Essential questions to ask customers before you quote - GfA UK

Have you ever arrived on site to discover the environment isn’t suitable for the solution the customer has requested?

How can we help?

By asking the right questions.

From airports to warehouses, fire stations to food manufacturing plants, spray booths to jet engine testing facilities, there aren’t many industrial door environments or requests that our Technical Sales team haven’t come across.

We asked GfA experts for their top questions that you can ask customers to help you get the right brief and source the right solution the first time.

1. Where is the door or shutter from/to - does it close off a warehouse loading bay or segregate cold storage from public areas?
   
   
2. What are the full functions the door or shutter is being used for?
   1. Building access/exit
   2. Physical safety barrier
   3. Security
   4. Fire safety
   5. Environmental factors - to prevent pest ingress, odour escaping or to block noise
      
      
3. What type of traffic will use the door?
   1. i.e vehicles only or pedestrians too
      
      
4. Is the door wide enough for two-way traffic? A traffic control system might be needed.

Factors that could effect the operation or performance of the door or controls

1. What is the expected number of operations daily/hourly?
   1. It may be in constant use or have peak times in a day that will make durability essential
      
      
2. Are there harsh/unsafe environmental conditions to consider?
   1. Extreme high/low temperatures
   2. Humidity
   3. Condensation
   4. Explosive risk - fumes/dust
   5. High winds on exposed external doors.

Operating the door- how does the customer want it to work?

1. What's the trigger for it to open/close? For example:
   1. Manual operation on/near the door - push button, access code
   2. Automated operation near the door/on the vehicle/employee - sensor, remote control
      
      
2. Is the electricity supply to the door single or 3-phase?
   
   
3. Is it a standalone door or designed to work in sequence with others? And therefore requiring a more complex control system.

For help to spec the right solution for your application, please reach out.