Well that's 4 of us staying!
Yes I've had problems with Hillarys, but I've had some good times and some d**n good laughs along the way, with advisors and area managers alike.
I'm 1 of the fortunate ones, I don't have 3/£99 at the moment, but I've had it in the past, and truly sympathise with those stuffed with it now. It's the pits, along with some of the homes I visited during that period. I actually remember (traumatised) putting my arm against a kitchen wall to steady myself whilst drilling, and sticking to the grease on it.
Again, perhaps I'm fortunate in that I'm one of the "big ticket" specialists, so am getting awning and roof blind leads.
Leads have been very slow of late, but much better quality.
I got the pig-ignorant email telling me what was changing in my diary. I rang my FSM - my diary's not being changed, but my number of leads has increased noticeably over the last couple of days
I didn't have any late deliveries last Christmas, and I sold up to the last minute.
I have lost commission several times through no fault of my own, and feel strongly about the principle behind it, but in reality, it's really a very small percentage of my annual income, and is it really worth throwing away a job I generally enjoy, over? This is a very personal opinion, but the sums involved for me don't warrant getting up tight. It's probably well under £1,000 for the last 3 years in total. Yes it's wrong, it's probably illegal, it's definitely arrogant and insensitive in the way it was done, but accounts for less than 1% of my commission during the same period.
I STILL WANT IT BACK THOUGH. It also hasn't happened for several months, so maybe (speak softly) delivery and quality are improving overall. Yes, we all get the odd problem, and we all enjoy a good moan, but if you sat and analysed the number of problems against the number of blinds fitted, is it really that big, or do you only remember the jobs that went bad?
I like SAM. Yes order entry is slow, cost of printer paper a rip-off, but for me the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Again a personal view.
Hillarys are my only income, and I do have concerns that all my eggs are in one basket, but I do still enjoy what I do, and earn a living out of it.
So, does all this make me an @rse licking creep, or someone who takes what Hillarys have to offer and use it in a way that benefits both mine and Hillarys business?
ditto that GVM.
I know i have threatened to leave more than once and probably will again, when I am peed off with any particular day.
I just feel that chucking away 16 years now of building up my business, is a lot to give up.
Coming from a farming background, earning £180 for a 60 hour week, to constantly earn what i do with Hillarys for the last few years is not going to be easily replaced.
(In saying that, just doing my accounts for this last year, and earnings dwindling fast, overheads increasing, are begginning to make this job very very average, when divided between 2 of us.)
That doesn't mean i want to accept the crap we have all suffered over the last 2 or 3 years.
I for one am still prepared to wait for the outcome of the forums.
i must say that it is about time something was happenning.
For me getting the commission rate up for self generated leads is the one that will do it for me.
Spent a morning putting brochures out around a new build estate 3 weeks ago, realising 6 self gens this week. no cost to hillarys (brochures apart) so why not 40% commission ??
That should give incentive to carding, brochure drops etc.
Also a rethink on advertising is needed, big time.
As a customer of mine who is a multi millionare, sales executive, selling Herbalife, told me this week on his 3 for 99 lead - Hillarys are sending out the wrong message.......( he bought £500 quids worth)
The leads come in thick and fast yes, but 95% of the time, we are scorned at and worse.
Why dont they put in adverts that will avoid that. something like, buy a particular blind or blinds for say £90 or £100 and get one for £30 0r £40. Something along those lines.IDEAS PLEASE>>
That way then, the customers are priced conditioned before they ring, will get a bettter choice, more chance of a sale that is worth doing, we dont get swore at, spat at, called con men, and keep a reasonable reputation. Dont end up demoralised, and peed off.
To this day people still think that the 2 for 1 offers are, buy one get one free.. the word free seems to have the x factor in selling, so why not try to incorporate it somehow.
To my mind something along these lines is better than quite frankly almost conning people with the 3 for 99's.
Its allright f.s.m's saying its like a end of line cloths rail in a shop,
to me it isn't. I dont go to that shop just because the are on end of line offer, it would be just a bonus to me if i bought something that was reduced.
Then again i am not thinking like the ruthless venture capitalists, accountants or whoever runs this outfit now, and perhaps my way of thinking isn't ruthless enough.
So how about ideas for replacing the 3 for 99 adverts. bearing in mind we have to somehow understand why they need to do it.
lets have a list of suggestions, to replace the 3 for 99. It is our business, if we were putting the ads in what would we put?
Then we have something to put to Mr Risman, or Rose, or whoever. (wether they listen is another matter)
But lets put it this way.
Anybody who is thinking of leaving and starting up for themselves, as quite a few have done, and are doing, could always put methods like this to task.
With regards to nonails anger over increased leads he is dead right.
at the end of the day, we have lives to lead as well. I am sorry to see you going, and hope you find what you want out there.
I only hope that the top brass are realising what is going on. but is this part of the bigger picture, constant turnover of advisors is to expected. Bit like car salesmaen here today gone tommorow.
The cars still sell..
Talking to other people with businesses of all kinds, they all have issues, and as gvm says we all dwell on the crap, ( ME Especially) .
So trying to be positve, for the last time, (probably because its 3 days off now, & until the next faulty blind) i am still waiting to see positive actions.
Come on Hillarys get your fingers out, and lets start to see some actions.... Pushing 4 months without any change, how long do you need .Enough time for all your best advisors to leave and set up in opposition against you. thats allready happening anyway, and i still think the attitude to the problems is complacent, arrogant, and in the long run will destroy what has taken 40 odd years to build.
In renewed hope, but for the last time................
).