How to offer installation seruices

Story at a Glance

Installation service allows stoto to sell both materlal and labor . .more customers want some. one else to do the work. ..idea catching on at chalns.

calling the store and telling his neighbors about the kind of workman recommended.

One way to get around this problem is to put up a bulletin board on which contractors and craftsmen can post their cards. A small disc{aimer can relieve the store of responsibility for the type of work provided. While this approach will save time and headaches, it won't bring in extra dollars or build customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The second approach of acting as a general contractor requires careful planning and management. It is necessary to establish a stable of contractors who will agree to be available for your customers. In addition, you must be able to guarantee their reliability. This is best done by requiring that they have proper insurance, licensing, permits and, if necessary, bonding. The store is responsible for seeing that the job is done correctly. When this type of service is provided, the store generally charges the customer an installed price and pays the contractor. Selling of the service by salespeople, instore signing and advertising are n@essary if this type of installed service is to succeed. It's also a good idea to check with your lawyo before offering this service.

INSTALLAII0N service oftered bv the store helps capture the buy-it-yburself customer's business. Stores must screen installers carefully.

bonded and trained craftsmen to do the needed work. All the store has to do is set up the appointment. Usually these firms will do all types of installation work rangng from garage door openers to skylights.

Selling installation service can be a large market. It is natural for a homeowner to turn to the homecenter/ building materials dealer for advice on whom to cdl to do a job, whether it is installing insulation, a new hot water heater or gutting and redoing a kitchen.

D00RS are popular home improvement proiects, bul many homeowners don't want t0 d0 the work themselves. Professional inshllation service available from a home cenler often sells the door.

The third method of turning installation work over to a contract service eliminates most of the work while retaining sorne of the profit. These companies offer licensed, insured,

By offering installation service, the retailer can profit from both the material and labor. Scotty's, Angels, Builders Emporium, Cashways, O'Malleys and The Home Depot are among the chains offering such a service.

TJHOUGH the market for winI dows in new houses is static, the market for new windows in old houses is ecstatic.

Industry sources estimate the dollar volume in window rePlacements will reach $4.5 billion this year. There is little doubt that rapidly rising energy bills are inspiring many homeowners to rePlace worn out windows and add insulation, but, says the National Woodwork Manufacturers Association, there are other reasons for the surge in window replacements.

Good looks, ease of operation, increased comfort and new innovations by window manufacturers combine to encourage homeowners to update their homes with new look windows. Bay or bow windows, roof windows, garden windows and Patio doors can give a house a new look.

Low maintenance is another reason for replacing windows. Many new wood windows have an exterior cladding that all but eliminates the need for periodic painting. Other styles are designed so that both sides wash from the inside. Others have optional grilles that snap in and out to give a traditional multi-paned look without the problem of cleaning individual panes.

Manufacturers are definitely into new window concepts.

Andersen, for example, has created Concept IV as a way of looking at windows not as isolated units that emit light and air to a home, but as a system of interrelated components which, when properly designed, can offer beauty and fuel conservation' Using these principles, an additional room or space added to a home is able to heat and cool itself. and even reduce the total amount of heating