What the buyers of windows appreciate


The results of this survey showed that the final customer has qualitatively changed the priorities of the choice of windows and the expectations of the service, which provides company-seller . To meet new customer requests or not - choice for window companies.

Main findings

  1. Energy efficiency has become an important factor in choosing windows, the price is pushed to the background.
  2. Window buyers want to see real prices in advertising.
  3. Valued recommendations of trained managers and gaugers.
  4. Want to get high-quality and energy-efficient windows.
  5. We are ready to wait, but appreciate punctuality and responsible approach.
  6. They want to get energy-efficient installation (according to DSTU) and focus on cleanliness during installation.

Whom did we interview?

The poll was conducted among end users * in January - early February 2018. Only the buyers of windows were invited to the survey.
The largest part, almost 43%, of the respondents were final customers from Kiev.
The distribution of respondents across Kiev and other regions of Ukraine roughly corresponds to the distribution of the audience OKNA.ua to the Internet audience of window buyers.

The poll involved both experienced buyers and those who encountered the acquisition of windows for the first time. Most of the respondents already had the experience of buying windows one or more times, about 47% were going to buy windows in the first.

Note

On average, a person changes housing about three times in his life. According to the International Bank, the average life expectancy in Ukraine is 71 years (data for 2015). Considering these factors, one buyer once in 23-24 years (71/3=23.7) is faced with the replacement of windows in one form or another.
The Ukrainian market of modern windows arose in 1993, but was formed by 1997. For 20 years of the window market, a statistically large number of buyers could already one or more times purchase windows. This is the picture that the poll showed.

Photo: World Bank Group

Energy efficiency, not price!

In 2017, a turning point occurred: in the eyes of consumers, energy efficiency (60%) came to the forefront, and not the price of windows (31%).
Priority change was due to window companies, actively involved in the sale of energy efficient windows, efficiency support programs, as well as a large three-year work on the promotion of energy efficiency in the window area by OKNA.ua. The price was only the second most popular criterion. But still almost a third of the audience puts the price as a priority factor.
This situation should fundamentally change the attitude of sellers to the assortment of windows and the level of service ( those companies , which will quickly reorient, and have the competence to provide professional advice and will be able to navigate not only in window technologies, but also in the energy efficiency of the building as a whole ).
On the third place in importance in the eyes of window buyers is security. And although security is still not a priority in comparison with the price, but already a tangible number of consumers (7%) pay attention to this factor and put it first.

Fair prices first

The buyers named honesty, that is, the correspondence of prices to the most important factor in the process of choosing windows: 65% of respondents find actual prices the most important factor.
The role of the consultant is also of great importance: 37% of buyers pay attention to advice and recommendations.
The third place in importance was shared by the criteria "the ability to easily call the company" and "cooperation with energy efficiency programs."
The speed of calculation and preparation of the proposal is not so important for buyers, but the competent speech of the seller was noted as an important factor of 21%.

Buyers did not find any preferences for the speed of calculation. 40% of respondents would like to know the cost during a call, but almost as many are willing to wait an hour to receive a commercial offer.

Consultations of gimmers are important to people

The role of consultations in measuring from the point of view of buyers is increasing. Almost 60% of respondents consider consultations important when measuring, whereas only 37% - when communicating with the manager (see the chart "Important when ordering windows").
Punctuality and convenient time are also important factors for about half of the respondents. Cleanliness and neatness, as well as literate speech, are important for 31% and 20% respectively. All this suggests that for buyers, the gaveler acts as a seller and consultant in not less, but in some ways and more than a seller by phone or in the office.

Quality and again energy efficiency

Priority factors for buyers at the stage of window manufacturing are the quality of their production (85%) and energy efficiency (64%). The second group of priorities (24-32%) includes the number of profile chambers, the thickness of the insulating glass unit (40 mm and more), the presence of i-glass in the double-glazed window and the profile brand.

This poll in Ukraine for the first time recorded the priority of energy efficiency and certain parameters of the glass unit before the brand profile system. Although profile brands continue to occupy a worthy place in the value scale of buyers - in every fourth case of ordering windows is a priority indicator.
In the third group (13-21%) of the priorities of buyers - multifunctionality, manufacturing speed, anti-breaking and sun protection.
Multifunctionality - a successful term in the marketing plan, is almost twice as important as sun protection, although it is an interchangeable term for double-glazed windows. Security, or rather the anti-burglary of windows, is already becoming important, but still not a significant factor. Only 18% of buyers note its priority.
It is interesting that the quality of the glass unit is not important for most buyers, while the quality of the window as a whole is the main factor.

Punctuality on delivery

Consumers turned out to be patient. 41% would like to receive windows with an accuracy of 1 hour, and as many are willing to wait for windows during the day.
37% allow one postponement of delivery dates if they have been warned in advance. And only 4% are ready to tolerate the "stretching" of the supply for 2 weeks.

Mounting according to DSTU

In the question of installation, the most important parameter (in 56% of answers) was installation on the DSTU, despite the mysteriousness of this concept for consumers. It should be taken into account that there are still not many installation teams capable of mounting the DSTU.
In addition to "installation by DSTU", the group of the most important parameters (48-56%) included "energy efficient installation" and cleaning after installation. Such a high value of cleaning and cleanliness during installation can be transformed into an advantage of window vendors and assembly companies.

Neat and clean installers (34%) - this may seem an intrinsically contradictory expression, but after all, installers in clean overalls can already look presentable. Most of the installation takes place in the operated premises and nobody likes to make dirt and see untidy people in their house, even for a short time.
The second group (28-34%) also includes garbage disposal (30%), slope finishing (29%) and 28% for a clear installation period and the permissibility of a pre-agreed installation transfer.
Buyers of old windows (24%) and quick installation (15%) consider buyers to be an important factor.

* The maximum confidence interval for the sample is 9.6 with 95% confidence.

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