From the showroom floor: WincovER in action at Premier Shades

When customers walk into Premier Shades, comfort and heat control are typically front of mind, even before energy efficiency enters the conversation. General Manager Jessica Hawksley explains how WincovER, the energy rating program developed by the Window Shading Association of Australia (WSAA), has changed the way Premier Shades supports those conversations with evidence rather than experience alone.

What are customers typically looking for, and how do energy efficiency and comfort factor into their decisions?

Customers are looking for window furnishings that combine functionality with style, something that solves a practical problem, whether that’s privacy, light control, insulation or comfort. As we head into summer, we see far more customers focused on keeping heat out, particularly with windows and verandas. A veranda that becomes unbearable in summer often just doesn’t get used, so an external shade can make a big difference to how people use their outdoor space. Energy efficiency isn’t always the first thing customers mention, but they’ll often talk about how hot it is and how they want to keep the heat out.

Before WincovER, how did you explain energy performance or potential savings to customers?

We’d explain that external shades are one of the best ways to prevent heat reaching the glass in the first place, based on years of experience and information from fabric suppliers, but without a simple tool to demonstrate the difference with actual modelling and data. We’d keep it fairly simple: if you let the sun heat the glass, that heat transfers into the room and your air conditioning works much harder to counteract it.

What appealed to you about WincovER when you first saw it?

The biggest appeal was having actual data to support our conversations around energy efficiency. I particularly like being able to demonstrate the benefit of motorisation: it isn’t just about convenience; there’s an efficiency benefit when blinds are operated at the right times. It’s also useful when recommending an external shade over an internal blind for heat control. Instead of just telling a customer an external shade will perform better, we can show them.

How are you using WincovER in practice?

We’ve probably used it more as a training and education tool than in every single customer consultation. We’ve created laminated examples our team can use to demonstrate the best ways to insulate against heat and cold, useful for training staff and for showing customers on site. We’ve also used it in our local community; we letterbox dropped our local eco village, since those residents are particularly conscious of energy efficiency, to show that window furnishings play a real role in a home’s overall energy performance.

Who uses WincovER at Premier Shades, and how has it fitted into your sales process?

Our office staff and sales representatives use it, particularly as a training resource and when we want to support an energy-efficiency recommendation. It’s fitted easily into our existing process because it doesn’t replace the conversation, it supports it; we can still talk to customers simply but now have something to refer to when they want more detail. It’s especially valuable for new staff, giving them confidence when explaining what different indoor window furnishings and outdoor shades can actually do.

Can you walk us through a real customer conversation where you used WincovER?

A customer came into the showroom looking for a roller blind to reduce heat through a window. We explained the importance of keeping heat off the glass in the first place and showed them WincovER’s modelling comparing an external shade with different internal roller blind options. Being able to actually show the difference was quite powerful: they could see the outdoor shade would deal with the heat before it reached the glass, rather than trying to manage it once it was already inside. They ended up choosing an outdoor shade instead of the roller blind they’d originally come in for. That’s a good example of WincovER helping us move from simply recommending a product to actually demonstrating why we’re recommending it.

Has WincovER changed the way you explain the value of different products to customers?

It’s given us more backup to the information we were already providing. I’ve been selling blinds for around sixteen years, so I’ve heard plenty of the evidence around energy efficiency and feel reasonably knowledgeable, but having the modelling and proof behind the different options makes the conversation much stronger. It also means we can explain things in simple, accessible terms customers understand, rather than getting too technical.

Does having modelled results help give your team more confidence?

Definitely. It gives the team confidence because they know they’re not just making a claim based on what they’ve been told: they have information behind the recommendation. That’s particularly valuable for newer staff, who can use WincovER to help explain why we might recommend an outdoor shade, a particular blind or motorisation. It helps us sound knowledgeable, but more importantly, it helps the team actually become more knowledgeable.

Has it helped shift conversations away from price alone and towards longer-term value?

I’m not sure I’d say it’s completely shifted the conversation away from price; customers will always consider price. Where it helps is with upselling and showing the value of upgrading: explaining why a customer might consider an outdoor shade over an internal blind for heat control, or why motorisation may be worthwhile. It gives us another reason for the customer to consider the higher-performing option rather than simply the cheapest one.

What do you see as the biggest benefit of WincovER for a window furnishing retailer?

For me, the training component is extremely valuable. Once you train your staff to understand what different blinds and outdoor shades can do, they’re much better equipped to educate customers and recommend the right solution. The second benefit is having the evidence to support those recommendations: it lets us move the conversation beyond simply saying “this is what we recommend.” Ultimately, it helps us educate customers so they can make the best decision for their home.

What would you say to another retailer who’s considering using WincovER?

It’s a really useful tool for training your team and educating your customers. It helps new staff understand the energy-efficiency benefits of different products, while giving experienced salespeople the data to back up what they’re already telling customers. It’s particularly useful for demonstrating the value of upgrading to outdoor shades, motorisation or more comprehensive treatments, rather than just selling a basic roller blind. You don’t need to use it with every customer, but having it available when someone wants more information, or when you’re recommending an upgrade, can make a real difference.

Members interested in bringing WincovER into their own sales and training process can find out more through wsaa.au.