brandt

[Alex]

Re: brandt

appboy wrote:, I was thrown off the network and lost all my other D & G work.
I have made numerous requests to rejoin, but because I won’t do the Brandt work they don’t want to know!Good luck!

Phil

I’ve been awaiting this one. The reason is, I thought they would have done that to me; then I realised there is no other company in Somerset, South East Devon (where we are only 2nd Tier), South West Wilts & North Dorset that have the skills etc we carry. There are plenty out there, but not with all the skill sets and the staff levels.

They never even threatened to remove me from the network, in fact they are still going to continue passing me all other work. Maybe for the time being, but I will watch how it goes. No sad loss regards the work, but I do like D&G, and it would be a shame on their part if agents are dropped all because of one man; Oh! sorry: I meant one company. (Hush my mouth)

Alex

[admin]

Re: brandt

Thanks for the two posts appboy and alex……

Very different outcomes to the same problem. I was unavailable today for the call when it came from D&G so she is calling again tomorrow.

If I may indulge…..
I have won the D&G TEQ award for outstanding service in 2001, 2002 and came second this year 2004. I have had a close relationship with D&G for over 5 years as first tier agent. During my troubles with NESN, D&G offered me a 0{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} interest loan to help finance my defence against them( strictly confidential info, that, please)…but it sets the scene for you. Bridie and I have excellent relations with D&G, even coming to my place to discuss the WEEE directive with two others within this forum a couple of years ago.
D&G also know my involvment within this site and I have discussed with D&G how they could work with UKW in the future.

So how is Therese going to approach me with my little revolt………I can hardly wait, but I also realize that I’m replacable. I am surrounded by larger and smaller firms who would love the chance to move up.

We will see. Got Connect here in the morning at 9am hope she holds off the call until I have dealt with them first.

kevin

[kwatt]

Re: brandt

But it’s not really a revolt against DAG, it’s against Brandt. By coming up with the same lines really we’re only giving Alex a bit of support and credence to his ascertions about Brandt.

Today Alex I sat and analysed Brandt calls from 01/06 till 07/12, Kevin or Dave can forward you the mail to Therese and the spreadsheet as it makes grim reading I’ll tell you. The laugh is I didn’t have to doctor it to make it look bad, it does look bad! From memory, in that space of time I’ve lost about £670 on Brandt work and 34 calls that I could have been doing better things with.

Now, on the face of it losing £670 isn’t the end of the world, until I tell you that that sum does not include any admin or spares lying around that need sending back. Nor does it take into account the potential lost earnings from the other work I could have been doing. But that’s not the worst of the story, the worst of it is that I have lost that amount on 51 calls, over £10 a call lost!

And today I had one rejected as well as “no policy”, how fucking annoying is that? 👿

K.

[Alex]

Re: brandt

Ken, those figures are frightening.

Regretfully I never had the foresight to separate my Brandt from the rest of the D&G for accountancy purposes. However, I can drill out of the call logging system what has been Brandt & given a bit of time I may do some number crunching. The results could depress me.

The issue I have is related to the manner Brandt have been pissing me about, to date money hasn’t come into it. If I do look at it financially, it could drive me to drink.

If the silly buggers who come out this time every year could give us a bit of a breather; (My cooker went wrong last Summer & I want it done for Xmas) I will pull out some statistics.

Alex

[admin]

Re: brandt

since Ken emailed his spread sheet I’ve analised November only..time is the reason why its November only.

21 jobs in total…….invoiced.

14 x first time fixes
6 x 2 visit fixed
1 x 3 visit fixed

However 2 of the 1st time fixes are by default…appliances exchanged and we have £200.00 worth of stock with no set returns policy in place.

so 21 x £37.14 divided by 29 = £26.89 a visit…..I am covering my operating costs, but not when you deduct the spares issues.

I am not prepared to continue funding Brandt.

Full stop.

Kevin

[kwatt]

Hey Kevin you old bugger, you got off light! 😉

Needless to say I have made some “adjustments” to compensate slightly that I left out but you get the point, the figures are frightening when you look closely at them. As you have seen, only covering the raw cost simply isn’t enough to justify doing the work.

I’ve made my case to DAG, backed it up with facts, let’s see what they do.

K.

[admin]

Re: brandt

Got the call today, very pleasant chat with therese.

She has been hard at work and reports that she sent all of my nine queries to brandt and has a reply to all of them.
I will receive much more technical help from now, they will make themselves more available, I will receive tech bullitins , all spares will be accepted as returns with no postage charges, any calls cocked up by them which I attend will be paid to me.
I have also the option of Therese personally actioning any problem I may encounter.

On top of this she tells me there is a firm contract between themselves and Brandt and no review of the contract is possible until april 2005. She is committed to the UKW cause of getting to £40.00 a call minimum and D&G are wanting to get there as soon as they can. I have briefed her on the fact several manufacturers are already there.

So I have withdrawn my refusal to do the brandt work whilst I give Therese time to improve the enviroment we work in. I do expect her to come through and will monitor the situation with Brandt carefully, I will expect more from D&G in the next 4 months. However I must stress that we get an 80{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} uptake of the private calls passed by Brandt at my labour rate of £80.00 plus vat, this did have a deciding factor in my decision today. It makes it easier to live with whilst I see some improvement.

Kevin.

[Alex]

Re: brandt

kheath wrote:I will receive much more technical help from now, they will make themselves more available, I will receive tech bullitins , all spares will be accepted as returns with no postage charges, any calls cocked up by them which I attend will be paid to me.
Kevin.

Sounds good.

Being the cynic I am; Why has this not happened before?

Why did we never get any technical help? never be able to arrange returns? and what bulletins?

What have they been able to put in place to address this? Will we ever see it?

Moreover, why hasn’t Brandt picked up the bloody phone, followed up any of our issues and at least listened to our cries of help? There has never been any effort on their part to work in a partnership & a Leopard never changes its spots.

Regretfully poor old D&G are left carrying the can. Roll on 17th December. Unless Santa has something special for us!

Alex

[admin]

Re: brandt

Alex, I think I’m getting updates electronically so will forward bulletins and tech info to you in due course.
Can’t answer your questions but will test the returns situation this coming week…again will let you all know how I get on.

Kevin

[admin]

Re: brandt

Delivered by hand by a Brandt roving engineer, “2004” Technical manual. Its basically what you see on agora but all printed off and bound up in a large folder.

3 x telephone numbers to use for technical, in order of use.

01256 308022…Brian

07718 339 421.. Charles

07718 339 422 ..Martin

Apparantly Brian has tech info on his desk.

Kevin

[kwatt]

I have that book as well, load of useless shite basically.

I also got a load of training material, which is pretty much useless without the training to go with it but better than bugger all I expect.

Very poor thus far.

K.

[admin]

Re: brandt

The offer of any training came today also, as yet have not made the call to organise as want to ask the engineers first.

Will let you know whats on offer when I know myself.

Kevin

[admin]

Re: brandt

Almost forgot……..

I took the chance of introducing Charles the Brandt engineer to the UKW site, gave him our card, seemed interested.

Explained how he could join in(the fun) especially with technical help direct to the guy asking for it.

He lives in SOS so who knows 😆 😆 😆

[admin]

Re: brandt

I kicked off a couple of months ago about Brandt to Therese, the following day I got the same visit as Kevin, from Charles.

Same offer of help same book all contact numbers given and so forth.

The problem what you have got is getting them to answer the numbers they give you. The next problem is as far as technical help goes its non existent, they don’t know their arse from their elbow.

On two occassions I have requested that they attend a call as they are unable to supply technical, on both occassions Charles has tried to drop us in it with the customers. Fortunately we had had good relationships with these customers and they told him so. Needless to say he didn’t solve the problem. One he had to exchange and one threatened to take them to court because of his fiasco. They gave this customer a full refund via us.

Lets see if you have more success Kev. As you say the best thing is the chargeable work you pick up

[admin]

Re: brandt

Thanks Jason, I have decided to go to the end of January and review the situation then.

The bottom line is I will not continue to work for nothing, however I am at least breaking even on this work(without chargeable). So end of January and we’ll see.
Whatever I do, I will do alone, as I do want D&G thinking were ganging up, especially if they are willing to up the money at that time.

Kevin

[Author]

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