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We have been asked now on several occasions if we have a network of agents that can repair various types of appliances. Where ever possible we have tried to steer enquirers to the repairs@ module, so that they in turn can individually seek you out.
However the enquiries are growing in their scope and depth and we are now being asked if we could call handle as well as support a repair network and in truth we have turned away requests for the last 12 months to the various work providers out there. We did this as we simply did not want to tread on any toes and we had no aspirations of forming any sort of “network” other than the fact that a good many repairers could be found in the one place easily.
We’ve even been asked to distribute spares twice!
Over the past six to twelve months we have been approached on three occasions for a gas network, twice for refrigeration and a couple of times or more in each other product area. We have not actively sought any work of this nature it just keeps seeming to find us and, even though it breaks my heart at times seeing where it ends up, simply have no choice but to turn it away.
I do not feel that we are doing ourselves any favours by doing that.
And, between us all, we have more than enough experience and skills to do this for ourselves. So why not give it a shot, we’ve nothing to lose and potentially a lot to gain?
As you will no doubt know we have been developing a call handling system which we call ACH (Advanced Call Handling). This is a system designed by repairers for repairers to handle call data easily in one piece of software, or at least have the capability to do so, to save time and money using multiple systems and/or websites. Obviously ACH is designed to do a lot and be adaptable and some of the capabilities have yet to be unveiled, as well as some of the capabilities of repairs@.
More on ACH and repairs@ as and when we have further details to share as we don’t really want to tell the competition what we’re up to as they keep pinching our ideas and I’ve pretty much had enough of that for now.
So, in essence, we have been more or less coerced, if not forced, into looking into a formal network in greater depth?
Therefore we are now looking for a network of agents to achieve national coverage for the following skill sets;
Gas Cooking
Laundry & Dishwashing
Cooking
System RefrigerationUnlike some existing networks, we are interested in any business regardless of your skill sets, even if you only have 1 we would like to talk to you. Nobody is being excluded.
We already hold quite a lot of info about our repairs@ agents and therefore the easy to fill in form, click HERE, allows us to register your interest and personally contact you to check our info is up to date and accurate. Apart from which it gets you onto repairs@ into the bargain if you’re not already on there.
If you are on repairs@ currently could you please send an email to admin@ukwhitegoods.co.uk confirming your interest in this project so you do not miss out. We need to be able to reward the people that support UKW/ISE, those that read the site regularly invariably do and we want those people that do to have the first bite at the cherry and reap any possible rewards.
This will be an independent company to UK Whitegoods and ISE limited. We are considering opening up investment opportunities or a shareholding that will be offered to subscribers first, then open to other repairers. We are not entirely sure on the method that will be employed here as yet as we have only discussed this internally if the truth be told, so we would value your opinion on this.
The notion is to run the network on a co-operative type basis whereby if the company makes money from the venture then it essentially gets paid back to the shareholders. In effect you continue to work for your own benefit and not someone else’s, which I guess is pretty much the point of running your own business in the first place.
What we want to do is create a network where it’s not just a one-way street in other words and there’s at least some tangible benefit to putting the effort in.
All replies will be confidential and all respondents will be contacted over the coming weeks to complete the update.
This opportunity will be sat here in the subscribers forum for one week only, therefore next Monday 19th June the opportunity will be opened up to the rest of the UKW members. And the map will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
You’ve had the foresight to still be here up until now, very possibly in the hope that we eventually got around to this and we have. Typically though for UK Whitegoods, it won’t be a case of copying what everyone else does.
K.
Re: Network Seeking Agents
I won’t say Poacher turned Gamekeeper as there are some cracking ideas in this. I like it.
In particular the Shareholders Scheme.
One thing all these companies want is single platform invoicing, not individual invoices from 70 odd different companies. Almost one stop shopping. Dangerous territory when it comes to insurers though as we seem to be penalised lately by a few, and one dispute could taint the whole operation. In addition some insurers are looking towards fixed priced servicing including parts.
All that aside though, I’m up for it and really think there is mileage in this.
Go for it!!
Alex
Re: Network Seeking Agents
I’m totally with Alex on this, count me in
Email sent to admin as requested.
Keep up the good work boys and girls
Jackal
Re: Network Seeking Agents
I have to say folks that thus far the response to this idea has been more than a tad encouraging!
I’m surprised at the commitment and positive reactions that we’ve had. In fact, I don’t think that anyone that knows what we’re doing has had anything negative to say as yet, we’ll work on that eh? 😉
Single point invoicing is achievable Alex to some degree, or you just get smarter and make it easier to manage. I prefer the latter option although the former is doable it may have to arrive at a price.
Fixed pricing etc. is just fine, I don’t have a problem with it really so long as the deal suits US as this is not being done for someone else’s benefit. It’s being done for our benefit, slightly different take on it.
But Kev came up with this whacky idea of giving the shares away for free and I have to say that the more I think about it the more I like it as that’s what I originally had in mind for UKW. In fact, a lot of this was originally mooted two or more years ago.
Amazing how far you can go in two years only to come back to the original concept, which only says to me that the original concept was sound.
Interestingly I hear that some other industry peeps are sniffing about trying to find out what’s going on already as they’ve gotten wind of “something” going on. I’m glad they’re interested in some ways, perhaps even a little flattered, but they do what they do and we do what we do. I reckon we should just get on with it and do the best we can. If that turns out to be better than what’s on offer from others then so be it and I hope it is, but I certainly don’t want to be cheap and I want to see as much as humanly possible to go back into the guys that actually do the work. I guess that’s a major difference, the outlook and concept.
We have a blank page people and what you tell us you want will have a bearing on direction. And we do listen to and consider every single opinion and comment.
Oh look, we’re already ahead. 😉
K.
Re: Network Seeking Agents
We’re in on this too if we may – as an afterthought this is one of the major reasons that I asked that we kept the subscriber forum open, it gives the top table time to give us a nod before giving the rest the wink.
Re: Network Seeking Agents
Only a couple of days left in here as an exclusive…
On Monday we go public seeking agents, therfore there’s time yet for you to send that email.
Over the next few weeks we will be collating info on postcodes, skill sets ect, where we have info we won’t need to disturb you. However if you do receive an email request asking for or checking on data, a speedy reply would be appreciated.There’ii be stacks more info to come on this, but for now locating agents and plotting skills onto maps is the order of the day.
Thanks to those who have replied.
KevinRe: Network Seeking Agents
Just send us an email (admin@ukwhitegoods.co.uk) letting us know, please.
Thanks
KevinRe: Network Seeking Agents
Lawrence, you are included.
Just the weekend left for the rest of you to be ahead of us going public. Once we go public its 1st come 1st served, so to speak.
We will run the public advert for a 2 week period, then review how we stand on coverage.
Ken, have you registered onto the Dasa site, I have asked and there’s no probs putting a post in their forums also. Therefore you should register UKW asap on their site, placing our advert on Monday.
To all those who have sent an email you are all logged and collated, many thanks
Kevin
I have just read this topic and being a new member I think you may be on to a winner, and as most others have said count me in too!!!!!!
Re: Network Seeking Agents
Truth be told Kevin and I have been, shall we say, of slightly differring opinions on this subject. This is in some ways bad for us as we argue like an old married couple but good for you guys because we almost always come up with (well we think) the right answers. Even if it is a painful process at times.
But all that aside what we will do is come up with something different and something designed for repairers. We’re like that, kinda orientated towards the repairers, probably because we are just that.
So the burning question is probably where are we going with this? Well we’re not going to tell you. Yeah, I know, that’s cruel and kinda like a belter of cliffhanger but it is required for the moment. I don’t want to tell you all about, as much as I want to about the ideas we have, as that also wouldn’t be fair. Apart from which we don’t really want to tell the competition (again) what we’re up to. We want to be different. A different and fresh approach, what you should expect from us.
One of the things that we’ve been taliking about recently (that I can tell you about) is that we want to discuss this at the September meeting. We’ll discuss it on the Saturday morning with the repairers before it escapes into the more public trade domain. The people there will be given the opportunity to see what we’re all about first and to discuss the project first hand, doubtless shaping the network and its future.
So here’s what I need to know.
I need to know who’s interested and who’s going to be there. Then we’re going to challenge people’s views irrespective of what we come up with.
K.
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