Homeowner value lies in service, longevity and confidence that their supplier will be there in the long run, which is why Rob McGlennon, RM Consulting, argues that cost increases need to be passed down the supply chain to end-users.

In the UK window and door sector, everyone talks about price. Margins, surcharges, percentage increases and discounts often dominate conversations between fabricators, installers and suppliers. Yet the one person who usually does not see the detail of these tiny movements is the homeowner.

“We operate in a sector that behaves as if every half a percent is life or death,” says Rob McGlennon, RM Consulting. “Yet the end user has almost no idea what the ‘right’ price of a window or door should be. They buy on a feel for value, trust and service, not on whether your profile went up 16% this month.”

The price sensitivity paradox

Rob argues, when material, energy or labour costs increase in the supply chain, too many businesses make the same mistake absorbing the hit rather than passing it on, or they race to find a cheaper supplier so they can hold their selling price.

“You see companies jump from one supplier to another to save a couple of quid on a frame,” he explains. “They disrupt their operation, take on risk and burn goodwill, all to avoid a price movement that the homeowner would barely notice in the final quote.”

He suggests on a typical retail installation, the proportion of the total price that relates to the underlying hardware, glass or profile cost is relatively small. If a hardware component rises by 5%, his argument is that the real impact on the installed price of a complete window or door is often a fraction of a percent.

“We get hysterical about fivers on a product where the installer is quite rightly making hundreds of pounds in labour, overhead and service value,” says Rob.

“The homeowner is not sitting there with a spreadsheet comparing your PVC-U cost per metre. They care about whether you turn up on time, do a good job and will be around if something goes wrong.”

Small differences do not matter to homeowners

“Consumers do not live inside our trade spreadsheets,” Rob says. Instead, he argues that they see a total price for a project, not a line by line breakdown of resin, reinforcement, hardware and glass.

If they get three quotes for new windows and doors, those quotes are often separated by hundreds or even thousands of pounds, driven by specification, product choice and business model.

In that context, he continues, micro movements in supply cost are almost invisible.

“A two or three percent movement in your cost base might translate to a fraction of one percent on the homeowner’s invoice,” says McGlennon. “They notice a rotten service experience far more than they notice 50 quid on £5K job.”

The real damage, he says, comes when fabricators and installers refuse to pass on legitimate cost increases. Margins get squeezed, investment slows and service standards slip. Lead times stretch, quality drops and the business becomes more fragile.

“If you pretend the economics are not changing, all you do is push the pain into your own operation,” he warns. “You end up under resourced, under invested and constantly firefighting. The customer then feels it in delays and poor communication instead.”

Passing costs on, while increasing value

He argues installers need to manage cost increases transparently and confidently. That starts with an honest conversation inside the supply chain and then with the end customer.

“You have to be grown up about this,” says Rob. “Explain that material and energy costs have moved, you are passing on a sensible proportion of that, and in return you are maintaining the service standards, product quality and guarantees that protect the homeowner.”

If an installer can show that they invest in trained fitters, robust aftersales support and quality products that last, a modest increase is entirely defensible. In many cases, the perceived value of that reassurance is far greater than the marginal extra cost.

“We should be selling peace of mind, not a race to the bottom,” Rob says. “Most homeowners will accept a fair increase if they believe you will still pick up the phone in five years’ time.

“If you only ever talk about price, do not be surprised when the customer chooses the cheapest,” he says. “If you talk about quality, longevity and service, you give them a rational reason to choose you even if you are not the lowest quote.”