April 2022
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The Wolverhampton Glass showroom<br />
problems they had.<br />
It was complex and took a team of ten on the job<br />
for many days to complete but we did, and it was<br />
very satisfying to see such a happy customer.<br />
TI: What is the most difficult/challenging<br />
project that you’ve worked on?<br />
NH: There have been many over my 37 years<br />
in the industry, but another recent project has<br />
been one of the most difficult for quite different<br />
reasons than usual.<br />
The client contacted us to replace his old plastic<br />
conservatory roof, but disaster struck just before<br />
the installation date as he was made redundant<br />
unexpectedly and simply couldn’t afford to have<br />
it fitted.<br />
He was devastated and it was very heartbreaking<br />
to hear.<br />
At 58 he feared he would never be at the point<br />
to get the project finished, so we wanted to do<br />
something for him and after he covered the cost<br />
of the roof we agreed to do the install for free. He<br />
was, as you can imagine, absolutely delighted.<br />
TI: What’s the most frustrating thing about<br />
your job?<br />
NH: Suppliers who have no appreciation that the<br />
“We need to make the<br />
industry attractive<br />
again to a younger age<br />
group”<br />
only brand damaged when they don’t perform<br />
is the installers’ and dealing with unreasonable<br />
people; to keep their spirits up I always tell my<br />
team ‘You cannot reason with unreasonable<br />
people.’<br />
The industry has also yet to realise that allowing<br />
a retail customer to withhold thousands of<br />
pounds until we have left site is the wrong thing<br />
to do!<br />
TI: And the most satisfying?<br />
NH: A project well done with a satisfied customer<br />
at the end whose home has been improved is<br />
always the best thing about the job and always<br />
has been.<br />
TI: How do you deal with difficult customers?<br />
NH: As calmly as we can but it is getting harder<br />
by the year. But a face-to-face meeting is always<br />
the best way to reach resolutions.<br />
TI: What is your opinion of online reviews? Are<br />
they a blessing or a curse for the installer?<br />
NH: They are a bit of both; they provide a great<br />
reference tool for the consumer, but far too few<br />
leave a review when they have had great service,<br />
whereas many will jump on if they think they have<br />
been wronged.<br />
Too many review sites are also inflexible to<br />
the installer when they try to report blatant<br />
inaccuracies in the account of the reviewer.<br />
TI: What’s the biggest issue currently affecting<br />
you as an installer?<br />
NH: The same as it has been for all the years I<br />
can remember, a saturated industry with far too<br />
many unprofessional people in it, who do not<br />
know how to sell the benefits of their products<br />
properly so resort to a race to the bottom<br />
on price, even when dealing with premium<br />
products, or by lengthening ridiculous guarantee<br />
periods.<br />
That’s closely followed by an aging generation<br />
of installers and salespeople – we need to<br />
make the industry attractive again to a younger<br />
age group.<br />
Contact Wolverhampton Glass:<br />
01902 773831<br />
www.wolverhamptonglass.co.uk<br />
@WolvesGlass<br />
PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST<br />
APRIL <strong>2022</strong> TI 35
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