Welcome To A New Way Forward

[kwatt]

You guys/gals, if you’re reading this post have just sent back the form to join in our little project, currently dubbed “Project X”.

We don’t have a brand name (yet ;)), we’ve never done this before (hell, no-one’s done this before) but we’re up for the challenge if you’re game for it? And, we’re passionate about this project, so much so that we’ve invested countless man hours into getting this off the ground.

So, here’s what the fuss is all about… Seller Service.

Basically we want to give ourselves the ability to service what we sell, it’s that simple. In doing so we retain the customer base instead of giving it away for free to Comet, Currys and almost every manufacturer out there when, when we ask for tech info or spares, either don’t give us it or shaft us in order to get it.

So we decided we’d had enough of that malarky and this is the only way that we can see to combat it. Oh what a shame that it involves turning everything on its head and adding value back into ourselves in the proccess. Hang on though, that’s the indies thinking for themselves and doing something for themselves.. as a trade.

Now there’s a revolution for you. 😉

K.

[Bill]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

GO FOR IT KEN. We (the wife and I) are right behind you)

Bill & Evelyn Ellis :scot:

[kwatt]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Thanks Bill, the comments are appreciated as is the support for this we’ve been shown, which is just brilliant.

Over the past few days I’ve had people PM, email and call me expressing their interest and appreciation for what we’re trying to do, young and old in the trade who really want this to succeed for their own sakes. The passion is still there for the job, even in the older generation and genuine exitement at what we’re up to. That isn’t a slant or me slagging the older generation at all, I think that the reaction we’ve had from the “old hands” has been fantastic and I’m actually more than a little taken aback by the lack of apathy on this subject, so respect is due.

We’re trying to improve the trade, make it more profitable, raise the standards and add longevity, which isn’t easy by any means but at least we’ll give it our best shot, even if we are the underdogs as usual.

Its been a long time coming… 😉

K.

[andy2]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Speaking as one of the older generation I think the whole concept of project X is

ABSOLUTLY SUPERB!

I was just talking to the little wifey the other day about the internet and how it has a massive potential to change things for the ‘little people’.

A site like UKWG allows people with a common cause or interest that are physically seperated to be able to communicate and act as a corporate entity.

This only used to be possible in the past by organising street demonstrations and parliamentry lobbies. Now you can sit in your own home and with others have a voice that has power to change things through online petitions etc.

Gone are the days when a petition involved a few faithful’s trudging for hours, door to door to gain a thousand signatures. Now an online petition has the potential to obtain millions of signatures in a very short time just by advertising the web site and giving people the opportunity to voice their opinion.

I wonder if the ‘powers that be’ have an appreciation of the potential power of the beast that has been released.

Project X is a small poke in the eye for the multi-nationals that are so financially powerful that they up to now have dictated the terms. But maybe this in time can be changed through efforts like this!

Congratulations to all you guys that dreamed this up and put the hard work in. It’s one thing to have an idea or a vision – but bringing it to reality is another matter, and you seem to have achieved that!

Now it’s up to the ‘repairmen’ to become good ‘salesmen’ too, to get this up and running.

Andy 🙂

[Penguin45]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Well said Andy.
Bear in mind that the independant repairer is already a salesman. Every time that we complete (and get paid for!) a repair, you have effectively made a sale, so this is the next logical step. We have the advantage that we are “on the spot”, the customer may well know and trust you from previous calls and has not fallen into the clutches of some spiv in a suit at the local shed!

Personally, I think the real clincher is going to be “We designed this”. It speaks volumes for the technical abilities of our trade that now have enough influence and support to build a properly engineered machine when compared with some of the cheap tat out there today.

Regards,
Chris.

[kwatt]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Thanks guys, we really do appreciate the support we get and it only encourages us to push that little bit harder to get what we all want.

The next year looks set to be very interesting for us all and I for one certainly don’t think it’ll be dull. 😉

K.

[andy2]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Since I learned about project x i have been bouncing the idea of my customers to see if they would consider buying an ‘x’ and I have been amazed at the very favourable response.

Just to give you an idea. I was attending to a fridge freezer at a regular customers today and she mentioned that she was despatching the old Hoover logic to the bone yard and replacing it with a new Hotpoint. I explained to her the Hotpoint / Merloni situation and we had a chat. As i was leaving i mentioned about the new ‘engineer specified washer’ and the commitment to quality and fast service.

This lady was all for ringing up and cancelling the Hotpoint on the spot until I explained that they were not available until the new year. Obviously disapointed she said ‘do you think my Hoover will last until then’?

Nearly all my customers – as yours probably do – ask me to recomend a brand name if they have to eventually replace, so they obviously trust my / our judgement. Apart from cost issues this almost guarantees a sale of an ‘x’ if one can be supplied quickly.

Give your customers a try and see how they respond.

Andy 🙂

[kwatt]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Funnily enough Andy I’ve heard this same thing a few times this week and it only encourages me all the more to press on.

The shocking bit for me with calls like this, is that you could have earned the extra with hardly any effort at all, brilliant. The whole concept is to allow you guys to make money and if you do, more power to you I say. Why shouldn’t you make money and earn a decent living from what you do? I don’t think there’s any shame in that at all.

Customer gets a fair shake, you get a fair shake, everyone’s happy.

K.

[Penguin45]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

I’ve probably sold one in January; nice young couple who just HATE their WMA. Nothing wrong with the damn thing really, just doesn’t give them what they want; not to mention my regular visits for all the usual niggly faults. PCBs, wiring, d/int, blockages, p/sw hose, valves – they’ve had the lot. Except bearings. This evenings discussion led to replacement being discussed – most of you know I like Bosch, then threw in “Of course, we’ll have our own in January”. Seminal moment maybe? I suspect this was the Whitegoods version of 20 questions, answered most of them and they’re not going to Comet on Saturday…….

See how it pans out.

Chris.

[Lawrence]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

I currently sell the Creda w220wv because I can put it out at a reasonable price and we have personally owned one for two years with no problems (so I can just about sleep at night ),But with the last four machines I have sold it wouldnt have mattered what it was as they just wanted to buy from me,I can’t wait for these machines to arrive.
Another thing that customers have become aware of is all the extras that the sheds stick on i.e delivery ,install,disposal etc ,so an “all in ” price helps as well.

Lawrence

[iadom]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Lawrence wrote: ,install,disposal etc ,so an “all in ” price helps as well.

Lawrence

Disposal may become a bit of a problem, but I’m sure there will be a ‘workaround’ 😉

[Del]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Perhaps we could do with a training module in appliance sales techniques.

The truth of the matter is that customers are always asking the engineer which is the best machine to buy and for years and years guys have been missing the oppurtunity to make a sale because they didn’t have the infrastructure to back them up with spares, tech info, logistics.

I really feel that from here on in an ever inreasing part of our members
turnover is going to be sales, and installations.

Seriously though we might consider developing a bullit point, point of sale
card to issue the guys so that they can inform the customer of the several
advantages our product will have over the sheds. Not least of which will be the fact that our service back up and after sales service will be second to none.

Lets face it customers will always trust an expeienced engineers opinion far above that of some pimple faced adolescent in a shed.

Sean

[Dave_Conway]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Del wrote:Perhaps we could do with a training module in appliance sales techniques

Leave that one with me 😉 8)

Dave.

[kwatt]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

Del wrote:Seriously though we might consider developing a bullit point, point of sale card to issue the guys so that they can inform the customer of the several advantages our product will have over the sheds. Not least of which will be the fact that our service back up and after sales service will be second to none.

Leave that one with me. 😉

We all have our tasks Sean. 🙂

K.

[admin]

Re: Welcome To A New Way Forward

and point of sale stuff is being professionally prepared (that means were not doing it 😆 😆 😆 )

Kevin

[Author]

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