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It would seem there is a massive infrastructure change going on within Connect.
I had a call today from our ‘new’ account overlooker, for want of a better expression, I guess everyone else did as well. It would seem the country or UK (sorry Ken) has been split in to 18 portions with a manager appointed to each area.
Fairly uninteresting stuff alone, but when you consider the changes going on generally in the industry 😉
Is it just me or does there seem to be a hell of a lot of changes going on at the moment ?
Dave.
TBH I’ve always had an issue with ‘Which’.
Over the years they have recommended many an appliance as the best buy, which, after no long term trial turns out to be a bag of shite, certain Candy models come to mind a few years ago among others.
What pisses me off even more is they are now using the Readers Digest approach to increase magazine sales by telling you “you have already come through the first stage of the prize draw” Ring any bells ?
Dave.
I’m leading them up the garden path at the moment.
A week or so ago I recieved the standard letter offering work, which I promptly edited by crossing out £30 and £38 (gas) rates and replacing it with a more realistic figure of £40 and £50 (gas) and scribbled out the bit where it says ‘I MUST buy all my Servis spares from GB dar’. It then got faxed back.
TBH I fully expected it to end up in the bin, but I had a phone call today from them to discuss the matter 😯
I was told the rates are non negotiable, so I asked why they were phoning me 😉
I asked “do you have a coverage problem in our area ?” ” Yes !” was the reply, “mainly in EX postcodes”. So I pushed further, “if you’re that desperate the rates are negotiable” “Oh we’re not THAT desperate, but would you like me to send you the information pack ?”
I’m pissing myself by now, but the information pack, whatever that might be is on it’s way. I’ll see if I can push them on the rates thing, if nothing else it’s a good f*ckin’ laugh.
Dave.
Re: Let’s Start A Debate About Technology For A Laugh!
kwatt wrote:Okay, if you haven’t read about the connected appliances in the “Articles” I suggest you do, see the news about MS & Whirlpool and then read up on what Merloni. LG and Meile etc are up to with this “connected appliance” caper and then we can all discuss what we think of it.
Certain things are for sure though:
1. We ain’t gonna stop it from happening
Not a hope, and do we realy want to ? I, for one like new products, otherwise the whole industry becomes stagnent.
2. It is not going to work to our advantage in many cases 😕
Especially if the manufacturers can diagnose breakdown faults over the internet, which some can do already 😯
3. It will raise the retail value of sales 😀
About bleedin’ time too 😆
4. It will make repairs harder, particularly for non-agents 🙁
The manufacturers will have to employ independants as agents, as they will not gain the levels of service expected by their customers from employed engineers.
Have a think about that one if you will.
K.
It took me a while, but I did eventually 😉
Dave.
kwatt wrote:Update!
I had a call from a friend at Bolton today begging me to do a call for Candy on Monday, fair enough I’ll do it for them since I’m attempting to win brownie points there. 😉
But….
In the ensuing conversation it came out that (as I already knew) that they are having major problems with servicing built-in, integrated and gas appliances. For those of you that don’t know this, Hoover service is mot CORGI approved, nor is it ever going to be as it would cost them just way too much cash to do it. So and, this was the reason for the news above, who the hell are they going to get to do teh servicing on this range and the Candy that’s out there now?
Anyway, the point is that we could be in a position to pick this up and they have formed an internal team (this is VERY hush hush) that has to deal with the servicing problems. They have been told to solve the issues case by case for the moment irrespective of the cost! 😀
So they’re in the shit, big time.
Next up, the most interesting titbit of it all:the Hoover service as is is not working, period! My friend in the camp, who hapens to be heading this team says, and I quote, “it’s going to collapse and it’s only a matter of time I think before we are forced to go back to agents.”
There was more but nothing as relevant to this group as that was.
My problem is that I understand Candy, I *know* how Candy work from the ground up but Hoover management is a different kettle of fish, they’re all chuffin’ insane! If Candy wins the internal power struggle in the UK it will go back to agents of that there is no doubt. but right now we may have an opportunity to seize the day here as they are really struggling.
K.
Is anyone from GIAS signed up here ?
I wonder when the Merloni/GDA service ops will go tits up now they have shafted their agents.
All interesting stuff aint it ?
Dave.
I think as Ken mentioned in another post, one of the reasons we are not offered direct work, especially by MFI and the like is because of the Coverplan contract and NESN.
I spoke to tony Brown of MFI recently (before this recent work offer) who told me we have no chance of working direct while we are an NESN member due to contractual restrictions, and he shouldn’t even be talking to me, f*kin stoopid.
D&G offered work, but as the Coverplan contract is high volume, they were concerned that they would be given ‘second best’ service 😕
All in all I would love to dump NESN, but I would need to replace it with something quickly.
I know we are one of very few who actually profit from Coverplan as we are in a privelidged position of having high volumes of spares as we retail and wholesale them to local one man bands, it’s the only way to make it pay, 1st time hits.
Dave.
Are we talking about royaly shafting the WP’s here ? A topic Ken and I have discussed a few times before by going direct.
IMO it is the ONLY way forward for us and the manfucturers, retailers and insurance co’s.
We get paid more, they save on the management fee 👿 and get a far better service by cutting out the middle-man.
Dave
Rich wrote:Thank you Dave
We didn’t want to make it too easy!!
Rich, Electrue
Rich, no problem, handy tool ‘Global Search’ you know 😉
When is release 13 due BTW ?
Dave.
Re: WMA Rear Half/Drum Pricing
kwatt wrote:From the front page the full quote with pricing on it is:
“Thought the group may like to know that we have dropped the price of the WMA Drum assembly (1604310) to £74.95 in order to encourage WMA repairs. Also the WMA rear half has been dropped to £29.95 (1604309). This is a limited trial offer.
August will also see the Electrue Pattern WMA Spider and Bearing Kit (BRG3604 Box2)
2+ £18.98 (Box of 2 £37.99)”>From Electrue
K.
Ken, Connect have given you the wrong part numbers 🙄
The drum/tub assembly is 1603410
Rear tub c/w bearings is 1603409Dave
It would seem Gbdar are taking the piss anyway, I had a recent letter offering £30 for completed calls, when they are still paying current slaves £28.
Bar stewards
Dave.
I’ve been expecting it ever since the recent announcement of the parting of ways.
It will probably come in the form of an email on friday night as usual, so no-one will be there to scream at ’till Monday morning.
It won’t affect us as we weren’t offered the MFI work anyway 🙁
Dave.
Retra/GB DAR
In light of this bullshit and other recent developments within our industry I have rejoined DASA this year and the Retra membership will not be renewed.
Apart from that, every Retra meeting I have been to has been attended by a load of brown good engineers and retailers whinging about Sky 😥
Depressing to say the least.
Dave.
Re: Ariston WD?
ChrisR wrote:Does Ariston have a washer/dryer AWD 1200 and if so whats the part number for the module?
Thanks. Chris.
Chris, that is a good model number, the module is part number 049373
HTH
Dave.
ted wrote:
kwatt wrote:
It came from her computor …..with no cc’s on it ?I wonder who put it out…..
regards kevin…………I don’t think an email like that was released without passing through the Propoganda Department. 😉
K.
The time the email was sent, after 5pm, suggests JT no longer in building. Very intriguing, certainly not propaganda. Chat tomorrow, regards Ted.
JT aka John Thomas or to his friends “the prick” probably wrote and filtered it through Jo anyway, who incidently asked me yesterday if i knew anyone in Scotland who may be able to help with coverage. After rushing home to change my soaked underwear, I declined to answer 😉Dave
