Thanks to the quality of its work and a clear willingness to help charitable causes, Finesse Windows Limited has been named Which? Trusted Trader of the Month for July 2021.

This isn’t the first time that the company, now supported by a team of 38 hard-working employees, has impressed our judging panel – Finesse Windows Limited previously scooped a Trader of the Month award in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

We had a chat with Russell Bridge, managing director at Finesse Windows Limited, to find out more on how the company has grown over the years.

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A business that sticks to its values

Based in the West Midlands, Finesse Windows Limited deals with double glazing installation, conservatory repairs, replacement windows and more. This year, the company celebrated its 40th birthday.

We asked Russell what makes him proud to work at Finesse Windows Limited. He replied: ‘Where to start? We all work hard every day to provide the best products and best experience for our customers – sticking to the philosophy of the founding fathers of the business over 40 years ago.

‘I’m proud to say that so many of our staff have been with us for decades. We are truly a family business in every sense of the word, conducting our business in a kind and caring way – from design stage all the way through installation and to the 10th year of aftercare.’

Reacting to the July 2021 result, Issy Player, Which? Trusted Traders account manager, said: ‘This is the third year in a row that Finesse Windows has won our prestigious award, which is testament to the fantastic work that Russell and the team carry out.

‘Since being endorsed, Finesse Windows has embraced the values of Which? and proudly promotes its Which? Trusted Traders endorsement through creative use of the logo. The steps that the company has put in place to make customers feel safe during the pandemic is amazing and really demonstrates that it goes above and beyond to support its customers.’

Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic

Like many other businesses around the country, Finesse Windows Limited has had to make significant changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Russell told us the past three months have proved to be ‘a challenge like no other’.

He said: ‘We’ve experienced a deep lull over the winter months, followed by an explosion in demand ever since the easing of Covid restrictions in March. This is extremely welcome news but, as with all change, it’s coupled with many new challenges.

‘Our priority, in all situations, is the quality of the experience we are providing for our customers. We realise that communication is key when it comes to the experience we provide. As a result, we’ve had to adapt and rethink our communication process in response to the new challenges we’re facing. We’ve been as transparent as possible with our customers so they understand likely timescales, also offering extra information as to the process on the day of installation.’

The company has now introduced physical barriers to remind customers to stay at least 2 metres away from Finesse’s installers.

‘This is very important for our staff and clients alike. We also find the barrier helps to reassure customers that they are dealing with a company that takes Covid protocols seriously.’

Happy customers praise Finesse Windows Limited

At the time of writing, Finesse Windows Limited has a near-perfect customer rating on the Which? Trusted Traders website. Proudly displaying a 4.9-star rating (based on more than 250 reviews), the company has scored high marks for customer service, quality of work and value for money.

The latest review posted to our website says: ‘We used Finesse windows to replace our old wooden ones. From start to finish, the company was superb. Finesse workers came and assessed our needs quickly and we didn’t have to wait long for them to start the work.

‘The quality is excellent and the workmanship is superior. We live in a very old house where nothing is square, so Finesse took time and trouble to make sure that the finishing was perfect. I would give them 10 stars if I could.’

Another delighted customer was blown away by the results. They said: ‘I would recommend Finesse Windows unreservedly. I found the company to be extremely professional, helpful and friendly, as well as reasonably priced.

‘From start to finish, the people we dealt with were friendly, helpful and went above and beyond what was expected of them. The quality of the work was excellent, and I would definitely use Finesse again and recommend them without hesitation. Well done!’

Feedback from our judging panel was just as positive. One of our judges said that Finesse ‘clearly embraces the Which? Trusted Traders values’. Another judge added: ‘Finesse has gone above and beyond to make customers feel safe during the pandemic, which is great.’

Helping those in need

Charity work has always been very important to Finesse. In the company’s application to become the Which? Trusted Trader of the Month, we read plenty of stories to support this.

Russell told us: ‘Following on from our fundraising work last year to support University Hospital Birmingham, we were invited to take part in a social media campaign to try to encourage other companies to do the same.

‘Helping our local nurses and doctors has been very important to us for obvious reasons. Recently, we've taken a very personalised approach and have been sending bouquets of flowers to any customers who identify themselves as NHS workers. We do this to show our appreciation for all of their hard work.’

The team at Finesse are currently in training for the Birmingham half marathon. On race day, the runners will be sporting Which? Trusted Traders headbands and raising money for University Hospital Birmingham and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

‘We’ve also recently made a small donation to a local school to help facilitate a “dog mentor” scheme within the school. This innovative programme helps to support children’s learning and provides another tool to help the school approach its teaching in a very individual and personal way for children who may need extra support.’

Advice for ambitious traders

Finesse Windows Limited is proud of its affiliation with Which? Trusted Traders. In fact, the company has recently introduced a new page on its website dedicated to its relationship with Which?. We’re told that the aim is to ‘educate and reassure potential clients as to the process that Which? Trusted Traders go through.’

Speaking about the Which? Trusted Traders logo, Russell told us: ‘We couldn’t resist commissioning a huge new sign for the front of our building showing off our achievement. On top of that, all Finesse vans feature the Which? Trusted Traders logo. But the most recent vans are the most precious to us – they feature our 40-year anniversary message alongside the logo!’

Finesse has also replenished its stock of show boards, which are placed at every job the company works on. Of course, those show boards feature the Which? Trusted Traders logo, which helps to spread the word locally. The company also features the iconic logo on its social media pages.

We asked the Finesse managing director what he would say to other traders thinking about joining the Which? Trusted Traders scheme.

‘Only do it if you’re serious about taking your business to a new level. [Joining Which? Trusted Traders] is an opportunity to re-evaluate your systems and processes to align more closely with your customer's needs and expectations.

‘If your aim is to improve your business and find more customers who are motivated by quality and service, my advice would be to grab the opportunity with both hands.’

Congratulations to Finesse Windows Limited for winning July 2021’s Which? Trusted Trader of the Month award.

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