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Home & Garden Articles
Picking a Good Retractable Awning Company
Sat 20 Sep 2008 - 09:37
Picking a Good Retractable Awning Company
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eric_Scope]Eric Scope
Customers have a lot of options on where to buy retractable awnings. From catalogs to infomercials, homeowners are in a retractable awning media blitz from early spring through late fall. Companies attempt to establish trust in different ways: traditional store fronts use cheerful displays, online stores tout free accessories. Through the marketing haze, customers can find the best company to deal with if they know what makes a good retractable awning company.
Any good company focuses on identifying the elements of a retractable awning which matter to your specific home or property. Period. This means assisting with the selection process, making themselves available to help, and providing complete information about the products, quality, and policies.
The first best indication of a good awning company is that they have some means of rendering a preview of a particular awning style on a specific property. The most basic tool is an exhaustive photo gallery, showing examples of their different retractable awning styles at every angle and on many different styles of residential and commercial buildings.
Ideally, they will provide a way to depict the potential awning based on images of your own building. For example, some companies do mockups based on the size, style, and fabric of their awing on a photograph of your home, while a few have a web application on their site which dynamically upload photos of your home and allows you to change awning frame and fabric styles, sizes, and installation locations on the fly - and even create a price estimate based on your final design.
There are a few more areas that identify a good retractable awning company:
Referrals and return business. A good retractable awning company has about 80% of their business from repeat customers. If people who know the company return time after time, it's a good bet you'll have a good experience.
Media appearances. If this company has been profiled in a news source or used as a source for a story, they have a solid reputation.
Trade show attendance. Trade shows are where retailers meet manufacturers and parts suppliers, so attendance is a barometer of quality. It shows they are constantly looking at new ideas, designs, and suppliers and expresses familiarity with their own product.
Memberships. The Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), a division of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), focuses on the awning industry. Another good asset is a Better Business Bureau membership with no unresolved complaints.
Age. Longevity in business matters, especially for online stores.
Contact information. There should be a direct way to get in contact with the awning manufacturer (not just the manager of a store or a webmaster).
Product quality. The highest quality awnings are made in Europe, so look either for Europe-based suppliers or for European certification groups, such as TÜV and Eurolab.
Manufacturing information is one area where even a great chain store can be a liability. Frequently, chains don't even carry the same supplier or models from year to year. Independent online stores have an advantage here by allowing you to research their products and suppliers. Research is vital; and if you still have questions, call and ask.
So what's the fallout from choosing a bad retractable awning company?
Most likely, you will not get the right awning and get stuck with an ugly fabric, a fabric which isn't water resistant, wrong frame design, wrong size or projection for your area, or a poor quality frame. It can even be a terrible experience, suffering through inattentive or uninformed personnel, a lack of support, no service or return policies, even delays in receiving your awning. Since retractable awnings can be several thousand dollars for high-quality styles, and around $1000 even for budget lines, that's not an insignificant loss.
Additionally, poor quality awnings last about a quarter as long as a good retractable awning. The frames from good awning companies are guaranteed for 25 years, compared to 5 years or less (or not at all), while the fabric lasts 10-15 years, compared to 2-5 years.
The worst case can be avoided. Many budget lines, even some big name companies and most big chains, have marketing glitz. Focus on what makes a good company: previewing a retractable awning mockup, a solid and public reputation, superior customer support, reliable product quality. If you see features like selection assistance and industry-recognized certifications, you're making the right choice.
Retractable Awnings offers quality awnings and patio covers, which are both easy to use and affordable. http://www.retractableawnings.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Scope http://EzineArticles.com/?Picking-a-Good-Retractable-Awning-Company&id=1492017
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