10 / 10 / 2018
Doing what we say on the tin for 20 years, as published in GGP Magazine
Framexpress Director, Mark Westbrook talks about rebranding, 20th anniversaries and how we have created a service that solves problems for installers.
Can you remember what was happening in 1998? Armageddon was the highest-grossing film at the Box Office, Cher got to Number 1 with her autotune-heavy single ‘Believe’ and Becks was sent off against Argentina. And on the positive side, it was also the year that Stuart and I launched Framexpress and we’ve been going strong ever since.
We’re often asked about the secrets to our success – there aren’t many businesses that survive for 20 years. The answer isn’t complicated. We find out what our customers need and we provide a service that supports them and helps them to grow. It’s getting the delivery right that’s the tricky part – you always need to make sure that you actually do what you say you do.
We all know that famous strapline from Ronseal – “it does exactly what it says on the tin”. Well it was first used in 1994 and now it’s their signature slogan that’s made it into the Oxford Dictionary, a Katie Melua song and was also one of David Cameron’s favourite references whilst he was Prime Minister.
In my book, it’s a great motto to live by and probably part of why Framexpress has just celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Time is money for installers, especially the smaller business-owners who look after sales, marketing, HR, surveys, procurement and accounts as well as being on site fitting windows and doors. By offering a fast, efficient service, brilliantly manufactured products and sales support, we can save them time, hassle and money.
Small innovations can make a colossal difference
We know from experience that it’s often the small things that make a big difference. That’s where our 4-hour quotes, 48-hour windows service came from. Despite the growth in colour foil frames, white PVCu installations still make up the majority of customer’s work. So, that’s what our new brand focuses on.
We pledge to get quotes back fast – in just 4 hours and our high-spec Optima PVCu windows are delivered in just 48 hours. No ifs, no buts, no excuses – we deliver fast, so installers can fit fast, get off site and get paid.
It’s the same service for our white PVCu entrance doors and Patiomaster sliding doors too, making it easy for customers to fill their order books with whole house installations, now they can measure up and get the products delivered ready to fit in just 2 days.
Working longer than 9 ‘til 5
Our next step was to make getting a quote easier. Knowing that installers are usually on site during regular office hours, we knew that an early morning / late night quote service would go down a storm. Now, our expert order processors can be contacted from 7.30am ‘til 9pm on Monday – Thursday and from 7.30am ‘til 7pm on Fridays.
That way, if installers go to see a homeowner in the evening, they can call us for a quote straight away and get back to their potential customer the next day. Or, if they do their admin after they’ve had their tea, they can give us a call to get a quote on the jobs that are coming up over the next few weeks.
The Framexpress difference
By talking to customers regularly and finding out how we can make their working lives easier, we have built a business that people can rely on for consistent service and support.
4-hour quotes, 48-hour windows and late-night quote services may not be the most complex offering, but it works for us and for customers. There is definitely power in simplicity and when you’ve run a business for 20 years, you appreciate it in a different way.
Our industry doesn’t like fuss and nonsense – it’s about creating a supply service that helps their business be the best. Unfortunately, we don’t have a tin to put a message on to, so we do exactly what we say on the logo!