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Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
Lawrence wrote:I will invite connect to join the discount party as well .
Is this a good idea ATM? Qualtex and Masterpart are just “in the bag”, but surely we should give them a head start so to speak. Connect’s pricing policy (or the mystery surrounding it) has been discussed in the forums many times and I for one am sick of dealing with them. Granted, they are the biggest players and everyone (apart from :p45: ) seems compelled to use them at some point.
What I’m trying to say is to see how the Qualtex and Masterpart thing pans out and see if we need to add Connect. I would rather Connect asked US to participate than the other way round. By then we will hopefully have the membership to allow us to get a better deal. Then maybe everyone in the WTA could buy at the same discount.
I won’t hold my breath….Steve.
Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
What we can’t have happen is Sept rolls up we have qualtex,masterpart et al on our roster of suppliers supporting the WTA and connect say not fair we werent asked ,now knowing as we do that Connect and DASA are intertwined I don’t see them wanting to do a thing ,but asking them just disables that particular part of there armoury.
Its worth noting that Ian invited them to the last big one and didn’t even get a reply I don’t think that we are big on there radar .Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
Ahh, I see what you mean. 😉
I just thought that asking Connect could possibly get an immediate positive response and maybe destabilise the deals with the other parties. As with DASA, Connect could, in return, want some sort of influence in the WTA and that is, as we all agreed, out of the question. TBH, I was thinking out loud: as the WTA is now starting to happen, I am reading the previous posts and thinking of the pitfalls. Born worrier!!
Well, if Connect are anything like my local area rep, then we will definately be ignored!!Hope you are right though…. :popcorn:
Steve.
Send to a generic email and it’ll get lost in the crowd.
Just keep the receipt for proof of purchase. 😉
K.
kwatt wrote:Send to a generic email and it’ll get lost in the crowd.
Just keep the receipt for proof of purchase. 😉
K.
Don’t worry all in hand ..
Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
We need to get as much as we can from MP & Qualtex and try to move more business their way.
Connect wont offer anything we know we are all different rates thats a fact and nothing we can do will change that :rolls:
They will however always come if invited just to see whats going on!
IMO they really dont give a damn about the trade, they are now too big to care about us mere mortals and know we need them more than they need us.
I think their interests lay more towards the retail sector.
They will be happy when they have complete control of the market.
It is a real shame that connect feel the need to head this way. But they already have everything under one roof or should I say two; spares and service. They have all the angles covered, thats business I suppose you have to grabb what you can and seize all the opportunities.We can’t completely ignor them and as the saying goes
‘keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer…
Allow them to see what the others are offering, I am sure they wont loose much sleep over it.Steven
Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
To be absolutely fair, there are times when I do need to use Connect. In those cases, I ask DC to do the honours, which he does with extreme efficiency.
We have to be seen to be absolutely even-handed, regardless of what we know to be the truth. It would be foolish to think that Connect do not see the price discussions which roll around the forums from time to time – that they choose not to respond speaks volumes.
Chris.
Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
To be perfectly honest and, very blunt…
I don’t really see why anyone much cares about CDSL and what they do. They get on with what’s best for them and, so be it, let them get on with it.
The only point at which that they actually affect anything the repairers do is where they have total exclusivity on a brand and, there’s not that many and, they’re not the brilliant where they have that.
The problem isn’t CDSL. It’s the repairers.
9/10 repairers say they shop with CDSL because…. it’s easy!
Yeah sure, they b1tch and whine about the prices. They b1tch and whine about the service and whatever else they can dream up to b1tch and whine about when it comes to CDSL and, there’s no doubt that there’s a bunch of stuff to go at but, they still use them. Because it’s easy.
So really, the trade have few others to be pointing the finger at other than themselves, they allowed CDSL to become the monster it is today and, now that CDL have discovered that they can make more money selling replacement remote controls for Currys than they ever could from the trade sales… well, it’s not rocket science.
This is what sealed WashVac’s fate.
This is what led to the collapse of the UK Europart Distributor network.
This is what caused oh so many Qualtex distributors to go t1tsup.com
And here we sit, a decade and more later whining about CDSL. Again.
CDSL, very wisely, invested heavily in IT and that paid off, they won the battle and have domination in channel. You can’t berate them for having the foresight or luck to be in that lofty position. But if we all defect to, let’s say MP, who’s to say they won’t do the same a few years down the road? Not that I’m saying they will, just that anything is possible, it’s only the probability of it that is in question.
And no, I’m no fan of CDSL or some of the things they do and have done. Nor am I a fan of Qualtex for the same reason, or Homespare, or Maddocks or even MP and even Joe Graham. But I accept that all these companies have done what they have done to try to move forward in the best way that they can. I just don’t accept that these moves were the best for the repairers of the industry at large.
Therefore, the logical course, is to invite as many as possible to the party and try to make them see our plight as repairers, get them to understand us and find a way forward for the industry as a whole.
I pretty much know CDSL won’t be too bothered about that (perhaps) lofty ideal but if it costs them enough they may start to care. But who really cares whether they do or don’t and, in the end, what difference would it make if they did step up to the plate or not?
I suspect not much.
What I do know is that by highlighting the fact that there is healthy competition and better deals elsewhere to the repairers and, allowing them to tap into that, is a case of “job well done”.
K.
Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
Steven wrote:
It is a real shame that Connect feel the need to head this way. But they already have everything under one roof or should I say two; spares and service. They have all the angles covered, thats business I suppose you have to grab what you can and seize all the opportunities.Well, I cancelled Phil last week and we had a long chat about discount and all that has been aforementioned. We talked about Connect’s position and apparent nonchalant attitude towards the repairers. The conversation developed into a “What if the WTA were able to compile a database of approved repairers with varying skillsets?” (similar in some ways to Repairs @). With the COP in place and all repairers working to it, could the guarantee work be prised from Repaircare’s grasp? The WTA would have the regulated workforce, independent and flexible. Connect’s Repaircare ATM has no really comparable rival for the insurer to compare against. The insurer is always looking at ways to improve their lot, so can we offer that alternative? Phil said what was lacking in the past was the availability of skilled engineers to start such a scheme. If the WTA has the workforce then Phil believes he can facilitate the “redirecting” of work from Repaircare to the WTA members. He said the opportunity was there before, but the lack of coherence in the whitegoods trade has made it difficult to pull it off. He is willing to provide the resources to achieve that end and is convinced it can be done. (the man’s on a mission!).
It is something to elaborate on later but it could be yet another iron in the fire for the WTA.
Steve.
Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
aqualectric wrote:What if the WTA were able to compile a database of approved repairers with varying skillsets?” (similar in some ways to Repairs @). With the COP in place and all repairers working to it, could the guarantee work be prised from Repaircare’s grasp?.
Hi Steve, Great work on what you’re doing but IMO, I would focus on spares discount and that’s it. This as well as other stuff that has been mentioned could be seen as were are an Anti-CDSL Association. Not something I want a part of.
Personally, IMO we’re too young and don’t have anywhere NEAR the amount of ‘clowt’ to even start talking about taking work from here, there & everywhere.
If one day, say in a few years, we HAVE the OFT stamped approval, we HAVE nationwide service cover and someone approaches us… Fine, it could be worth thinking about, because there is more to it that use our members! Stock control, Office Admin staff to manage the engineers… It’s a different world! IMO, if we go looking for it or make a point to say it’s on our agenda… We’ll make more enemies than have members!
I feel slightly ‘uncomfortable’ at the moment talking like this to another ‘Suit’ within the trade. Can we stick to the agenda… Spares discount…?
I don’t know Phil, but I don’t like that ‘The man is on a mission’! The WTA must be carefull not to be ‘lulled’ into ending up a tool to hit someone with by someone who has a different immidiate agenda to us.
Ade 🙂
Both are valid viewpoints and, both are a part of the reasons that we have work providers, not just CDSL.
However I would agree that the WTA must remain a neutral as is possible. It represents the independent repairer and is there to do what is best for them within the industry and my sentiment are that, if it deviates from that and effectively “takes sides” then it is in danger of losing the plot.
Basically, I don’t think that the TA should get that involved in inter-company politics.
And anyway, there’s always another way, at least one. 😉
K.
Re: Qualtex discount scheme for WTA.
I am going to contact Phil later this week to nail down the 24th September WTA / UKW meeting at Hilton Bromsgrove.
Points to clarify:-
1) Do we reveal at the meeting our agreement with Qualtex, or are we going to do it before?
2) Did Connect reply?
3) Qualtex wants to do a presentation on the link with the WTA, what Qualtex has to offer us as a TA and to show some new products to the attendees. Are there any topics that are, shall we say, “out of bounds?”
4) Masterpart presentation. Are they doing one? If so, we need to make sure that the two companies don’t appear to tread on each others toes. I’ll try and get Phil to outline what he wants to talk about so we can hopefully stop that happening.
Thoughts please!!
Steve.
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