Pushy Window Salesman

Nobody benefits from sketchy / pushy salesmen.  The homeowner gets taken advantage of and the replacement window industry gets a bad name.  Just ask Vinyl Siding about the damage that an army of "bait and switch" sales theives can do to an industry.  Our advice to our potential customers is this... be picky, judge harshly and tell your salesperson that you will not be making a decision until you've thought about it.  Remember, the salesman works for you (at least he wants to).  Its not too much to ask for good prices from reputable companies who employ honest sales professionals.

Every single sketchy sales-pitch reveals itself with the simple question "WHY?".
Example:

Joe Salesman:  This deal is only good until the end of the day!
Customer:  WHY?
Nothing expires today.  If Joe Salesman is having a sale, it's a sale that he controls.  If he values your business, he will extend his sale until the next day (or next week).  If the purpose of the sale is to get orders in before the end of the quarter, next quarter will be just as important.  Or maybe the purpose of the "one day sale" is to force you to sign a bad deal without allowing time for research.  WHY would you fall for that?  Call Adams Home Windows (before his "deal" expires) and we'll match his offer and give you a year to think about it... how about that?

Joe Salesman:  I will give you $1000.00 off if you sign now!
Customer: WHY?
Any offer that can have $1000.00 subtracted from it, isn't a very good one.  Is tomorrows signature less valuable than today's?  Call Adams Home Windows and we'll give you the same deal but we require NO commitment today (or tomorrow).  Our estimates are valid for one year.
Beware of "Bait and Switch" tactics and demand "best price" up front.  Bait & Switch sales tactics are dishonest and should be unforgivable.  Even if a fair price is eventually agreed upon, consider the dishonest way they've introduced themselves.

        

When to Buy Windows

Unfortunately for Adams Home Windows, not everyone should buy energy efficient replacement windows.  We are in the business of selling windows and we'd obviously like to sell windows to every homeowner.  However, taking advantage of an uninformed customer doesn't help us in the long-term.  Our reputation as an honest and ethical alternative to the shady "used car salesman" types is more important than short-term paydays.  Energy Efficient Replacement Windows are usually a smart purchase for any homeowner but here are some cases when they're not.

Advice:  Inspect your windows yourself.  Unfortunately, when homeowners hire a "professional" to inspect their windows, they're usually hiring a "professional salesman".  Do your best to tackle this inspection yourself.

1. Are they single pane or double pane?
If you can't tell, go outside and put a sticker on the glass... then come inside and put a sticker in the same place.  It will be obvious if the two stickers are on either sides of the same piece of glass.

2. Does the glass rattle? 
Stand inside the smallest bedroom and open / close the door.  It should be obvious.

3. Is air coming in around the frame? 
Buy a stick of incense.  Light it and hold it about 5 inches away from the glass as you pass it all the way around the perimeter of the window.  Does the smoke blow around?

4.  Will the window slam shut without something holding it up? 

5.  Is there moisture / dirt between the two panes?
If your windows are single pane or if the answer to any of the other questions is "yes", you probably do need new replacement windows.  But to answer the question "Should you replace your windows", ask yourself the following question:

Do you plan to move within 5 years?
If the answer is yes, our advice is to replace your windows only if it's necessary to sell your home.  Otherwise, the potential buyer might ask for an allowance to repair the windows but repairing windows isn't nearly as expensive as replacing them.  There are plenty of benefits of Energy Efficient Replacement Windows but if you're not going to be the person enjoying those benefits, why bother?  (Remember to give your buyer our business card!  We appreciate it!)

On the other hand, if you KNOW that you're going to be in your house for 6 or 7 more years, you should have already replaced your windows.  By lowering your utility bills, Quality Energy Efficient Replacement Windows do pay for themselves over time.  They add value to the home and they make the home more attractive / comfortable.

        

Reference Lists?

Of course, consumers should check references.  But remember that people don't list the job that they were fired from on their resume!  Yes, it's a good idea to drive around and look at windows before deciding which company to trust your project to but lets be honest about reference lists - they are populated by that the happiest customers!

Advice:
Ask Adams Home Windows for a list of projects that will be starting / completed at a convenient time for you can visit.  Show up and watch.  Are the window installers clean and considerate of the situation?  Is the site well kept?  Would you trust them inside your home?  Is the homeowner happy?  Are things going as the homeowner was promised?  Pay specific attention to the caulking!  Is the bottom of the window warped or bent like a frown?  Is there order to the project?

Adams Home Windows has a reference list that is the size of a phone book.  But honestly, as a consumer, I wouldn't trust reference lists.  A Reference list is only proof that a company is capable of competence, not that they make a habit of it.

        

Services

Adams Home Windows offers the best deal to meet the needs of each specific customer.  We value education above high-pressure sales and we are free to offer almost any product that is available to this market.  Our goal is to educate our customers until they can make an informed decision about the product that would work best for them... then offer that product at an affordable price.

Most of our competition is in the business of arguing that their window is better than all others.  But, because we do not have an obligation to sell any window exclusively, we do not have to make this argument.  It's a false argument anyway!  Some window manufacturers produce high quality LARGE windows... some produce better small windows.  The best window manufacturer in the world might not produce the best ROUND windows.  One window manufacturer might provide more color options while another provides different grades of Energy Efficiency. We haven't even started talking about the differences in affordability!!!  There is no "one size fits all" window.  It's our job to listen to our customers and give them the options and information that they need at an affordable price so that they will choose us for their project.

Adams Home Windows has been leading this industry in the DFW area for a very long time.  After thousands of projects, our BBB report is clean and our reputation is second-to-none!  The fact that Adams Home Windows generates 67% of our work from referrals speaks to our honesty, reliability and quality.  We are still family owned and locally operated and we've never out-grown our responsibilities to each individual customer.  Even if we don't win every job - we appreciate every opportunity.