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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 <strong>2022</strong> PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST
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