Our Values on Front Step Rail Systems
The business reality
The railing industry has a bad reputation for
price changes, mid-project upsells, poor
communication and no-show installations. It’s
basic economics; right now the industry is in
such high demand that clients paying the most
get the highest priority. It can be difficult for
the “little guy” to get proper service and
consideration.
Our values
At Ottawa Deck and Rail we are aware of how
unfair it is to treat customers differently based
on the revenue they bring in to the company.
We see the value in providing exceptional
service for everyone, one front step installation
at a time! Some of our biggest home builder
clients started with simple front step
installations.
Our history in front step railing
installations
When we started in the home railing industry
in the early 2000s, wrought iron railing
installations would take upwards of 2 to 3
months. We wanted to provide service in as
little as 1 to 3 weeks. We were then able to
start working with the majority of builders,
because no one can forecast that far out when
they will be ready.
What is a reasonable timeline to
expect?
Generally, people need railing installs done in
1 to 3 weeks and will tolerate between 4 and 6
weeks. Because we are a home-builder railing
company, we had to come up with ways of
getting the timelines down
Our logic
We figured out how to get quotes done more
quickly, to keep the correct inventory in stock,
and to schedule by batch, in order to reduce
these wait times. Our focus is on installing the
project first in line, rather than giving the
highest paying clients priority. In this
framework, we always put precedence on
clients with medical needs such as someone
who has been in a car accident, or recently
come home from the hospital. We’re sure our
clients would agree, and appreciate us for
doing this.
The outcomes
We had to get creative to bring install wait
times down, so we built custom systems to
help us track it all. Our systems broke when we
went from 30 to 60 installs per week, and then
again when we went to 120 projects per week.
Each time, we became stronger, more
organized, built better systems, and focused
even more on customer satisfaction. I’m
hoping one day we can manage up to 1000
projects per week, while still providing
exceptional service. During our expansion, we
want each client to feel personally valued, that
they received the best quality for the lowest
price, and that they would recommend Ottawa
Deck and Rail to friends and family.
What we suggest
No project is too small for us. We still operate
off the same principle of finishing what we
start, and first in first out. If you’re debating
whether you want to redo your railing systems
on your front steps, deck, or small business,
the best option is to contact us in early spring,
about 3 weeks before you expect the construction to be complete, so we can ensure
you are pleased with not only the quality, but
also the time-frame of the work. The thing that
makes us happiest is when we exceed
customer expectations, and build those long
lasting relationships with clients. Whether big
or small, and no matter how much
personalized attention you need, Ottawa Deck
and Rail is pleased to support you and guide
you through your next railing project.