“The Way We Did It Was…”
The Good Ole' Days
As an NC native, I often heard the phrase, "The way we used to do it was..." Old-timers commonly would use it to reminisce about "the good old days" and, on the other hand, condemn a new process or product. As I grew, the term was more noticeable coming from all kinds of folks and especially from other areas who had the exciting contradiction of loving having moved here, yet quite often emphasized, "The way we used to do it back in (insert city, region, state, or wherever)" and then proceed to inform those who would listen to how things are or were better. In all sincerity, those claims are often an improvement to the compared and more efficient. I would cringe when my mother, in her Southern drawl dripping iced tea sweetness, would inform the offender that she "didn't give a dang (ok, not the real word she used) how you did it back home, you live here now." The message was clear; we live in the world as it is now and right here, no matter how "it used to be."
Times are A-Changin'
Due to numerous factors, we live in a very different time in the remodeling and residential construction business (among most other industries). Change is always with us and, as we know, is inevitable. We experience it daily with new products and technology released at 80% functionality to allow the market to correct any issues. Our cars, toys, and homes aren't as simple and work differently than they once did. Our goods and services are now developed with research and data to make them safe, environmentally sound, efficient, and health conscious. Sometimes the enhancements work, and sometimes they remain a work in progress. Just because something is "new and innovative "doesn't necessarily mean it is better or worse, but it can present a learning curve for the consumer, which can be challenging. Innovative changes can require patience and sometimes a little acceptance. Acceptance is necessary because change is constant, with new methods and optimizations coming along continuously; they always have and always will.
The Effects of the Current Industry-Wide Challenges
We in the kitchen business have experienced great upheaval in the last couple of years. No one I know (at least in my 50 years in the industry) has seen the rapid change increase, which presents significant challenges to consumers, manufacturers, designers, builders, tradespeople, and government agencies. Production times have extended to 4-5 times what they were only four years ago. That means we incur 4-5 times more open projects in various completion stages than we previously encountered. That also means we must now recall and keep track of exponential project details with the same amount of, often with less, staff. Yet, we and others are all working diligently to find a way to work within what we have and not how we used to do it. I keep a close ear to the ground in the industry with colleagues worldwide and in different areas of skill. None have found themselves immune to the challenges. While we all see improvement in many places, such as new business technology and improved software, we are still experiencing frequent unanticipated problems and difficulties. The "new normal" is still not a norm and remains elusive.
Just a Little Patience
At Hampton Kitchens, we are committed to our clients and reputation. Our team strives for adaptation, adjusting processes as needed and often on a case-by-case basis. We actively explore multi-faceted solutions to solve or improve problems creatively. We must do so for our survival, client satisfaction, and peace of mind. Projects may return to some degree of normal as we get supply chain and quality control issues congruent with increased industry demand. We are and have faith in the great minds working on solutions to our industry's multiple challenges. We like how the band Guns and Roses put it; we all need to try and practice "just a little patience."