Case Studies
How Concrete Jungle Grew into Ecommerce from Manufacturing
March 24, 2021
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18 mins interview
In this case study, we’re looking at the power of reviews for the local service related business, and the game-changing results Kettell Windows have achieved by swapping the hard sell for the voice of the consumer.
Kettell Windows is a family run business based in the heart of Leicestershire, founded by father and son team, John and John Kettell. The experienced duo were keen to move away from the stereotypical image of the industry, so set out on their own to deliver a service that focused on the customer, not the hard sell.
In 2018, John’s wife Lisa joined the team as Sales and Marketing Director, and has since been on a mission to “promote ourselves away from the atypical persona of a double glazing business, known for its high pressure sales techniques and discount driven tactics.”
Customer feedback has been integral to this approach. Reviews offered a gateway to a much wider audience, as Lisa explains:
“A large proportion of our work was and continues to be generated by past customer recommendations, but we never had a platform that allowed that positive experience to be shared to a wider network.
“Our ambition is to be the number one windows and doors installer across Leicester and Leicestershire, and in order for that to happen, prospective customers needed to a) know about us and b) be able to read previous positive experiences.”
At REVIEWS.io, we’re in the Software as a Service industry, which typically operates online, and also has a bit of a reputation for its impersonal sales techniques. But just like Kettell Windows, we’re not about the hard sell.
In fact, with our own UK office in Leicester, Lisa came to us off the back of a previous encounter with our founder Callum, and it’s great to know our personal approach is having an impact in our local area.
“I actually met the founder a couple of times with my old company and as soon as we were in a position as a family to use a 3rd party platform, I was keen to keep it local.
“We have found the introduction of the platform almost game-changing as the ease with which customers can leave a review has been great. We have generated more reviews in the past 18 months than we have managed to capture with any other platform over a nearly 15 year period. I only wish I had done it sooner!”
Ease of use is a top priority for us, as is making sure our customers have everything they need at their disposal. In order to meet our customers’ goals, like those of Kettell Windows, we’re in constant development mode, with new features and upgrades added all the time.
We know how important a seamless process is for small businesses, so we’ve built our solution to offer just that.
“The integration with some of the social platforms is great for smaller businesses like ours that do not have a dedicated marketing team or in-house graphic designers to create your own posts. We’ve recently won an award and feel this was down to our online presence and various review platforms displaying such a high standard.”
Like many of us, Kettell Windows have experienced setbacks owing to recent events, but they’ve used their time wisely to focus on their long term goals:
“COVID-19 meant that for a period of time our business had to close, which was extremely saddening to stop doing what we love.
“During the lockdown period, I utilised the platform's functionality of reaching out to past customers who hadn’t left a review, which I am sure has contributed to a strong return. Enquiries are increasing and our order book is filling into late summer and it feels great to be back improving customers’ homes.”
It’s a privilege for us to work with a small, local business that really understands how to connect with their audience and that’s taking an approach to sales that sets them apart in their industry.
As a leading review collection platform, our primary goal is to inspire businesses to make the most of customer feedback, and to give them the knowledge and tools to do so. We strongly feel that reviews alone simply aren’t enough, and we’re always looking for new ways to add increased authenticity to the mix.
Working with companies like Kettell Windows helps us understand how we can better provide for service led industries, and it inspires us in turn to develop solutions with small, local businesses in mind.
