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Post by russell on Feb 13, 2006 18:04:24 GMT 1
motters can we do something about the invisable users and guests its a bit weird  _______________________________________ Motters..... I second that. No more guests, or members making themselves invisible. It just seems a bit underhand and sneaky. Added by Joy |
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Post by RED on Feb 13, 2006 18:08:41 GMT 1
motters can we do something about the invisable users and guests its a bit weird Russell Just to put your mind at rest. I am the invisible user at the moment. My browser is set to this as the home page and because I dont want people to think I live on here I sometimes set it as invisible when my kids are on the computor. nothing sinister. Red |
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Post by russell on Feb 13, 2006 20:16:52 GMT 1
sorry red ;Di do know some h\o staff are invisable or guests darnt name them but i dont think its right in their case to sneak around  |
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Post by greenpesto on Feb 13, 2006 20:32:11 GMT 1
More underhand sneakiness from H/O then?!!!!
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Post by royt on Feb 13, 2006 21:30:31 GMT 1
just 1 question, did you give her any discount
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Post by russell on Feb 13, 2006 21:47:15 GMT 1
would you id give my load ;)oops meant loads
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Post by farmer on Feb 13, 2006 22:13:53 GMT 1
I feel I have to give my support to Mottors, Heritecus and all the other advisor's that gave the time and effort to go to and prepare for the meetings. They did this not only for themselves but for every single adviser out there in the field, whether they know about this forum or not. The least we can do is give time for things to start filtering through. Please refrain from personal remarks like having a obedience chip fitted and the like. It is not in the least bit helpful or productive and could be very demoralizing for the intended recipient. I also feel strongly about some issues, but if I felt as strongly as some people appear to be I would not still be working for Hillary's. Red Well said Red. I gave up 2 days to go to the forum, plus had a one on one at my home with Ross K. I am not a yes man, or neither have I been chipped !!!! I challenge anyone to ask Ross k if i am. its about time those still hiding behind false names came out, and aired their views in the "real world". what is there to be afraid of.... we are now moaning at moaning for gods sake. Lets be knowing who you all are, and lets take this thing forward. No good snipeing at the chosen few. Get your names forward and YOU talk to them one on one. we are doing it for all our interests, not just our own |
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Post by farmer on Feb 13, 2006 22:19:05 GMT 1
I truely feel that we will always have problems, but as times passes we will see improvements on how we work together. At HQ, it's mostly the 'system' that lets us down. If they are working on improving the system, then our work is done ----for now P. Just precisely Motters HOW LONG is "as time passes"..? We have had 3/4 weeks so far and not a whiff of movement on ONE SINGLE ISSUE RAISED....... DO we have to wait for TEAM Meetings ( another bloody waste of an evening) to be told that they will never publicise this forum.  ?? How about the commission they thieve from us by giving unwarranted discounts to anyone who asks. ?? IS THAT NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGHT TO ADDRESS EARLY.... EG BY WAY OF THE WEEKLY MAILER.?? Or have you had the obedience chip fitted by your FSM, and are doing as you are told??? The effectiveness of these meetings is rapidly getting to the level of usefulness as a chocolate fireguard, and the ashtray on a motor-bike--that is if you judge it by results achieved? ?? Bear come on Bear, thats unfair. if it wasn't for motters, were would we be..............moaning to ourselves. I certainly haven't had an obedience chip fitted, just because I was at the forum. get your name out like i did, and see if Ross K will come to see you. Doesnt mean i am happy with the way things are. 1 1/2 hour slots for conservatory calls for gods sake. so come on don't start on the CHOSEN FEW. Get yourself forward and give them the attitude you have on here to them. Like i have done....... .....................wait for it......... |
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Post by scotton on Feb 13, 2006 23:10:54 GMT 1
Spot on farmer. Some of thes remarks are getting personal. My feelings are well known and we have to give them the chance to change things it wont happen overnight. But because we are willing to wait doesn't mean their decisions about allocation times for awnings and conservatories are any less daft! Come on lets stop hte personal remarks they are not going to help
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Post by dibsdobs on Feb 14, 2006 0:07:23 GMT 1
I agree with dodgybracket.
I think we should all be formulating a plan B.
This forum is a sad reflection of the unrest and frustrations among its members. I honestly believe that this forum is a major reason why Hillary's are sitting up and noticing.
A) we have strength in numbers
B) We can see that we have been collectively taken advantage of
C) If the investors in the company saw this site they would be very concerned
D) If our competitors somehow got access they could use it to their advantage.
E) For new directors coming in it shows someone hasn't been doing there job properly.
There is no way Hillary's are going to publish this site in any mailer it is to negative.
However I am glad that they are finally expressing a desire to resolve problems, after ignoring them for so many years.
Apparently at one of the meetings a senior manager stated that the adviser issues all seemed to be "old chestnuts". This statement is true, and it is high time they were cracked, whatever has been the motivation for now doing so.
I hope they do it with more forward planning and cross company communication than I saw at a recent conservatory sales meeting. For the body to work it helps if the right hand knows what the left is doing.
What I saw there was a belated wonderful plan to professionalize the conservatory lead and its distribution. However what I also witnessed was:-
Most advisers had serious doubts and lack of confidence in the 20mm roof system.
Management seemed totally unaware of these problems with the product.
To sell a product successfully one must have complete confidence in it, sadly it was lacking.
Many there had little and in some cases no experience of selling and fitting roof blinds.
Can you imagine any other professional organization launching a new system without all aspects for success being in place.
What I saw was low product confidence and a lack of experience in advisor's.
It reminds me of every time Hillary's launch a new product book and then within days fabrics from the new book being unavailable. Someone somewhere didn't do their homework properly!
Thomas Sanderson would never do it like that, and speaking of Thomas Sanderson when will Hillary's get over there "Thomas Sanderson" complex.
Its the local guys that we need to compete with on price and product.
Unfortunately we are now on a downward spiral of quality and are being asked to sell an average quality product at top price. Sadly because manufacturing is so low and DORs are so high Hillary's have to cut cost in production values and material costs which perpetuate the cycle of poor products and more remakes. Instead of improving products to match price. It seems verticals (Delta 7) are next up for a quality bashing.
If Hillary's really want to save a fortune why don't they get rid of a layer of management (we all know which one). Some could be redeployed into training new advisor's and some could man the phones for advisor's who have real problems with policy or product and need a swift coherent answer, that unfortunately is now not always forthcoming from the service centre. There should be a dedicated line to each manufacturing department so that we could speak to someone who knows the product and could swiftly implement a successful outcome. Unfortunately my experience is that 80% of DORs go from bad to worse. Too much red tape and process, too many departments not knowing what the other is doing and all working independently of each other.
Now we launch wooden shutters (from China) and we are all supposed to be jumping for joy to be able to sell this wonderful new product. The product may be wonderful, I don't know, but what I do know is, too much damage has been done to us with one wooden product for us to be completely sold on another.
Hillary's answer to the extra costs involved in servicing their mistakes, is that with self employment comes an amount of risk. That risk now clearly needs to be defined, it says nothing in my contract about servicing an endless stream of DORs for free.
One of the reasons for quality dropping is Hillary's judge their performance on figures that are incorrect, they only see about a third of DORs. They don't pay a fee or cost for their mistakes, thus quality control becomes lax. If I were a blinds retailer and Hillary's was supplying me and I continued to get the kind of quality I receive as an agent I would be off looking for a new supplier. This begs the question, do Arena supply a different product and if not why are they still in business?
One simple quick fix would be to raise commission to a more competitive level, with a clear definition of what extras Hillary's get for the increase.
Comunication is the key and it has to work both ways for us all to move forward together.
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Post by greenpesto on Feb 14, 2006 1:54:17 GMT 1
dibsdobs ... I can't disagree with you at all!!!!! Very well put!!!!!
1. The greed of the 'holding company' has meant that whilst trying to appeal to a larger market they have neglected to service the typical Hillarys customer.
2. I've never felt that our original prices were a problem. We can't win ALL the orders out there. It is paranoia that makes the company & some Advisors think we are losing business on price alone.
How many times have you not got the order when told we are too expensive & that the customer will go elsewhere, only to find months later that they still don't have blinds fitted by anyone???
We are still losing business, but to a wider selection of customers whilst earning less at the same time due to a silly price policy & promo's.
3. What many of the Advisors are unaware of is that Hillarys DON'T want to change. They have set out their stall for the future & will not budge from that.
We will 'I fear' see Hillarys for what they really are very soon.
4. If Hillarys could recruit 800 new advisors tomorrow, they would be much happier to see the rest of us go ... NOW!
They want 800+ Advisors who don't know any different whilst taking on the company's costs via SAM, on-site repairs of products & free DOR servicing etc.
Established Advisors are a constant thorn in their sides & experience & caring account for nothing.
Hillarys want 800 Advisors all doing £8k per month with no 'high fliers' stirring things up.
5. As long as incompetent management continue manipulating the way we are treated as self-employed we will see nothing good come of what we are trying to achieve.
6. The little business I do with Arena shows that they are not exempt from this drop in quality. This will mean they will lose out on their supply to the trade business in both 'long' & 'short term'.
As some have already said, we are growing tired of waiting for change.
This may well be my final year with Hillarys at this current rate.
My confidence in the products are at an all time low & I have absolutely no confidence or respect for management at any level!!!!.
I feel 'gutted' because I love doing what I do but changes are now going beyond even my control. It conflicts with what I am here for ... namely 'job satisfaction' & a decent living!!!
I often wonder how Tony Hillary feels seeing a great business he invested his life into, going 'down the pan' the way it is???!!!
This is a very 'dark time' in the company's history!!!!
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ricko
New Member
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Post by ricko on Feb 14, 2006 18:05:59 GMT 1
To Disdobs and Green pesto
Never has a truer word been said , by both of you. You have hit the nail right on the head.
Everyone should read your comments at least twice to let them set in.
If Hillary's was my company I wouldn't be doing much different than they are at the moment ( but then I am greedy ). Just stand back a minute at look at it from their point of view.
I wouldn't want a sales force that does things 500 different ways. Why do you think they went to diary booking in the first place?
I would want 800 new advisor's all trained the Hillary's way that don't know any better and if this was the case why would I bother waisting good money appeasing an existing sales force.
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Post by golfsthegame on Feb 14, 2006 21:04:58 GMT 1
Because without that sales force there are no sales.
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Post by cherokee on Feb 14, 2006 21:45:16 GMT 1
God, reading your post green, is so depressing but unfortunately I fear it is sooooo TRUE!!!! Was told today that our 800+ advisor force is looking to be raised to 870, it doesn't take Einstien to work out that for every experienced advisor jumping ship they will recruit 2 new Hillarys clones that don't know any better. And Golf sorry to disagree but the sales will still come at 3/£99 etc because the new guys will just get on with it.
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filo
Junior Member
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Post by filo on Feb 14, 2006 22:20:53 GMT 1
God, reading your post green, is so depressing but unfortunately I fear it is sooooo TRUE!!!! Was told today that our 800+ advisor force is looking to be raised to 870, it doesn't take Einstien to work out that for every experienced advisor jumping ship they will recruit 2 new Hillarys clones that don't know any better. And Golf sorry to disagree but the sales will still come at 3/£99 etc because the new guys will just get on with it. i agree cherokee , but it's not just for advisor jumping ship, it's also for the ones they ready to kick off the ship. filo |
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