Selling windows and doors online across borders may sound like a risky business model. After all, how do you convince someone living thousands of kilometres away to place an order for products they won’t see in person – and then wait weeks for delivery? For Paweł Brodzik, CEO of Fenbro, the answer lies in something surprisingly simple: trust.
From the very beginning, he understood that gaining customer confidence would be the key to building a successful international brand. As the company grew, that approach proved to be more than right. Today, Fenbro has hundreds of satisfied customers in Ireland, the UK and beyond – many of whom happily recommend the company to friends and family.
In this interview with Paweł Brodzik, we explore how trust became the foundation of Fenbro’s success, what it takes to adapt to changing market demands, and why the company’s journey is far from over.
How did you manage to convince customers that it’s possible to buy windows or doors… online?
The hardest part, without a doubt, was building trust – not just in the offer, the price, or the company, but in me personally, as the seller. Imagine you have a client from abroad, over 2500 kilometres away, and you want to sell them products worth €15,000. Products they will need to wait 8 weeks for – and, on top of that, they must pay 100% of the order value upfront. Does that sound easy? I don’t think so. The entire know-how of our company is based on building trust and credibility. That is the most important element of this business. It doesn’t matter if our prices are lower or if we offer exactly what the customer is looking for. If there’s no trust on the other side, the order will never be finalised.
We build this trust from the very first message, through open communication and hands-on support in selecting the right product. The customer has access to us at practically every stage of the process: from enquiry and placing the order, to dispatch, delivery and installation, all the way through to the end of the warranty period – and sometimes even beyond that. Our customers are genuinely thrilled when the windows and doors they receive look even better in real life than they did in the photos on our website – and when they arrive exactly when we said they would. As if that weren’t enough, a professional installer shows up on the agreed date, first thing in the morning – it’s such a surprise for them that they’re eager to share their experience with friends and family. We truly know how to build trust and the proof lies in hundreds of happy clients and five-star reviews on Google and Facebook.
What was the biggest challenge in developing this business model?
The greatest challenge is always getting to know your customer. Meeting the expectations they might have of us. I’m talking about carefully identifying their needs and at the same time helping them understand the product itself. Because, realistically, how often does someone buy windows and doors? How are they supposed to know what to look for? And this is where we excel. We provide our clients with the knowledge they need. We explain exactly what they are paying for and what they will receive from us. But first, we always make sure that their expectations align with what they actually need. We are not interested in selling a product that exceeds their requirements or budget. We want the product and the offer itself to be tailored to them – to their budget, expectations, local market requirements and personal preferences.
Constantly improving the sales model and responding quickly to the evolving needs, behaviours and trends of our customers is key to success. It’s crucial to keep the product range up to date, to adapt styles and colours to each specific market, and even to adjust the delivery method accordingly. Today’s clients want everything handled from A to Z. They don’t want to get involved in the process; they just want a final ‘wow’ effect. And that’s exactly what we deliver!
If you had to start from scratch today, would you do anything differently?
Yes, definitely. Now I know what didn’t work and what I spent too much time on without seeing any return, and in fact I even suffered losses. But at the same time, without all those tests and trials, Fenbro wouldn’t be what it is today. Building a business is a continuous process of trying, failing, and trying again until one of those attempts becomes a breakthrough. That’s why we know there are still many such trials ahead of us, because we’re determined to keep moving forward and to keep improving the current business model. We want to become the number one choice for anyone looking for their dream windows and doors!
