I know that double-glazing sales techniques are the stuff of legend, but
I've actually experienced it first-hand now. It's astounding, just
astounding.

I'm sure you know the stories and don't need to hear another one, but
first there was some garbled "Second-one-free-65%-off" verbiage that
barely made sense, they were just being uttered as comforting mouth
noises, like you might say to calm down an overexcited horse.

Then there was the calculator punching, then the call to his boss.

The first quote of £3600 came down to £3100 without any prompting from
us.

No, we weren't going to agree anything today, we were going to get
another quote.

Today, a telephone call from someone asking if all was OK, what was the
quote etc (as if he didn't know). £3100? Hmm, hmm. He's scratching his
head, he says; it seems mysteriously high to him. He'll talk to his
manager. Please hang on. Hello sir, I think we can do better than that,
but can we come round to check the site? It'll only take a few minutes.

And so on.

How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?

Daniele

On 28/08/2014 17:07, D.M. Procida wrote:


How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?

Daniele


absolutely not - use a small independent firm that has been around for a
few years. Mine gave me an "estimate" from his office based on my
sketches/measurements and said his quote would be within +/-£200 of his
estimate. But I would only get quote after he had measured up. When he
measured some slight changes (toughened glass in some places etc) but he
was good to his word and final cost was as stated. Very pleased with
final result.


--
Chris

In article
,
D.M. Procida wrote:
How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?

You could guess at what a reasonable price would be by looking up the
prices of similar sized windows on Screwfix. Then add on a bit for
installation.

--
*Born free - taxed to death *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 28/08/2014 17:22, Tim Streater wrote:
In article
,
D.M. Procida wrote:

I know that double-glazing sales techniques are the stuff of legend, but
I've actually experienced it first-hand now. It's astounding, just
astounding.

I'm sure you know the stories and don't need to hear another one, but
first there was some garbled "Second-one-free-65%-off" verbiage that
barely made sense, they were just being uttered as comforting mouth
noises, like you might say to calm down an overexcited horse.

Then there was the calculator punching, then the call to his boss.

The first quote of £3600 came down to £3100 without any prompting from
us.

No, we weren't going to agree anything today, we were going to get
another quote.

Today, a telephone call from someone asking if all was OK, what was the
quote etc (as if he didn't know). £3100? Hmm, hmm. He's scratching his
head, he says; it seems mysteriously high to him. He'll talk to his
manager. Please hang on. Hello sir, I think we can do better than that,
but can we come round to check the site? It'll only take a few minutes.

And so on.

How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?

Then there's the special deal that's ending today, and the money
available from the marketing budget that could be applied to your quote
if you were willing to have a few publicity shots done of your
installation afterwards.


I had the full "my kids are going to go hungry if you don't buy".


--
Cheers, Rob

On Thu, 28 Aug 2014 18:29:59 +0100, RJH wrote:

On 28/08/2014 17:22, Tim Streater wrote:
In article
,
D.M. Procida wrote:

I know that double-glazing sales techniques are the stuff of legend,
but I've actually experienced it first-hand now. It's astounding, just
astounding.

I'm sure you know the stories and don't need to hear another one, but
first there was some garbled "Second-one-free-65%-off" verbiage that
barely made sense, they were just being uttered as comforting mouth
noises, like you might say to calm down an overexcited horse.

Then there was the calculator punching, then the call to his boss.

The first quote of £3600 came down to £3100 without any prompting from
us.

No, we weren't going to agree anything today, we were going to get
another quote.

Today, a telephone call from someone asking if all was OK, what was
the quote etc (as if he didn't know). £3100? Hmm, hmm. He's scratching
his head, he says; it seems mysteriously high to him. He'll talk to
his manager. Please hang on. Hello sir, I think we can do better than
that, but can we come round to check the site? It'll only take a few
minutes.

And so on.

How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?

Then there's the special deal that's ending today, and the money
available from the marketing budget that could be applied to your quote
if you were willing to have a few publicity shots done of your
installation afterwards.


I had the full "my kids are going to go hungry if you don't buy".

A tip. Sit some distance apart so that they can't focus on both of you at
once. Throws them right off.
--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £30a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

"D.M. Procida" wrote in
message
...


How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?


Bigger profit? Why sell for £2000 if you can talk ******** and get someone
to pay £3000?

--
Adam

"D.M. Procida" wrote in
message
...
I know that double-glazing sales techniques are the stuff of legend, but
I've actually experienced it first-hand now. It's astounding, just
astounding.

I'm sure you know the stories and don't need to hear another one, but
first there was some garbled "Second-one-free-65%-off" verbiage that
barely made sense, they were just being uttered as comforting mouth
noises, like you might say to calm down an overexcited horse.

Then there was the calculator punching, then the call to his boss.

The first quote of £3600 came down to £3100 without any prompting from
us.

No, we weren't going to agree anything today, we were going to get
another quote.

Today, a telephone call from someone asking if all was OK, what was the
quote etc (as if he didn't know). £3100? Hmm, hmm. He's scratching his
head, he says; it seems mysteriously high to him. He'll talk to his
manager. Please hang on. Hello sir, I think we can do better than that,
but can we come round to check the site? It'll only take a few minutes.

And so on.

How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way?

go back about 80 years and washing machines and vacuums were

tim

tim..... wrote:
"D.M. Procida" wrote in

How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way?

go back about 80 years and washing machines and vacuums were

In the mid-90s I boggled when an ex-student housemate at Uni got a job
doing door-to-door Kirby vacuum cleaner sales. I presumed such arcane
activities had ceased at least 20 years prior to that.

It was a complete farce of a job. No salary and commission based on
final sale price (think it varied between 850 & 1100 quid.) A sale at
the bottom end and the commission was nothing.

It didn't help that we all learnt his script faster than he did. It
opened: "Kirby, a Scot's born American..." and then went on for 3 hours(!!!)

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

tim..... wrote


"D.M. Procida" wrote in
message
...
I know that double-glazing sales techniques are the stuff of legend, but
I've actually experienced it first-hand now. It's astounding, just
astounding.

I'm sure you know the stories and don't need to hear another one, but
first there was some garbled "Second-one-free-65%-off" verbiage that
barely made sense, they were just being uttered as comforting mouth
noises, like you might say to calm down an overexcited horse.

Then there was the calculator punching, then the call to his boss.

The first quote of £3600 came down to £3100 without any prompting from
us.

No, we weren't going to agree anything today, we were going to get
another quote.

Today, a telephone call from someone asking if all was OK, what was the
quote etc (as if he didn't know). £3100? Hmm, hmm. He's scratching his
head, he says; it seems mysteriously high to him. He'll talk to his
manager. Please hang on. Hello sir, I think we can do better than that,
but can we come round to check the site? It'll only take a few minutes.

And so on.

How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way?

go back about 80 years and washing machines and vacuums were



Kirbys still are.

On 28/08/2014 17:07, D.M. Procida wrote:
I know that double-glazing sales techniques are the stuff of legend, but
I've actually experienced it first-hand now. It's astounding, just
astounding.

I'm sure you know the stories and don't need to hear another one, but
first there was some garbled "Second-one-free-65%-off" verbiage that
barely made sense, they were just being uttered as comforting mouth
noises, like you might say to calm down an overexcited horse.

Then there was the calculator punching, then the call to his boss.

The first quote of £3600 came down to £3100 without any prompting from
us.

No, we weren't going to agree anything today, we were going to get
another quote.

Today, a telephone call from someone asking if all was OK, what was the
quote etc (as if he didn't know). £3100? Hmm, hmm. He's scratching his
head, he says; it seems mysteriously high to him. He'll talk to his
manager. Please hang on. Hello sir, I think we can do better than that,
but can we come round to check the site? It'll only take a few minutes.

And so on.

How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?

Daniele

Hmm. You've never looked at leather goods in markets in Paris, then.
(I've never been to the middle east, but I believe these are a fair
facsimile).

On 28/08/2014 17:26, news wrote:
On 28/08/2014 17:07, D.M. Procida wrote:


How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?

Daniele


absolutely not - use a small independent firm that has been around for a
few years. Mine gave me an "estimate" from his office based on my
sketches/measurements and said his quote would be within +/-£200 of his
estimate. But I would only get quote after he had measured up. When he
measured some slight changes (toughened glass in some places etc) but he
was good to his word and final cost was as stated. Very pleased with
final result.


Exactly describes my lad's recent experience getting soundproofing for
his new flat in Stratford.

On 28/08/2014 17:07, D.M. Procida wrote:
I know that double-glazing sales techniques are the stuff of legend, but
I've actually experienced it first-hand now. It's astounding, just
astounding.


My mother has just had some work satisfactory completed at a cost of
£1500. The salesman came and only quoted this price, this was followed
up by a letter two days later confirming the price and detailing all
that was covered by the quote. No follow up phone calls. This was from a
local firm that I believe employs 3 or 4 people.

She had the misfortune of having two other companies quoting. One quoted
£3700 which was discounted to £2900 because they were already carrying
out other work in the area. The other company started off at £3000 which
was subsequently reduced in stages to £1800 after many phone calls to her.



--
mailto: news {at} admac {dot] myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Who knows, but rule 1 do not allow a cold caller in, as they are obviously
scratching for work, which of course they will pass on to some dodgy sub
contractor by the time you get them fitted.
I have very old double glazing, and it still more or less works. Short of
going triple glazed and cladding the single wall with something, I'm not
going to make it worth redoing, and yet i still get the odd caller touting.
As for why, well, I'd imagine its just what they have done in the past,
so...
You get the same sort of thing with wall coatings, Conservatories, Decking
patios, hard standings, and roof conversions et etc.
I r reckon its folk lore or summut.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"D.M. Procida" wrote in
message
...
I know that double-glazing sales techniques are the stuff of legend, but
I've actually experienced it first-hand now. It's astounding, just
astounding.

I'm sure you know the stories and don't need to hear another one, but
first there was some garbled "Second-one-free-65%-off" verbiage that
barely made sense, they were just being uttered as comforting mouth
noises, like you might say to calm down an overexcited horse.

Then there was the calculator punching, then the call to his boss.

The first quote of £3600 came down to £3100 without any prompting from
us.

No, we weren't going to agree anything today, we were going to get
another quote.

Today, a telephone call from someone asking if all was OK, what was the
quote etc (as if he didn't know). £3100? Hmm, hmm. He's scratching his
head, he says; it seems mysteriously high to him. He'll talk to his
manager. Please hang on. Hello sir, I think we can do better than that,
but can we come round to check the site? It'll only take a few minutes.

And so on.

How did this absurd performance begin? Can you imagine if everything
else had to be bought and sold in the same way? Is there some reason
that double-glazing sales has to be like this?

Daniele