And you think Dealerships were the only....

March 27, 2008

Another view is:
You install for Joes Glass company as a sub. He advertises film, and you do the work and provide the product. Now, you go out and market to get work from Charlies Glass, A-Plus Glass and so on. At which point, Joe get pissed that you are doing work for his competitors. You just wanted to sell more film and make more money. Now jJoe demands that YOU stop working for the pther companies, or he will not send you any work. Of course, Joe did'nt market to any of these companies to get work, you did, but you could lose his because you did the work at getting MORE OUTLETS.

Sounds like the spot we are discussing. Only WE are JOE, adn the installation company is the Mannys. This could be(or have been stopped) stopped, should we as installers get out there and get the dealerships, the blind guys, and so on, so the Mannys would'nt have to. They are JUST LIKE US. Looking to sell their product anywhere to increase market share. If we don't do it, they will !!!

Just playing devils advocate!!!!

The difference is....we aren't buying from the glass company and the glass company isn't buying product direct from us like we are the film manufacturer's. The glass companies sub us out, and if they want to, can market up our prices to gain a profit from our services. They are already in competition with other glass companies b/c they are selling glass and the service to install it. If they refer a particular business, it isn't to beat out their competition, it's to add more value to their exisiting customers by referring a legitimate window tinting business that isn't going to embarrass them in front of their existing customers.

Now from our stand point, we buy film direct from manu/distributor. We are THEIR customers, and b/c they want more profit they set up a hack shop right next door to you, or even worse, they set up their own window tinting business to compete against you. Why is this wrong? Well for one, how about supporting your own customer's first by doing whatever it takes to generate more sales and to help installers learn better ways of installing film first? They want us to be brand loyal, how about the mfgr be dealer loyal? Second, distributors that open up their own window tinting businesses have an unfair advantage, they sell the product to their own window tinting business at the distributor costs, therefore they sell the same exact product on the street at a lower cost underbidding their original dealer who pays higher cost of the product to begin with. It's unfair, illegal and unethical. That is the difference.

If the manufacturer's oversaturate the market the only thing they will accomplish is putting window tinting businesses out of business. You don't see a Merecedes dealership on every corner do you? Why? b/c they only want legitimate businesses selling their product (when it's brand new). This is the concept that MOST mfgr's are missing.

I get referrals from two of the largest glass companies in my area and they use us not for any other reason is b/c they know we carry good product and we won't embarrass them. With or without window tint installation, they will still be in competition with other glass companies.

That's my :thumb

March 27, 2008

Key West you speak a lot of sence. :thumb

Cuttingedge · March 27, 2008

Well I can say that Once I started receiving steady business from my BudgetBlind guy, I stopped working for any other blind company. I also asked him if it was okay for me to solicit the other BudgetBlind franchises in the area the same deal we had. He said that was fine since they all have their own territory. So I am exclusive to BB and wont do any work for another window treatment company without asking my BB guy if it is okay with him. Usually he doesnt really care. I just like to show my loyalty when doing business relationships. Foe example. My BB guy sent me out to do this "smal" job at a new nightclub in town (3 entry doors). When I completed the job, the owner asked me if I was willing to tint the rest of the windows (500sf) at a lower price than what my BB guy quoted him. I told him I probably could but I wasnt going to bite the hand that feeds me... Can you imagine my BB guy driving buy as I am installing film on the rest of the building....That would be very awkward indeed and I prob wouldnt get anymore referrals for sure.

March 27, 2008

Well I can say that Once I started receiving steady business from my BudgetBlind guy, I stopped working for any other blind company. I also asked him if it was okay for me to solicit the other BudgetBlind franchises in the area the same deal we had. He said that was fine since they all have their own territory. So I am exclusive to BB and wont do any work for another window treatment company without asking my BB guy if it is okay with him. Usually he doesnt really care. I just like to show my loyalty when doing business relationships. Foe example. My BB guy sent me out to do this "smal" job at a new nightclub in town (3 entry doors). When I completed the job, the owner asked me if I was willing to tint the rest of the windows (500sf) at a lower price than what my BB guy quoted him. I told him I probably could but I wasnt going to bite the hand that feeds me... Can you imagine my BB guy driving buy as I am installing film on the rest of the building....That would be very awkward indeed and I prob wouldnt get anymore referrals for sure.

Or you could have turned that around by getting the job, and suprising the dude with a much bigger commission check. Nothing says it like integrity!!! Dude would have probably dropped his teeth, but for sure, you'd be his film installer for life!!!!

hoosierwindowtek · March 28, 2008

True Dat!

As far as the franchise issues go, It's our job to out-hustle the franchises, distributors, and other competition by doing more marketing and offering better service and work.

:beer

I myself have diversified and at the same time I've been frustrated for years about the fact that there's still a widespread ignorance about our products.

Maybe, just maybe if the blind companies are marketing their "private" label films, public awareness will grow, and market share will grow as well.

:beer :beer :hmmm

It's extremely complex that's for sure!

How many "window tinters" ever stop to think, "why is it that the blind companies have customers to refer to me?"

Well, blinds are more universaly in demand, that's part of it, but they also probably spend more time and/or money on marketing than most film guys. :hmmm

March 28, 2008

I used to get the sub work from Budget Blinds, through Window Film Depot and the film was 3M. The people at WFD found me here and they definitely keep an eye on this site. Perhaps one of them will contribute.

I no longer get the sub work from them, they have either resorted to using a company 60 miles away from me or they are doing it in house. I believe they are doing it in house and are becoming a worthy competitor. It seems as if their prices are much lower now perhaps for having eliminated one of the parties involved. :twocents

March 29, 2008

True Dat!
As far as the franchise issues go, It's our job to out-hustle the franchises, distributors, and other competition by doing more marketing and offering better service and work.

I myself have diversified and at the same time I've been frustrated for years about the fact that there's still a widespread ignorance about our products.

Maybe, just maybe if the blind companies are marketing their "private" label films, public awareness will grow, and market share will grow as well.

It's extremely complex that's for sure!

How many "window tinters" ever stop to think, "why is it that the blind companies have customers to refer to me?"

Well, blinds are more universaly in demand, that's part of it, but they also probably spend more time and/or money on marketing than most film guys.

They most DEFINATELY spend more time and money. There are Shutter and Blind ads on TV , Radio and in print LOCALLY by both the local dealers AND the MFGRs like Hunter Douglas.

I doubt very seriously that Hunter Douglas relied on thier dealer network to get thier name out there. I just dont believe that Hunter Douglas told any of thier dealers that they had a "marriage", and that since the dealer made the most money, they needed to do all of the advertising (with Co-op, of course!!)

Manufacturers in every other sector seem to understand that they need to advertise, whats so different about the film industry? I firmly beleive that the mannys need to get the name recognition out there at a national level, and it's up to us to let the public know where they can get the product.

As it sits now, the MFGRs and thier Reps would have us believe that we dealers are making more money, and can better afford to advertise. And of course, they want us to advertise thier name, for what little bit of co-op they offer. I'd LOVE to see what kind of ad campaign they could mount with the pittance of co-op dollars they put out.

People around our parts still think that film is just a dark sunshade, a piece of plastic that we are sticking to the windows. They have no idea of the technology in it. If the MFGRs would advertise at a national level, we could go in better armed to do an honest estimate, and people would be alot less prone to sticker shock if they knew before hand that they were buying technology.

Nobody had to explain what a car was before they sold you one. You just knew you had to have one and needed to know where to buy it!!! Same thing with film. Make the public aware of it and its benefits, and they will seek out the source, especially in these times of "Green" conciousness.

People are wary of film because it's not "mainstream". They know all about Pella, Anderson, and the rest because they know those names, and are aware of the associated products. If the benefits of film, and the technology behind it were more widely known by the public, sales would at the very least double. Then maybe the market would support all the dealers they are trying to create, or even better, the existing dealers would be selling more film and they wouldn't need to saturate our markets so much. Right now, there is a real danger of the market having too many dealers and not enough demand. If that happens the only outcome could be plummeting prices to compete. EVERYONE loses.