Consistently Delivering the Best to Locksmiths
17 February 2015
One reason why so many locksmiths use us as their trusted suppliers is that our range has never stopped growing. In 2014 we added some excellent new products to our line, including the advanced new range of Yale retail locks, safes, and alarms. In this way, we have enabled locksmiths to offer their customers the very latest in home and business security solutions.
It’s one thing to stock products, yet it’s quite another to ensure that they’re delivered promptly and on time. That’s why, every day, we measure our On Time and In Full (OTIF) figures for all deliveries. Throughout 2014, we successfully delivered 99.5% of our top selling products the next working day.
Streamlining Our Services
2014 was also marked by certain change in our business practices. We introduced a Warehouse Management System (WMS), implementing scanners and other technologies to speed up our pick-up and put-away times. This has really made a difference in the efficiency and accuracy of our deliveries, and this difference is reflected in our outstanding growth figures, our OTIF figures, and in our scores of satisfied customers.
Our strapline has always been that we’ve got the parts you need, and we aim to deliver them on time, all the time. Service is key to us, as it results in satisfied customers. Not only do satisfied customers tend to become repeat customers, they also tend to tell their friends about us.
Adapting To New Practices
Of particular importance to our strength and growth as a business, though, is our constant commitment to staying ahead of the latest trends – not just in the locksmith industry, but in the wider consumer market.
Simply put, we recognised that buyer behaviour is changing. Rather than expecting our customers to adapt to our business practices, we instead adapted our business practices to suit the preferences of our customers.
The sales process used to start with a look through a phonebook, or with a trip to the trade counter, these days it invariably starts with a Google search. It’s no coincidence that these past few years, which have been our most successful on record, have also been the years in which we’ve done the most to boost our position in the search engines.
Going Mobile
But it goes much further than that. It’s not just buyers and businesses that are moving online – everyone is. According to Ofcom figures, 62% of UK adults now use smartphones, whilst tablet ownership has more than doubled in the past few years.
Many locksmiths use their smartphones to advertise their services, to research suppliers, to compare prices, and to purchase hardware and other materials. Recognising this, in 2014 we made our website fully mobile responsive.
Our efforts paid off, as 30% of online purchases on our site are now made with mobile devices. That might not seem like much at the moment, but we know that this figure will grow in the coming years. Rather than struggling to catch up years down the line, we thought it best to be prepared.
Sharing Our Expertise
We’ve been catering for locksmiths since 1987, and in that time, we’ve learned a thing or two about the trade. That’s why, this year, we decided to use our online presence to share our knowledge and expertise. We produced a series of “how to” videos for our YouTube channel, providing locksmiths with short tutorials on everything, from fitting replacement PVCu door handles, to installing digital door viewers.
Home security technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and with these videos, locksmiths can easily familiarise themselves with all the latest products and techniques. If viewed on smartphones, these videos can even provide a handy point of reference whilst on the job.
With our excellent service and our commitment to staying ahead of the game, it’s no wonder that so many locksmiths choose Window Ware as their trusted supplier.