June 20, 2005
Dear Mr. Gilkey,
I'm not sure how many letters you receive complimenting you on the quality of your windows, service or a combination of both, but I'm going to guess, not too many. It's not because they aren't satisfied with your products. My guess, if they're like my family, they couldn't be happier. You see, it's just that most people never bother to take the time to share a positive experience, or inform those involved after the fact, just how satisfied they were with their entire experience. With that said, you can add my name to that long list of satisfied customers who never penned you a letter, until now, to tell you what a quality company you have.
I'll explain. Nearly eleven years ago, I purchased thirteen replacement windows and a sliding patio door from your company. This spring, as we've done periodically, we removed every one of our windows and cleaned them inside and out, including the casing. During the process we noticed that on one of the windows, the mechanism that restricts the full aperture of the window had deteriorated and was no longer functional. This prompted me to make a phone call to your office here in Dayton (Miamisburg), to inquire about the availability of a replacement part. The following represents what prompted me to write you this letter.
I phoned your local office in Dayton and spoke with Wayne English. Mr. English was extremely helpful. He was quick to inform me that his office was a sales office, but immediately provided me with an 800 number and the names of a couple of Service Representatives I needed to speak with to resolve my problem. I then proceeded to call your office in Cincinnati, and asked to speak with Lois. Lois was courteous, knowledgeable and very pleasant to deal with. She was able to quickly look up my sales record and not only knew the date of installation, but my window type, color and the exact part I would need to resolve my problem. She apologized for not being able to mail out my part in that day's mail, as it had already come and gone, but assured me it would go out the next day and that she would include a couple of extras, just in case. She also stated that if I had any problems doing the installation, to call back and she would dispatch a service representative to assist in the effort. Oh, and by the way, did I mention that there was never any discussion of any charges involved!
As a former General Manager of a manufacturing facility that employed nearly 150 people, I realize that the importance of having good people in all facets of the operation, from sales to manufacturing. With that said, I felt compelled to let you know that not only are your products worthy of distinction for the quality and reliability the afford the consumer, the same can be said for the personnel that represent Gilkey Window Company.
Congratulations to you and much continued success.
Sincerely,