So, you’ve decided you like our products, we’ve given you a quotation, and now you want to proceed? That’s great news, the best news!
But what happens next, and how do we get from the point of decision to handing you the keys to your new windows and doors? It can seem like a daunting and long-winded process, but the steps we take ensure it all goes smoothly and on time. We’ll take you through the process, step by step in this blog post.
Action stations!
Once you’ve let us know that you want to go ahead with okoHaus, we’ll have a quick chat to establish our scope of works, if we haven’t already through the quotation process.
Do you want us to supply and install, supply only, remove existing windows and doors etc etc? We really want to make sure we are all clear at this stage on expectations so that there is no disappointment later on. The type of project, refurbishment or new build, will also determine some of the steps we follow through the process.
For one of our typical replacement window projects, we will normally remove the existing windows and replace them with our new ones. So, the first step will be to schedule a date with you for our site survey.
During the survey, we will take all necessary internal and external dimensions of the existing windows as well as reveal setbacks (to determine cill flashing sizes) and check building regulations compliance (for example, checking locations of windows to see if safety glass and/or fire escape is required).
For a new build project, it would normally not be necessary to measure the window openings, as we would expect the builder to make the openings to suit your architect's drawings. It can be a good idea to have the builder make up some simple timber window formers to work to with their brickwork though.
These formers should be made to match the required opening size, not the window size. We will take off installation tolerance from your opening sizes to determine the window size required.
This visit also allows us to bring samples and chat through the various design options with you if we haven’t already. We will also check access for the installation of upper-floor windows and for the window delivery itself.
We will now have a really good understanding of exactly what you want and a list of small changes (dimensions, handings, opening types, colours, etc.) to make to our quote to get it ready for production. So, back to the office for a thorough double-check and update.
Confirming your order
Following our internal checking and updating process, we’ll send you an updated quotation, to take account of any of the changes that have taken place. This may be accompanied by a short list of things we await your confirmation on.
Typically this might be the colour choice, perhaps opening type and direction and handles for example. All the small choices we have discussed in our meeting and which you will hopefully have now had time to think about and decide on.
Once everything is clear and you are happy to proceed, we will issue you with our Confirmation of Order. This document is intended to capture all the small changes we have discussed and will be the basis on which we go into production. It will clearly outline the price to you, so if anything has changed you now have the opportunity to hold off or confirm you are happy.
We issue this document using Adobe Sign, an electronic signature system, for you to electronically sign when you are happy to proceed to manufacture. It’s important you check this document so that between us we minimise the risk of any misinterpretation of your requirements. But bear in mind that if we have surveyed the windows, we will take responsibility for the size of the windows and doors.
We are on hand on all projects to talk through our Confirmation of Order with you, line by line, opening by opening and we can do this face to face, over the phone or via video call. It is important that we ensure we are all on the same page, so we make sure to put in the work at this stage to get it right. If there are any changes to be made, we are happy to amend and reissue as many times as needed to get it right for you.
Assuming everything is agreed we will now issue our invoice for your deposit payment. To commit your windows and doors to manufacture we need your electronic sign off and deposit payment. From this point we are no longer able to make any changes to your order, but the excitement really starts to build as we can go full steam ahead!
Production
The countdown starts! It will usually take us a week or so to get to this stage, and now the clock can start ticking towards your delivery date. We will be liaising with our suppliers to make sure your windows get signed off into production promptly and then confirming back to you the agreed delivery date. If the delivery date doesn’t work for you, we can normally adjust to suit your needs within reason. Typically, delivery to site is around 8 weeks from this point, depending on factory capacity at the time.
We will also be placing orders for your sealants, fixing brackets, any timber trims or aluminium flashings and briefing your fixing team. Handing over all the necessary information on the project is a very important part of the process which goes on behind the scenes. We want to make sure our installers know the project inside and out before arriving on site on the morning of installation start.
During this period, it might seem like a bit of a lull in the process, but honestly, this is where we make the difference to how smoothly your project goes on site. Lining up all the necessary parts, materials and labour just at the right time can be a bit of an artform, and we are quite good at it!
Delivery
A couple of weeks before our scheduled delivery date, we will be back in touch with you to check on progress with your build. We understand there has been a number of weeks since we agreed the delivery date, so things may have changed at your end and your availability or the timings may not work out quite like we had planned.
So, at this point we can delay delivery by up to a couple of weeks for no additional charge. We really believe in the George Bernard Shaw quote ‘the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place’, so don’t be surprised if we tend to over communicate at this stage!
If everything is good to go at your end, we’ll finalise the delivery week with the factory and, from there, an exact delivery day. In the meantime, depending on the size of your project, we will often arrange a delivery of external cill flashings to you. Again, we will confirm the exact delivery day, which will be as close as possible to the installation date.
Now things are getting exciting, we can see the start of installation getting closer and closer😊
On the day of the delivery, we will be on site to assist the delivery driver and check through everything for any missing items or damage. The windows will be offloaded by the delivery driver using either a hiab (small crane), moffett (small forklift truck) or a pallet truck. We will have agreed with you where to put them before hand, so that they are out of your way but accessible for our install team.
The products we supply are generally big and heavy so they are packaged very securely on timber pallets with cross bracing and wrapped in a film protection. This gives them a good degree of protection from the elements and damage, but from time to time the inevitable does happen and we get some delivery damage.
We will identify the exact problem and window unit and report this immediately to the factory, who will then arrange for replacement units or the necessary parts to be delivered to us. It is very rare that we have any delivery problems and in almost all cases installation can proceed as planned with repairs made later.
Installation
Usually, the day or a couple of days following delivery we will be back with our installation team to start work. Initially we have a walk round your project to check everything is ready and talk you through how we are planning to work. For refurbishment projects we’ll be laying out floor protection for your carpets, taking the windows off the pallets and generally getting the work area ready.
Removing the existing windows can be messy and difficult and we never really know what we will find. So, for the first window, we will proceed with caution and clear communication with you to agree on the methodology for the other windows and doors. We will move the old windows to an area you are happy with and bag up any rubble and rubbish. It can be helpful to have a skip on hand for us to put the old windows directly into, to avoid having to move them again later.
At the end of each day, we will leave the work area tidy and clean and will aim to complete each opening in a systematic way. External sealants and cill flashings will be the last thing to be fitted and we will then complete our checklist to record that all installation steps have been taken and that any accessories we have agreed to fit have been finished off.
Once everything is installed, we will walk around your project to show you how each window or door operates and hand over the keys to you. We will ask you to sign to show you are happy with the work and would love you to record any comments or feedback on our sign off form.
Feedback is really important to us. It’s a massive help for understanding if we could do something better or just differently in the future, which is a big part of how we grow as an organisation.
For supply-only projects, we can be on hand to talk through installation with you when you are ready. We want you to get the best result, so we are keen to support our supply-only customers just as much as we did when we installed ourselves.
At this point, we will send you our invoice for a balance of the order value.
Aftercare and follow up
Following installation, we’ll be registering your installation with FENSA (for refurbishment projects where you don’t have building control involved already) and with the product manufacturers for their warranty. We’ll send you over the relevant Operation and Maintenance manuals, so that you have a reference point for how to maintain the windows / doors going forward.
We only supply high-quality products which we are sure will stand the test of time. But, in the unlikely event of any after-sales issues, we will be your point of contact as the retailer.
We will, in most cases, come to visit you to find the problem, and if it’s not something we can immediately fix, we will send details to the manufacturer. We take ownership of all aftersales issues, so we will chase through the response and keep you up to date and, if necessary, book repairs with you.
If anything comes to light, you can always contact us, and we can pop by to have a look and advise.
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