CWG Open Day March 2024
No need to choose between product, service and support
Ever since the first time Clearview attended a CWG Choices open day, March wouldn’t be March without a trip to Corby. This is the third time we’ve attended the annual occasion, and every year there’s more to explore, new people to meet and a chance to catch up with what’s on the CWG Choices agenda for the year ahead.
"More than 160 customer companies registered their attendance for the 12th or 13th March"
More than 160 customer companies registered their attendance for the 12th or 13th March; an impressive number for a two-day schedule and testament to the products, service and support the team provides. This year, Chris Powell, MD, said one of the company’s main aims is continuing to add extra value to the service and proposition CWG Choices already provides to its customers.
The company’s comprehensive product guide is an ideal example of this. As CWG Choices’ portfolio of products spans doors, windows and conservatories – in PVCu, aluminium, timber and timber-alternative, it’s to be expected that this is going to be a hefty brochure. It is also, however, stylish and packed with information on every range. Simple to use – and more importantly easy to find the right page! – it’s quite hard to comprehend the comprehensive offering of CWG Choices until you hold it in your hands.
Combine the physical product guide with the online support on offer such as energy saving calculator, door designers for the homeowner (yes there’s a choice of those too) and Choices Online ordering system for the installer; the service package is as impressive as the product catalogue.
The symbol of the CWG Choices open day for me is the huge white tent taking centre stage in the carpark with the food truck parked up next to it. And on a cold, wet Tuesday morning, the welcome couldn’t be warmer as my umbrella was taken from me and replaced with an overflowing bag of swag; offers of tea, coffee, cold drinks and chocolate, and a buzz from the customers already making their way around the stands of representatives on hand from each of the partner brands and businesses in attendance.
"I couldn’t get near the KONIG UK stand to catch up about the foil repair tool kit, shows how popular it was"
I managed to catch up with some of the companies; Window Widgets, Solidor, VEKA and Glass Systems to name a handful, (that I couldn’t get near the KONIG UK stand to catch up about the foil repair tool kit shows how popular it was too).
Chris’ sentiment of adding more value to every product was clearly echoed by each and every one. Technical knowledge, practical tool kits, hands-on demonstrations, promotional materials and product guides – anything and everything a customer would ever need to help them sell to their own customers was on display in that white tent.
“We are partners with our customers,” explained one. “We’ll provide everything a customer needs to understand legislation,” said another. And “we’ve brought these with us as installers always ask for them,” added the next. For me it wasn’t a case of ‘this is what we want to show’, everything on offer was a direct response to what the customer needed to see and hear.
Over in the showroom, visitors could see practical demonstrations of Choices Online (I was lucky enough to attend one of the sessions last year) and catch up with Made for Trade and Kubu, among a showcase of CWG Choice’s doors and windows on display.
Boasting the industry’s widest range of products means it’s easy to assume that Chris and his team have made things extremely difficult for themselves. But the service and support they continue to not only provide – but improve upon year on year – to make things even easier for their customers to sell and install these products really is impressive.
"Boasting the industry’s widest range of products"
This year’s open day also made it even clearer for me to understand why CWG Choices has chosen to partner up with the brands it has. The shared attitude towards quality of service and support as well as a quality product. The way it is delivered and nurtured through professional partnerships. The communication and collaboration between CWG Choices and their chosen brands, and each with their customers.
And next year’s CWG Choices open day is already pencilled onto my 2025 Clearview wall planner – I’ll see you there.