The Zen Story
The Beginning of Zen Windows
Zen Windows was founded by Daniel Wolt in 1998. After spending more than a decade in the window industry, Mr. Wolt found that it had become a broken model and set out to reverse that by opening a company that would treat its clients like family.
His first step was to align himself with only the best window manufacturers with impeccable reputations and solid, time-tested products. From there, he hired only the best people in the trade, from customer care concierges to expert window technicians. He then created a company culture in which every employee was trained to adopt a “customer first” ethos.
Realizing that most customers had encountered previous dealings with contractors who did not meet their expectations, Mr. Wolt implemented a NO MONEY DOWN policy, ensuring his clients total satisfaction upon completion of their project before any money was to be paid to Zen Windows.
Lastly, the Zen Windows model completely did away with the in-home sales presentation. Zen clients are delighted to be able to shop online, on their time, with no high-pressure sales.
The new model has been a smashing success. In its first few years, Zen Windows was praised by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and countless other publications and websites.
From 2016 to today, based on its unprecedented high ratings with Angie’s List, almost every Zen Windows location won the esteemed Super Service Award. Zen was the only retail vendor to be showcased at the National Annual Angie’s List Festival of Service in Indianapolis in 2015.
In 2012, Zen Windows was named a “2012 Remodeling Magazine BIG 50 Award Winner” for its remarkable industry impact. Zen Windows was the only window company, selected out of 685,000 contractors nationally, to be so recognized. Then, in 2015, the mayor of Columbus, Ohio elected Mr. Wolt, to the very prestigious Board of Review of General/Home Improvement Contractors. This organization determines which contractors should receive licenses to perform services in Columbus, as well as approves permits and arbitrates disputes between property owners and contractors.
In January of 2020, Kyle Derstler joined the company as co-owner and CEO of Zen Windows. With the combination of his master’s degree in Business and Accounting, as well as his years of running tremendously successful Zen Windows locations, Mr. Derstler was the perfect fit to continue to grow Zen Windows as a National Brand. As CEO, he is responsible for building on the company’s values and past successes as Zen Windows continues its rapid growth nationwide.
Zen Windows continues to grow nationally to service almost every major market in the United States. Even with the rapid advancement of technology since Zen’s inception, one thing has never changed: all clients have direct access to the owner throughout the entire process.
About Zen Windows
Buying windows and doors doesn’t have to be a hassle, but more often than not, it’s a stressful, lengthy experience full of half-informed decisions and decidedly nontransparent interactions. When you work with Zen Windows, however, you’ll benefit from our unique stress-free buying process, our experienced and expert sales, installation, and support staff, and much more. We want to make sure window buying is as painless for you as it can be, so you can focus on getting the details right to make your home more beautiful, more comfortable, more efficient, more valuable.
