In a week which saw the human race manage to land a probe on far and distant comet for the first time in history, it’s time to take a look back at some of the less groundbreaking topics covered here on DGB over the last week!

Managing Customer’s Expectations

I started off the week on DGB with a post covering a subject that often passes through my wandering mind when I’ve not got other things to worry about. During the sales process I know many of us do our very best to build up an ideal scenario for the customer, creating a dream and building up the expectations of the customer to try and secure a sale. Whilst I guess that is an almost natural route to go down, the industry does also need to manage the expectations of the customer once the sales part of the process has been completed.

For me, the key to managing the expectations of the customers is to keep a steady line of communication open with the client. If you sign them up and hardly speak to them until the time of fitting, then it’s highly likely that the customer will not know what to expect when it comes to the day of fitting. They may not know how the windows and doors are going to be finished off, what the preparations are to make before the fitters arrive, when the final balance needs to be paid etc. If they are kept in the dark, they don’t know what to expect and can therefore cause your business problems if they report issues or are unhappy about something.

I thought I would bring this subject up now, as we are well and truly in the middle of the pre-Xmas rush where customers leave right until the last possible moment to order their new windows and doors to have them fitted before Christmas. It’s about now that the industry really should be managing their expectations and hopefully not making any false promises about their new windows being installed in time for Christmas.

Proof Is In The Testimonials For Kolorseal

Tuesday saw me publish a sponsored post, again from DGB residents Kolorseal. Last time I displayed a great gallery of their work, this time, I thought it might be good to show you what other companies are saying about Kolorseal.

For Kolorseal, their customers are more than happy to tell everyone how happy they are with the work they have done. Here is a selection of some of those positive reviews:

Kolorseal have been our paint supplier for over 3 years now and my experiences have been nothing but good. It’s this attention to detail and striving to get things right first time that in my opinion sets them aside from other companies in their marketplace.
Dan Mee, Lister Trade Frames
Thanks Kolorseal for another year of excellence. Absolutely fantastic service. As usual prompt, efficient and reliable.
Tom Swallow, Quickslide
Hurst Plastics have been trading with Kolorseal for 4 years during which time they have demonstrated a consistently high level of service and an exemplary approach to ensuring the supply of a quality product which is “right first time”.
Howard Wilson, Hurst Plastics
Force 8 have used Kolorseal’s services for the past 6 years. Over which time we have found their quality and service to be excellent.
Ben Dean, Force 8

It’s always nice to know that your customers are saying nice things about you. So if you’re thinking of changing paint suppliers or looking to get into the market, these testimonial should help you make that decision.

 

Is This The Oldest Window And Door Company In The UK?

Wednesday saw me create a post a little different than I usually do, this time delving into the history books to see what the oldest window and door company in the UK might be. I consulted Twitter to ask this sort of questions and I duly got a response:

[xyz-ihs snippet=”oldcompany”]

Allan Brothers, if you clicked the link and had a nosey, are an impressive 203 years old! This is how the company describes themselves on their websites:

Founded by William Allan in 1811, Allan Brothers is Britain’s longest established joinery specialist. Over the last 200 years, we’ve amassed a wealth of knowledge in working with timber and developed an enviable reputation for quality, craftsmanship and service.

Allan Brothers strives to be at the forefront of the timber window and door industry, developing high-performance products that offer style, security and performance without making a negative impact on the environment.

In 2007 we became part of the Inwido Group, Northern Europe’s largest producer of innovative, environmentally friendly, wood-based window and door solutions.

The combination of 200 years of British craftsmanship with Scandinavian performance and design has created a range of timber products that will add value to your home for years to come.

From the website, Allan Brothers

 

Since I posted this, I haven’t had any other suggestions for other companies that might be older. So for now, until I hear otherwise, I’m declaring the Allan Brothers the oldest KNOWN window and doors company in the UK!

 

I Bought A New Car Today, But The Service Was The Most Impressive

Up rocked Thursday and up rocked a post about some rather splendid customer service that I thought was so good our industry should try and copy some of the techniques used. This was the reporting on the customer service at our local Audi garage where I have bought a new car.

To start, their showroom was something to be admired. All the cars were arranged in a certain formation, absolutely spotless. The showroom itself was mostly glass, with aluminium curtain walling. It looked impressive because the size of the showroom was so big. Far better than other lower end manufacturers. But as soon as you stood inside that air of quality and class hits you right in the face. I loved it.

Then there were the staff. All in suits, all with the Audi branded ties and pins. All the guys and girls were well presented and unlike other car showrooms we were left to browse without being approached or hassled. Something our industry doesn’t always seem to get. At no point throughout the sales process did I feel under pressure, I felt totally at ease, again something some of the industry’s lesser sales reps can’t seem to crack.

I know not all car garages are the same, but I do think our industry should be looking at the higher end car manufacturers like Audi for hints and tips. They do customer service so well, yet I see and read of other window companies being so poor at it. I can’t see why as some of the things they did at Audi would be very simple to recreate in a window and doors showroom.

Triple Glazing: Modern necessity or marketing fad?

Last but not least, a sponsored post from the guys at Everest. I know that I have had one or two comments from you who don’t agree with me having the company on here. However, their new owners seem determined to change the way the business is run and to make it more suitable for 2014. I am an open minded person and I am willing to give them a platform in which to show how they intend to go about changing. Remember, it takes time to change such a large business, so I think it’s worth giving them a chance. Their latest post approached the issue of triple glazing.

From the moment it was announced, opinions regarding the launch of Everest triple glazing was divided. Enthusiasts pointed to our Scandinavian counterparts who have installed such windows as standard for a number of years and said “It’s about time!” whereas sceptics asked the perfectly legitimate question “Do we need it?”

Everest’s answer to this has always been the same. Do people need triple glazing? Probably not – but then people didn’t need double glazing.

This latest posts shows they are aware of the debate surrounding triple glazing and their promotion of it. It also shows that they are aware that right now, the argument for triple glazing isn’t perfect. But it looks like it is here to stay, whether we think we all need it or not.