said: “We want to be the leading home improvement company and make home improvement accessible for everyone. That means we need to operate differently.
“We’re always looking to make things easier for our customers. The proposed changes will make it simpler for them to buy a kitchen or bathroom as they’ll only need to deal with one person in store; they’ll shorten the lead time between booking a design appointment and delivery of a new kitchen or bathroom.
“The changes will require a new team structure in our kitchen and bathroom areas to reflect advances in home improvement design technology and changes resulting from the move away from an installation offer. They mean that we will focus on delivering great service and quality to our customers at prices that are truly affordable.”
“We recognise this is a difficult time for those employees who are affected and we are supporting them in a number of ways. We are continuing to collectively consult with our employee’s representative body – the National People’s Forum about roles that are at risk, prior to consulting with impacted colleagues.”
He added: “Should the changes go ahead, we will start recruiting for the new roles immediately and our installation service will be in place until December 2018. We are committed to honouring and completing all bookings within this timescale and propose to continue to take installation bookings up until 9 July.”
