- This topic has 135 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 8 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Re: Repaircare…
Interesting conversation with the OFT this afternoon.
It would appear that they are interested in a lot of Connect’s business and how it all fits together and this includes the repaircare side of things. They mentioned the warranties that RC are now offering as well as exclusive contracts on repairs and spares supplies and also the fact that repairers are not allowed to source spares outside CDSL. I explained that repairers could source own, but only under certain circumstances.
Should have an answer on it all in about two weeks when it will either be cleared or it will be referred to the MMC.
K.
Re: Repaircare…
kwatt wrote:Interesting conversation with the OFT this afternoon.
It would appear that they are interested in a lot of Connect’s I explained that repairers could source own, but only under certain circumstances.K.
I would rephrase that to EXTREME circumstances. Very rare you can get away with that one.
They are such a small part of my business now I pick & chose what I do to the extent that the average labour fee last year was £39 per call, and now despite a rate drop is £41 per call.
Pays to be selective.
Alex
Re: Repaircare…
Yeah, I know but I have to play fair. At least, I think I have to play fair.
The OFT aren’t stupid though and are obviously digging deeper than I guess Connect really want them to.
On the spares thing it seems that the reason it got noticed was that eSpares is No1 and BuySpares is No2 and between the two of them they absolutely dwarf anyone else by a huge margin.
But when they’ve started digging about other things have been picked up on.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they said that the contract and exclusive arrangements for spares used on contract was wrong or, possibly probe into the industry a bit more. If they did, the ramifications for most everyone would be highly entertaining.
K.
Re: Repaircare…
Breaking news… maybe… quickly…
New guy running repaircare who has come from the AA.
He wants to replicate the AA’s service model basically.
Looking to get you all working 24/7/365 with no increase in cost.
Also, cutting agents to make less of a network but make some agents far larger in terms of work.
Makes sense as that allows more power to dictate the terms that they want you to work to.
Not exactly happy news for the RC guys.
K.
Re: Repaircare…
That makes sense of a couple of things I have heard with regards to their arbitrary attitude towards agents recently .
Basically there is now a take it or leave it policy ,you play our way or not at all .
Can’t see the manufacturers who have trained agents only to see them shoved out being very happy …Re: Repaircare…
kwatt wrote:Breaking news… maybe… quickly…
New guy running repaircare who has come from the AA.
He wants to replicate the AA’s service model basically.
Looking to get you all working 24/7/365 with no increase in cost.
Probably insist we all use Yellow Vans. Provide your own screwdriver no doubt.
kwatt wrote:
Also, cutting agents to make less of a network but make some agents far larger in terms of work.Makes sense as that allows more power to dictate the terms that they want you to work to.
Possibly, but they are well aware that is is risky business putting too many eggs in one basket. They do like to cover their options.
kwatt wrote:
Not exactly happy news for the RC guys.
K.Not that I’m bothered. Have gradually reduced my calls from them.
I have heard the Rangemaster Contract is up for renewal next Month, so the lucrative part of deal may well move elsewhere. If it does then I will follow and hopefully pick it up again.
Looks like 2012 will be an interesting year.
Re: Repaircare…
Heard he is a bit of a hatchet man.
Account Holder OpenLink Network David Boden
Head Of Repaircare at Connect Distribution Ltd
Derby, United Kingdom InsuranceCurrent
Head Of Repaircare at Connect Distribution LtdPast
Technical Claims Manager Operations at The AA
One Contact National Network Operations Manager at Homeserve
Business Improvement Manager at HomeserveEducation
The University of BirminghamRe: Repaircare…
I heard that too.
I also heard that agents have been getting chopped. Not for the right reasons.
There is of course a knock-on effect to that and evidence is growing that this is the case. One that is not, thus far, going in CDSL’s favour.
Cry havoc….
K.
Re: Repaircare…
Well, it would appear that the point may be a moot one and his time at Connect perhaps short lived if the information I got today pans out.
To be clear, I wasn’t looking for this, it was volunteered and the source is a good one.
Apparently DSG have served notice on Repaircare.
Given what’s been going on that’s not exactly a surprise, if the info on that is pukka. (Get me a drink, I’ll tell you about it)
But nonetheless this appears solid, very solid.
Now, that leaves us with, where is the work going? And, that’s where the tale becomes rather interesting…
Apparently some of the info came from a telecoms guy who has been setting up a call centre for DSG under their “Who Knows”… bugger, “Who Cares”… sorry, “Know How” (that’s it, I knew I’d get there) banner.
Can we all chant in unison, “Mastercare lives again”.
Now, this is where the story gets a bit the wrong side of flaky….
Some work is going back to OEM service. For now.
However it is being mooted that DSG are set to employ their own engineers and are looking to pick up the Comet engineers as, OpCapita (it’s time to get me another drink so I’ll tell you about that too) have put in some Russian dude who has said that Comet Service has to go, makes no money. Well, duh, I coulda told you that without seeing sight of a balance sheet, but anyway, I don’t want to put that rumour out there as the Comet guys will freak out and on the other hand a load of repairers will think there’s a mini bonanza on the way. Doubtless, especially the Repaircare agents, will think they’re on a winner and, with what’s above, they likely aren’t so I don’t want to create despair or false hope. Either way, I’d be tarred the merchant of doom no doubt.
So, bit of a quandary there.
There are also multiple RC contracts up this year some of which, I can 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} assure you, will not be going back to RC. And, nothing to do with me either, I may have been consulted on some of it, but that’s it. I know no more or at least, can’t say bog all.
This against a backdrop of other oddness that I’m not getting into ATM. Suffice to say that the New Year passed without incident, I very much doubt the rest of the year will. By any stretch.
Once you pick the bones of that and, I’d suggest a while to digest it, any discussion of it should be entertaining.
K.
Re: Repaircare…
Oh well, that stayed secret for a long time then. 😕
The details aren’t out there yet but I expect it’ll all start to come out now.
K.
Re: Repaircare…
Now it’s in the public forum, maybe someone can ask the question on the RC Forum?
It can’t be kept a secret for too long as if Currys are to get the infrastruture to handle those volumes, big things need to be done, people need to be approached etc, in turn… Out it comes.
For me, it’s definately 1 engineers work, probably 2 if I couldn’t replace a portion of the DSG stuff that I still do 🙁
I really do feel for larger agents that do higher volumes, as do I for those sole traders that RC DSG work is a high percentacge of their income. What’s really going to f**k people off about this, is MANY have worked to the reduced rates etc and not spoken out in fear of being chopped, only to lose it 12 Months later anyway.
Tis a messed up trade this 8)
Ade
Re: Repaircare…
It is messed up. But only because it’s allowed to be.
Sadly, largely by people not all working to the same ends at times.
However, moving on…
I know it was posted in the RC forums and, so far as I know. Not a cheap.
Posted here and, I can tell you that RC/CDSL are aware. Not a cheap.
No email. No calls. No nothing.
They’re running silent.
Which pretty much means that what’s been put out in “public” is very probably true, if it weren’t then they’d be on it like rabid dogs killing the rumours.
Now for the next instalment….
Apparently the CDSL business was put up for sale in October last year.
Sorry, some of this stuff I have to play close to the chest to protect the sources and innocent bystanders.
DSG intend poaching or picking up Comet engineers.
That means that, even if they do pass work to authorised service, irrespective of the guise it comes in, it is unlikely to be a long term thing. Now, how do we get that out without actually getting stung for it and, at the same time, protect the people that have been good enough to share?
Methinks it may be time to make contact with some that cannot be traced.
It is however complete bullsh1t that we have to sneak about like this. And so, I may have something in the offing that could, perhaps, put paid to some of it ’cause, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m really getting hacked off with this sh1t.
And, I’m really hacked off that some f***wit is driving a Ferrari while others are going out of business to pay for it. That’s not “working together in partnership” in my eyes.
K.
Re: Repaircare…
Interesting, very little comment from anywhere on this.
My post last night should hopefully make some people think about what they’re doing. 😉
Also, someone from Currys has been on and reading that thread this morning which is incredibly unusual. They’re never on here at the weekend so something’s up.
Mind you, I doubt they’d be ecstatic over my somewhat unsubtle suggestion to the Comet engineers. Put a right dent in the nefarious plans that could if a number of them stopped and thought to do that as, after all, where would Currys find engineers from if the Comet boys don’t jump ship?
And, if Comet are, as has been strongly suggested, haemorrhaging cash out of service at an alarming rate what choice do they have but to shut it down ASAP?
Rather than see a win-win for those two and all the indies lose I’d much rather see a lose-lose for them and at least cost them both a pile of cash to get their own way.
In fact, if the costs ramped up then perhaps the bean counters might have to have a bit of a rethink. 😉
K.
Re: Repaircare…
In a conversation about appliances being sold through Currys the question was asked about service and whether CDSL still did all the Currys service work and the person nearly spat out his coffee apparently.
Then the story worms out that it isn’t a permanent thing and to expect changes in the not too distant future.
Of course I’m paraphrasing to protect the identities of those concerned, but the point is, it looks as if the rumours may well be true regardless of the party line being taken by CDSL.
K.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.