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Home : Review Topics : Sales Pitch And Tactics
Window Sales Tactics, Pitches And Scams
The replacement window industry is well known for their high pressure sales tactics. Of course, this is a blanket statement that certainly does not apply to all window companies. And yet, there is a reason for this industry stigma. I'm going to take you through some of the most prevalent Promotional pricing is a pretty old sales technique. Essentially, a company throws out a bid for your project, BUT the bid price is a promotional price and is only good for a few days. Timelines will vary on this one - anywhere from "once I walk out the door" to "end of the month." Whatever the timeline, once the promotion period is up, the price increases to the "normal" price, which is often significantly more. Renewal By Andersen is one of the companies that often employs this method.
Sign in the yard is an offshoot of the promotional pricing pitch and is most often related to Apex Energy Systems (Apex Windows Reviews). The company goes door-to-door in certain neighborhood and makes their sales pitch to homeowners. They offer the price quote, but then say if you place a sign in your yard for a month, then they will offer you their promotional home price. All in all, pretty harmless. They offer a good product, although their prices are often more than I'd like to see. I think the stranger thing from them is going door to door - very 1950s.
Lots of companies that sell non vinyl windows often pitch their windows by saying that vinyl windows suck and they will yellow and bow within a decade. If you made that pitch to me in the 1990s I would have agreed with them :) Now, what is also true is that there are a lot of crappy vinyl window manufacturers out there. However, vinyl has come a long ways since its early days - the move from PVC to uPVC, the multi chamber frames, and the additives like titanium in the molds are just a few of the changes that have made vinyl a great material for replacement windows.
This is just a twist on the promotional pricing scheme. Basically the sales person gives you the high price, then discounts it 40% from this and says the price is good until they walk out the door. It's a psychological ploy that is actually pretty effective. But ask yourself, does his cost on the windows go up when he leaves - does his labor costs increase when he leaves? Of course not. Nothing changes in terms of what it costs him to order the windows and then have the install crew come out.
Related Topics: Window Nation Reviews
Negotiating A Home Window Bid
I want to point out that not all of these approaches are bad necessarily (at the idea level at least). Instead, some are simply company marketing approaches - but in the hands are over aggressive sales people, they can come off as skeezy.
The bottom line for me is this - find a company that doesn't need to take any approach that feels yucky. A good quality company tells you their price and backs that price up with solid online reviews and ratings. They often don't budge on replacement window pricing, but that's because they don't have to - their product and installation quality stand on their own.
Have a window sales question you need help with? We can provide unbiased advice - Dane - Site Editor
Dane - Site Editor - Page Last Updated: May 11, 2024
Promotional Pricing
Most quality companies don't need to use this tactic. They don't have to because they have lots of business that is built on a reputation for quality work and product. There are cases where a promotional price might actually be legit, but in 98% of cases, this is just a cheesy sales tactics that is meant to scare you into signing a work order. It is often effective and this is why it is used so often - we all want a good deal!
Bottom Line: If a company uses this tactic on me as a consumer, I would move on to another bid/company. The only caveat would be if the price quote was lower than my other bids. Then I would have to check the quality of the product and, if it passed muster, then, I would consider the bid as a viable option.
Sign In The Yard
Vinyl Windows Sucks
Well made vinyl windows offer some of the best performance data out there - and they are backed by better warranties than any other window material. (A great retort - if they are so crappy why is the vinyl frame warranted for life, while your composite window is warranted for 25 years?) Vinyl is admittedly not the nicest looking of materials, but they do stand the test of time and they are more affordable than any other material out there. Just make sure you get a high quality vinyl window.
Price Goes Up When I Leave
I don't like the approach because it is rooted in a lie. I say best to politely tell him you and your spouse are collecting multiple bids and you will be in touch. After he leaves, place the bid in the trash and move on to a company that doens't need to resort to these approaches.