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Re: DASA!
I think I will make my posting a couple of pages up stay where it is for now. I may put it on the DASA heading at a later date, but I think I may have done enough damage as it were.
Couple of things of interest.
I spoke to a repair agent yesterday, he has 74 staff on his books & still a family business. Not all staff were service related but nevertheless you can imagine his DASA subscription.
March 2003 he wrote to Chris in much about the same vein as my letter, (Is it all worth it) and he never had a reply. He was questioning VFM and asked them to justify their existance even, he made it plain he was prepared to renew the following year, but needed some reassurances etc.
Typically, bugger all happened and he hasn’t renewed.
Secondly I had an e-mail from an ex high ranking member of DASA who was in on the inception of the whole thing. He is fully aware of the state of affairs and I think he feels the death knell is looming. See Quote, I haven’t included the whole text as this was his personal feeling and some things are best left unsaid.
A trade organisation needs two things to make it successful,
1. A person at the head with a good understanding of the industry and with some drive and energy to keep up with all the requirements and needs expected by the members in the association.
2. A membership that is prepared to support the association and it’s aims and to ensure it remains fully funded.
It seems to me that DASA had lost it’s way on both counts, and maybe that was nobody’s fault. Things in these types of associations can go a bit stale, but it’s important to find the right balance so that the person leading is fully motivated, and that the membership gets pay back from being part of the association.
There is need of innovation from a good trade association; bearing in mind that the unique individual “one brand only” service company/manufacturer has almost gone. It’s all multi-brand now so consumer identity and choice is all different now.
Also in the past few years there’s been a complete change of mind set by some of the insurers on how to get their work carried out. Even they’re not looking for branded service to make their repairs and they’ve been quite happy to pass over their service liabilities to a number of “managing agents”.
I maybe wrong but I feel that these recent years would have been a “real opportunity” for DASA to be leading from the front on behalf it’s members and in fact possibly expanding it’s aims to establish itself as a major player in the “managing agents” market. Whilst it means making a considerable investment to make it work. The long-term benefits are there to be had; and at least any profit stays within the association and the industry, so it can promote itself to the wider consumer base for the long-term benefit/dividend of the members.
At this point I maybe “teaching grandmother to suck eggs” so forgive me, but DASA members need to re-examine what they want from their association, a questionnaire survey with a few prompts is always a good place to start as you usually do get some constructive feed back.
When you’ve got this it may give a new direction for the association, or it may find that it’s members are just happy to be supported on communication and legislative issues only.If I have any advice to offer the council of DASA it should establish what the members want before you appointing a new leader, as any new head of DASA needs to know what the aims for the future are.
There is clearly a need for such a trade organisation, but regretfully there is no quick fix.
Alex
Totally agree Del . Communication and more involvement from its members….. Not just the few that are prepared to give their time, but everyone else as well.
Re: DASA!
Well Alex there’s only a select few that could have written such a piece and so well. It’s also very, very accurate IMO.
As for people letting membership lapse, is it any wonder when there is little communication and even less of any real value? The trouble is that the change may be a case of too little, but more too late. It will now be a huge uphill struggle to get DASA back on the map and I really do not think that the current members have the energy or resources to take on the endevour either. Nor do we have the funds to employ someone to take it on for us and, even then, how do you secure the correct person to do it? I mean, with all that’s gone on within DASA and the current views within the industry of the association who would take the job on?
Would any of us give up our businesses to run it, even for £60K a year plus benefits? How secure a future is it?
All that can be offered is a telephone and a challenge in effect adn that simply will not attract the kind of person required to re-vitalise DASA IMO.
So where do we go from here?
K.
With regards to leadership Dasa has had approaches form 4 respected people within the industry to take over the helm and this info has to remain confidential at present
The position can not be filled until it is determined exactly what is required of the position, as you are all aware we have been kept in the dark for so long.
Kevin’s synopsis may possibly come true, if it does so be it, but for one I am trying my best to help restore Dasa as an organisation to be proud to be long.
I only have so much time and limited resources but I am willing to try. Support and help is needed from the membership without which whats the point of me or my friends and colleges continuing ?
Re: DASA!
tough this…
Ok jp WHAT is the point?What is there at the end of the road for the time and effort you want to put in?
Where do you see Dasa in 2 years time?Think in terms of a trade association as in alexs post about his other contacts actually providing member benefits.
We (you, me and mark) set of the night before social evening which has actually become more attractive than the council meeting itself. WHY?
Because of the willingness of like minded people to be friends and foster good relations with others in the trade ( and enjoy a good meal and extended opening hours too ).
Take a tip Dasa you have to involve the majority of the members to have a trade association, not the same reliable and likeable chaps who always turn up….you have to reach the majority who DONT.And thats where we go back to leadership and the quality of the person appointed
get it wrong and it all goes tits…..get it right and the guys got a mountain to climbSo whats this gonna cost……well not part time wages, thats for sure. You want to do it on the cheap and you’ll fail. Whoever the four interested parties are (and lets face it the shortlist is not hard to work out ) will not come part time and will be in the £40 k region before expenses etc….
So if as seems likely you all want to reduce the cost of being in Dasa then you have to think up ways of reaching all those are not members, adding them to the subscribers and therefore reduce the cost to all….its all downhill. You have not a cat in hells chance of attracting new members with the current set up, please raise your hand if you can remember your password to get into the dasa web site!
Communication wont solve this, the regulars already converse , but only amongst themselves.My apologies to Mark Scogs who thought i was having a pop at him, not at all. Mark has been a good chairman and a personnel friend too, but even he has to admit he has now not the time to do the position justice….so sorry mark, I could have worded it better.
kevin
JP wrote:With regards to leadership Dasa has had approaches form 4 respected people within the industry to take over the helm and this info has to remain confidential at present
I may be putting this into the wrong forum, should really be in the DASA heading, but as there is no mention of a new leader in said section, I’m following the thread as already open in this one instead.
Anyway, I’m trying to say:-
Are we having an election? I think we should and extend the polling to ALL at ground level. That way then all applicants will become public, and there will be little risk of a clash of personalities.
With a lot of trade associations etc. The candidates put themselves up for election to the members as a whole. Whether it a trade union, or a pension funding scheme, that is the democratic way of doing things.
I’m a member of an old Electricity Board pension scheme, and every time there is time for a change of representatives, we are all given the chance to vote. The candidates all “put out their stall” and try to persuade us why he feels he is right for the job. In those cases I haven’t a clue who they are from Adam, therefore I throw a vote into the pot just for the hell of it. With DASA however, there is a good chance we will know nearly all of the prospective applicants.
If someone can put up a convincing enough promotion of themselves, and tell us their methology and their ideals for DASA and above all the membership, we may actually vote in the right person for the job.
Is this going to be the case here? I think it should be & therefore the electorate as a whole would be responsible for their actions. The only down side I can see is of course, some will see this as a career change and will no doubt have concerns about jeopardising their present positions.
Alex
Alex wrote:
The only down side I can see is of course, some will see this as a career change and will no doubt have concerns about jeopardising their present positions.Thats precisley what we are up against at present and have been asked not to divulge any names. We have to at present respect the confidentiality instilled in us. As soon as any information becomes available we will inform the membership.
The minutes of the meeting today will be published asap. Unfortunatley though it will not be this weekend.
Did we miss anything startling or interesting at the meeting or was it just the usual? Did I get a pasting for what I posted the other week or did they all act like grown ups and resist ejecting the toys?
I agree, it would be unfair and may compromise people’s current positions if names were banded about openly.
K.
Re: DASA!
I was sorely tempted to post in the DASA forums, but I’ll resist the temptation for now.
It seems as though Scott has thrown his toys from the pram and doesn’t like me anymore, fair enough as I could care less what he thinks of me or UKW frankly as I regard him as a liability. But he has removed moderator status for both myself and Dave and removed my access to the council forum. He has done this without any reason whatsoever and provided no explanation for this action. So much for communication eh?
So before I publically tear into him and DASA apart over this would any of the leading lights care to comment?
I have also now heard tell that he wants all the DASA stuff removed from UKW, again fair enough if that’s wanting doing I’ll do it in a heartbeat for you. It’s sad, but if it needs doing it will be done, if you want I can lock down the forums in two minutes and remove them with almost the same haste if that is the desire?
I am also just a bit pissed off that he hasn’t had the balls to contact me directly on any of this, he hasn’t used the forums on UKW or DASAnet to communicate any of this, he’s just gone off on one and done it. He also attcked me personally and UKW when I wasn’t even present to defend either, very nice.
Hardly the image a reputable trade association would wish to present to its members is it? Or is it just a case of a club for the boys?
K.
Re: DASA!
Ken,
You’ve got to remember that Scott has only one voice on the council and I can tell you that his was not the majority view at the comittee meeting. So please lets not have persoal slagging matches in either UKW or DASA. You run the risk of being accused of acting in a similar manner to that which you are justifiably complaining about.
I was under the impression that you were to be contacted about certain concerns that the committee had, and that no action of any kind was to be taken until you had had chance responded to them.
If we are all to degenerate into personal attacks then it gives no credit to either organisation.The guy’s in this forum understand what it is you are trying to do and support you fully so all i’m goin to say is what my kid’s tell me when I go off on one and that is …….CHILL !
Re: DASA!
Del wrote:You’ve got to remember that Scott has only one voice on the council and I can tell you that his was not the majority view at the comittee meeting. So please lets not have persoal slagging matches in either UKW or DASA. You run the risk of being accused of acting in a similar manner to that which you are justifiably complaining about.
The point being I didn’t, nor did I toss my toys out the pram. I wrote about it in here and then thought about it a bit more. Quite honestly I couldn’t give a toss what Scott does so long as he behaves on UKW, other than that I have little to no interest, it’s of no concern really just irritatingly childish behaviour.
Anyway, if I get personal with someone I do that in privacy unless the opening salvo against me is in public. If that’s the case then stand clear.
What I am told, thus far, is that Scott did attack me in public effectively at a DASA council meeting and UKW to boot. I was not there to defend any accusations or inferences made so anyone that takes that line in public gets back a response in the manner in which it was doled out in the first place. I see that as neither unethical or unfair.
However I will drop it for the best interests of all concerned, but I won’t forget it.
Del wrote:I was under the impression that you were to be contacted about certain concerns that the committee had, and that no action of any kind was to be taken until you had had chance responded to them.
If we are all to degenerate into personal attacks then it gives no credit to either organisation.Nope but that’s fine by me I have no issues with anything other than trying to stick a rocket under some people’s arses.
Personal attacks won’t happen from me, as I said, without due cause and provocation. I simply don’t go at people like that unless it’s justified and, as is the case here, I won’t do it even if it goes against my own personal interest or that of others.
Del wrote:The guy’s in this forum understand what it is you are trying to do and support you fully so all i’m goin to say is what my kid’s tell me when I go off on one and that is …….CHILL !
8) I was. 😉
K.
Re: DASA!
Del wrote:Ken,
. So please lets not have persoal slagging matches in either UKW or DASA. You run the risk of being accused of acting in a similar manner to that which you are justifiably complaining about……….
If we are all to degenerate into personal attacks then it gives no credit to either organisation.Sorry Del, some wanker has already done the above. First blow from them and I will not sit here without a defence and a counter attack if an apology isn’t forthcoming in the next 48 hours.
I read the post from Old Tog where it is patently obvoius between the lines that some toss pot thinks I’m ungrateful for the MFI work.
I was already a bloody MFI agent long before Network DASA. I am owed one hell of a public apology for this.
Does anyone know if this was mentioned in open discussion at the DASA meeting? Please p.m. me if you have an answer.
The hairs on my neck are actually standing up as I write this. Sorry lads, but this is beyond a joke.
Alex
Alex,
They’re all getting plastered at Jason’s party tonight so don’t expect an answer till Monday at best.
K.
Re: DASA!
It’s 9.30 p.m. Sunday and I ‘ve just got back from Jason’s bash in Yorkshire as My good Lady decided to break the journey home with a shopping extravaganza at the Trafford park shopping centre in Manchester. Thank Christ they close the place at 6.pm or she would still be there trying to wear out the magnetic strip on my flexible friend.
Alex, sorry to hear that you have been upset and to the best of my recollection of the meeting, nobody, was actually singled out by name with regard to having been allocated any work by MFI.
Obviously over the last week or so DASA has had some major criticisums made against it and the council felt that some of the flack was not entirely justified and felt that it had at least helped to direct some work to it’s members. Namely the MFI. work.Nobody but nobody denighs that two of the major contributors to these negociations were the leading lights of this very site, who at that point in time were working under the DASA banner. in so much that the initial contact was made directly to the DASA office.
Granted that at that point in time Nesn and Anglo Iberian were the main networks for distributing the MFI work and let’s face it Alex none of us were too happy with either one of them, especially with regard to rates and the amont of rejections agents were getting with regard to their handling of said work.
I for one was more than glad of it when it came along as it came at a critical time for my business and I have personally thanked those involved in it’s aquisition especially as when it came via the Network- Dasa route, the rates were much enhanced.
As the comments you made were on the DASA forums I can only assume that Old Tog took it that Dasa’s defence to some of the statements made were directed at you personally, were as my take on it, was that it was a general statement to any DASA member who benifited from this additional work, myself included.
Regards as ever Del
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