The best kitchen faucets need to get the basics right. It should provide water at a consistent pressure. It may be required to meet low flow requirements, such as California’s 1.8 GPM or less mandate. It should be able to provide water to every corner of the sink so that kitchen chores become easier to do.
The basics are good, but they don’t build profits for you. If you’ve been asked to provide recommendations, an RFQ, or a direct estimate for a lead and kitchen faucets are part of that process, then here are the features you will want to promote so you can build in better profits for the job while keeping your offer competitive.
#1. Finishes
Kitchen faucets come with tough finishes, period. The only exception to that rule is on the cheapest faucets that are sold at discount retailers today. Bronze faucets seal better with physical vapor disposition (PVD) for better performance and durability. Chrome is cheaper, but can be scratched pretty easily. For a good compromise between the two extremes, suggest stainless steel. It doesn’t show scratches easily and often resells better than chrome.
#2. Spray Selector
How can an operator change between a rinse or a spray stream? For many kitchen faucets, a button is installed on the top or bottom of the faucet. Trigger the button, change the stream. Buttons should stay in the same mode until the user changes the setting or the water is turned off.
#3. Side Sprayer
For a 3-hole sink installation, a separate sprayer may be the right feature to install so you can build some extra profits. The installation of this feature is simple and straightforward, but adds some extra labor to your final estimate. You could cover it with a brass stopper for an extra touch of class to the look of the kitchen and a small boost to your bottom line too.
#4. Temperature Settings
Some kitchen faucets today are designed to maintain a specific water temperature. This feature works even when the faucet is turned off. Some faucets require the operator to turn the feature on, but for most pull-down faucet designs, it is an automatic feature that requires no controls. It’s a good feature to consider adding for households that use their faucet frequently, but with intervals.
#5. Magnetic Locks
This feature is useful to have when the spray head needs to stay connected to the spout when it isn’t being used. The lock keeps the head in place so it doesn’t need to be unlocked every time the faucet may need to be used. Stronger magnets perform with better consistency.
As a bonus feature, you may wish to talk about adding a drinking water faucet to a 3-point installation. You get to run a separate line and install a filter or reverse osmosis system, which builds revenues, while the homeowner receives fresh drinking water on-demand.
Added features make life easier. They also build profits when they are offered in a logical way.
What are your favorite faucet features that bring you upselling opportunities?