Former RbA Employee: Look Beyond the Polished Sales Pitch
Former RbA Employee: Look Beyond the Polished Sales Pitch I'm a former RbA Portland employee who worked as a Design Consultant selling RbA projects to homeowners. I'm writing because homeowners and job seekers deserve to understand what I experienced behind the company's polished public image. I came away with serious concerns about the sales culture, customer experience, and reputation management. The sales process I was trained on focused heavily on closing during the initial appointment. Failing to close was treated as a lost opp, with no follow-up needed. Customers were presented with urgency around same-day discounts and encouraged toward expensive options. For a purchase that can cost tens of thousands of dollars and more, get multiple independent bids and give yourself time to think. RbA isn't the only way to purchase Andersen-made windows. Andersen products are available through independent dealers and qualified contractors. Compare those options before assuming RbA is your only choice. Early in my experience, leadership asked whether I had received my first angry customer calls yet. I was told these calls were simply part of the job, experienced salespeople ignore them, and an overseas team handled angry customers so sales could focus on selling. I subsequently encountered customers dealing with project complications and unexpected costs. Ask before signing what happens when unexpected conditions arise, what the contract and warranty cover, and who pays for work outside the initial scope. I would also question whether a branded installation process is automatically superior to every qualified independent contractor. Ask what is actually proprietary, who performs the installation, their qualifications, and what the warranty covers. My most serious concern involved Google reviews. I was encouraged by RbA leadership to solicit positive Google reviews from people who were not necessarily customers. I was specifically told I could ask essentially anyone, including family, friends, and even my “mail carrier” to leave an RbA Google review, provided they agreed to give five stars. I am not claiming every positive RbA review is fake. I'm stating what I personally experienced and was instructed to do. When non-customers are encouraged to post 5-star reviews, those ratings affect the overall score and make genuine customer experiences difficult to distinguish. That raised serious concerns for me about whether the public five-star rating accurately reflects customer experience. For prospective employees: Ask about same-day closing expectations, quotas, turnover, unhappy customers, and the substantial gas and equipment expenses employees pay out of pocket. Also ask how often reps are sent to appointments that have already cancelled or are otherwise unqualified, wasting significant time and personal expense. If possible, speak with current and former employees before accepting the job. There are good people working at RbA Portland, and the product may be appropriate for some homeowners. But based on what I experienced, I would not endorse the sales model and would never hire RbA for my own home. Finally, don't assume the premium price means better value. In my research, comparable Andersen Fibrex products with similar specifications and installation scope could potentially cost substantially less through qualified independent contractors. In the comparisons I reviewed, the difference was 30%–66% more money for the same project with RbA than with other equally qualified installers putting in, all things considered, equal fibrex products. Enough of a price increase for the same end product to convince me the RbA premium deserves scrutiny. This was just my research, do your own. Important Distinction: Andersen Windows & Doors (orange logo) is the established manufacturer with more than a century of history based in MN. Renewal by Andersen (green logo) is a separate replacement-window business within the Andersen organization. Key Fact: RbA also operates through independently owned affiliates. The Portland RbA is an independently owned affiliate, not Andersen Windows & Doors and not RbA Corporate. Yet, it operates as the RbA name and benefits from the recognition and reputation of the Andersen brand by using the vague term 'affiliate.' That distinction matters when a project goes wrong. A homeowner contracting with a local RbA affiliate is dealing with that local business, not directly with Andersen Windows & Doors or RbA Corporate. Know exactly which entity you're contracting with and who is responsible when problems arise. Andersen, RbA Corporate, and a local RbA affiliate are not the same entities. Know who you're working with.