The times are changing in more ways than one. Aside from everything happening in the news nowadays, technology is changing the way we work, shop and live. From online shopping to virtual tours, more and more of the goods and services we require are becoming available online. And as leaders in the home improvement market, we feel the responsibility of adopting emerging technologies as they pertain to your custom exterior renovations. While our one-of-a-kind village-style showrooms offer a unique shopping experience, we also understand that some people prefer to do things online and virtually. From simple things like email and video calls to more sophisticated offerings like online quoting and 3D render previews, we now have online and virtual services in place to help you through every step of the renovation process.
Introducing The Van Dolder’s Virtual Home Team.
Communication
Communication is key to any shopping experience. You want to make sure your needs and wants are heard, and we want to make sure you know what is going on every step of the way. To do this, we’re turning to our smartphones. Phone calls, text messages and emails are nothing new, but now more than ever they are essential in maintaining a constant, reliable line of communication between you and our Sales Team and Installers. On top of these familiar methods, our Sales Team are also now available via video call to virtually show you around our showrooms. Using video call services like Zoom and Facetime, we’ll be able to work together every step of the way while still having the capability to show you real products, colours and finishes in our showrooms.
Online Product Previews
Technology continues to evolve every day, and because of this, the screens on our phones, computers and televisions now provide us with life-like colours and picture. And while this means the best possible experience when watching your favourite movie or sports team, it also means the same when shopping for new windows, siding, doors and more. Using the customizer services available on our supplier websites, customers can see life-like representations of colours, finishes and other options.
Looking for inspiration and real-life uses of the products you’re considering? For starters, head over to our Project Gallery page to see completed photos of various projects we’ve worked on as well as the products we used. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for there, we highly recommend searching by hashtag on platforms like Instagram. Many brands, including ours, add descriptive hashtags to social media posts to help customers when looking for a specific colour or product. You can try general searches like #Gentek if you’re unsure of the product or colour you want, but you can also try more specific searches like #WindsweptSmoke if you know exactly what you’re looking for.
For brands that have Instagram accounts, we also suggest visiting their profiles to check out the content they have shared as well as what they have been tagged in for additional inspiration.
3D Model Previews
Once you’ve determined the scope of your project and have narrowed down your product choices, whether by visiting our suppliers online or by working with one of our team members, it’s time for the real fun to begin. Using new technology that has recently become available to us, our staff are now able to digitally recreate your home from images you supply so you can preview real-life products in-situation. Can’t decide between Iron Ore or Black windows? We can show you both. How about Snow White siding or Linen siding? We can show you that too.
Online Quoting
And as an added bonus, we can also now provide accurate quotes based on the images you supply. No need to worry about scheduling a time for us to come and manually measure your home, our visualization tool provides accurate measurements that our Sales Team can use to provide you with a quote. And only once you have decided to proceed with your project will our team visit your home to confirm exact measurements— reducing the number of required visits and speeding up the project process.
Like many other industries and aspects of our lives, home improvement is adapting to the growing online nature of the world. And as this transition takes place and more and more clients choose to handle their next project virtually, our staff will be ready to provide you with The Home Team experience you’d expect— whether you choose to visit one of our showrooms or not.
We’re excited to enter the virtual world and for the opportunity to share the experience with you.
If you’re ready to get started on your next project, use the contact form below to get in touch with a Virtual Home Team member.