One issue that seems to get the blood boiling for people in our industry more than any other is the subject of 10 year guarantees. Ross Dent, the owner of a window company in Plymouth recently brought the subject up by posting this comment and it got me thinking.
A few years ago I would have agreed with Ross, and in many respects, if you were designing an ideal window industry from scratch then I’m sure most people wouldn’t start with the phrase:
‘Hey, let’s promise to go back and fix any potential fault for the next 10 years!’
However, I’ve been thinking about this for a few days, and have decided that companies who offer and manage 10 year guarantees correctly can use it to their commercial advantage. And, I believe it should be allocated as a marketing cost on the profit and loss account (assuming your company analyses management accounts).
Just imagine you’re a salesman for a moment…..
You go visit Mr & Mrs Jones and they purchased uPVC windows and doors from your company 9 years ago. They now need a conservatory and have invited you in to quote.
Since the windows were installed there’s been a couple of issues. One of the doors was not locking correctly after six months, and last year one of the sealed units broke down. Your company fixed the lock promptly (the door just needed toe and heeling a bit) and they also replaced the sealed unit recently and didn’t charge the customer for replacing it.
Tell me this, do you think you would have a good chance of selling the conservatory?


















