CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT HARD

have allowed us to contact our client to inform them of what is happening. Everyone is happy and there’s no major drama.

I’ve used Endurance there as an example, but I can say the same for others that we use as well, such as Brisant, Morley Glass, Glazerite, Origin and more. We like to surround ourselves with companies we can trust to put things right. Running a business in this environment in hard enough right now, so having others we can rely on becomes even more important.

As we head into difficult waters, and perhaps a recession which could stretch to two years and cut quite deep, quality customer service is a major USP that is going to set others apart from the rest.

We have seen in these past couple of years that installers are not afraid to walk away from their suppliers if they don’t believe they are getting the service they deserve. At a time when demand is quickly falling and profit margins are being eroded by higher prices, companies in the manufacturing part of the fenestration supply chain can ill-afford to lose valuable clients due to poor service.

This is where good leadership becomes vital. From the top down, a company has to live and breathe good customer service. MDs and CEOs cannot delegate these sorts of priorities. Remember that the basics of good customer service, consistent communication, is not an unknown science. It’s about answering phone calls, replying to emails, explaining the process that is underway in solving a problem, helping to generate leads, and keeping in regular touch with clients. There is much more besides of course but you get the picture. We all know how to do this. These are not difficult tasks.

We’re headed into a rough patch. Installers will look at new ways of winning additional business to try and survive and thrive. Good customer service is perhaps now one of the single most important factors that will be considered before an installer commits to a new product or supplier. Get it wrong, and that is valuable business lost.

If 2023 is going to be the year of anything, it has to be about good customer service.