quotes

[farmer]

Anyone had any quotes converted, lately ??
do the quotes dept' people still exist?

My last quote was converted in late march.
Send my fair share in.

or is it just me ?

[Blind Scout]

farmer said:

Anyone had any quotes converted, lately ??
do the quotes dept' people still exist?

My last quote was converted in late march.
Send my fair share in.

or is it just me ?

Had a convert about 6 weeks ago.

[keenasmustard]

farmer said:

Anyone had any quotes converted, lately ??
do the quotes dept' people still exist?

My last quote was converted in late march.
Send my fair share in.

or is it just me ?

you will find the new quotes dept doors marked gents,ladies inside in the cubicules hanging on nails will be our faxed quotes they say its softer than andrex

[grumperbear]

l don't send them any quotes any more.
Waste of time, they never phone customer.

ln the past when l have sent quotes in, and l then converted it myself, so l phone the quote department to say that l have converted it. Next day l get a letter from quotes saying THEY had converted it. Cheeky buggers.

[RED]

grumperbear said:

l don't send them any quotes any more.
Waste of time, they never phone customer.

ln the past when l have sent quotes in, and l then converted it myself, so l phone the quote department to say that l have converted it. Next day l get a letter from quotes saying THEY had converted it. Cheeky buggers.

Me too, never had one converted in at least the past 2 years. Only ones that are , are when a customer rings me and I convert it and then I get the letter saying they have converted it. It looks good for them, but I do know that none of my customers that I leave a quote with are ever contacted because I ask them. Its something I have brought up in the past but it never changes. All that extra work in going through the details with no return stops you bothering to measure properly if you get the slightest feeling it is not going to be a sale.
It would be interesting to find out if any agent does get quotes converted on a regular basis and why and how.

Red

[j]

stonehills said:

grumperbear said:

l don't send them any quotes any more.
Waste of time, they never phone customer.

ln the past when l have sent quotes in, and l then converted it myself, so l phone the quote department to say that l have converted it. Next day l get a letter from quotes saying THEY had converted it. Cheeky buggers.

Me too, never had one converted in at least the past 2 years. Only ones that are , are when a customer rings me and I convert it and then I get the letter saying they have converted it. It looks good for them, but I do know that none of my customers that I leave a quote with are ever contacted because I ask them. Its something I have brought up in the past but it never changes. All that extra work in going through the details with no return stops you bothering to measure properly if you get the slightest feeling it is not going to be a sale.
It would be interesting to find out if any agent does get quotes converted on a regular basis and why and how.

Red

All my quotes go through SAM. I have had quite a few landing on the doorstep, and then trying to establish where the order came from ie no confirmation of conversion. Most have been OAP's who have wanted to talk it over with their son or daughter.

I have just recieved a dilivery of wood venetians measured months ago. I just hope it was not one where I wrote in special instructions not to proceed until measurements are confirmed. The other problem with late conversions, they somehow still have the measurements etc, but the items don't get the room location on the sticker, and SAM does not have the memory.

Another issue is with the customer being told when they will get the blinds, and you know nothing about it. Customer services see it as an order and not a conversion when the customer phones in demanding the blinds you have not received, so cant explain to customers that it was a quote to start with, and will be dealt with as soon as the advisor can fit them.

[RED]

j said:

stonehills said:

Me too, never had one converted in at least the past 2 years. Only ones that are , are when a customer rings me and I convert it and then I get the letter saying they have converted it. It looks good for them, but I do know that none of my customers that I leave a quote with are ever contacted because I ask them. Its something I have brought up in the past but it never changes. All that extra work in going through the details with no return stops you bothering to measure properly if you get the slightest feeling it is not going to be a sale.
It would be interesting to find out if any agent does get quotes converted on a regular basis and why and how.

Red

All my quotes go through SAM. I have had quite a few landing on the doorstep, and then trying to establish where the order came from ie no confirmation of conversion. Most have been OAP's who have wanted to talk it over with their son or daughter.

I have just recieved a dilivery of wood venetians measured months ago. I just hope it was not one where I wrote in special instructions not to proceed until measurements are confirmed. The other problem with late conversions, they somehow still have the measurements etc, but the items don't get the room location on the sticker, and SAM does not have the memory.

Another issue is with the customer being told when they will get the blinds, and you know nothing about it. Customer services see it as an order and not a conversion when the customer phones in demanding the blinds you have not received, so cant explain to customers that it was a quote to start with, and will be dealt with as soon as the advisor can fit them.

Yes mine go throught SAM as well. I have just done a filter on my database and since taking on SAM I have sent in 226 quotes and as far as I can remember only one has been secured so thats a conversion rate of less than 0.05%. Good job I work on a higher conversion rate than this, but only just nowadays. ;D.

Red

[kevin]

j said:

stonehills said:

Me too, never had one converted in at least the past 2 years. Only ones that are , are when a customer rings me and I convert it and then I get the letter saying they have converted it. It looks good for them, but I do know that none of my customers that I leave a quote with are ever contacted because I ask them. Its something I have brought up in the past but it never changes. All that extra work in going through the details with no return stops you bothering to measure properly if you get the slightest feeling it is not going to be a sale.
It would be interesting to find out if any agent does get quotes converted on a regular basis and why and how.

Red

All my quotes go through SAM. I have had quite a few landing on the doorstep, and then trying to establish where the order came from ie no confirmation of conversion. Most have been OAP's who have wanted to talk it over with their son or daughter.

I have just recieved a dilivery of wood venetians measured months ago. I just hope it was not one where I wrote in special instructions not to proceed until measurements are confirmed. The other problem with late conversions, they somehow still have the measurements etc, but the items don't get the room location on the sticker, and SAM does not have the memory.

Another issue is with the customer being told when they will get the blinds, and you know nothing about it. Customer services see it as an order and not a conversion when the customer phones in demanding the blinds you have not received, so cant explain to customers that it was a quote to start with, and will be dealt with as soon as the advisor can fit them.

SAM Quotes converted from now on, will have the Room Identifier on the packaging label/s.
Regards
Kevin

[royt]

A couple of points, Quotes department does nothing for me, ocasionaly converts a blind for hundred quid that is just agro to fit in my busy diary...... usually the customer that the quote is converted I have deemed to be a timewaster and am constantly worried if I took correct measurements in the first place, But this is not a major worry as they have converted 2 in a year.... I was speaking to a girll in Quotes recently and their target for that day was 40k so they must be doing something.

I also Believe that there is a huge differnence in the way advisors present themselves to a customer, I have been to fsm meetings and seen people fitting and selling in clapped out motors, motorhomes and knackered vans, If I was spending Hundreds and maybe thousands on Blinds and some joker turned up first to sell them looking like a fitter stinking of fagsmoke and BO I'd laugh him out the door. I have fit days and selling days and have invested in a newish estate car, when I am selling i put a shirt and tie on and believe this increases the chance of getting high value sales, again if I had spent a couple of grand on blinds and del-boy in his three wheeler turned up I would be most offended.....I believe us agents that purvey a profesional image should get more comission than Arfur daley and his Ghetto blind image.

[Blind Scout]

kevinbeardsley said:

SAM Quotes converted from now on, will have the Room Identifier on the packaging label/s.
Regards
Kevin

Kevin, nice to see you are still active on here.

That would be helpful, but why on conversions by HO, do the details vanish. When you enter the 'Fit" screen, the option to 'view order' returns the message 'no data available' or something like that. It the job if within 3 weeks of the quote, you can locate the original order, and get the details there, but outwith that, no details appear at all.

And on SAM changes, is there anything in the planning to enable us to see the 'notes' pages, because manufacturing notes are often ignored, and we have no evidence to show, if this leads to the blind not being manufatured as requested and a DOR has to be raised and they insist it was our fault and chanrge us 20ukp.

[russell]

royt said:

A couple of points, Quotes department does nothing for me, ocasionaly converts a blind for hundred quid that is just agro to fit in my busy diary...... usually the customer that the quote is converted I have deemed to be a timewaster and am constantly worried if I took correct measurements in the first place, But this is not a major worry as they have converted 2 in a year.... I was speaking to a girll in Quotes recently and their target for that day was 40k so they must be doing something.

I also Believe that there is a huge differnence in the way advisors present themselves to a customer, I have been to fsm meetings and seen people fitting and selling in clapped out motors, motorhomes and knackered vans, If I was spending Hundreds and maybe thousands on Blinds and some joker turned up first to sell them looking like a fitter stinking of fagsmoke and BO I'd laugh him out the door. I have fit days and selling days and have invested in a newish estate car, when I am selling i put a shirt and tie on and believe this increases the chance of getting high value sales, again if I had spent a couple of grand on blinds and del-boy in his three wheeler turned up I would be most offended.....I believe us agents that purvey a profesional image should get more comission than Arfur daley and his Ghetto blind image.

I couldn't agree more ,I am always amazed at the presentation of some advisor's at fsm meets and or training sessions .I think the day of the jean wearing egg stained adviser are almost nigh though the sooner the better as i cringe at the image some of these advisor's portray.Personally i would not buy from someone who quite clearly cant dress smart for work and i have honestly clinched many deals on my professionalism and appearance

[keenasmustard]

russell said:

royt said:

A couple of points, Quotes department does nothing for me, ocasionaly converts a blind for hundred quid that is just agro to fit in my busy diary...... usually the customer that the quote is converted I have deemed to be a timewaster and am constantly worried if I took correct measurements in the first place, But this is not a major worry as they have converted 2 in a year.... I was speaking to a girll in Quotes recently and their target for that day was 40k so they must be doing something.



I also Believe that there is a huge differnence in the way advisors present themselves to a customer, I have been to fsm meetings and seen people fitting and selling in clapped out motors, motorhomes and knackered vans, If I was spending Hundreds and maybe thousands on Blinds and some joker turned up first to sell them looking like a fitter stinking of fagsmoke and BO I'd laugh him out the door. I have fit days and selling days and have invested in a newish estate car, when I am selling i put a shirt and tie on and believe this increases the chance of getting high value sales, again if I had spent a couple of grand on blinds and del-boy in his three wheeler turned up I would be most offended.....I believe us agents that purvey a profesional image should get more comission than Arfur daley and his Ghetto blind image.

I couldn't agree more ,I am always amazed at the presentation of some advisor's at fsm meets and or training sessions .I think the day of the jean wearing egg stained adviser are almost nigh though the sooner the better as i cringe at the image some of these advisor's portray.Personally i would not buy from someone who quite clearly cant dress smart for work and i have honestly clinched many deals on my professionalism and appearance

dress is important , the right image is very important .its like they say people buy when the person has the right image and attitude.
I have a local advisor near me and what a prat he is,last week one of his customers asked me when doing her neighbours blinds if I could check that hers were done right.she started off by telling me that he turned up in a vest and shorts with trainers then she says that he doesn't answer his phone when she rings him then when h/o tells him to go he's rude and off hand.
with people like this its no wonder leads are down its these sort of advisors that fsm's should be concentrating on.he's been with us about 2 years and its 2 years too long.

[RED]

gilly said:

russell said:

I couldn't agree more ,I am always amazed at the presentation of some advisor's at fsm meets and or training sessions .I think the day of the jean wearing egg stained adviser are almost nigh though the sooner the better as i cringe at the image some of these advisor's portray.Personally i would not buy from someone who quite clearly cant dress smart for work and i have honestly clinched many deals on my professionalism and appearance

dress is important , the right image is very important .its like they say people buy when the person has the right image and attitude.
I have a local advisor near me and what a prat he is,last week one of his customers asked me when doing her neighbours blinds if I could check that hers were done right.she started off by telling me that he turned up in a vest and shorts with trainers then she says that he doesn't answer his phone when she rings him then when h/o tells him to go he's rude and off hand.
with people like this its no wonder leads are down its these sort of advisors that fsm's should be concentrating on.he's been with us about 2 years and its 2 years too long.

I have to agree. Image is everything and going smart but casual has always been my way. However, image is as far as I am concerned let down by Hillary's themselves with the ridiculous offers and the type of customer they are attracting. What is the point of turning up in a decent set of clothes in a decent looking car only to be asked about the 3 for 99 rubbish we sell at present, to the type of homes we are going to.
I only have to look at my diary in the morning to tell whether its a smart, casual day or a jeans and boxing gloves day.
It never used to be like this. Most of the customers were middle income and pensioners with a bit of money and we left the dross type sales to the dross type companies. Now we have joined them and until these ludicrous offers stop we will not get any better. Therefore, dress accordingly but shorts and trainers are a no,no. Not now, not ever.

Red

[dolly]

I dont send many quotes in as even when i did people still rang me. I buy the Hillarys pads and can write a far neater quote on that then the invoices especially when quoting many different choices.
Also I regularly attend appts in jeans/casual. One reason is i always prefer to fit and sell same days, it works for me. Secondly i have had too many nice clothes including a new coat ruined with unexpected wet paint and other unremovable stains.
Without blowing my own trumpet people often say they bought from me because of my attitude, not what i am wearing. For the first time this summer in the heatwave i was out in shorts people were opening the doors in alot less then i would wear in bed! Affects the concentration!!!
Each to their own.

[Blind Scout]

Like dolly, I will fit and sell on the same day, so I dress casually, black trousers ( don't use jeans, in fact I don't have a pair), and I must be one of the few that use the blue Hillarys polo shirt. ASDA trousers are only 6ukp and are cheap enough to not worry about getting messy, or crawling on the floor, and look reasonable smart. Even before I was cajoled into using the branded clothing, I used polo shirts and trousers anyway. Attitude with the customer is more important, but I would never wear shorts and trainers, not on the job anyway.

BTW travelled 15 miles round trip today to be told the louvres only (24) for 1 window at 50ukp was bloody expensive, but he expected them to be less than 1ukp each and was looking for them b4 the end of the week. He did appologise for my waste of time, and did say he had asked for a price from CLG, but they insisted an agent would have to call.

Also had 1st customer of today telling me that CLG had said some wood vens were also on 3 4 99 offer as well. Its all I seem to do these days, is leave quotes. Probable reason for non-conversion, is customers are now expecting 3 4 99 on all products.