With showroom and sales visits completely off-limits in the current climate, installers are finding it difficult to provide a prospective customer with a price for replacement windows and doors.
A new smartphone app that allows an installer to provide an accurate price to prospective clients without a home visit is set to change all that.
Double Glazing App can price windows and doors in under 90 seconds, or the whole house in under 15 minutes, without any face to face time.
Virtape, the company behind the app, has been working on it with sister company Leads 2 Trade since 2017 and was all set to start with four businesses to test the marketing messages ahead of the scheduled launch later this month.
But, with people aware of what the company was developing, Virtape was inundated with calls to provide the app early as coronavirus hit the country.
The company has obliged – and just in the nick of time too.
“Double Glazing App has primarily been developed to create more leads for installers from their existing web visitors,” explained John Cohen, Virtape’s MD.
“But in the space of a week, we were asked if we could provide the app as it became apparent that the situation we were facing was unprecedented.
“It’s a situation that is changing constantly too. When we decided to bring the launch forward it was because installers were worried that the traditional way of sending a rep to the home might reduce.
“Now, sales visits are completely out of the question, for the foreseeable future at least, and we don’t know when that’s going to change. Double Glazing App can help keep things ticking over when it comes to leads.”
No risk to installers
To help installers Virtape has decided to waive the monthly licence fee for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak, no questions asked so, apart from the set-up cost, you only pay when you have a consumer using the app to get your prices.
Installers will run on a month to month agreement so there are no long-term commitments and will provide Double Glazing App marketing assets free to help boost website lead generation.
Quick and easy
Double Glazing App is available on iOS and android as a white label app so is licensed by the installer, while the process could not be simpler.
The consumer lands on the installer’s website and downloads Double Glazing App before inserting a unique verification code from the installer.
They can then use the app to measure the windows using their phone camera or use a tape measure and manually input the dimensions. When the dimensions have been submitted, the app sends the consumer and instant price.
They can then confirm the price by booking a survey and then sign up in the normal way.
“We are prioritising Leads 2 Trade members first before opening it up to other installers and we can get an installer set up in two days as long as they work with us and provide the things we need,” said John.
The longer term
With the convenience of ordering products online growing all the time, allowing a prospective customer to measure and price replacement windows and doors remotely is an option every installer will have to offer.
“As in most industries in the next few years fenestration will have to adapt to homeowners only sitting down with sales after they have a price,” said John.
“But the current climate brings its own challenges. When things start to get back to normal, there is bound to be a period of adjustment and it might take time for some consumers to be happy to bring salespeople into their homes.
And, while Double Glazing App hasn’t been developed as a contingency plan for an emergency such as this, the ability to price a prospect without a home visit may become the norm – for both installers and consumers.
To start benefitting from Double Glazing App, register at www.doubleglazingapp.co.uk/smartphone-quotes or for more information call 0161 764 2553 or email johnc@leads2trade.co.uk.
