Why Mid-Size Factories Out-Rate the Giants
If you rank Kenyan mabati factories purely by how their own customers score them, the winners are not the household names. Capital (4.7), Boma (4.6) and Kidani (4.5) all out-rate Royal (4.2) and MRM (4.3). Why?
It comes down to service
Read the reviews and one word recurs for the top-rated mid-size factories: service. Buyers describe factories that answer the phone, quote clearly and follow through. For the giants, the recurring theme is delivery delays and a certain corporate distance. When you are spending KSh 100,000-plus on a roof, being looked after matters.
Bigger brands optimise for reach, not ratings
Royal and MRM win on advertising, branch networks and brand recall. That is a real advantage if you value the reassurance of a famous name. But advertising does not improve the average review score, and it is the review score that reflects the actual buying experience.
What this means for you
- Do not assume the most-advertised factory is the best. Check the real ranking first.
- Put a couple of well-rated value factories on your shortlist, such as Capital and Boma.
- Compare quotes from three factories before you buy, and confirm the gauge in writing.
The point is not that the giants are bad. It is that “biggest” and “best-rated” are different things, and only one of them is in the reviews.