Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-29 00:32:34 +0100, "Tanner-'op"
said:
Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-05-28 21:01:12 +0100, (A.Lee) said:
There are two problems he
- Using B&Q as a supplier of products for professional use
Many do - including some that post here and they are usually a 'sole
trader' - they find it easier - or haven't quite grasped the fact
that they can usually haggle a discount with a builders merchant yet
charge the customer at full cost plus a percentage for collection.
Missed business opportunity....
- Allowing customers to buy products from B&Q that you will fit.
"Allowing the customers..." that's a bit of arrogance there on your
part! Surely the 'pipers calls the tune' and they can choose to buy from
wherever they wish - as can the so called professional choose who he
works for?
One can make that argument. However, it is outcome that ultimately
matters.
True.
Agreements where supply of materials and labour are different deals
are wide open to problems. For example, faulty goods, goods that break
during fitting, late deliveries, wrong items and so on.
I fully accept that - and have seen such problems - and this in fact
happened to my sister-in-law, who went against the advice that I gave her on
an installed kitchen.
She bought the units, appliancess and worktops from four different suppliers
and the poor fitters were tearing their hair out by the time they left.
On larger and more expensive projects it can be worth giving the
installer the margin for managing the whole project and taking
responsibility for outcome.
Agreed, and that is the advice that I always give - and apply to myself on
such jobs.
Their operation is like the proverbial curate's egg - good in parts.
A bit like some of the major builders/plumbers merchants that I have
dealt with over the years - the last one being the Plumb Center very
recently.
They can manage to exchange goods and even compensate customers, as
they should. That's a simple logistics process.
Unlike some trademen.
They can't manage anything involving more than simple logistics and
don't have an appropriate customer service ethic - i.e. if you screw
up, you apologise and fix the issue *now*, not next week.
At least you can generally contact them - unlike some 'professional'
tradesmen who 'cock the job' up and then refuse to honour their
contractual obligations to correct defective work *or* even answer
their telephones.
They believe that price can subsitute for poor customer service.
Unfortunately, a significant proportion of customers are not
sufficiently bright or assertive and they can get away with it.
Again you are a little arrogant regarding 'customers' - a rather
typical trait for some tradesmen.
I'm not a tradesman, but I do think that outcome and ownership are
important. Having clearly defined agreeements is a good way for
business to be done.
Again, I fully agree with yout statement - and many a 'ripped-off' customer
*and * tradesmen for that matter, have failed to do this. Especially on the
subject of so-called "extra and unforeseen" works.
Tanner-'op
Not a sycophant of B&Q by the way - but there again, I never deal
with them for major purchases.
B&Q are good for what they do - volume distribution of low to medium
ticket items for he retail customer. Large purchases and projects,
no..
Agreed.
Tanner-'op