Past Winner Stories
Unique Window and Door
www.uniquewindowanddoor.com
Many remodelers begin in sales or installation, and although competent at those tasks, they fail to use best business practices, leading to a 96 percent failure rate in the first five years. The industry practices of hiring subcontractors for installation and service and of sales employees working strictly on commission have contributed to the industry’s poor reputation. Too often, decision making has been based on what is most profitable, regardless of its impact on the consumer.
Unique Window and Door’s products are installed by their employees, not subcontractors. All installers receive in-house and outside training, including American Architectural AAMA master certification programs.
All installers are required to complete a customer satisfaction survey at the end of every installation, and within five days of installation all customers are surveyed by phone. The installation manager contacts any customer who has graded the installation less than “great” in any category. A customer satisfaction survey is mailed to every customer the day following their installation, and salaried sales consultants are required to do a final inspection within 6o days of the installation.
The company’s in-house service department is dedicated to service only, assuring prompt attention to customers' needs. The service coordinator calls every service the day after completion with a customer service survey. Again, if any category is not graded “great” the service manager contacts the consumer.
Standard remuneration for home remodeling salespeople is commission. This often leads to recommendations based on the salesperson's financial needs, not the best interest of the consumer. At Unique, all sales employees earn a salary, bonuses and commission. This allows them to be a true consultant and base their recommendations on the needs of the homeowner and condition of the home.
Achieving profit goals and sales figures are important to company President Robert Dillon. However, giving back to the community goes to the heart of his core beliefs. Over the past six years, Unique Window and Door and its employees have supported several organizations to help make Indiana a better place. As primary sponsor of the Unite 2 Fight Prostate Cancer Run they helped raise more than $100,000. The company has been the number one sponsor of the year for the Little Red Door Cancer Agency and each year supports the RTV6 Fan Club, Toys for Tots and the Lighthouse Mission.
More importantly, according to Dillon, employees volunteering labor for the company’s makeover of a needy family’s home, hosting blood drives, donating to the Indiana Blood Center or answering the phones for Jerry's Kids, has increased employee pride and job satisfaction. It has also impacted recruiting and retention. At the same time, it has enhanced the branding of Unique Window and Door in the marketplace.
The company’s focus on ethics has paid off. In 2004, sales were up 37 percent from the previous year. In 2005, sales increased more than 45 percent. In 2006, sales jumped x percent to over $16 million, and the company is pacing $20 million in 2007.
An estimated 85 percent of customer surveys rated the company’s performance with the highest score of “great” in the early days. Today, 93 percent of all surveys are returned with a perfect rating.
The company's outstanding customer satisfaction and ethical reputation were recognized by industry trade publication Window and Door magazine. The company earned its national Dealer of the Year in Community Service award in 2004 and its Customer Service award in 2005. The company is the only Indiana business to receive the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics for four consecutive years (2002 through 2005) and received the Consumer's Choice Award in 2006.
Specialty home remodeling company Unique Window and Door is well aware that it works in an industry ranked number one in the nation in three categories: customer dissatisfaction, customer complaints and early business bankruptcy. Their mission has been to change that perception by using best practices and considering every decision’s impact on the consumer.
Many remodelers begin in sales or installation, and although competent at those tasks, they fail to use best business practices, leading to a 96 percent failure rate in the first five years. The industry practices of hiring subcontractors for installation and service and of sales employees working strictly on commission have contributed to the industry’s poor reputation. Too often, decision making has been based on what is most profitable, regardless of its impact on the consumer.
Unique Window and Door’s products are installed by their employees, not subcontractors. All installers receive in-house and outside training, including American Architectural AAMA master certification programs.
All installers are required to complete a customer satisfaction survey at the end of every installation, and within five days of installation all customers are surveyed by phone. The installation manager contacts any customer who has graded the installation less than “great” in any category. A customer satisfaction survey is mailed to every customer the day following their installation, and salaried sales consultants are required to do a final inspection within 6o days of the installation.
The company’s in-house service department is dedicated to service only, assuring prompt attention to customers' needs. The service coordinator calls every service the day after completion with a customer service survey. Again, if any category is not graded “great” the service manager contacts the consumer.
Standard remuneration for home remodeling salespeople is commission. This often leads to recommendations based on the salesperson's financial needs, not the best interest of the consumer. At Unique, all sales employees earn a salary, bonuses and commission. This allows them to be a true consultant and base their recommendations on the needs of the homeowner and condition of the home.
Achieving profit goals and sales figures are important to company President Robert Dillon. However, giving back to the community goes to the heart of his core beliefs. Over the past six years, Unique Window and Door and its employees have supported several organizations to help make Indiana a better place. As primary sponsor of the Unite 2 Fight Prostate Cancer Run they helped raise more than $100,000. The company has been the number one sponsor of the year for the Little Red Door Cancer Agency and each year supports the RTV6 Fan Club, Toys for Tots and the Lighthouse Mission.
More importantly, according to Dillon, employees volunteering labor for the company’s makeover of a needy family’s home, hosting blood drives, donating to the Indiana Blood Center or answering the phones for Jerry's Kids, has increased employee pride and job satisfaction. It has also impacted recruiting and retention. At the same time, it has enhanced the branding of Unique Window and Door in the marketplace.
The company’s focus on ethics has paid off. In 2004, sales were up 37 percent from the previous year. In 2005, sales increased more than 45 percent. In 2006, sales jumped x percent to over $16 million, and the company is pacing $20 million in 2007.
An estimated 85 percent of customer surveys rated the company’s performance with the highest score of “great” in the early days. Today, 93 percent of all surveys are returned with a perfect rating.
Additionally, Unique’s approach to customer satisfaction has impacted its complaint ratio with the Better Business Bureau. As of June 1, the company had received only seven complaints in the past three years, representing less than one-quarter of one percent of its customer base.
The company's outstanding customer satisfaction and ethical reputation were recognized by industry trade publication Window and Door magazine. The company earned its national Dealer of the Year in Community Service award in 2004 and its Customer Service award in 2005. The company is the only Indiana business to receive the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics for four consecutive years (2002 through 2005) and received the Consumer's Choice Award in 2006.