Being friends with your neighbours is great! And not only for the barbecues or taking the kids to practice. There are advantages when it comes to doing reno’s on your home as well. Because most of the houses on your street were built around the same time, chances are they go through the same problems at similar times. That’s why we often talk about using your neighbours as a pool for window company referrals.
Except
What is good for your neighbor, may not be the same for you. Because windows generally break or lose efficiency as a result of moisture, leaks, and even the way they were installed, your replacement situation may be completely different from your neighbor next door. They may have extensive water damage to the frame and require a full frame replacement, whereas your windows may just need a new sealed glass unit, and a retrofit replacement is sufficient enough. Or vice versa.
But while your neighbor can’t guarantee that a company is right for you based on their personal window replacement, they can certainly attest to how a company handles customer relations and whether their product and installation quality match what they advertise.
That’s why practically all window companies today offer referral incentives to clients. The difference is that some do it because they see it as a way to genuinely boost their reputation, while others do it because they feel forced by the competition.
The Good
The great thing about window referrals is that if you truly believe a company does good work you can use it to get some money back from your replacement. Most companies will give at least 50$ per referral for an unlimited number of customers. Refer five to ten people, who may already be looking to replace their windows anyways, and watch the savings add up.
The Bad
Because a lot of companies don’t understand that word of mouth can be the strongest form of marketing, they see referral incentives as lost money. After all, why give someone cash if you can just ask them to write a Homestars review? And because they don’t care about giving you money for bringing them business, they also usually do a poor job of tracking their referrals or making it known to their prospective clients. Yet referrals are a big reason large families often sign up for replacements at numerous properties at the same time.
The Truth
While a company having or not having a customer referral program isn’t exactly a deal-breaker when it comes to signing the contract, it can make a lot of sense for some homeowners. If the window company you decide to go with is trustworthy and does good work, chances are they will have a good referral program as well. If they do good work, you will most likely recommend them to a friend looking for a replacement. If you are going to recommend a good company, you might as well get some money back from your original investment. Win, win, win.
Make sure to ask about the customer referral program during your window quote appointment. While it may not be their biggest selling point, chances are it will give you a glimpse into how much the company cares about past and future customers.
At Ecoline Windows, we understand the power of customer referrals. While most people generally take good work for granted (after all, they paid a lot of money for it) they are usually quick to tell their friends about the bad experience they had. That’s why we cherish and like to honour the homeowners who are confident to offer our services to their friends. We offer a $100 referral bonus for every client that ends up signing a contract with us. The best part? Because everything is done digitally and attached to your existing file you never have to worry about us not coming through on our promise. The person you referred just has to mention your name at the time of signing the contract and we will match it to your file. And we’ll make sure to call you to let you know the cheque is in the mail.
Check out:
Find Out The Cost of Replacement Windows
One Thing You MUST Know Before Scheduling A Window Replacement Quote
Modern Windows Compared: Awning And Casement vs. Slider And Hung