Whilst the vast majority of us in this industry and especially the small or medium businesses strive to do the very best they can, are there certain aspects of the window and door industry and home improvements that have contributed to the negative perception?
What do you think is wrong with the double glazing industry in this country?
Here are some possible culprits:
The fantastic discounts
Is this industry one of a few where nobody has a clue what a window or a door should cost. If you go and buy any other product, you generally have an idea how much it will cost. If you go buy a car, you have generally done your research and have an idea that a BMW 3 series will cost you a certain amount of money but the discount will be determined by the dealer by and large. What gives double glazing the right to be so camouflaged in its pricing? What exactly is the retail value of a new front door? £800 plus VAT? £1200 plus VAT or is the actual price £3500 plus VAT but if you sign up today there is a 60% discount!
Whilst there are proper companies that stick to their prices and only offer a notional goodwill discount, is it the too good to be true, one time only discounts that do this industry no good?
The Payment Structure
Is this an area where the double glazing industry has lost the plot? Are you one of those companies that ask for a small deposit and hope and pray that you get paid at the end of the job? When did this ridiculous payment structure in double glazing become he norm?
To the consumer, I ask you where else can you go and obtain without paying for them, thousands of pounds worth of goods and part with your money “when you’re happy”? Is it time the double glazing industry found the courage to get realistic, ask the customer for 50% up front, 30% before they turn up on site and the balance on completion?
You can’t take goods without paying or take goods and find fault before paying anywhere else. Why does the double glazing industry give this right to its customers? However it’s not the customers fault as after all, they didn’t dictate the payment terms, the industry offered them.
The Guarantees
Should a single window worth a few hundred pounds, a door worth over a thousand or a house full of windows at approximately £10000 be guaranteed for 10 years? You can go spend £250000 on a new Rolls Royce and you’ll get a four year warranty. Why should your windows be guaranteed for 10 years? On a pound for pound basis is the consumer getting too good a deal? Does the double glazing industry wish it didn’t have to offer them? I suggest it does.
The Commission only salesman
Has the double glazing industry caused it’s own problems by the way it chooses to pay its salespeople? Commission only, badly trained, little industry knowledge, many with even less product knowledge. Those window companies that leave their salespeople to decide what they want to earn from a customer should consider that logic next time they go to make a purchase and it’s price will be determined by the mood of the sales individual. Crudely speaking, is the consumer paying what the salesman is wanting to earn out of them?
Is it also the case that nothing screams lack of care in your staff to those employers who believe “if he aint selling anything, he ain’t costing me anything”.
The “marketing” methods
Countless websites, countless double glazing showrooms have turned their marketing into laughing stocks. Just like the never ending “Sale” at DFS, how many months or years has that “50% discount” been on the website or across their shop window or newspaper advert?
The imitation products
Is it the case that if you want timber look window, go buy a timber window? If you want a traditional looking door, go buy the real thing not a plastic panel glued to something trying to look traditional? If you have a traditional sash window, why not go replace it with another?
There is a plethora of imitation products hankering after the real thing in the market today. Whilst they may serve a particular budget conscious market, are these imitation timber windows, woodgrain foiled plastic windows actually appealing or are they just bad imitations?
The Unrealistic Expectations
Window replacements is major work. Do the lacklustre salesmen anxious for a deal give the impression that replacing windows is the simplest of tasks? Is it unrealistic to tell the customer there will be disruption, there will be dust and look at the work for what it really is – the taking out of a major element of a property and replacing it with a new one.
The Customer Themselves
The customer has without a doubt become more difficult yet better informed. However there are customers with unrealistic expectations. It is true they are parting with their hard earned money but customers still withhold monies on the back of simple snagging rather than defective or bad installations.
What do you think?
The reality is that the industry consists of honest, reputable and hardworking companies however how much of the above points do you agree have not helped the reputation of the industry or have made today’s retail market more challenging?
The post What is wrong with Double Glazing? appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.
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