ASK JOE HETZEL

By Joe Hetzel, DASMA Technical Director

Q: What could happen to the products I sell if standards are written without DASMA input?

Joe: This is a major concern of DASMA. As the prime source for industry technical expertise, we seek to be involved in writing any standard that affects our products.

However, this does not stop others from independently writing standards without our input. If DASMA is left out of the writing process, you might see codes or laws that contain inaccurate performance data, unnecessary and unrealistic requirements for product designs, or demands for product designs that do not effectively perform their intended function.

Fortunately, DASMA’s reputation is growing. More standards developers are now referencing DASMA standards and using language that we wrote from an informed industry perspective.

Q. I’ve been reading about the new DASMA garage door label program. How will this program help dealers?

Joe: The Certified Performance label program helps dealers sell products and educate customers. Here are four examples of how the label helps dealers:

1. One Stop. One label provides the convenience of a one-stop place for important garage door performance ratings: wind resistance, cycle life, thermal efficiency, and fire compliance.
2. No Guessing. The label takes the guesswork out of identifying the performance of the product. Dealers will no longer need to sift through paperwork or make phone calls to verify performance information.
3. Product Comparisons and Up-selling. The label provides a uniform method of comparing product performance. This is helpful not only in comparing competitors’ products, but it also shows customers the extra value in higher performing products.
4. Credibility. An independent third party verifies all label ratings and supporting documentation. This gives the program credibility and clout.