When looking for replacement windows, there's no doubt that it can be confusing and daunting.
With all the information out there and the terminology to sift through, it's tough to know who to trust.
While you may be getting a number of window quotes from different companies, if you see these four things, watch out!
1. Initiating appointments
Did you approach the company or did the company approach you?
Did you contact them or did they knock on your door or approach you while you were in a store?
Why does this matter? Because many times when they approach you, there is almost always a guarantee that it is going to be a high-pressure situation.
The BBB also warns that companies contacting you may be a sales scam.
2. Decision makers
Requiring all decision makers be present at the appointment and continuing to call to confirm all decision makers will be present at the appointment.
This is something we encourage but do not require. As this is a big project for you, we want to make sure you know all your options and have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
There are different options we go over, such as colors, grid patterns, and glass choices, so it helps to have all decision makers present to be educated on these choices.
However, if a company will not set an appointment if all decision makers are not there, that is a good sign you will be put in a high-pressure sales appointment and won't be given the time to think about it and see what other options are out there.
3. Appointment length
The average appointment time for some windows companies is 3-4 hours.
Why is this? There is a belief that the more you hear about the product and listen to a sales pitch, the more you may be inclined to buy during the appointment.
Our consultant Denver has had numerous customers tell him that they 'literally had to escort the sales rep out. Like they carried their samples and bags to their front porch,' and that is something that shouldn't be happening.
We only ask for an hour. We have an educational approach with no pressure or pricing games. It's simple: we are a guest in your home, and we want to have a conversation about your needs and wants.
"What a breath of fresh air...this experience provided by Grady S. was flawless! He was down to earth, didn't start telling me what I needed to do, & didn't overwhelm me with a pushy sales pitch. Instead, he was prepared, knowledgeable, respectful, honest, well-mannered, & flexible with my decision making process. He answered numerous questions, including common questions I actually forgot to ask, instead of just immediately leaving. You can tell this company cares & wants their employees to possess these qualities when providing an itemized quote along with a smooth experience. I also compared his information to my own research on their products vs other companies, and it all matched up. I felt so relieved & already gave his name out today to a neighbor. Save yourself weeding through other companies for an honest, educational, & comfortable experience!" - A. Smith
4. Discounts
Some companies have a 'yard sign' discount where you can get an extra percent off for simply allowing them to place a company job sign in your yard.
Most people will let a company do that - discount or not. So to take a lot of money off for something like a yard sign seems more like a marketing scheme than a benefit to the customer.
There is also the same-day discount.
This is usually used to get someone to buy on the spot, deducting high percentages off your project if you sign that day.
We do have a same-day discount, but we do not talk about it if someone is not ready to sign that day. Why do we offer this? Helping someone with their project the same day does make it more efficient for us. Although we are more than willing to help you as long as it takes you to make a decision, when we can finalize everything that day without multiple trips or emails back and forth, it does provide efficiency on both ends. It would be no different than you expecting to pay more for an airline ticket purchased the day before versus one you buy months in advance. Just like the airlines can operate more efficiently when they know their costs in advance, the same is true for us.
However, despite offering this same-day discount (on the back end) only to those ready to move forward, this is not used as a tactic to pressure you into making a decision that day. We take an educational approach with you, showing you your options, and letting you decide what's best for you and your home.
To learn more about high pressure sales tactics, listen to episode 21 of our Window Wisdom podcast.
We would love to help you with your project and talk about what you need, so contact us today to schedule your appointment!
