Roto City: our online customer experience

Since its launch in early 2021, the online sales tool Roto City has been expanding. We spoke to Eberhard Mammel, Head of Product Adaptation and Product Marketing at Roto Window & Door Hardware Technology, to find out more.

Hi Eberhard. Please tell us, what is Roto City?

Roto City is a cloud-based online sales tool that our teams anywhere in the world can use as the basis for their conversations with customers. It is designed to show the applications for Roto products on the windows and doors you find in a modern city and explain the benefits they bring to residents and users of buildings.

Why was it created?

We always like to use the latest digital technology if we can find a commercial benefit for it. For example, Roto embraced video conferencing from the earliest days. As you can imagine, the Coronavirus lockdowns of 2020 caused us to focus more on how we could get the most from online meetings.

How does it work?

It is very simple for our sales teams to use. They go to the web portal and log in with a password. From here, they can share their screen during a meeting with a customer on a standard online application such as Zoom and give the customer a virtual tour of the Roto City.

What type of content will they see?

The whole idea of Roto City is that we look at various buildings and the requirements of people who use them. When we look closer at the buildings we see different types of windows and doors. This gives us the chance to explain which Roto products are used on these installations and why. So it is always from the viewpoint of benefits to the customer.

Everything is designed to be very visual. We start with the overview of the fictional city, which contains offices, apartments, hotels etc. When you choose a building, cut-away views show the types of windows and doors that can be fitted in it. Where we have a Roto product to show, it is highlighted in red.

There are additional highlighted elements, which you can click on to expand pop-up text and images. As you scroll down, you get more information. Sometimes there are videos and animations to explain the concepts. We are adding to this all the time. 

Does the tour of Roto City follow a fixed pattern, or is it flexible?

It is very flexible. This is the beauty of Roto City, because there is no “script”. Instead, it is used to shape the conversation with the customer. The Roto sales person can run the meeting in the way that is appropriate for the client, at the pace they choose and at the level of technical detail required. The idea is that we talk the person through their tour, so that the conversation can develop. This makes it more involved than a slide show, and the customer is not left alone as they would be if you sent them a presentation to look at.

Is this flexibility one of the things that makes it suitable for different customers?

Exactly. It works for different types of customers and for people in various roles in those organisations. For example we could use it with architects or building developers to show the solutions we offer in different types of buildings and the advantages they bring in terms of convenience, weather sealing, noise reduction and so on. These people need only a lower level of technical information about the hardware systems. 

With window manufacturers and profile companies, the management will likely also want this “big picture” view, but when we are talking to technical or purchasing people, we can go right down to looking at individual parts. For really in-depth technical discussions, we can also access the manuals for the products from directly within the Roto City application.

Given the web-based nature, can this be used anywhere?

Indeed, this is one of the big advantages. Roto City is not just a tool for online meetings. It can also be used during face-to-face discussions with customers. You can do this anywhere. You can talk someone through it one-to-one on their laptop, or connect to a bigger screen and use it when presenting to a group of people. Whichever way, it helps us to maintain personal contact with customers. 

What developments are coming next in Roto City?

You can expect to see continuous improvement and expansion. Our target is to incorporate all products into Roto City by the end of 2022. The most imminent addition is the inclusion of all the hinge sides from our Roto AL range of aluminium systems. 

Later in May, visitors will be able to see a preview of the products that would have been shown on our stand at Fensterbau had Roto attended. This presentation will be located ‘inside’ the congress hall in Roto City.

In the future, Roto City will play an important role in the launch of new products to our customer base.

How can customers experience Roto City?

Viewing Roto City is always by sales appointment, so I would advise anyone who is interested in our solutions to get in contact with your local Roto representative or sales office.