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I’ve been too quiet for too long so, a little update.
The new office should be open for business on the 1st August.
Phones won’t go in until 2nd August for UKW and on the 4th for NWAR.
In the interim my new mobile number (the other I was using is now a backup office phone) is 07795 485761 on Vodafone, Kevin’s is 07795 485762 but don’t phone the old twat till after Wednesday as he’s on holiday this week.
Those phones will not be answered when we can’t be arsed to work! 😆
My personal number is still and, will still, be live ad infinitum.
As for September’s meet, please get there as we have something that you really, really won’t want to miss. And, that’s over and above the training.
Whirlpool’s latest line of shite I’m having a think on. Dunno whether or not just to slap them again or not yet, but I’m guessing I will as soon as I have the time.
Oh and what’s this I’m hearing about Caple moving service to CDSL? Anyone got any details?
CDSL, too much power? I’m starting to think so and the situation there could become extremely dangerous for all of us but I have heard tell that not all in that garden is roses either, already.
I fookin’ knew we should have done all that ourselves. 😕
Ho hum, s’pose I’ll just have to crack on then. 😉
K.
Re: New Premises
kwatt wrote:
CDSL, too much power? I’m starting to think so and the situation there could become extremely dangerous for all of us but I have heard tell that not all in that garden is roses either, already.
K.Haven’t a few of us being saying this since day one. IMO I think the dust has settled and its turning into the ‘mastercare’ way of running a network. Which as we all know is not good – but what can be done now they have such a large market share !
IMO it’s so simple, we simply do it ourselves to a level at which they cannot hope to compete with. As in, we get in front and stay there.
I’m working on it and hope to have the bones of it ready for launch in February ’06.
We’ve worked bloody hard at the next step, which is a long-term plan, that you’ll get at Sibson in September. I want to keep a few surprises up my sleeve hence I’m not giving much away for now.
But yes, I think and, obviously, so does Alex and Sean (at the very least) that they do have too much “hold” over too many businesses and that the balance has to be redressed.
K.
Re: New Premises
Remember lads that you guy’s working together in this war room in no small way helped to topple another meglomaniac in the form of trubshwaw.
That was when we were all working together as a team. We have simply got to get back to that level of mutual support, to tackle the new dictators emerging at cdsl.
It is not impossible, if we work together. the bigger they are the harder they fall.This growing conglomerate is the biggest threat yet to the independant trade and is a battle that we have to win.
Sean
Re: New Premises
Let us not forget that CDSL got to their current trade dominating position in a very short period of time and very recently in the grand scheme of things. Using their already strong bargaining powers as a leader in the UK spares trade they were able to knock on many doors and twist so many arms to what they quickly realised was potential goldmine.
The men in pin-stripped suits came in force to each and every UKW meeting and were welcomed with open arms by many of us. Now you are calling them dictatotors with too much power but I’m sure those same pin-stripes will have a wry smile at the sentiment but care much less over it 🙁
ken says:
I fookin’ knew we should have done all that ourselves.
I thought thats how we all got started talking originally anyway , that was also the concept behind Network ****. It looks like now it was the wrong name for that concept but it was a very small insight into what was requiredRe: New Premises
Martin wrote:
The men in pin-stripped suits came in force to each and every UKW meeting and were welcomed with open arms by many of us. Now you are calling them dictators with too much power but I’m sure those same pin-stripes will have a wry smile at the sentiment but care much less over it 🙁Well spotted Martin. One name in particular I think. Paths have crossed several times now, whether it be Hoover, Mastercare or the present day. Leopard never changes his spots.
Alex
Re: New Premises
That concept was and still is the only long term solution, if we are to remain as viable independents within this industry. The only other option is to see the whole trade franchised out between the manufacturers and the insurance company’s.
Even the larger independents are not isolated or safe from what is happening. It’s time to wake up an smell the coffee.
In all fairness the brighter minds amongst us saw this coming and tried to promote the answer to our own trade association but it was rejected there by the powers that be because it was felt that a trade association should not get it’s self involved as a work provider.
Even though a great deal of time effort and commitment had been shown and actually culminated in bringing us the MFI work which is to this day is still the best paid work that most of us still have.
This view point I hasten to add was not one held by myself. The sad fact is, that its rejection was never actually put to a vote at an AGM just an arbitory decision taken by a select few.
It seems to me that it doesn’t matter what size you are eventually your turn will come as you have your work and engineers poached away as has already happened by the likes of B.G.
Mark my words that at some stage in the future CDSL will get round to doing the same thing.
I say again it’s either a case of united we stand or divided we will most definitely eventually fall.
Sean
You don’t seriously think that the notions that Kevin and I promoted under Network DASA (there I’ll say it ;)) have been forgotten do you? On the back burner maybe, but certainly not forgotten or indeed dead and buried. Consider the idea to be merely dormant, for now.
This all fits with the larger plan to resurect our trade and, possibly, our industry and we are getting some serious support to accomplish the goals, P&G is a fantastic start. What we now have to do is show people like PG that we can deliver and I do not mean just UKW Ltd in that. There are some serious opportunities to make a buck here for ALL of us as is my way. I’ll even deliver it to your door, free of charge.
So we need a bit of support guys and very possibly in the next few months, a bit of help too. But and, that is a VERY big “but”, this is only the start of what’s planned by a long, long way.
K.
Re: New Premises
Seems like we’ve gone round full circle then at least once on this. Jason has just picked up on the issue of Network**** and Ken (at one point vehemently objecting to even the mention of the words “Trade Association” on UKW) is now seemingly changing his tune somewhat :con:
kwatt wrote:This all fits with the larger plan to resurect our trade
Forgive me Ken for saying this, but whilst your “plan” is falling nicely into place, the general attitude and consensus of opinion about the future of this trade is being ebbed away on a daily basis by all who input any comment whatsoever on UKW.
The latest rub is against CDSL and Whirlypuddle with Rudi stirring the pot nicely as he always does :stir:
Meanwhile WTF are we (that are not privy to UKW v’s P&G’s plan etc etc) to make of all this, to still feel reason for optimism? I cannot even begin to guess what you lot are up to but I can assure you of my full support 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of course, for what that’s worth. 😕
What does worry me though having read reams and reams of the overall negativity that is OUR TRADE within the many forums over the last couple of years. Is that we all have ranted on and on over many of the core issues of our business and its well being but have done f**k all about it. Meanwhile the likes of CDSL have (in that same time period don’t forget) built up a watertight network as a WP and has now got many of us by the balls 👿
Who right here in this room can stand up, right now, and tell me we haven’t missed the bus on becoming THE catalyst for the independent service trade? That we will not be treated like shit by the likes of CDSL and all the rest of the hangers-on, money grabbing pin striped arseholes in this business? That we can provide a comprehensive service that encompasses every required aspect of the service industry in one well organised Nationwide network/association that may well be called UKWHITEGOODS?
I’m up for it and what’s more,ready to roll up my sleeves and get it going on the very thought…………or maybe I need to just sit back like many and try to decide if I’m just simply having a dream or a f*****g nightmare???????
Regards
Martin
P.S…I’ve just spotted bad language the censor that Li and Trevor obviously set-up…EXCELLENT (ooh- Matron and all that stuff) 😆
Re: New Premises
Na Martin, we can’t tell you simply due to teh commercial sensitivity of it for us and the partners in crime quite frankly. There’s little to hide really, but the timing just has to be right on both projects.
Then there’s stuff in the works for next year as well. 🙄
The problem is, what do you want? Do you want us to blurt it out and lose the lead or do you all want to put the independent’s back in front and on top? That’s the choices.
We can sit about and do nothing and it will die, I said so many, many moons ago despite everyone telling me I was a harbinger of doom and that it could never die. Well, guess what, we’re seeing the start of the end and have been for some time now.
So, we fight back. It’s that simple.
We have to be organised and we have to be showing a bit of unity, but it is within our grasp I feel.
UKW will never be a trade association. But then a trade association could not have afforded to put three trainers on the road and employ the full-time staff that we have, all of whom have one purpose at heart, to improve the lot of the repairer and, despite any corporate sponsorship, that will not be deviated from. However, you have to realise that within the independent trade there was not the will, drive or dedication to get DASA to do what we’ve done and,it also has too many chiefs and not enough indians at the meetings with some people spoiling it just because of a personal agenda. It’s just politics from a bygone age and one that we dont’ have the time to unravel and put right, so DASA has to fend for itself.
So no, UKW is no trade association as we need to put food on the table just as you do and to do that we have to be a commercial entity. Apart from that, that allows us far greater flexability in how we operate and fund the projects as we only have to answer to ourselves, not an elected body. The other huge advantage is that we discuss, strategise and execute and we don’t have to wait till the next meeting rolls round to do that, we do it almost 24/7.
The latest instance of crap going off with Whirlpool and CDSL is pointing out the continued errosion of our core business by these twats, the more people that look, see and comment on it to them the more that others, at the very least, would consider a similar strategy. Even exrpressing your dismay at the tactic will have an effect and, the more that do so, the more the effect.
But what we have to be, as a trade, is less reliant on these people and I intend to tackle that on three fronts. Training is one, in time our own network is another but not in the traditional sense at all and it will not alienate these people either, but it will offer all of us a choice in many ways. That said, UK Whitegoods WILL NOT under any circumstance become a work provider. I don’t want to be one and I certainly do not want to turn into something that I abhor. We can provide the means to compete, but we’re not going to be looking for £5 a call that’s for fookin’ sure!
We have done loads Martin, much of it we’ve not taken credit for. That’s not what this is about, nor has it ever been. We, as a trade, have had an effect and we’re starting to get doors opened and taken a lot more seriously.
And as for a network,that’s a bad word in my book as immediately everyone thinks of the NESN type structure which is totally wrong IMO, certainly if we want to build something that will last it is. It is not a network in the sense that you understand it now, it’s something entirely new.
K.
The only way to do this properly is to form a “network” of independent agents who are all responsible for their own actions and own work. The problem here is that while many independents can work to very high standards there are still many who need education or managing. The problem is many work providers be it a manufacturer or insurance company want a simple solution and levels of control. Software maybe out there or be about to be developed which could make this much easier, alegencies can be made with spares providers for uniformed buying rates and so forth, telephone solutions are available. But somewhere, someone still needs to run, control or administer this group of independents, this will need to be done for some fee and then this is when it then becomes a network, not an independent group of repairers.
If a solution can be reached this could the saviour to the Independent repairer and the ever decline number of us
Re: New Premises
That’s the point though Jason.
I always said that we could do this without taking money from the troops, in fact I think I said we could give them more to do less. I stand by that.
Okay, I’ll give you a starter for six. We are developing a software solution, work starts full time on that next month and, since it’s only you lot in here that know that now you can see where part of this is going. But I’m afraid the scope is larger than that for me, I just couldn’t leave it alone and neither could a certain old Northern twat either. 😉
As for education, three trainers!!!!????? 😀
And, get this, we’re being paid to deliver training, even beyond the original remit. We aim to deliver professional level training to make your engineers better than the rest, then you do the whole network type thingy as you’ve got an edge then in many, many ways. But it has to be done right and in the right order or it will fail.
And the three may soon become five or six, we are already working towards that now, in fact I just sent an email on that very subject.
One thing we do have to demonstrate is a little cohesion and sense of purpose. And, in the end, we all want the same thing, to make a better living than we currently do, the difference between me/us is that we want to deliver that to you for nadda.
Just to let you all understand the importance of the first round of training, there was two blind test groups set up about 18 months ago. One had training, but not as good as we’re about to deliver, and one had simple soap samples to hand out and some brochures.
The ones that were trained returned a 35{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} better customer satisfaction and retention ratio as opposed to the untrained group.
I think that just about sums that one up, don’t you?
K.
Re: New Premises
kwatt wrote:
Just to let you all understand the importance of the first round of training, there was two blind test groups set up about 18 months ago. One had training, but not as good as we’re about to deliver, and one had simple soap samples to hand out and some brochures.The ones that were trained returned a 35{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} better customer satisfaction and retention ratio as opposed to the untrained group.
K.
Not heard much about this training business, but all I seem to be hearing is, its sponsered by P&G and its about selling powder.
If thats the case how will it help the idiots I employee fix a cooker ?
( just an opinion, thats also floating around most the trade as well . Something you may need to rectify).Or is it customer care / skills training that is helping the satisfaction {e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d}age increase !
Or is it the case of 2 + 2 = 5 again
Philip
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