Midrand branch
Quality Control and Customer Services Guide
Tshepang Twala
Internal working guide | 22 October 2026
Operational guidance. Use the latest approved project documents and company forms. Any formal reporting line or delegated authority must be confirmed by management.
Your role and responsibilities
Use this guide for each assigned installation, from reviewing the file to checking the finished work and obtaining customer sign-off.
- 1.
Independently inspect installation quality, record problems accurately, help resolve customer concerns and follow assigned projects through to completion. Be fair, thorough and consistent.
- 2.
Base your findings on the approved drawings, specifications, site evidence and agreed scope. Record concerns even where the work has already been accepted informally by someone else.
Escalation / limit: Refer unresolved disagreements to Dane or the designated senior manager.
- 3.
Rodney or Mo remains responsible for managing the installation, with Tashiana in the installation office. They arrange parts, factory work, fitters, deliveries and return visits. You identify what needs attention, follow up and verify the result.
- 4.
For assigned complaint cases, help establish the facts and maintain clear communication with the customer. Agree with the installation manager who will give updates so the customer receives one consistent account.
- 5.
Refer design changes to the consultant.
Escalation / limit: Do not approve extra costs, discounts, compensation, free additional work or contractual changes without management authority. Escalate unresolved quality concerns rather than accepting substandard work.
- 6.
Keep the approved drawings, dated photographs, visit notes, customer concerns, outstanding items, responsible people and agreed dates together for each job. Use the existing company records and forms.
Who to work with
Use the responsible person for the issue. Confirm the assigned installation manager for every project before your first visit.
ManagementDane
- Job allocation, escalations and priorities
- Unresolved workmanship disputes and repeated missed commitments
- Serious customer complaints
- Decisions outside your authority
- Also acts as consultant on some jobs
Installation managers, JohannesburgRodney or Mo
- Manage each assigned installation
- Workmanship problems and technical issues
- Missing parts and remedial work
Note: Refer to the manager responsible for that job.
Installation officeTashiana
- Programme, planning and fitter booking
- Maintenance coordination
- Shortage and remake tracking
- Client and admin follow-ups, and records
- Send clear snag and shortage information; ask for updates and status
AdministrationDanielle
- Production files and job packs
- Document control, delivery and admin support
- Visit logging
- Ask her for a job's production file
Design consultantsAmith, Ravin, Conrad, Anita, Sonia or Hamesh
- Design and scope decisions
- Approved drawings and client variations
- Pricing
Note: Obtain written clarification or approval before affected work or a design change proceeds.
Senior technical supportAshlen, then Jody
- Ashlen is based in Durban
- First stop for technical uncertainty the consultant cannot resolve
- Then Jody
Factories and deliveriesSharm, Jody and Pravesh
- Sharm: Richmond factory, which normally produces Johannesburg jobs
- Jody: Mobeni factory
- Pravesh: truck loading, deliveries, shortages and returns
Note: Send factory requirements through the installation manager or Tashiana.
Warehouse and storesVince and Norman
- Vince: Johannesburg warehouse, picking, loading and parts
- Norman: Johannesburg stores, hardware and components
- Confirm what is physically held
Worktop measuring (TGS)Charlene
- Sets the Thursday schedule for the following week
- Tell her immediately if readiness or access changes
Buyout orderingJulie and Vinayshree
- Bins, appliances and other purchased items
- Julie is in Mobeni
AccountsRajen, Sophia or Preshina
- Debtors, statements and accounts
- After written sign-off, notify them and Tashiana for payment follow-up
- Include any work still outstanding
HR and financeSeema
- HR, finance and salary matters
Managing DirectorVinesh
- Reached through Dane
- Not to be confused with Vinayshree (buyout ordering)
On siteFitters and customers
- Discuss observations respectfully with the fitter
- Listen carefully to customers and record their concerns accurately
- Confirm current contact details through the office; this guide has no phone numbers
Stage 1: Review the project file
Understand what was sold and approved before you inspect the work or meet the customer.
- 1.
Obtain the latest approved plans, elevations, specifications, relevant written changes, installation programme and existing snag lists. Check the customer name, site address, consultant and assigned installation manager.
- 2.
Check dates and revision numbers. Where site drawings and office drawings differ, ask the consultant to identify the correct approved set.
Escalation / limit: Do not decide which version is right by assumption.
- 3.
Trace each cupboard, panel, filler, end panel, door, drawer and accessory on the drawings. Note special finishes, appliance requirements, service positions, clearances and details that may be difficult to fit.
- 4.
For work already underway, read previous visit notes, customer messages and outstanding lists. Ask what has been completed, what has been ordered and which commitments have already been made.
- 5.
List each uncertainty clearly and refer it to the consultant or installation manager. Identify the affected area and drawing.
Escalation / limit: Ask the manager to hold affected work pending clarification where continuing may cause a defect or rework.
- 6.
Arrange access and confirm who will meet you. Take the current plans, a charged phone, measuring tape, spirit level, square and torch as appropriate. Follow site access and safety requirements.
Stage 2: First day site visit
Visit each assigned new installation on the first day of fitting. Identify problems before they are repeated or covered up.
- 1.
Explain to the customer and fitter that you check quality, record concerns and help follow the job through to completion. Confirm the installation manager who arranges the work.
- 2.
Photograph the work areas and any visible existing damage. Check protection of floors, walls, appliances and stored cabinetry. Record access or building conditions that could affect fitting.
- 3.
Check that the fitter is using the current approved drawings. Compare the intended positions, cabinet sequence, appliance spaces and important clearances with the site.
- 4.
Inspect the first fitted units for level, plumb, alignment and secure positioning. Raise visible fixing concerns with the installation manager.
Escalation / limit: Do not certify concealed fixings that you cannot inspect.
- 5.
Record incorrect service positions, uneven walls or floors, visible damage, wrong items and obvious shortages. Photograph the specific issue and show its location. Refer technical solutions to the installation manager.
- 6.
Write down the date, rooms checked, work in progress, concerns and who needs to act. Confirm when you need to return.
Escalation / limit: Send urgent items immediately to the manager or Tashiana.
Stage 3: Inspect cabinetry and fitting
Inspect each area systematically against the approved drawings and specifications. Use measurements where they help explain a concern.
The tick boxes below are a temporary personal reading aid. They are not saved, not sent to anyone and are not evidence that a site has passed inspection.
Layout
- 1.
Check cabinet positions, sizes and heights against the approved drawings. Check fillers, end panels, visible panels, bulkheads and intended openings. Record actual measurements where an item differs.
Alignment
- 2.
Use a level and square where accessible. Check adjoining units, tall units, door lines and drawer fronts. Look for uneven gaps, twisting, steps between units and poorly fitted scribes.
Doors and drawers
- 3.
Open and close every fitted door and drawer. Check rubbing, clashes, hinge adjustment, runners, soft-close or push-open operation and access around adjacent doors, walls and appliances.
Finishes
- 4.
Inspect visible faces and interiors for chips, scratches, swelling, damaged edging, poor joints, exposed raw edges, glue marks and inconsistent finishes. Compare disputed finishes with the approved specification or sample.
Hardware
- 5.
Check handles for correct type, position and alignment. Check shelves, supports, hinges, runners, bins, inserts and other specified fittings for completeness and operation.
Escalation / limit: Do not force mechanisms or overload fittings.
Recording
- 6.
Avoid entries such as "doors wrong". Name the room, cabinet and defect: "Kitchen tall unit beside fridge: door rubs against adjoining panel when opened." Attach an overview and close-up.
Stage 4: Check interfaces and site care
Check how the cabinetry works with surrounding finishes, appliances and other trades. Refer specialist work to the appropriate person.
The tick boxes below are a temporary personal reading aid. They are not saved, not sent to anyone and are not evidence that a site has passed inspection.
Worktops
- 1.
Look for visible chips, uneven joints, poor alignment, unsupported-looking areas and unfinished junctions. Check cut-outs and access against approved details.
Escalation / limit: Refer technical or stone concerns to the installation manager for the relevant specialist.
Appliances
- 2.
Check specified appliance openings, ventilation provisions shown on the approved details and door clearances. Use the applicable approved appliance information.
Escalation / limit: Refer uncertainty before appliances are enclosed or fitted.
Services
- 3.
Record service conflicts, leaks, inaccessible points or visible damage. Check specified lighting operation only where safely installed and available.
Escalation / limit: Do not test live wiring, alter services or certify trade compliance.
Site care
- 4.
Check protection of cabinetry and customer property, safe storage of panels and tools, reasonable tidiness and removal of waste. Record damage promptly without assuming who caused it.
- 5.
Check company-branded uniforms and professional conduct. Report untidy or poorly presented company vehicles to the installation manager. Keep these observations separate from the defect list.
- 6.
Notify the fitter and installation manager immediately if you see a hazard or risk of further damage.
Escalation / limit: Request that affected activity stops while it is made safe and escalate if unresolved. Do not attempt work beyond your competence.
Stage 5: Return visits and follow-up
Visit every few days during fitting, and more frequently where the work, progress or problems require it.
- 1.
Review the previous outstanding list before travelling. Ask the office what has changed, which parts have arrived and what work is expected to be ready for inspection.
- 2.
Compare the actual work with the installation programme and previous photographs. Discuss slow progress with the fitter and establish the reason.
Escalation / limit: Refer repeated or avoidable delays to the installation manager.
- 3.
Inspect and operate repaired items yourself. A message saying "done" is not enough to close a quality issue that still needs verification. Record items awaiting a return inspection clearly.
- 4.
Give each item a reference, room, description, photograph reference, responsible person, agreed next action, target date and status. Update the same list rather than creating competing versions.
- 5.
For missing or replacement items, give the location, item description, relevant measurements, finish and photographs where available. Ask the manager to arrange technical or manufacturing confirmation where needed. Do not guess order specifications.
- 6.
Ask the office for confirmed arrangements and record the next date for follow-up. Explain missed dates and unresolved issues to the manager.
Escalation / limit: Escalate repeated delays to Dane or designated senior management; do not quietly move dates or mark unresolved items complete.
Stage 6: Customer concerns and difficult jobs
For an assigned complaint, establish the facts, agree the next steps and rebuild confidence through clear communication and follow-through.
- 1.
Read the approved scope, drawings, messages, previous snag lists and promises already made. Speak to the consultant and installation manager so you understand both the history and current arrangements.
- 2.
Let the customer explain each concern. Stay calm and avoid blame or defending work before checking it. Walk through the affected areas and ask questions where the concern is unclear.
- 3.
Record incomplete agreed work, workmanship defects, disputed matters and requests for extra or changed work separately.
Escalation / limit: A customer concern must be investigated; recording it does not automatically approve free additional work.
- 4.
Read the list back to the customer and obtain a signature confirming the concerns and items recorded. Clearly identify anything still disputed or awaiting a decision. Give the customer a copy and send the same record to the installation manager.
- 5.
The installation manager confirms the remedial arrangements; the consultant clarifies design and scope; management decides matters outside your authority. Get confirmed dates before communicating commitments to the customer.
- 6.
Agree who will provide updates and when. Explain what is confirmed, what still needs a decision and when the next update will be given. Keep the next update even if the answer is still pending.
Escalation / limit: Escalate threats, demands or disagreements you cannot resolve.
Stage 7: Verify completion and sign-off
Check the finished installation area by area before requesting final customer sign-off.
- 1.
Confirm with the installation manager that the job is ready. Bring the current approved drawings and outstanding list. Allow time to inspect every assigned area and operate doors, drawers and accessories.
- 2.
Inspect each correction and take dated photographs. Record the outcome against the original item. If access or incomplete work prevents a check, record that limitation and arrange the next inspection.
- 3.
Show the completed areas, explain the corrections and ask whether any recorded concern remains unresolved. Record new concerns accurately and refer scope or commercial disputes to the appropriate person.
- 4.
Obtain written sign-off on the company completion form when the installation is complete. If anything remains, identify it clearly on the applicable snag or qualified sign-off record.
Escalation / limit: Do not describe the project as fully complete.
- 5.
Record the reason and notify the installation manager. Refer unresolved concerns to management with the drawings, photographs and relevant history.
Escalation / limit: Do not sign on the customer's behalf or treat silence as acceptance.
- 6.
Send the signed record promptly to the installation manager and Tashiana, or Rajen, Sophia or Preshina in accounts, as appropriate for payment follow-up. State any outstanding work explicitly. Retain the final photographs, list and correspondence; continue monitoring open items until resolved.
Records that make follow-up possible
Keep records factual, brief and clear enough for another person to act on without repeating your visit.
- 1.
Take a room overview, a mid-range view locating the item and a close-up showing the defect. Include a tape or level where useful. Use short videos to show rubbing, movement or a mechanism failing to operate. Avoid unnecessary images of people or personal belongings.
- 2.
Link each photograph or video to the customer, date, room and item reference. Keep original files in the approved company job record. Do not rely only on images left in a personal phone gallery or chat thread.
- 3.
Record who attended, drawings used, areas checked, completed work, concerns, agreed actions and the next visit or follow-up. Distinguish what you saw from what someone told you.
- 4.
Use: item reference; room or location; issue; photograph reference; next action; responsible person; agreed target date; status; verification date and outcome. Use "awaiting confirmation" where a date or decision is not agreed.
- 5.
A complete open-item entry, before and after verification:
QC-04 | Kitchen island | Left drawer front rubs adjacent front | Photos QC-04A/B | Installation manager to arrange adjustment | Target date awaiting confirmation | Open. After inspection: adjusted, opens freely, verified on site, dated photograph retained.
- 6.
Provide updates at intervals agreed with your manager. For escalation, state the issue, steps already taken, current effect and decision required. Keep project records current until every assigned open item is resolved.
Escalation / limit: Report urgent hazards, damage, serious defects and customer issues immediately.
About this guide
Internal working guide for Tshepang Twala, Quality Control and Customer Services, The Kitchen Studio, Midrand branch.
- 1.
Operational guidance. Use the latest approved project documents and company forms. Any formal reporting line or delegated authority must be confirmed by management.
- 2.
Version date 22 October 2026. This is a reference guide only. Nothing you tick or type here is saved or sent to anyone.