A long-term relationship
We talk to Julien Piper, director of Omega Windows, Doors and Conservatories about the benefits of partnering with Sternfenster.
Margate-based Omega has sold the full Sternfenster range windows and doors to homeowners across Kent since 1994, and has operated from the same retail showroom since 1996. Today it benefits from an additional trade counter located close to its main premises.
“We’ve worked with Sternfenster for many years now, and we’re proud to be a Sternfenster approved installer,” said Julien Piper, director of Omega Windows, Doors and Conservatories.
“We buy a little bit of aluminium, but to be honest, the demand for us is really in PVC-U. We buy our PVC-U from Sternfenster in all of the different colour ranges and styles that it offers!”
Omega’s biggest sellers are the 2800 Deceuninck system and the Smarts Aluminium bi-folding doors, fabricated at Sternfenster’s Lincolnshire facility.
“The breadth of products that Sternfenster provides allows us to take full advantage of an increasing homeowner demand for higher value products, and that includes flush casements, aluminium and colour – the 2800 and the bi-folds in particular sell like hot cakes,” continued Julien.
“But for us, the other key thing is Sternfenster’s service, which is second to none.”
Around 75% of Sternfenster’s customer base, including Omega, takes advantage of the trade fabricator’s pioneering EasyAdmin and SF+ systems.
EasyAdmin gives customers access to a virtual showroom, along with the tools required to quote and submit orders directly into Sternfenster’s manufacturing process, while Sternfenster Plus offers installers improved levels of communication and clarity on order lead times.
Using Sternfenster Plus, customers can check on the status of quotes, contracts and deliveries and also features a regularly updated news feed.
It is also home to an extensive library of downloadable training and marketing material, accreditations and technical data, plus a live production capacity feed. This provides real time data on the capacity of individual products, across Sternfenster’s aluminium and PVC lines, and gives installers a unique overview of the fabricator’s production schedule from the moment an order is placed.
“We use EasyAdmin absolutely every day without fail,” Julien explained. “It allows us to price quickly and efficiently – it’s so useful, we literally couldn’t do without it.
“Equally, Sternfenster Plus is invaluable to us because it gives us instant access to all of our information like job numbers, and when things are being delivered.
“It’s particularly useful on delivery days because we can see exactly what we’ve got coming in, so we can prepare ourselves and make sure we have enough staff in to unload the lorries.”
In Sternfenster’s 50th year of continuous trading, managing director, Mike Parczuk, believes that it is a willingness to partner with customers, rather than just supply them, which is why the business has stood the test of time.
“Our guiding principle has always been that installers shouldn’t have to compromise on style or service,” Mike said.
“We develop a partnership with our customers whereby we listen to what they need and we do our best to facilitate it – from investment in the latest cutting-edge technology, expansion of our range of colours and styles, or technological innovation like EasyAdmin. This way, we’re giving them both great products and great service.”
As for Julien, his relationship with Sternfenster shows no sign of slowing: “I want to wish Mike and the rest of the team a happy 50th anniversary! Here’s to many more years of partnership!”
