Digital focus scores Window Ware Customer Care G-Award nomination

Window Ware has made the shortlist for Customer Care Initiative of the Year at the G22 Awards – thanks to a focus on helping its customers with new digital ways of working.

Last July, the leading hardware distributor launched a new website and online platform that set out to support customers better and save them time, with everything from self-serve product information and resources, personalised product displays and no-wait, best-price quotations to instant stock check, self-build Tilt & Turn hardware kits and an online marketing support portal.

Sarah Binns, Window Ware’s Head of Internal Sales & Marketing, said: “We saw a shift in buyer behaviour due to the pandemic, whereby interactions with customers had become increasingly web based, while fabricator and installer expectations had risen too.”

“Our customers needed quick answers, a timelier service and greater self-sufficiency wherever possible so we transformed our website to provide a better online experience and put facilities in place that enabled them to make better, faster, more informed purchasing decisions.”

“As a result, our customer satisfaction rate has stayed consistently high – on average 91.33% for the last 17 months – despite challenging market factors and increased order volumes. We also managed to not only retain most of our existing customers but gain new ones too, to ultimately grow the business by +30% compared to 2019. What’s more, our web sales rose by 34%, our average monthly web order value grew by 16% and now 1/3 of all customers buy online.”

Window Ware’s Credit Control Manager, Sharon Fowler won the G21 Unsung Hero Award last year, so the Bedford-based company is hoping to make the winners’ roll call once again. Sarah added: “We couldn’t have been prouder when Sharon took the title of Unsung Hero last year – it was thoroughly deserved – and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Window Ware can repeat her success in the Customer Care Initiative of the Year Award this year.”

G22 organiser Tony Higgin said: “This year the short-list was chosen from a record field of entries, up 40% on 2021, making judging closer than ever before and creating a really tough challenge for the judges to select the finalists.”

The prestigious Gala Dinner and Awards evening takes place at the Intercontinental London Park Lane on Friday, November 25 when the winners will be announced.