McCann Window Northbrook Chicago IL

847-562-1212 | 3375 Commercial Ave. | Northbrook, IL 60062

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A Window into Serving Generations

From time to time, I take the opportunity to write about my business philosophy as we have developed it at McCann Window and Exteriors throughout our more than 20 years in business. Working with multiple generations in our network of North Shore customers matters deeply to me, as does the reciprocal nature of the relationships we have developed among our customers in Deerfield, Northbrook, and other North Shore Chicago communities.

I have written about the importance of community to our business, and we recently completed a job that reinforced our community commitment even more.

We have worked with a Deerfield real-estate agent twice over the years when we bought and sold our homes here. She has become a good friend, and we’ve done work on her home and, more recently, the homes of two of her daughters.

A few weeks ago, we replaced windows for one of her daughters. She and her husband are expecting their first child. Given the importance of such a life event, we made sure the job was completed to the couple’s satisfaction well before the birth. They had enough things to worry about, and windows didn’t have to be one of them. We took extra care to make sure that the mother-to-be was not exposed to any harmful fumes. And I related my experience in becoming a father to a nervous first-time dad.

Our efficiency, attention to detail, and strict concern for customer safety are always inherent in our work. But the deep feeling of satisfaction I felt from helping that couple prepare for life as a family makes this project stand out to me. I know the father appreciated my advice, and I know our long-time friend liked the care we gave to her daughter and new grandchild. And who knows, the child may one day become a third-generation customer!

 

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Becoming the North Shore Replacement "Window Guy"

I heard an interview on the radio the other day with author Peter Lovenheim, who has written a book about getting to know his neighbors. Called In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time, it reports on his experience of realizing that he did not know the people on his street very well and his determination to change that.

The story behind the book and Lovenheim’s experience in meeting people he’s lived on the street with for years but has never really known is fascinating, and it reminded me of why I started McCann Window and Exteriors and started selling replacement windows in the North Shore in the first place.

I wanted to know people in the community, and I wanted to have a positive influence in neighborhoods.

I remembered in particular one customer, Linda Lewison. We replaced her windows on the 3900 block of Fargo St. in south Skokie about 10 years ago.

Linda loved the work we did. She was the hub of the block and told all her neighbors about her new windows.

Not only that, she got six or eight of them to have us install new windows. And she went around to all of the home after we had finished to make sure they were satisfied.

I started in business to be the area’s “window guy” in the North Shore, and Linda helped me see how that was indeed possible. I liked hearing about Peter Lovenheim’s book because I’m glad to know that people like Linda are still out there keeping neighborhoods together one conversation at a time.

Read a transcript of an interview with Peter Lovenheim.