Fixing Patio Door Problems For Twin
Cities Homeowners
The Change Was Slight, But It Meant All The
World To The Team At Zen Windows
Lots of local homeowners have sliding patio doors in the Twin Cities area. They’re popular, in large part, because they give you a convenient way to join your indoor and outdoor spaces.
At Zen Windows Twin Cities, we specialize in providing replacement sliding doors for your patio entryway. In fact, we install quite a few of them in a typical year.
Most of the time, our door installations go exactly as planned. However, occasionally, we run into some unexpected setbacks.
That’s what happened when we installed new patio doors for Sarah S. and her family. During this installation, we made a modest change in plan to accommodate the circumstances as we found them.
But Sarah wasn’t pleased with the change. It left her with doors that didn’t look exactly as she had envisioned them.
We knew we had only adjusted to the needs of the situation. However, we also knew we had disappointed our customer.
So what did we do? We started over from scratch, free of charge, with a slightly different set of doors.
In the end, Sarah was more than pleased. And we got a great lesson in checking in with our customers on even the tiniest project details!
Installing The First Set Of Replacement Patio Doors
In the fall of 2024, Sarah ordered a new set of sliding patio doors from Zen Windows Twin Cities. The doors she bought were almost an exact match for the ones she was replacing.
However, due to manufacturing differences, they were narrower by about half an inch.
This level of variance is not uncommon in our line of work. In fact, our seasoned installation crews see it all the time. To deal with such small differences, they’ve developed a range of simple workarounds.
These workarounds can lead to slight alterations in the appearance of a sliding patio door.
But the door turns out essentially the same.
In all our contracts, there are terms allowing us to take this step as needed. What’s more, most homeowners don’t notice the change. And the vast majority of those who do notice it don’t mind it one bit.
So, when our team arrived at Sarah’s home, they took a business-as-usual approach. To make up for the difference in door width, they made a few adjustments that were almost entirely hidden within the adjoining wall.
But to completely cover the change in width, they also had to add a small amount of door trim. The end result was a visually seamless installation that upheld our rigorous standards for quality work.
There was just one problem. Our team never discussed the change with Sarah. They just assumed the alteration was so small that it didn’t matter.
But it mattered to Sarah. And she didn’t hesitate to tell us.
Sarah had two main issues. First, her new doors, pretty as they were, weren’t exactly as she expected. Just as importantly, no one ever told her that the change was going to be made.
We knew beyond a doubt that we had disappointed our customer. And that’s unacceptable. So we quickly devised a plan to remedy the situation for Sarah and her family!
New, New Doors For This Tri-State Area Project
Some local window companies might argue that all they did was alter the installation process to suit the job at hand. As noted, this isn’t unusual in our industry.
In fact, it’s allowable under the typical terms of installation.
If we weren’t Zen Windows Twin Cities, we might have pointed to the fine print and told Sarah she was out of luck. But that’s just not how we handle difficult situations.
When our owner, Steve, heard what had happened, he didn’t hesitate. He called Sarah and apologized for the lack of communication on the change in plan.
He also ordered an entirely new set of slightly wider sliding patio doors for her home. At no additional charge.
Given the time of year, we couldn’t install the new doors immediately. Instead, we had to wait until spring to get the job done. But despite this weather-related time lag, we ultimately came through for Sarah and her family.
Your Solution-Forward Door And Window Specialists
What did we learn from Sarah’s situation? More than anything, it emphasized the need for crystal-clear customer communication in all circumstances.
But it also reinforced our commitment to solving problems rather than making things difficult for our customers. If we can come through for Sarah and her family, we’re certain we can do the same for you.
To get your sliding patio door project started, contact Zen Windows Twin Cities today for a free estimate. We’re standing by to provide you with the best customer service you’ll find in the Twin Cities area!