For installers, choosing the right supply partner can have a significant impact on the day-to-day running of their business.
Product quality, price and lead times will always matter. But when you are managing multiple projects at once, the quality of support behind the product can be just as important.
It is something Sternfenster customers regularly tell us.
Chris, from Lifestyle Windows recently described the impact that moving to Sternfenster had on their business:
“I’m not exaggerating to say the move to Sternfenster has been life changing for us. I honestly think our business would be in a different place if we hadn’t been buying from you guys for the last five years.”
They also highlighted the role played by Sternfenster’s Customer Service Department:
“The support that we get is very noticeable. You can tell people really try to sort out the problems which are important to us.”
Their conclusion was refreshingly straightforward:
“It’s a bloody good firm you’ve got!”
Support when it matters
No supply chain is completely without challenges. Windows and doors are complex products, projects change and sometimes unexpected problems arise.
What matters is how those situations are handled.
A recent example came from Amy at Falcon Windows, when the Sternfenster team arranged for glass required for a customer’s project to be delivered by courier.
Following the delivery, Amy contacted Sternfenster to say:
“We just wanted to say a huge thank you for getting the glass to us. It’s just been delivered by courier.”
But it was the next sentence that demonstrated why the additional effort mattered:
“This has made the difference between a happy customer and unhappy customer.”
For an installer, that difference is important.
A missing or delayed item can affect a fitting schedule, require another visit to site and, ultimately, influence the homeowner’s experience of the installation company.
Being able to call on a supplier that understands those pressures and is prepared to help find a solution can make running a business that little bit easier.
People behind the products
Sternfenster has continued to invest in the products, manufacturing capabilities and digital tools it provides to its customers.
But good service still comes down to people.
It is the customer service team responding to a query. The production team working to get an order ready. The logistics team getting products where they need to be. And sometimes, it is someone recognising that getting a piece of glass onto a courier could make the difference between a happy and an unhappy homeowner.
That level of support helps installers concentrate on what they do best: winning work, completing installations and looking after their own customers.
And while Sternfenster can talk about its approach to customer service, feedback from the businesses that experience it every day perhaps says it better.
As one customer put it:
“You can tell people really try to sort out the problems which are important to us.”
For Sternfenster, that is exactly what good customer service should look like.
