“Doorman!”

Hello to everyone,

The title sounds interesting to you, doesn’t it? In fact, in the year 1976, the sentence “Being a doorman is our profession, thankfully” used by the late Kemal Sunal in the movie “King of the Doormen” has been widely used in those years and afterwards. This sentence has been used by many people, regardless of their profession, to express a sense of embracing and taking pride in their work and occupation.

In today’s lift industry, this phrase has started to be used literally. We started using the word “doorman” to describe some companies and individuals. Do we truly proclaim “Being a doorman is our profession, thankfully,” or do we perceive it as a lucrative occupation, given that doors exist on every floor, treating it merely as a commercial commodity? By the way, I specifically chose the word “commodity.” A commodity is a good or product that is tradable, purchasable or sellable. So, are we perceiving a product that accounts for nearly 40% of lift malfunctions as a “tradable good,” or are we striving to excel in our profession, innovate for improvement and contribute to the industry’s collective benefit?

After all this philosophy, let’s get to the facts. The number of door manufacturers in the market is increasing day by day. In such a situation, each manufacturer is making efforts to secure a larger market share for themselves. This effort can sometimes go in a negative direction rather than a positive one. Rather than focusing on producing the door with higher quality, the consideration leans toward making it more financially viable to secure a place in the market or sustain the current position.

For example, when a purchasing agent from a lift installation company wants to place an order for what we refer to as 5+1 (five floor doors and one cabin door), there are so many details that they need to know about the door they are going to purchase! If they approach this task in a solely price-focused manner, they will inevitably find the most affordable door in Türkiye. When the requirement involves stainless doors, the details become even more intricate. Will the quality of the stainless steel to be coated be 201, 211, 430, 441, 304 or 316? These questions will directly impact the price.

Furthermore, even in a five-floor location, traffic calculation remains crucial! Not all lifts with five floors are intended for residential use. Imagine a corporate building, with daily traffic being 100 times that of a residential property, and prestige being a factor in the business. In one part of the country, a stainless-steel floor door with two-panel telescopic dimensions of 900 X 200 is priced at TRY5,650, while in another corner, a door with identical specifications is approximately TRY10,200. And that’s not even considering the different payment options … Now, try to make sense of it — the same door here and there! (These prices are given roughly for illustrative purposes. There will surely be people who will object to these prices, but I wanted to illustrate in general terms.)

Due to variable parameters, lift installation companies often find themselves unable to source products from a single place. It’s the installers who are most affected by this. How? A door assembly is purchased from manufacturer A for their economical value. Then, another door assembly is sourced from manufacturer B based on lift specifications. The products are different, the charts are different and everything has to be learned again from scratch. Furthermore, if the costs for the next project are not feasible, a new manufacturer enters the picture, perpetuating this cycle. Interestingly, when after-sales services are required from manufacturing companies, the most commonly used phrase is “There won’t be any mistakes in our doors! Check your installation.” Alternatively, if a genuine issue is identified, the typical response is often “This is the first time we’ve ever heard this complaint.” Complaints may arise, and problems can occur. But what matters is the approach to the customer. Additionally, it is important that the problems and complaints do not recur.

The door manufacturers in our country are experiencing inflation at incredible levels. There is likely no other example of this phenomenon in the world. But, somehow, everyone complains about this situation. Manufacturers complain about other manufacturers, saying “There are too many door manufacturers.” Installers also complain about manufacturers, complaining that prices are not stable and are constantly changing. Sales are often conducted using an old-boy network approach, steering away from discussing technical details and features.

I wanted to provide you with a broad overview of what I know. We must address these issues as soon as possible. We’re hurting ourselves! We ask for support from our associations and prominent figures, especially in the establishment of a definitive price list. I would like to conclude by emphasizing that even barbers have a price list.