05 Jul Thompson Creek Window Company – FeneVision
“You can consider me a window geek. I grew up in the business—at one point we lived on the second floor of the plant. I’ve done just about every job in the company. I still have a scar on my hand from trying to carry too much glass.
We’ve grown 600 percent in the last decade. Almost as soon as we’ve expanded our facilities, it seems we’ve had to begin to plan for more. Yet as fast as we grow, I only have to look at that scar to remind myself to focus on what really matters. For Thompson Creek, that is delivering the best possible customer experience for every customer every day.
Our motto is trust your home to Thompson Creek. We want people to be house proud, which is why we directly sell, install and back every one of the more than 60,000 replacement windows we make each year.”
Building in quality up front
“Growing up in the business, I learned first-hand how important it is to build in quality up front. Going direct was a decision we made in 2001, and we’ve never regretted it.
Attention to detail matters, so we invest in all areas of that customer experience. We have an extensive showroom where people can see what they will get and where they can get to know us. We offer great standard features and desirable options.
And we install replacement windows and doors in less than 30 days. Customers want to see the improvement in their homes as soon as possible. We work as a team to make it happen. And we back it all up with a transferable double lifetime guarantee.”
A belief in technology—and in reducing errors
“My family started the company in 1980. 25 years later, we were still operating like a small business using a home-grown DOS-based system that wasn’t going to be able to meet our needs. We needed something that would grow with us.
We installed FeneVision in 2005. We might have looked at some other software, but we had a lot of confidence in our referral source. When we looked at the software, we liked what we saw and moved pretty quickly.
We believe in technology. We believe in reducing errors. The fewer times we enter the same data, the more it passes through our system, the less chance for human error. Getting it right enables us to be fast and accurate.”
Outside opinion
“FeneVision helps us do that. It’s such a good match for us, so good on the floor, so good at material requirements planning. It allows us to interface with any new equipment or software that we have added to business, including the SAP order entry system we use for all our businesses.
We had a consultant come in a while ago, and the only software he recommended we keep was FeneVision. It is the only business software we haven’t had to replace as we have grown.
FeneVision has definitely evolved and they involve users in the process of determining where to improve. That they listen and respond really speaks to their commitment to their customers.
In addition, over the nine years we’ve been with them, we still work with many of the same support people we started with. They’ve become part of our team, which is the kind of partnership we look for in our business relationships.”
A good model and the right priorities
“We’re fortunate that our business model continues to put us in a position to grow. Even so, customer satisfaction is and always will be our top priority.
We knew our investment in FeneVision was designed to support our longer term growth plan at every turn. There is just no need to replace it because there are no limits with FeneVision.”
Rick Wuest, president
Thompson Creek Window Company
thompsoncreek.com