Memo's from The President of Superior Windows & Doors

July 2010 turned out to be the 2nd best month in our 26 year history. Ashland did really good as usual, but our new Medford showroom kicked it up a notch and managed a 50% increase. With personel slashed to a bare minimum to keep costs under control everyone of our employees had to be even more efficient and productive than usual.

Hard work should not go unrewarded.  I offered our employees the opportunity to set their own treat.  I worried they might go overboard, but I was willing to gamble.  So what did they pick?

 

PICTURES TO FOLLOW AFTER SEPT 4TH

Every day...every month...for the past three years...since our economy took the big plunge...I've been riding the Emotional Roller Coaster. Good months and bad ones....fighting for survival.

It's been dog eat dog fighting for every order.  Stretching my imagination.  How can I offer better service? How to better market to those customers that don't know me yet?  Day in and day out...fighting..... fighting for every order.  Some of my competitors have closed their doors.  There has just not been enough business for everyone....and only the strong can survive.

Then I woke up today with the news that one of my competitors, Davis Finish Products, burned to the ground overnight.  These were good people that served our community well.  I fought them for customers....that was my job....and they were tough competitors.....but this morning I feel so sad for them.

It could just as easily have been me.  It could be my family business in ashes this morning.  It could be my employees out of work.  And the dozens of famlies affected....just terrible.

I offer all those affected my sincerest condolences. 

So not a day goes by after writing my blog post about the slime balls questionable sales tactics of Penguin Windows when I get a phone call from a woman in Ashland Oregon.  She had spent 4 hours the day before with some guy from Evans Glass of Seattle.  She was suspicous and called me to see if I knew who they were.  I had not heard of them.  I gave her a quote on one of her windows, $195.00, and she tells me that they quoted her $1000 for the same one window.  I asked her how she found them.  She says that they were going door to door and stopped by her home.  Same sales tactics as Penguin.

Consumer Protection Hotline
1-877-877-9392
consumer.hotline@doj.state.or.us
https://www.doj.state.or.us/finfraud/concompform.shtml

So I looked these guys up on the internet and found out they ARE another bunch of slime balls people with questionable sales tactics.  They even have an "F" with the Better Business Bureau.  So here's a few snippets about these jerks.

BUYER BEWARE

I've read the claims on here against this company and I can say Most all of them are true. Commissions often do not get paid because the job "cancelled" according to the company, however when you drive by the home the windows were installed. I have witnessed this personally. They make outrageous claims about their product, promoting it as a European designed window yet it is nothing more than an LBL window with a piece of aluminum stuck in the top of the frame, and different weatherstripping. European?, how about Troutdale Oregon. I left the company almost 5 months ago and still Have not been paid all that was owed me, oh yeah and those" cancels? I have driven by myself and spoke to the clients and their windows were installed and the client never cancelled or even attempted to cancel. Next step is to talk to my attorney.

They came to our house!! They were EXTREMELY aggressive. When we told them we weren’t interested, they got even more aggressive and rude. They wouldn’t leave it alone.

I was (much to my chagrin) one of their customers. Evans claims they have a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, but I'm forced to conclude that this is simply a lie... we certainly haven't seen a penny of *our* money returned, and we're now going through the Construction Contractor's Board process to gain access to their bond (though Evans Glass is doing their damnedest to prolong the process).

BTW, the windows were shoddy, the installation looks like it was done by monkeys, and virtually every claim made to us in the sales presentation (You'll save at least 40% on your energy bills! We manufacture and install all our own windows! We installed all of the windows for Sears corporate buildings! Our windows are the most efficient on the market! You'll get a bunch of fantastic discounts... today only!) turned out to be absolutely false.

Evans Glass is a scam. Just last month it settled with the attorney general for $85,000 to avoid losing a deceptive practices lawsuit.

Lie: Evans Glass manufactures the Eurocraft window.
Truth: The "Eurocraft Window" is manufactured by VPI in Washington and LBL in Oregan. Evans Glass is just a reseller of the VPI Window which it marks up by a factor of 10x to 15x and tries to convince people is an original product.

Lie: Evans Glass was given the "2009 Best Choice Award" by Builder/Architect magazine.
Truth: More fraudulent marketing materials . Builder/Architect magazine is just a Eurocraft advertisement that Evans Glass created and tried to pass off as a 3rd party publication.

Longview city officials have alleged that a Seattle-based glass installation company is misusing the city’s name in telephone sales pitches.

The issue arose when Mary Jane Melink, a three-year Longview city councilwoman, received a call at home July 25 from a sales representative from Evans Glass selling window panes. The salesperson told Melink she could get $150 off per window because the company had a deal with the city to promote energy conservation, Melink said.

Melink didn’t recognize the program with the city. She asked the salesperson more details about the program and which department offered it, she said.

“Of course, they couldn’t answer my questions,” Melink said.

So Melink called City Hall and confirmed no such partnership existed. She filed a police report last week.

 

 

I was reading this article on how to make sure that your pricing policies meet the federal laws of the land.  This is something that I have never even thought about.  Our pricing policies are based on honesty and ethics. But it reminded me of something else...

I've been hearing rumours that our small community, Southern Oregon and Northern California, is about to be the target of a very disreputable window company.  The economy has forced them to expand their territory and it seems we are in their cross-hairs.

I never talk about "the competition" in this manner, but in this case I feel compelled to make an exception.  When you read what follows you will understand and maybe thank me for it.  Forewarned is forearmed.  I am going to name names and so did the people I am going to quote.  If you cross their paths RUN the other way.

Consumer Protection Hotline
1-877-877-9392
consumer.hotline@doj.state.or.us

https://www.doj.state.or.us/finfraud/concompform.shtml

 

By the way if you want the Great Lakes Windows that Penguin offers we can get them for you too.  They are a good window just not at the prices that Penguin is trying to get you to pay.

Read this guys experience with this company.

Read this guys experience too.

MUKILTEO, Wash. -- You've probably heard or seen the ads for Penguin windows. The promise: They would cut your energy bills by at least 40 percent.

Turns out, the State Attorney General's Office charges, the company could not back up that claims. "And that the claims themselves were false," said Assistant Attorney General Jack Zurlini.

Overall, the Attorney General’s Office accused Penguin of misrepresenting its products, making false claims about the energy savings customers would achieve, and misleading consumers into thinking that the in-home appointments they set up with Penguin were something other than sales calls.

"Penguin Windows has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau and over 50 complaints as of May-- Also Penguin recently settled a suit with the Attorney Generals office over misrepresentation and false claims: See http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/86025767.html or google "Penguin Windows Attorney General"

"Can't actually rate the windows; never got that far. When we made the appointment for them to come give an estimate, we expressed concern over complaints of 4-6 hour apointments. We were guaranteed that it would be 2 hours- no longer. Silly us for believing them. After 4+ hours, us refusing to talk to "the boss" after the rep repeatedly called him, and he giving us his personal sob story, we came to the conclusion that the only way they can sell their significanlty over-priced windows is to make a sale that night before you can compare companies. We went elsewhere for fairly priced windows from a company with a positive reputation. A year later, still loving them."

"I see the company as having a serious lack of integrity and I would NEVER suggest my worst enemy buy anything from Penguin.. Improvements: HONESTY, FAIR PRICES, INTEGRITY. REDUCTION OF GREED .....l.. Other: I worked at Penguin recently. In 2 days of training, it was OBVIOUS that my idea of INTEGRITY and Penguin's were solar systems apart. It would a chance to make a lot of money in hard economic times, I am so broke right now and I am receiving food stamps to survive. Yet, I could NOT and would NOT lie, cheat and bs customers out of money. I am in need, but I refused to adhere to Penguin's dishonest, and corrupt ways of doing business.."

"1 hour energy demo lasted almost 4 hours and wanted $68,000 (yes really 1/3 the purchase price of the house) to replace all the windows in the whole house. After telling him to get out several high pressure sales specials came up, still ended up throwing them out with great difficulty. Stay away from from Pengiun."

"Overpriced. High pressure tactics. Tried the old bait & switch where managemer offered 20% to make it look like a "deal". Still way above competitors' price for comparable window. I'd give no stars if I could. It's the most unethical company I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with. Stay away!!!"

"Sorry for the negative review, but I got ripped off by Penguin because I am stupid! Paid $1000 per window for these poor quality windows. A year later, no energy savings over the double paned vinyls I had, I was just as cold all winter, two windows have already jammed and they give you the run around when you call to have them honor their lifetime guarantee. Seriously thinking of calling the BBB or AG office. There ought to be a law as to what these sales sharks are allowed to charge. These window are worth about $100 apiece not $1000."

"SO I MANAGE TO GET AN INTERVIEW AND WAS HIRED FOR THERE SALES STAFF. I WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE TWO WEEK TRAINDING COURSE BY THEIR TOP SALES PEOPLE FROM WASHINGTON STATE. WE WERE EVEN INSTRUCTED TO REMIND SENIORS OF REVERSE MORTGAGES TO PAY FOR THERE WINDOWS. I QUIT AFTER THE TRAINING WAS OVER AND DELIVERED A RATHER NASTY MESSAGE TO THEM ON HOW I FELT ABOUT THEIR SALES TACTICS AND WARRANTY THAT IS NOT WORTH THE PAPER IT IS WRITTEN ON. I NOW TRY TO EDUCATE ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN ABOUT THIS COMPANY. I HAVE MANAGED TO KEEP MY SMALL CONSTRUCTION BUISNESS GOING THROUGH THESE TOUGH TIMES BY BEING A PERSON OF INTEGRITY."