Absolutely is my personal view, as the last thing one wants from a double glazing company is a poor, rushed, miss-measured, badly fitted, wrongly specified or a low quality product, which can result in endless hassle trying to get it sorted. In my experience to date within the double glazing industry, it is better to take one’s time choosing the best suited energy saving product (and supplier) for your property, than run the risk of ending up with a second rate poorly installed product.

When looking at double glazing, take advantage of well established independent local firms that offer a genuine no obligation free home consultation by an experienced expert. From the outset, advise every firm you approach that you will not tolerate any hard selling tactics, plus that you will require a written quotation to consider in private. Make it clear you are not going to rush and that you will make any decision in your own time and space. Be wary of any double glazing sales person or firm that claims it can offer you delivery in only a few weeks, as ask yourself why are they not busy and able to offer delivery quicker than other firms quoting several months? If one firm has a substantially larger order book, it could well mean that more people had chosen to wait and have a longer delivery to get the firm, quality of product and workmanship they want, rather than rush to try and save money with a quick fit outfit desperate for the work.

It is all about choice, but the process of producing good quality energy efficient high quality bespoke replacement double glazing does take time. Firstly, after a client signs up, the sales consultant’s measurements, product specifications and costing have to be double checked. Then a professional surveyor needs to arrange a new appointment at the client’s convenience to take accurate exact measurements of each opening. From his survey and assessment of a particular property, the raw materials and appropriate glass is ordered. Upon receipt of these (which can take several weeks if the product required is not in standard colours or finish), the work is scheduled for production in the factory, enabling the windows and doors to be fabricated, then checked, before an installation date is set. Fitters are then assigned to carry out the installation on a mutually agreed date with the client.

Steer clear of any firm looking to cut corners in order to be able to deliver a lower cost product, as they will still be looking to make a profit out of the deal, so it may well be worth asking yourself at which point in the process will they do this? Where will they make their margin on your contract? Will there be any area of compromise? If so, will it be a) on the survey, b) on the quality of the raw materials, c) on the glass specification, d) during fabrication, e) on quality control, f) during installation or g) on after sales service? There is nearly always a reason why one firm is less and one is more, so please remember the faithful old saying that "you get what you pay for".

I would therefore be wary of sales representatives and/or firms promising a quick delivery, as if they have lots of customers ordering they can’t do them all as priority, plus if they have taken a 25% deposit off you, it is very difficult to cancel the order if they don’t achieve the delivery date promised, as they have your money. At Hazlemere Window Company we don’t take any deposit and will quote a realistic genuinely achievable delivery period. I believe we therefore offer consumers the choice of waiting a little longer and ending up with a high quality product, installation and a ten year fully comprehensive guarantee, or taking a risk on a firm who are "promising" a fast delivery.

This risk can be reduced by doing thorough research into the product, the specification on offer and each of the firms under consideration. As nowadays energy efficient double glazing is not cheap, it is worth taking one’s time and carrying out sufficient investigation into your chosen double glazing supplier and installer, to ensure you get a decent return for the investment you are making in your property. You may be fortunate enough to have a job well done, as there are some really decent local independent UK double glazing manufacturers, suppliers and installers around, so don’t be rushed into signing on the dotted line, wait till the sales representative has gone before selecting the right product for your property.