Surviving the tough times

It is astonishing to see the amount of articles everywhere telling us how bad the economy is. This is so depressing and can only lower one's spirit. Or is it?

Up until recently, all we heard was how the new sales records were made. Everybody was in a frenzy to buy a bigger TV, larger car, bigger house in a better neighbourhood. Banks kept giving us more credit to spend more. Everybody is happy!

And now?

Shock, horror! The banks hike interest rates, you're mortgaged up to the hilt, can't sell the overpriced house. That thirsty car stays in the garage. All the spending has to stop!

Now this is just one side of this tale.

There are lots of people out there, who have not bought into this hype. Sensible homeowners with an affordable home are not looking to impress others. They may have the ambition to get that new home at some stage, when the time is right. So they are happy where they are. They have seen it all before.

These are the people who are looking at window tinting now. They are taking advantage of the panic sales of carpets, leather lounge suites or new curtains. Because the new items may need to last longer now, it makes sense to these people to invest some money in protecting them.

Window tinting is so effective, it is hard to overlook. It is one of the few things on offer, which will not raise electrical usage and make the home more comfortable.

So business may be a bit slower than usual, great opportunity to offer better, faster service!

For you tinters out there, make sure that you are there for your customers, let them know who you are and what you can do for them. Don't cut your prices, just to get a sale. Your profit margins cannot fall during the slow season.....you'll go bust and that is not good for your customers either.

And for our customers, now is a good time to have your windows tinted, prices will have to up sooner rather than later. Be fair to your tinter, he has to make a living too. There is nothing worse than a good tinter having to use a lower grade of film. You will find that spending that little more is the smarter choice. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

As the title of the article reads: Start The Recession............WITHOUT US!

Telling my age here, do you remember the song by Supertramp: Crisis.....what crisis?

Ph 0800 846 892

Proud Member of Master Tinters NZ

Making the news in NZ

Illegal window tinting can get your car off the road.

Article on today's homepage:

Despite poor weather across the country keeping many inside, this operation also resulted in over 60 vehicles being ordered off the road for a variety of faults, including cut down suspension, highly tinted windows, worn tyres and other faults affecting the safety and driveability of the car.

I don't know what the attraction is, when you cut the springs. The ride is so uncomfortable. Try and see out the windows on a rainy day with 5% tints! These guys have to wind their windows down to see.

Surely there are better ways to get the approval of your mates or impressing the love of your life, without endangering your own ,or worse, somebody else's life

The definition of insanity

Here is an excerpt from a newsletter we get from our accountant.
Definition of insanity is doing the same thing while expecting different results.

In every industry-irrespective of the state of the economy-there are businesses that consistently outperform their peers, not by small but by staggering amounts. This is often referred to as the margin of excellence. They have it right, and the others have it wrong. It's as simple as that.

Close enough is never good enough. Improved business performance comes from a willingness to do something different and then getting the details right. If you get all the little things right, the big picture really does look after itself.

You need a plan of attack. Specifically, you need to find out exactly what your existing and potential customers want - and it's not always the lowest price - and it's this that forms the basis of your marketing plan.

There are more points to get to final destination of reaching better results, involving organisation to delight the customers and a management control plan.

At Tint Waikato, we are constantly looking for better ways to do business and the focus is always on offering the best solution to our customers. This philosophy is one we share with our partners in the Master Tinters Group.

Unusual companions

Find the unusual while on business.

The other I had to go and install some window film in the country side. I do enjoy leaving the office and the city behind me. Just half an hour out of Auckland is a whole new way of life.

Driving down some windy gravel road, you never know what to expect around the next bend.

It could be a flock of sheep being herded by a farmer and his dogs, a family of quails crossing the road or some wild rabbits scurrying to their borrow. There are turkeys grazing, pheasants flying and rainbow parakeets sitting in the trees.

I ended up down by the waters edge at a beautiful homestead, so quiet and tranquil. The dog came up to have his sniff and decided that I was harmless. Then the little piglets came along to say hello. No human in sight. I knew where to go, the windows I had to tint had a little note attached.

So I did my work, cleaned up, closed the door behind me, patted the dog and the piglets and went on my way.

No wonder New Zealand is still called Godzone.

What a difference to an ordinary day, stuck in traffic in a noisy city, going from job to job.

Rolf Stucki

The merits of a new woman

Not being sexist, or smart.....

Last week a young lady started working in our office. Although it being the slow time of year, we have increased our staffing by two over the last couple of months. We use this time of year to train, plan and organise.

One of the best ways is to ask a new person, what could be done better, before they get into the routine we are so used to. And that is exactly what I did. We had a meeting with the team and everybody was invited to contribute with their ideas on how to do their jobs easier, faster and fewer mistakes. Boy, now everybody is running around, tidying desk, tables, drawers and files. I even went into the office today to hang all our certificates and awards on the wall.

I am looking forward to seeing a better organised office, with less time wasted on looking for lost pieces of paper. The greatest thing about this change is the willingness of the whole team to make these changes. Picture this, they are doing it, without me having to nag at them.

Thanks guys!

So what has all this to do with window tinting? Nothing in particular, except that dealers and clients can expect more professional and enthusiastic treatment.

Give it a go, see if we can help you with your window tinting requirements. 

Ph 0800 846 892

Proud Member of Master Tinters NZ

Keep those Lot ##'s

I have just wasted about 2 hours of work.

Why?

I had to go through a couple of years jobs to find an old invoice. On it is the lot number of the frosted film we used on a job. The customer had a complaint about the film, but was unable to supply the invoice.

Normally, it becomes the customers responsibility to provide proof of purchase. Without the batch or roll numbers, we cannot get a replacement from the suppliers. Fortunately we are still here and were able to find the information for him.

To safe yourself hassles here is what you need to do:

As a customer, you must keep your original invoice and warranty form, if applicable. Some manufacturers require you to return a signed warranty registration before a certain number of days after the installation.

As an installer, you must provide all the film types, roll numbers and customer address details on the invoice and warranty card.

And here is a word of caution: Cash jobs, where the customer asks for a reduced price, generally are done without giving the customer any paper work. In case of a product failure, you have no cover. Your installer may not be in business anymore and you lose out twice, because replacing film is very time consuming.

My advice: Pay a little more and get a proper warranty. A couple of manufacturers are experiencing substantial warranty claims at the moment. Without the little piece of paper, you stand no chance of getting it replaced for free.

Many window tinting distributors are offering a "Lifetime" warranty. Usually there are many conditions attached to it. These distributors bank on a large proportion of the customers to either sell their home or vehicle or simply lose the paperwork, thus not having to pay for failing window film.

Personally, I think lifetime warranties are nonsense; like most products on the market, window film has a limited lifetime. A 10-year warranty is sufficient, although most films will last a lot longer. It's all about marketing.

Let common sense prevail. And look after your customers.

What has an Olympic Gold Medal Winner in common with us?

I had the opportunity to go along to a function by the New Zealand Sign & Display Association this evening, of which we are members.

One of the presenters was Hamish Carter, Olympic gold medal winner of the triathlon of the games in Athens. Hamish is a very down to earth, approachable guy. I had the fortune to have a good conversation with him afterwards.

On the subject of how a habit is turned into a passion and winning, he had an interesting take. "You need to train hard, but to win, you have to have a rest occasionally. Most passionate people keep going, without a break, and don't allow their body to recover. A winner takes time out."

The parallel? To be successful in business, you need the passion, but to become a leader, you need to take time out to recover occasionally. What I found in many of the guys in window tinting is a focus on the "recovery time", and casually forgetting about the part which comes first: the passion!

So in the company of a winner (how can you argue with this?) we enjoyed pizzas and some drinks to practice some "recovery".

If you are in need of some advice about window tinting, contact us  0800 846 892. During business hours, we are passionate about window tinting!

Feedback is welcome!

First of all, a big "Thank You!" for the comments about this blog. Your phone calls are great! Keep 'em coming.

Dealing with the subject of window tinting is a little like "Forrest Gump's" saying: "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you gonna get!" Window tinting is such a complex and specialist subject, very often driven with clever advertising by the big brands on one side and the public perception of tinting having to be dark, purple and will bubble, it is often dismissed.

I find it interesting that when asking 10 people what springs to mind, when the words "window tinting" are mentioned. Eight of the 10 will think of "car tinting". They are also under the impression that it is illegal, will bubble, make the car dark and unsafe to drive. Well, they are right! A car tinted illegally will probably be all of the above. In New Zealand tinting of homes and business premises is actually far more popular than car tinting.

There are only a few good quality window film manufacturers. These films are sold under exclusive contracts. Logic says, if all the good brands are here and you want another product, you can only get lower quality. Why would a respectable window tinter start to compromise on quality? Price has something to do with it. The tinters do not want to raise the prices, even though all their costs have gone up. In reality, asking a couple of dollars more per square metre will not make a big difference on a job, but it can make a difference in how long the film will last, how it performs and how it will look. Dealing with a member of Master Tinters will take the guess work out for you, because we have already scrutinised them.

A Tint Waikato, we have never been the cheapest. Our margins are not the biggest, we put our resources into our people, the film quality and trying to always find the best solution for our clients. If prices are an issue, we can try to find a cheaper option, but we will not compromise on quality. If somebody else can do it cheaper, great, but ask yourself, what are you missing?

Give us a call and you can get some free advice about any aspect window tinting. We have just about the most experience in the field and are happy to share it. After all, having your windows tinted is about the same cost as buying blinds and needs to last a long time. So getting solid advice is a must. tintwaikato.co.nz

Member of Master Tinters New Zealand

Networking for a successful window tinting business

What makes you get up in the morning and go to work? Is it the thought of not making the next payment of your mortgage? Let's hope not!

Most of the window tinters are in business on their own. I used to be. Sometimes, I wish I was again, but it does not happen often. It can be hard to get motivated by yourself. During the slower time of year, many in the trade hang up their tools and take up a job in another sector.

How come these people don't get the calls to keep the business going? I have found one common denominator: No network.

Establishing a network with businesses in the trade, yes, other tinters, with related trades and non-related trades makes the biggest difference to your success. Talking to my opposition, you say, no way, they might learn my tricks and steal my customers.

Having a good relationship with your competitors has so many benefits. Ask yourself, what happens, if you have an accident, or want to go on holidays? At the moment, you lose everything to your competitor. So go and say hello to your fellow tinters, they are probably in the same boat.

Are there benefits to the customer? Sure, first of all, they will get better service, because you can handle bigger jobs faster. Second, you will have more knowledge, because tinters learn from each other. This knowledge can make the difference between a happy customer and an unhappy one. (Sure, you should have back up from your supplier as well.)

To be of use to the related trades, such as glaziers and car dealers, you must be available all year around. Look after them and they will look after you!

So go out there, meet your fellow tinter for a coffee and start sharing, one plus one equals three in this case.

At Tint Waikato, we have the expertise and experience to look after all your window tinting needs and we have the evidence to support it. Call or email us. )800 846 892  

Frosted films, a good addition to tinting

Have the calls for sun protection slowed down recently?

Since we started our window tinting business many years ago, the demand for frosted films has grown substantially.

We have stopped using the polyester films, which tended to attract static when applying, to the conformable vinyl style of frosted films. They come in different shades and all offer very good privacy, both day and night, without darkening a room.

Home owners benefit from frosted films on the glass next to front doors, where passers-by could otherwise see in clearly at night. Other favourite uses are in garages, laundries and the old favourite, the clear glass in the bathroom.

Commercially, frosted films have been popular for years. They are used plain or decorative. We have just finished a project today, where the client required privacy, but wanted to see out. We installed diminishing stripes, tapering off to the top. Very effective!

Give us a call or send us a message to see if we can help you with your privacy issues.

The reason for being in business

Being a distributor and installer of window films, we deal with our own customers as competitors. It is a strange arrangement at times, not just for them, but for us in particular. Luckily, our installation business is only in the Auckland area, so only a part of our dealers have to put up with us as competitors.

Why are we still installing, you may ask? Good question. The answer is simple, there is not enough money in window film distribution in a small economy. Apart from those obvious drawbacks, there are plenty of positive points in this arrangement.

First, we tend to know what we are talking about. Every day, we face the same challenges as our dealers do. Second, we have to be team players and look after

our dealers. Being the distributor for Johnson Window Films in New Zealand, we have the privilege to get first hand information from a team of the manufacturer, including the president. Very few other distributors have this opportunity of having a direct link to one of the most respected manufacturers of top quality window tints.

Our clients appreciate being given a real choice between traditional and ceramic window films. They make educated decisions, based on facts and weigh up the factors important to them.

As distributors, we offer ceramic to the best of the window tinters only, because it is a little harder to mount. Some struggle to offer it to their clients. Why?

Here is an interesting observation: Some of our dealers see the cost of the film and fear that no customer would go for it, based on price. So, consequently, they do not even mention the ceramics. Now the question arises, are these dealers in business to simply tint windows and make a living, or, are they in business to solve a customers problem? Our approach is the latter, always looking for the best solution to a clients situation. And if window tinting is not the right solution, we say so.

In certain situations a traditional film will go hazy. This can be quite obvious. Most dealers are aware of this. Now they have a film, which prevents this problem. Back to my question, are they in business to make a living or offer the best possible solution?

By the way, not a single customer has regretted paying the little extra for the features of the ceramics.

So, when getting a quote on window tinting and your dealer does not give you options, ask them, if they have ceramic window films. If not, give us a call.......

0800 846 892

Proud Member of Master Tinters NZ

Safety films comply with human impact standards

Are you renovating and change the use of a room into a bathroom or en suite?

Has the building inspector insisted on safety glass in this area? You know it is costly to change a window in an old house. Let alone the hassle of having to wait for the putty to dry and then re-paint.

An other concern is little children running around, with thin old glass in the house. Accidents do happen and it is too late to do anything, once it's happened.

We do a lot of work in residential homes or childcare centres, where we install a totally clear and extra thick film over the existing glass. These films qualify for the human impact standards and will hold the glass together, in the case of breakage. We will certify our installation with a producer statement, which will keep the council building inspector happy.

We use Johnson Window Films and you can look up their web site for the performance data.

The same or thicker films are used in commercial premises to prevent break-ins. Safety films are invisible and a much better choice than bars or grills. These safety and Security films are also available in tinted versions to add privacy, heat and glare rejection.

Send a request for a free consultation to tintwaikato@xtra.co.nz or call 0800 846 892

Carpet Fade Warranties?

Here is a recipe for disaster!

Imagine this: You are looking at replacing your faded, rotten carpet, which only took 3 years to go bad. The carpet retailer recommends you have your windows tinted, and if you use this particular dealer, you will get a 10-year fade protection warranty. Would you take it?

Say you do. Now after 6 years, you notice the colour of the carpet has changed in some parts. Hey, no problem, you have a warranty, right? Sure.

You now call the window tinting dealer and make your claim. He turns up, looks at the carpet. Yes there is a change in colour, but it is in an area, which is excluded from the warranty. Say what? Well, the warranty excludes areas around opening windows, doors etc. And anyway, it is not this noticeable.

Your heckles go up; sounds like somebody trying to wriggle out of a warranty. So you go over the warranty conditions with a fine tooth comb:

• warranty is pro-rata (this means you only get 50% after 5 years or 10% after 9 years)
• excludes areas around doors or opening windows
• void, if subjected to mistreatment, flooded or unduly wet
• it does not specify anything about "noticeable change" in the conditions

You have paid $5'000 for the carpet, another $1500 for the window tinting. The carpet has faded, the warranty is being challenged, so you go to see the carpet retailer who has sold you the carpet and recommended this particular deal. "Sorry, nothing to do with us!" Sole responsibility of the window tinter.

Next stop, the window film manufacturer's agent: " Sorry, we do not warrant products other than the ones we make. We do not support this kind of warranty, because we have no control over the quality of the materials the film is protecting." Window films do make a significant difference to fading, but rates of fading do vary so much, it is dangerous to make this sort of claim.

Next stop, see the window film association, they are sure to help: "Sorry, this business is not a member of the association. We do not support this kind of claim with any window films."

So inevitably, you end up in the small claims court. You may even win, but unfortunately, the business owner is unable to pay any damages awarded to you, because he is financially unable to do so.

Who has a bad name, should it hit the news? The carpet retailing chain, the entire window film industry and the of course the dealer who started it all.

Who is happy? Nobody!

Lesson: Have your windows tinted with a good quality window film, it does make a big difference, but do not believe that fading will not occur over time.
Far fetched? No, happening today.
Call us for some sincere advice.

Ph 0800 846 892

Proud Member of Master Tinters NZ

The power of a newspaper article

Today, our phone was a lot busier than usual. A number of the callers mentioned an article in the NZ Herald. I recall having talked to a rep from this newspaper a couple of weeks ago. They were going to have a feature up about double glazing in their "Home" section. This is a hot topic at the moment, with the NZ Government, in it's infinate wisdom and utter lack of common sense, making double glazing compulsory in every new home. Fantastic for the cold south, but up in the Bay of Islands? Come on!

Anyway, talking to this rep, I told him about the double glazing and window tinting going hand in hand. After all a double glazed unit is great at keeping heat in, it performs very poorly at keeping the heat out in the first place. Window film is exactly the opposite, so the two systems compliment one another.

So a day or so later I get the call from the writer of the article. I think he was suitably impressed learning these facts and incorporated it into his story, including my name and business. By sheer coincidence, I happened to place an ad in this section at the same time. Yeah right!

Good ploy for these newspapers to involve their advertisers. I look at it as a win-win-win situation. The paper gets an ad placed, the advertiser gets more response and the reader gets more knowledge and the chance to do something about their problems.

An ad by itself? Nowhere as effective.

Solar radiation is far stronger during the day, penetrating the two layers of clear glass easily, heating up a room quickly. Touching the glass , it will remain cold to the touch. Applying a tint to the inside, will warm up this surface, helping to keep some of the heat in. At the same time a good window film will radiate a large proportion of the direct heat back outside.

At night, when the solar radiation is zero, film makes no real difference, although you will experience less condensation on ordinary glass. There are now some Low-e films, promoting to be as effective as double glazing.They may be worth looking into.

There you go, something else shared with you. For more info about any aspect of window tinting, give me a call at work, or send me a message.

Follow up

As a window film installer, what happens after you finished your installation? Do you take the cheque and run, hoping the customer will not call you in the next few days or weeks? Or even better, after having negotiated a cheap cash price you wipe this location from your mind. After all, if there is no paper work to trace you, you will be safe, right? Well, I'm sure you would never do such a thing.

Here is suggestion, probably too scary, but hey....

Have you ever considered calling on your customer a week or so after you did their window tinting? A simple courtesy call and a request to have a look to ensure everything is ok?

And if you are the customer, how would you like to have a visit from the company, to ensure everything is just the way it is supposed to be? Would you tell them not to bother? Of course not!

As a window tinter, think about the potential problems you could bring upon yourself! The client might see something that could cost you money, such as a piece of film needs to be replaced........

Well, better not call! ............On the other hand.........

Your customer might be absolutely delighted with your work; they have experienced a few sunny days with their new film. Perhaps you get to quote on another room or rooms!

They may even give you a lead for more customers!

We find this follow up to be the best way of cementing good relations and to keep busy during the slower months of the year. Let me tell you, there are not many people following up their finished projects. Don't make a special trip, just organise it for when you are going to be in the area.

What have you got to lose? Give some good old fashioned service and see what you get in return!

Window film installations - What to expect

Window tinting is a little like wall papering, except it is see through.

You will find the film looks perfect, when it first goes on. It then has to go through a curing process, where the water residue has to migrate and the adhesive needs to cure.

This process can take as little as one day on a hot summers day, or as long as three months with a very thick security film in winter.

The curing also varies with the type of adhesive being used. The most common one is called "pressure sensitive" or PS. All the car films, safety & security and opaque films utilise this system. The adhesion is instant, comparable to cellotape. Many of today's flat glass films also use PS. To work with, it has advantages, such as good laying down properties, but not as forgiving as the next type.

Dry adhesives have been used by many film makers. Also known as DA, the adhesion is water activated and is a chemical bonding with the glass. It takes time to develop over a number of hours or days. DA can only be used on flat glass. Manufacturers claim to achieve better optical clarity. I am disputing this "fact", as good quality PS adhesives equal or better optical properties.
So what do you have to expect, when the film is curing?

First, it will get hazy or cloudy. You will see the strokes the installer used. Mine always look like a skeleton, with a line down the middle and then horizontal side strokes. If the glass is thin and we can't get enough pressure on the film to expel all the water, you will find lots of water bubbles appearing. These will be clear in appearance at first and then go cloudy towards the end.
You should not clean the film before the curing process has finished. We recommend to wait at least 2 weeks. Once it needs cleaning, avoid ammonia based or abrasive cleaners. We actually suggest you use a damp or lightly wet micro fibre cloth. First, you do not risk to damage the scratch resistant coating, and second, by not using any chemical or detergent, there will be any streaks. And you are kinder to the environment.

If the film is not clear to see through after the curing, you either experience refraction, when the sun light comes in at a low angle. Generally more a problem in winter and with metallised or dyed films. Ceramic window film virtually eliminates this problem. The other reason the haze will not go away, is when you have purchased a cheap film, with poor optical qualities.

I recall a few years back, the company I was contracting for started to get a cheap Korean film. I was called to see what the problem was. One room with windows on three sides was so bad, that I thought I needed glasses and made me feel dizzy. The business owner told me recently, that every single installation had to be replaced within two years. Ouch!

Here is another reason I prefer to use PS films. Every film will need replacement at some stage. A lot of the modern glass is toughened, making it stronger, but also much easier to scratch. Using a film with DA, will make it very hard to remove the film without the risk of scratching. A PS film can be removed with much less of a risk.

 Ph 0800 846 892

Proud Member of Master Tinters NZ