Anthracite grey. It's modern, it's smart, it works on plenty of houses… and it seems to be absolutely everywhere.

But have we all genuinely fallen in love with the colour, or has it simply become the safe choice for anyone looking to update their garage door?

In this episode of the Garage Door Installers Podcast, James takes a light-hearted look at one of the industry's most popular colour choices, asking whether we're giving customers enough options or simply reaching for the same answer every time.

From new-build estates where everything seems to match, to the influence of brochures, showrooms and online inspiration, we explore how trends shape what customers want — and how much influence we have over those decisions as installers and salespeople.

Because there's nothing wrong with anthracite grey. But is it always the right choice?

In this episode, we cover:

• The anthracite takeover – How one colour became the go-to choice for modern homes.
• Playing it safe – Why it's so easy to recommend the popular option, and whether we're missing opportunities by doing so.
• Are customers choosing it, or are we selling it? – How brochures, websites and showroom displays influence what customers think they want.
• Thinking beyond grey – Why white, black, woodgrain and other colours deserve a place in the conversation.
• Will today's trends date? – Could anthracite grey eventually become the avocado bathroom suite of the garage door world?
• Getting the recommendation right – Why the best colour is the one that suits the property and the customer, not simply the one everyone else is buying.

The Key Takeaway

Anthracite grey isn't the problem. Automatically assuming it's the right choice is.

As installers, we have an opportunity to do more than simply quote the colour a customer asks for. By understanding the property, showing alternatives and helping customers visualise the finished result, we can give better advice and create a better experience.

And if anthracite grey still wins? Brilliant. At least it's won on merit.

The question is: are we recommending the right colour, or just the popular one?

Listen to the Garage Door Installers Podcast

The Garage Door Installers Podcast is for garage door installers, industry professionals and homeowners, covering everything from installation and products to sales, marketing, business and everything in between.

Expect practical advice, real-world experience and honest conversations from within the garage door industry.

Don't forget to subscribe, leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Join the conversation

Are you still selling anthracite grey all day long, or are you seeing customers branch out into different colours?

And have you ever suggested something different that the customer ended up loving?

Let us know what you're seeing out there. We want to hear from the people fitting the doors.

Our Sponsors

The Door Industry Journal

The Door Industry Journal is the only trade magazine targeted towards the Garage Door Industry. To receive the magazine and weekly newsletter for no cost send your details to pr@cvgroup.co.uk to get added to the distribution list.

ToolTrade

For top branded products at competitive prices, speak to ToolTrade. A leading provider of tools, fixings and sealants. To open a trade account and have some customised pricing email your enquiry to info@tool-trade.co.uk

GDIN: Bite Size - The Perfect Cup of Tea on the Job

The kettle’s on… but will it be a decent brew?

There are few things more important on a garage door installation than getting the job right. But somewhere near the top of that list has to be a decent cup of tea.

In this first episode of GDIN: Bite Size, we're tackling one of the great traditions of the trade: the customer’s cup of tea.

From the perfect brew to the customers who somehow manage to make themselves a cuppa without offering you one, we’re looking at the little things that can make a day on the tools that bit better.

Because whether it’s a brew when you arrive, one while you’re scratching your head over a tricky installation, or the cup you forget about until it’s stone cold, tea is very much part of life on the job.

And, of course, there’s the important question of how to make the perfect one. How long should you leave the bag in? How much milk is too much? And is there anything worse than being offered a cup of tea just as you’re packing the van to leave?

We’re not claiming to have all the answers. But we know a thing or two about appreciating a good brew.

In this episode, we cover:

• The importance of a decent cup of tea on the job.
• How to make a proper brew without overcomplicating it.
• The different types of customer when it comes to offering refreshments.
• The disappointment of a forgotten, stone-cold cuppa.
• Why a simple cup of tea can make a day on the tools that little bit better.

The key takeaway

A good installation is important. Good customer service is essential. But if someone offers you a brew, get your order right - and whatever you do, don't forget where you've put it.

Over to you: What’s the best cup of tea you’ve ever had on a job - and, more importantly, have you ever worked for a customer who made themselves one and didn’t offer you a cup?

Let us know. We’ve all got a story.

About Garage Door Installers Podcast (GDIN)

The Garage Door Installers Podcast brings together the people, stories and experiences behind the garage door industry. From practical advice and business lessons to the everyday realities of life on the tools, GDIN is about the trade, told by the people who work in it.

GDIN: Bite Size brings you shorter episodes, quick conversations and light-hearted observations from the world of garage doors - without needing to put the kettle on for too long.

Our Sponsors

The Garage Door Installers Podcast is proudly supported by our industry partners.

The Door Industry Journal

The Door Industry Journal is the only trade magazine targeted specifically towards the garage door industry.

To receive the magazine and weekly newsletter for no cost, contact the Door Industry Journal to get added to the mailing list.

ToolTrade

For top branded products at competitive prices, speak to ToolTrade.

ToolTrade is a leading provider of tools, fixings and sealants for trade professionals.

To open a trade account and access customised pricing, contact the ToolTrade team.

You can have the best tools in the van, but there are some tools you can't buy.

In this episode of the Garage Door Installers Podcast, we look at the unwritten toolkit of a good garage door installer - the experience, judgement and people skills that you gradually pick up after enough time on the tools.

Because fitting a garage door isn't always about following the instructions.

Sometimes it's about spotting that something doesn't look right before you've even started.

Sometimes it's knowing when to put the tools down and think.

Sometimes it's dealing with the customer who's been standing behind you watching every move for the last three hours.

And sometimes it's knowing when to admit you don't know the answer and pick up the phone.

We talk about the things that separate simply installing a door from becoming a genuinely good installer.

In this episode:

• Why your eyes can be one of your most useful tools
• The importance of common sense on awkward installations
• Knowing when to stop instead of forcing a solution
• Developing your “customer radar”
• Why communication becomes even more important when things go wrong
• How experience builds your problem-solving toolkit
• The difference between getting a door fitted and getting it fitted properly
• Knowing your limits — and why asking for help isn't a weakness
• The importance of patience when a job starts fighting back
• Why pride in your work is something you can't easily teach

And, as always, a few observations from years of working in the garage door trade.

Because the physical tools might get the door installed...

but the other toolkit is what makes you a professional.

Our Sponsors

The Garage Door Installers Podcast is proudly supported by our industry partners.

The Door Industry Journal

The Door Industry Journal is the only trade magazine targeted specifically towards the garage door industry.

To receive the magazine and weekly newsletter for no cost, contact the Door Industry Journal to get added to the mailing list.

ToolTrade

For top branded products at competitive prices, speak to ToolTrade.

ToolTrade is a leading provider of tools, fixings and sealants for trade professionals.

To open a trade account and access customised pricing, contact the ToolTrade team.

About The Garage Door Installers Podcast

The Garage Door Installers Podcast is built for garage door installers, business owners, manufacturers, suppliers and professionals working within the UK door industry.

Hosted by James Williams of Fast Fit Garage Doors, the podcast covers the products, people, challenges and business realities behind the garage door industry.

From installation and product knowledge to marketing, sales, customer experience and business growth, each episode is designed to provide practical insight from people working in the industry every day.

Whether you're a one-man installer, running a growing garage door company or working within the wider door industry, this is a podcast built to help you learn, improve and grow.