Zen Windows is the first and only online-based window replacement company. The company’s attitude is encompassed in how they refer to themselves; they aren’t “salespeople” – they’re window consultants.
And as a digital-first company, Zen Windows can provide quotes without ever having to go to the person’s house.
The company has 24 local franchises currently and they’re always looking to take on new franchisees.
We sat down with Zen Windows General Manager Luke Milligan to learn more about their journey.
From engineer to General Manager
Luke had been working as a locomotive engineer for BNSF Railway for almost ten years. When covid-19 hit, he decided to look for a career change. He reached out to childhood friend and CEO of Zen Windows Kyle Derstler. Soon after, Luke was working for Zen Windows in their Kansas City office.
Within the first three weeks, Luke had nabbed more sales than the territory had ever had before. The next month, he doubled their sales again.
He then took over Denver and eventually started managing the corporate locations in Austin and Dallas, followed soon after by three locations in Pennsylvania.
Three years into working for Zen Windows, Luke manages seven locations, four employees, and about 40 installers and helpers throughout the locations.
Scaling without limitations
Despite excellent sales, Zen Windows faced an issue; Kansas City and Denver weren’t delivering the standard of customer service the company expected. This wasn’t down to the in-house team; both branches were using an Answering Service. Luke describes the service in Denver as “Just OK.”
But he wasn’t happy with the service in Kansas City. Every couple of weeks, a customer would complain about the answering service. Luke felt like he was babysitting the answering service – something no manager wants to do. The previous service lacked technology as well and he feared they had outgrown them.
Luke wanted an answering service they could use anywhere with any new location. Just as important for a bustling business, he wanted something with a seamless onboarding process. With the corporate side growing, he needed a service they could offer to any new location starting up.
Finding the right solution for Zen Windows
Luke reached out to AnswerConnect. Within the first month, he knew it was a good fit. The team laid plans to roll out AnswerConnect in their other locations. This was during the height of the covid-19 lockdowns, so the entire company was operating as an online business. And with the boost in home refurbishments that came during this time, business was booming.
But Zen Windows needed urgent support. Their phones were ringing off the hook, but they needed time to focus. “You’d be on a call and three other calls would be coming through.”
So they started to look at ways to get help answering these calls immediately without the rigmarole of hiring multiple receptionists. After checking out the AnswerConnect software and the ease of use, Luke was satisfied they were dealing with “grownups in the space.”
Of course, Luke had reservations about using an answering service. “They’re not your company and not your employees so the training isn’t there for anything in-depth. But one way you guys are different is in your decision trees and talking through the script. That helps because you can implement some of these things without training.”
Professional customer service
After introducing AnswerConnect, Luke no longer hears callers complaining about agents being rude. “Our customer service and warranty set us apart from our competitors. AnswerConnect goes hand and hand with that niceness and professionalism. You guys really do hire good people.”
More importantly, the company doesn’t miss out on business because of an interaction with the answering service. “That just doesn’t happen. All the data from the call is right there on the mobile app. The name, phone number, and even a recording of the call is easily viewable.”
Another added bonus of AnswerConnect is the peace of mind Luke and the team now enjoy knowing their calls are in safe hands. “I love not having to be around my phone all the time; knowing that you guys are there honestly, it’s one of the biggest things.”
And with the huge range of integrations offered by AnswerConnect, Zen Windows didn’t have to change any of their software to fit with AnswerConnect – another huge time-saver. “[The] integration with ServiceMinder is so amazing and makes my life even easier. We have it set up on the weekend to send a text message to the customer. 30 minutes after the information goes into ServiceMinder, we let the customer know we will be in touch.”
Building sustainable growth
Luke manages CEO Kyle Derstler’s personal locations – and makes a lot of the day-to-day decisions. After seeing success in the first few markets, Derstler quickly agreed that all other Zen Windows locations should start using AnswerConnect.
When asked to sum up AnswerConnect in one sentence, Luke was unequivocal. “Awesome. I have nothing but good things to say about AnswerConnect and how they have helped our business grow.”
To find out how AnswerConnect can help you, book a call with our customer experience team here.
To get in touch with Zen Windows, visit their website at ZenWindows.com or email them at Info@ZenWindows.com.
