May 2022

Installer Insights
Continued from page 50
the other contractors on site, and had to be
more flexible on lead times while managing
manufacturer delays.
TI: What is the most difficult/challenging
project that you’ve worked on?
RS: A recent ‘difficult’ project involved an
inflexible builder who had installed floors at the
wrong level, which then threw our measurements
out. It was frustrating, because we had to stand
our ground with him, while fielding awkward
questions from the homeowner.
A recent ‘challenging’ – but ultimately rewarding
– project in Bath involved installing large sliding
doors alongside adjacent fixed panes of glass
during those big storms earlier in the year.
The size of the glass was 4m x 2m, which we had
to manoeuvre through a building site that was
also on a split level. Also, the contractor didn’t
want anything to do with it, so we had to find a
spider crane that would cope with the site – we
ended up having to move it three times before the
glass was installed.
The finished project looks fantastic.
TI: What’s the most frustrating thing about
your job?
RS: Managing the relationships throughout the
supply chain, and managing expectations. We
rely on suppliers to deliver the product, we deal
with builders and contractors on site, and we
constantly have to explain to the customers that
we are more expensive than other companies
because we deliver a higher value product.
Again, having a decent CRM system like
Business Pilot helps mitigate some of these
frustrations because you can keep all the relevant
documentation in one place, and keep a record of
all the conversations, which nips many difficult
conversations in the bud.
TI: And the most satisfying?
RS: I’ve seen the company grow, and I’m proud of the
fact that we provide a very large choice for customers.
Combined with the loyal happy team, I think this has
helped us achieve our excellent Trustpilot score.
The Thames Valley Window
Company showroom
“I think most people
are savvy enough to
realise that one bad
review doesn’t define a
company”
TI: How do you deal with difficult customers?
RS: As amicably as possible! You are not going to
get very far with them if you are always butting
heads.
It’s important to negotiate carefully because
we all have to make a profit at the end of the
day, and we don’t want that eroded by replacing
products unnecessarily, or spending too long on
site.
TI: What is your opinion of online reviews? Are
they a blessing or a curse for the installer?
RS: Both. They are a necessity in this day and
age, but you are always one wrong foot away from
a bad scathing review.
That said, I think most people are savvy enough
to realise that one bad review doesn’t define a
company.
I also think the occasional not-entirely-positive
review actually makes all of your positive reviews
more believable.
They are also the modern testimonial letter.
When I first started, we would have a folder
of letters from happy customers, and we view
the online reviews in a similar way: we would
approach happy customers and ask them to
leave us a good review.
“Price increases
are a problem”
TI: What’s the biggest issue currently affecting
you as an installer?
RS: In short, all of those external factors that are
impacting us while we are trying to manage a
very busy workload.
Price increases are a problem. Some of our
customers can take a very long time to make a
decision, and we’ve had to go back to try to rush
business through before the increases take effect.
Again, Business Pilot can help with that,
because we can pull reports on those
customers that are sitting at a particular point
in the process and speed things up, so we
don’t end up taking the hit ourselves.
Contact Thames Valley Window Company:
0800 181 698
www.tvwindows.com/
@TVWindows
52 TI MAY 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST