The Ultimate Upsell

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Blinds that sit inside the two (or three) panes of glass in an IGU are the ultimate additional sale, Ian Short of Morley Glass told TheInstaller.pro recently. But how should installers sell the value-added concept – and ensure the installation isn’t a cause for call-backs?

My firm (answered Ian Short), Morley Glass, is the UK’s largest and longest established manufacturer of integral blinds. I believe the first key to ensuring happy customers who never find fault with the blinds is to make sure they are of the highest quality. I have worked with installers buying cheaper models who then ask me to cut my prices. I never do.

I simply ask how many call-backs and unhappy customers they have and how much they think this is costing them in terms of money and bad reputation. They quickly realise that Morley blinds are effectively cheaper in the long-run.

 

Lots of options

Having lots of options available and scope to customise the blinds to meet all customer tastes and styles of décor is the next key step.

On top of styles, you want to be able to offer different operating systems. We have both manual and motorised options – and remote control and timers which are ever so popular with homeowners buying in to smart home technology.

 

Easy to install

Our products are really easy to install – there is really no difference to our sealed units with blinds inside and a standard clear glazed unit. Even the motorised versions don’t add that much more difficulty and time to the job as we do most of the prep work here at our factories in Morley, Yorkshire. And like the integral blind units, we only supply the best electrical components and everything goes through strict quality control. Let’s face it, I don’t want to do remakes and have unhappy customers – they cost too much.

 

Lead times

We offer lead times of as little as 10-12 working days, so there are no practical hurdles to overcome. If you want to sell these massively popular products for windows and bi-fold doors and even for internal partitions, it is more about getting into the routine of offering integral blinds when you are used to focusing on the frames, glass and hardware.

Our Uni-Blinds range are the ideal way to complete the proposition to customers, giving them a full package of windows, doors and blinds from one supplier, all fitted at the same time.

The industry’s continuous innovation means there are always new types of windows, doors and hardware, as well as colours, to give installers something new and different to offer. So why not extend that thinking to integral blinds?

 

Market potential

Despite not being a new concept, the market potential for integral blinds is huge as awareness amongst homeowners is still relatively low. And many of those who have seen integral blinds in commercial buildings or fitted in high-end luxury homes probably don’t realise that they are available and affordable for almost every type of window or door, in every kind of property from a Victorian terrace to a new build apartment.

Morley Glass manufactures Uni-Blinds integral blinds in Venetian and pleated styles, including a pleated blackout - and a system specifically for slim 20mm IGU cavities, all available in numerous colours.

 

Controls

There are five different control systems to choose from, including a manually operated cord-pull system and cordless slider, plus the motorised MB System which can be operated by remote control or integrated with home automation systems like Loxone.

 

Yorkshire made

Morley Glass takes no chances with its products. It manufactures all its integral blinds in Yorkshire exclusively using the ScreenLine integral blind systems from Pellini, the Italian company that pioneered this type of window shading back in the 1970s.

 

Growth spurt

Putting quality at the heart of every Uni-Blinds unit has been instrumental in our growth and success. Overall sales volumes have been growing constantly since 2003 - but it is in recent years that the company has really seen a surge in sales. Volumes have increased by 60% over the last two years, reflecting the home improvement boom but also a growing awareness and  desire for the products.

Meanwhile, TV home improvement shows are inspiring homeowners like never before, presenting new ways to refurbish or renovate their homes in ways that they had perhaps never considered.

People also want low maintenance and hassle-free products that they don’t have to wait months to be delivered, and that makes Uni-Blinds® integral blinds an absolute winner.

 

Installer support

Morley Glass supports Uni-Blinds installers with a range of quality brochures and literature, along with sample packs. The main blind units are guaranteed for five years.

 

Recycling

The company also provides an award-winning glass recycling service, which means installers can send post-consumer glass units to Morley for recycling, rather than having to pay for disposal – and they can tell their customers they are doing their bit for the environment … and we make money from the cullet which is all given back to local charities.

 

Picture: Xyxyxyxxy

www.morleyglass.co.uk

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
05th January 2023

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