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Just over 12 months ago a few of us brokered with a manufacturer and were instrumental in setting up a network of uk wide agents. We offered the work out to all, the final decisions on who got what were the manufacturers(quite right). But for the first time a massive amount of the work was done by us, the independents. We proved that we could pull together a network, this site was hugely influential in spreading the word and collating data, and many friendships blossomed from the experience.
The most important thing we managed to do was to bring to the independents a manufacturer willing to pay £40.00 per call for excellent service. Over a year later and the work relationship has grown and many of us enjoy the benefits of a decent call rate.
Having learned from the experience some of us did it again and formed Network-Dasa, where we collated Dasa agents details and were again successfull in providing agent information to several interested parties. Quite a few on this site received work through those efforts. Sadly we upset several in the Dasa organisation and the idea has been shelved and put to bed by the backward thinking ones.
We all know about our shrinking numbers, we understand supply and demand. So what can be seen looking into the crystal ball?In 12 months we have all seen an increase in the rates we are paid for our efforts. This is happening now and will continue to happen…WHY.
Easy, our skills are going to become more in demand and that demand will fuel the increase. It won’t be endless but it will bring about the £45 to £50 washing machine repair. If the eu gets its way every engineer will have to have the 16th edition, how many of your engineers don’t have it now? The gas problem is with us now and gas repair renumeration has increased steadily, to ensure those of us who do it, continue.
There are just so many repairers and no training, no apprentices, no government funding no hope of an ease to the gas legislation, its a recipe for a huge shortage of manpower to service the demand.
So how do the work providers get their work done, the same applies to the manufacturers? They will all be looking to make alliances with the repairers (us) to ensure we remain loyal to them, that we are paid iaw with the going rate.
It may sound laughable but we will soon have them asking us “how much do we want” in order to buy the network they require. The lowest paid networks will find themselves without a network as we all try to offer our services to the highest bidders who demonstrate a willingness to invest into US. They have to get it right, the effect of getting it wrong are evident in my case where the manufacturer wanted to pay bottom dollar where ever it could, one guy got out to refill ink cartridges as it was more profitable.So the crystal ball says those who are already paying the correct rates will continue to keep pace and those who ignore the signs will suffer. Those who want work doing for less than £30.00 are a joke and should not be entertained by any Trade organisation. Those who are paying less than £35.00 had better watch out as firms clear space for the better contracts, who will need their services. I take my hat off to MFI for leading this industry in paying £40.00 a call for the last 12 months and look forward to the annual increase we negotiated too.(MFI profits down..its on hold 🙁 )
Oh and by the way. If the networks can’t get it right there are quite a few of us who just might do it again…and we certainly know how!
kevin
Very elequent as usual Kevin:
Network-Dasa was a concept set up by a few of us in Dasa yourself included. The idea behind it was to offer the services of Dasa members to our industry. To promote those companies who are willing to work to a recognised and registered code of practice.
I don’t think its strictly true that we upset a number of people in the Dasa Organisation, it is more to the point that they didn’t truley understand our aims. It was not to set up another work provider but merely to be a vehicle to help its members.
Sadly your are correct it has been put on the back burner, more though due to the fact that the volunteers do not have endless free time and bottomless pocketsto pursue these avenues. Also that it lost one of its major volunteers. That is you Kev, it was sad to see you leave through infortunate circumstances and it would be nice to have your input and support back in the future
Re: A crystal ball view of contract work
£40, that old magic number! 😆
But now we have a new kid on the block, Merloni! Right, stop laughing at the back there, seriously, they offered £37 for normal work and £50 for gas through NESN, now NESN weren’t doing it for nothing were they? No, so you have to assume there’s at least another £5 on that for their trouble, or lack of it as it turns out but you get the point. And all that is on primarily freestanding product!
However, as I have said and will continue to maintain, the rate isn’t the only factor. That is probably one of the primary reasons that this inituative by Merloni hasn’t panned out I suspect.
I know that Kevin is referring to MFI a lot there and it has to be said that so far in my case and others I’ve spoken to, MFI have been an utter joy to work with. They support their agents well, are realistic and most of all they actually listen to what we tell them. They also have an understanding of some of the problems that we have and do their utmost to help, in other words it’s the kind of people you actually want to work for.
If MFI can do it, why can’t others?
As Kevin also alludes to, many of us pitched in and helped MFI for basically no reward other than seeing others benefit from it although none of us take, or will take, any direct credit for it. It was simply regarded it as doing some of you guys a small favour, well in my eyes anyway and Kev’s.
But he’s right, there are fewer and fewer of us out there that can actually service contract work, still fewer with the skills required to do the job even close to correctly. In fact, in many ways, these days the shoe seems to be on the other foot to a large extent from where it was not so many years ago. Times have changed and many a WP or manufacturer either have not, or refuse to, change with them. I for one do not intend being caught in that trap.
I would, as I’m sure Kevin and others would, be only to happy to help in using the data that we have collected on agents to help out any manufacturer or whoever to build a network, but with one caveat. It has to be worth it for the people we do it for, the independent agents.
We have already started to compile a list from the data gleaned from the e-Jobs applications where repairers have expressed an interest in carrying out contract work. This data will probably turn out to be the most comprehensive list of repairers and skillsets in the UK eventually. I’m also quite sure (well I more or less know) that DASA will not object to their members also being added into that mix.
In the case of MFI it was a no-brainer, we had a company offering realistic rates with a promise and, very importantly, a history of supporting it’s agents and not just on the rate, but in terms of loyalty and working with them as well so it really was a good proposition for all concerned. If only all contracts were this easy to decide upon.
MFI were up front and honest with us from the get-go as well and, in my book, that goes a long way. So yeah, I agree wholeheartedly with Kevin, hat’s off to MFI for showing the way and, even if the rate rise doesn’t go through on time, MFI have supported me, I will reciprocate that.
As to Network DASA, well what can I say? It was a good idea, I know as we were already being kinda pushed in that direction at the time and were passing on details of repairers when asked, we still do that today and will continue to do so. UKW has always been about the promotion of the independent repairer and I see no reason for any change in that. But, as the saying goes, “if you ain’t in it, you can’t win it!” So please, if you’ve not done so already fill out the e-Jobs form and fax it back, it’ll only take you a few minutes to do it and even if you get one job from it, was it not worth the effort? And the 0870 number is only a normal national rate call, it just converts the data to an electronic format. 😉
There is no way that myself, Kevin, Dave or any of the people that we trust would ever put dross your way intentionally, I truly believe (or like to think) that you all know that from our attitudes. We have to do it ourselves, if we’re not happy with it there’s no way we’d foist it on anyone else.
So yeah, we’d do it again, or I would quite happily as we have done very quietly for the past twelve months or so for a few people helping out here and there. Some of you may have gained from it, you may not even know why, but there’s no reason for us to go around shouting about it too much. After all if we can’t help each other out then what’s the point?
K.
Re: A crystal ball view of contract work
Ken, am I on the e-jobs, if not then I will make sure I am soon. I have a lot on my plate at present including not being to good, ie; when I returned home yesterday I went strait to bed felt right yuck. What time did I return do I hear you say oh about quarter past six.
See you all soon at the DASA AGM. 8)
OT 😈
PS for those who do not know who I am and suss it out 😈 , I will buy you a drink on Friday evening 😕 .
Re: A crystal ball view of contract work
The tablets are not working oldtog, whats your post got to do with this topic.
See the medics and get some lower strength ones 😕
kevinKevin, you obviously need some medication, read my last post prior to this and you’ll see what OT is on about! :rotfl:
I had asked that people fax back the details for e-Jobs so we can add them to the database to recieve work. 😉
K.
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