Forum Replies Created
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Re: CDSL
What they are saying is, they will pre book 2 working days ahead. What they fail to mention is that they could book a call after 6p.m. on say the Monday and book it for Weds, then e-mail to us. We have buggered off home and get the call 1st thing Tuesday, that makes it next day, not 2 working days.
if we can’t get there, we shall tell the customer accordingly. Been there done that when we were getting the calls from Nottingham. We controlled it then, and can do the same now. The Brandt calls will be the 1st to be re-booked I can assure you.
It will happen like it or lump it, that is the way they are headed. Beko want to do the same in the future, and others will follow for sure.
I’m off to Newark (well known anagram), in a minute if the weather aint too bad over there.
Have as good new year.
Alex
Re: CDSL
2 things.
Reading between the lines of that e-mail from Roy Fisher looks like he is trying to flush out of the woodwork what agents are trouble makers, and refusing to do any more than required on the Brandt contract. In other words he is trying to get us to commit to paper where we are coming from on this.
Another more valid point, and the way I look at it. If he gets it officially from the horses mouth regards who won’t carry out the work in a given area, there is a quick fix. When a potential customer makes contact, they take credit card details and then pass the call to us on their system, all we get then is the measley £42 odd and they pocket the rest.
For that reason, I want control of who my customers are, and ultimately the choice.
Another thing, they are pushing for pre-booked appointments and want me to trial it in January. I can use that to my advantage.
Alex
Re: CDSL
I haven’t seen this e-mail except for on here, simply because I haven’t been into the office this week. I have phoned one or two colleagues, and it seems this missive only went to some of their agents? I find that obscure to say the least.
It looks like that if we as repairers choose not to undertake any more than absolutely necessary, then we need to express that desire. I find that very bizarre, and I’m sure we would not be asked that question of any other brand.
Puts me in a bit of a dilemma, we are happy to pick and choose if we have that option; meaning if the call is in our back yard, and looks like we might turn a profit. If however the call looks like we are on a loser, then the service fee suggested to the consumer at the time of booking may reflect that.
I’ve looked at it both ways, and for one, give me the chance to pose a problem to Brandt I would normally take it; but offer me a call where I might make a bit of money & I would like to look at that. On top of that, I would be the first to complain if a customer was referred to another repairer in my area by a company that I am contracted to do work with.
I’ve reached the conclusion that by trying to be difficult on the Brandt contract will not affect Brandt in any way shape or form, simply because they have divorced themselves from the whole service culture; and left CDSL holding the baby. However, the more grief CDSL get from us, the more they can pass back; and perhaps they could do what some of us may consider doing with Brandt customers, demand more money.
This is just my personal slant on this, and no I’m not in a conciliatory mood with Brandt at all.
Alex
Re: Recommended Listening
I-Pod, no not for me. I prefer to fill the room with the sounds rather than be unsociable just because it looks cool.
Father Christmas was good to me though, as along with some DVD’s I had the Healer by John Lee Hooker, and a few rarities otherwise. Special thanks to the kind person who forwarded me a copy of the London Philharmonic playing some Floyd numbers. Not the real thing, but a pleasant diversion all the same.
Regards DVD’s, the complete set of Clueseau Panther movies, Blott on the Landscape, by Tom Sharpe, the full BBC series; and a little gem which was always a favourite of mine, an ecxellent BBC play by Mike Leigh, “Nuts in May” recorded in 1976. Hard to come by on DVD.
Alex
Re: British Gas, might be looking to poach engineers?
Alternatively………..
http://www.serviceforce.co.uk/jobs.asp
Might state no vacancies at present but that is because the link was only set up a couple of days ago & some of us just haven’t got round to posting details.
The choice is yours.
Alex
Re: Death of Santa
gegsy wrote:The Death of Santa Claus
Therefore, if there were Santa Claus, he would be dead.
All as stated earlier is totally scurrilous and should have at least been posted in the rumour mill.
May I put it to the moderators to reposition this thread forthwith into the appropriate heading. Also to block off the chimney of the perpetrator of this item.
Oh and a merry christmas.
Alex
Re: Flu Jab?
I always go for the jab, and unless it is my imagination, rarely get a cold. I don’t mind two weeks off, but it wouldn’t work that way. In the last 20 years I’ve had off one & a half days, then I done paperwork on a lap top whislt in bed.
It was the one and only time I saw countdown.
I did ask the staff to go for it, but they are all Supermen and seem to think they don’t need one.
Alex
Re: My number
kheath wrote:The wife has cancelled my phone number…… so now the only mobile you can get me on is….07795 485762
KevinBeen up to something??
As regards Brandt………….. Who Me!!
Already had a pop at them today after Dave P gave me a bottle of single malt.
Alex
Re: LPG and costs
I hate to be the one to say this, and please folks don’t break off into a tangent; but shouldn’t DASA have a say and active role in this?
I thought that they are supposed to have close ties on the legislation front, and that sort of thing was part of their remit.
Just a thought, as long as they don’t get all the credit of course.
Alex
Re: LPG and costs
I’ve looked at this with a great deal of interest. I’ve read the same postings over a couple of times to absorb it fully, and thought how can I sum this up from a humble repairers point of view.
Thanks to Ian Dales and the excellent and succinct posting as above in this thread, it has all been said.
We need a system that is tailored to OUR industry, not to send appliance engineers to courses and be expected to identify Teddington Boiler divertors and whatever as part of a stringent exam.
Just imagine a plumber being expected to identify parts of an appliance he’s never seen before, be able to diagnose/repair from display codes, then perform an earth loop test before leaving.
Alex
Re: LPG and costs
How true with the insurance industry.
We get calls for Smeg A1’s or Belling farmouse cookers on D&G policies. The amount we get paid is the same as a bottom of the market Parkinson Cowan, yet in some cases we need 2 engineers.
Some of is the fault of the ins. co. as all they look at is the fact it is a cooker, I suspect they don’t differentiate whether lpg or a range. Yet we have to when we get there.
Had one yesterday, the engineer ordered bits and advised they would either have to get the thing out, or someone be there to assist. When we re-booked we reminded her of this, and she commented that we “should be providing a service”, and it wasn’t her problem. Had I been in on this at the time, I would have pointed out that the alternative is we provide a second engineer and charge her accordingly.
Alex
Re: How difficult can it be to……
We don’t advertise in Thompson. That doesn’t stop the phone calls though.
We get a free line in the alphabetical listing, right under the heading for the local council. Thing is though they didn’t print the council phone number, just ours.
The effect is that those who use mobiles and therefore don’t qualify for a free BT directory use the Thompson book. They look under the bold heading for the council because they need repairs done, then dial our number. Then they get angry at us because they have gone through our telephone system and used up some units on the pay as you go, then swear profusely and demand we phone the council for them, because they have a effing leak or whatever. We usually tell them to phone Thompsons if there is a problem.
This is the 3rd year we have had this and have reported to Thompson, and all they do is offer to send round a sales rep.
Waste of space that lot are.
Alex
Re: diy’ers
Cool it lads, This one is getting a bit heavy I fancy.
I wonder how many people in Weston Super Mare actually have utilised the services of UKW. Moreover, are we likely to affect anyone’s business in a serious manner?
Yes if they Google a search relating to a query, they will pull up UKW for certain. The reason they are doing it by that method is because they cannot be bothered will Yellow Pages etc. The net will find unbiased answers on almost anything. The punter has chosen that method as he does want to look for a quick and cheap fix. In the past he would have wandered into a side street repairers and bought the bit.
The type of person that calls us out usually are the good old faithful customer, that you know will not present you with any serious problems, and even recommend you.
Weston is a good case to consider. We used to operate in the town for years as Zanussi agents. Then E/Lux decided to pass it to a direct centre in Bristol. After 9 years and a change of regime in Bristol, we got it back last year. The chargeable work was NIL if not less, but after 15 months and very little effort on our part, we are up to 15{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} chargeable in our BS postcodes. Not a lot by our standards, but it proves that despite the past, we are winning repeat business.
Going back to the train of thought regards losing out to the net, I’m afraid the old adage applies, “If you can’t beat em, join em” I have the link to my web site with UKW and with Yell.com. Those 2 provide me with most of my e-mail internet enquiries. Plus I look at postings and see the requests on the forums for parts. Invariably I may well have one of the bits, but I leave it to Dave and UKW to deal with it as I feel it is a two way thing.
There isn’t a lot we can do to stop Joe Public from shopping around; it isn’t only our trade, just look at all commodities you can buy on the net. For example I haven’t been to a record store in years. I might browse if I’m in Wollies or Smiths whilst other members of the family are making up their minds, but I still buy off Amazon.
Another one, and this is terrible really, I will pop into a Holiday travel agent and pick up a brochure, sit down and talk over a few options, then go home and find the Hotel/Location I fancy and book on line direct. Sort the flights by Easy Jet or whatever, book a car or transfers, go in my time from the airport of my choosing, all for a lot less money.
Such is life.
Alex
Re: Hotpoint BF22 Diagram
Dave_Conway wrote:Yep, it is.
Alex phoned me earlier to see if I could suggest where to get a wiring diagram.
My reply – “post it in the forums and I’ll bet Iadom replies” 😆
DF22 methinks 😉
Dave.How did he know that?
As Dave said, he knows a man who can. All received and printed.
Many thanks.
Alex
Re: diy’ers
The way I look at it is that most people that approach the likes of UKW are not even likely to book a service call in any case.
Before anyone thinks I’m trying to “pidgeon-hole” the general public, no that is not the case. The person that searches the net for an answer has either chosen not to go for a repair, or feel wordly wise enough to perhaps have a go themselves. The point is though, if it wasn’t for the fact there is help out there, they would more than likely go into Currys/Comet and pick up another machine. Then nobody gets a bite of the cherry.
Regretfully for us the industry has changed significantly, and we are doing our best to keep up and perhaps adapt ourselves.
Jeremy is old enough I’m sure to remember calling on customers year after year on the same product. Seeing their kids grow up, and then repairing machines for new customers that have just bought their new first home, and then realise that they also repaired Mum’s machine. He is now talking to a customer who just made him a cuppa, that not too long ago was toddling around and trying to play with his pliers etc.
We don’t see machines now cradle to grave, one hit and that is it. 30 + years ago on Hoover sloping front Keymatics, (3224/3226) I used to put every service call on the inner chassis member in pencil, even to the cost of repair. Some machines made interesting reading when I used to go back years later, (I must get out more).
So I find, if you help a customer, they do come back on the odd occasion. Yes loads move on and buy new rather than repair, but as I said earlier that is now the nature of the beast.
Gone are the days when the machine was looked at as an item of capital value. Now it is more of a disposable commodity.
Alex
