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Post by RED on Aug 23, 2006 12:59:45 GMT 1
For weeks now in my area we have been short of advisors for many different reasons and not all Hillarys fault. So i am doing a bit extra than i normally would anyway. But the more i did to start with the less sales appts i do now because all the extra sales has meant the extra fits loses me an equivalent of a days sales over a week. So all we are doing is going round in circles. As for working B. H. Monday i worked my first one years ago people either had a house full of guests so you hadn't their full attention,are going out and rushing about or have cleared off out before you get there. I pulled up at somebodys house once to see them all jumping in the car. Dog, bucket and spade the lot. I thought even then as a newish recruit never again. The decent customers will always wait for an appt. How many times have we been told by customers in December that they must have the blinds up for XMAS. Only to ring them and say their ready only to be told we will wait now till January.  I did a bank holiday once. Never again. A lovely day and only one out of 12 customers actually stayed in for me in the middle of the afternoon so spent the entire day waiting round for nothing. Never, ever again. Especially not for 3 for 99ers. Red |
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reginald
Junior Member
agent 27 years
Posts: 70
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Post by reginald on Aug 23, 2006 15:39:11 GMT 1
What a load of ball cocks this is more hillarys spin!!! they tell me they need more availability and then from an area covering five postcodes NE16 to NE 42 over 2 days with availability for 11 leads each day I get .................. NONE! where in hells name do they get their info , from the local infants school?  ? |
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Post by thelloydgang on Aug 23, 2006 17:52:15 GMT 1
Hi Dolly Would love to! If only I had the money!! He he ;D Karen  |
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alcli01957
Junior Member
ACCY STANLEY Div 2 Hello boys we're back! & Bloody well staying this time!
Posts: 72
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Post by alcli01957 on Aug 24, 2006 8:19:22 GMT 1
Have spent the last two days chasing around then ringing DM up & removing 3 slots cos I cannot physically meet the bookings over the area I am covering. Got message service first time & left details re removing appts. They rang me back to say they had taken out my local appointments leaving the problem long distance ones & to cap it all they tried to remove the call I had just been to. Didn't notice commedian on the requirements to work at HO! Working bank holiday-even God rested on the seventh day!
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Post by phugly on Aug 24, 2006 8:45:30 GMT 1
I am not married to Hillarys. I have a life and family apart from Hillarys and I know from past experience that its not worth my while to work bank holidays. I have in the past added extra availability to my diary, but only after agreement personally with my FSM. Any extra availability put in my diary without my knowledge may not get done unless I find that I have time to do them.
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Post by thelloydgang on Aug 24, 2006 10:52:43 GMT 1
Hi all Must admit I'm getting a bit fed up with all your comments about "forced" availability. If you don't want to do it then contact ADM and your FSM and tell them to keep your diary the same as it has always been! As i've said before.......I've done this and there has been no problem. Maybe I'm asking with the right attitude.......it's seems that many of you have got yourselves so worked up over "forced" availability and I wonder if this negative attitude is coming across on the phone if you do talk to your FSM or ADM! If a customer talks to me in a certain way it certainly gets my back up and I'm either straight out the door or not extremely helpful to them. So come on everyone.......it's not really forced now is it! You all run your own business so just try and chill! Eagerly awaiting the backlash  K ;D You all seem to be very negative |
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Post by hereticus on Aug 24, 2006 11:18:03 GMT 1
Eagerly awaiting the backlash - You all seem to be very negative No, Karen - not ALL of us are very negative ! I'm the one who is always accused of being too positive, of living in a world of eternal optimism, or at least of putting forward a balanced argument on these issues. I do agree, though, that many on this forum would rather wallow in being hard done by rather than taking control of their own businesses. |
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Post by RED on Aug 24, 2006 11:36:02 GMT 1
Hi all Must admit I'm getting a bit fed up with all your comments about "forced" availability. If you don't want to do it then contact ADM and your FSM and tell them to keep your diary the same as it has always been! As i've said before.......I've done this and there has been no problem. Maybe I'm asking with the right attitude.......it's seems that many of you have got yourselves so worked up over "forced" availability and I wonder if this negative attitude is coming across on the phone if you do talk to your FSM or ADM! If a customer talks to me in a certain way it certainly gets my back up and I'm either straight out the door or not extremely helpful to them. So come on everyone.......it's not really forced now is it! You all run your own business so just try and chill! Eagerly awaiting the backlash K ;D You all seem to be very negative No backlash Karen, I dont really have too much of a problem with forced leads.As you say, take control. What is getting me down and is probably reflecting on all aspects of my business is the amount of 3 for 99 customers I am going out to. All day yesterday all I got was leaflets pushed in my face and customers telling me that clg had told them to ask about the 3 for 99 offers. No longer do I get the nice old pensioner that wants the 2 good quality blinds for 300 quid. It is straight in with the leaflet and bang, you are on a looser again. It is not too bad if their are only one or two of them in a day but after 2 days and 16 leads and every one of them has asked for 3 for 99 and you manage to sell up only a few then this is bound to reflect on your overall performance and attitude. I wounder if the ones more positive are the ones not offering the 3 for 99. I do try to be positive but after 12 months of 3 for 99 and my bank balance in the red how can I remain so. In a nutshell, I face bankruptcy or the dole if it continues. Now tell me to remain positive. Red |
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Post by Augustus on Aug 24, 2006 12:08:54 GMT 1
I can fully understand why HQ wanted the extra availability. Having worked bank holidays for years I always found it easier in the short term as it allowed me to me various customers blinds who I might of had to do out of normal working hours. Also, been able to take advantage of both partners being their so could do the deal on the day more often. Now having a family it has been harder to fit things in and keep everybody happy ( ie - the wife ! ) It would be nice if HQ had given us a little more notice and maybe the option of working rather than attempting to 'force' it in. Effectively all they want to do is try and maintain a good level of business by making sure the customer is seen a quickly as possible. Nothing wrong with that ? A fresh lead will always be better in my eyes. We are all a little too quick to put things down that come out of HQ. If they either hired a new person to write the letters or sampled it to a few advisors first then maybe the 'crossed lines' wouldn't happen so often..... Times are hard, but while the leads come in, it's in our interest to make the best of them. 3 for £99 regardless. Time to take stock again. We have to conceed that the call centre sometimes get it wrong, sometimes we are let down. We all have bad days- but we don't often come on here and sing about the good days do we ? Chin up guys and gals P. |
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Post by thelloydgang on Aug 24, 2006 12:16:26 GMT 1
Red We too have had 3 for £99 and I became very despondent with the offer. I ended up telling customers that I wasn't selling 3 for £99. Some were angry so I just left others peed of at first but then agreed to look at other blinds and managed to sell up to some! I contacted head office and said I wasn't happy with 3 for £99 offer and this has now been taken out of our area. Up to a few weeks ago it was still being advertised in this area. We've now gone on to half price blinds. I'd be interested to know if you've actually spoken to your FSM or head office about the problems. My new FSM is dead set against the 3 for £99 and is now trialling half price advertising in all of his areas. If this continues ok I'm sure it'll roll out across the country. Speak to your FSM and tell him/her the issues you have with the 3 for £99. Unfortunately, you can't expect them to take any notice of this Forum if all are posting annonamously. Be upfront and honest about your feelings...........don't worry about a "backlash" from your FSM.........I certainly didn't get one. It can't be anyworse than what you are facing at the moment........the dole!  Go on.........bite the bullet and actually talk to someone from H/O........you never know.........you might be pleasantly surprised.......it can't make it any worse than it is now for you can it! Good luck and I hope you get rid of the 3 for £99 asap and get back to selling great blinds in the near future! K ;D |
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Post by thelloydgang on Aug 24, 2006 12:19:10 GMT 1
Why are we suddenly advertising other blind companies on this Forum.........surely that's gonna pee off head office! ? Are you trying to get us advisors to use other suppliers? I don't understand!
K
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Post by RED on Aug 24, 2006 12:29:04 GMT 1
Red We too have had 3 for £99 and I became very despondent with the offer. I ended up telling customers that I wasn't selling 3 for £99. Some were angry so I just left others peed of at first but then agreed to look at other blinds and managed to sell up to some! I contacted head office and said I wasn't happy with 3 for £99 offer and this has now been taken out of our area. Up to a few weeks ago it was still being advertised in this area. We've now gone on to half price blinds. I'd be interested to know if you've actually spoken to your FSM or head office about the problems. My new FSM is dead set against the 3 for £99 and is now trialling half price advertising in all of his areas. If this continues ok I'm sure it'll roll out across the country. Speak to your FSM and tell him/her the issues you have with the 3 for £99. Unfortunately, you can't expect them to take any notice of this Forum if all are posting anonymously. Be upfront and honest about your feelings...........don't worry about a "backlash" from your FSM.........I certainly didn't get one. It can't be anyworse than what you are facing at the moment........the dole! Go on.........bite the bullet and actually talk to someone from H/O........you never know.........you might be pleasantly surprised.......it can't make it any worse than it is now for you can it! Good luck and I hope you get rid of the 3 for £99 asap and get back to selling great blinds in the near future! K ;D Hi Karen I dont post anonymously, everyone knows who I am. I have spoken to both my last fsm and now my new one only this morning but all they can both say is that other companies near me are doing it so we have to even though they agree with me. As I pointed out though, those other companies are getting in excess of 20% commission and some are as much as 50% so they dont mind doing them. When our commission is only 14.68% then it would take 7 customers and 2 days work to make 100 pounds before expenses so not really a good business plan for me. I am not the only agent facing these prospects, there are others but dont post often. Red |
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Post by thelloydgang on Aug 24, 2006 12:40:06 GMT 1
HI Red I don't know who your are! I assumed to everyone knew who was until it was pointed out to me. That's why I've put my details on for all to see. Perhaps you could do that too! We have offers like that in this area too like Uk blinds and Reynolds blinds a local company has been advertising on the front page of our free local comany in colour.....buy one get one free on all blinds. Affected our business a little to start with but I don't think they can keep up with the demand and customers are having to wait weeks before they can even get an appointment. I can go round virtually the next day which impresses them no end! Hopefully your competitors will shoot themselves in the foot like Reynolds. I'm not saying I get all the calls I go out on but I've built up a loyal base over the past 5 years and the majority still see HIllarys as the number one believe it or not!! Surely, if you're not getting the sales on the 3 for £99 if can't hurt Hillarys to just trial the half price sale in your area for a few months. You and the company haven't got anything to lose then. Have you suggested this to the powers that be? Have you spoken to Rose Haines in marketing........she was helpful to us at the beginning of the year. K  |
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Post by royt on Aug 24, 2006 22:08:12 GMT 1
why don't they spend some of the 17million a year on advertising trying to entice high spending customers, anyone looked at the weekend broadsheets will see we are reguarly trounced by sanderson's and various other new high end blind companies, we advertise on daytime telly tring to persuade mr and mrs dole that we can do their whole house for £149.
Another point....is it me or have wooden venetians gone totally crap again....every dor for four weeks now is on wood and i am seriously considering selling damaged blinds to cover my expenses to service this cheap imported crap
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Post by farmer on Aug 24, 2006 22:48:19 GMT 1
I can fully understand why HQ wanted the extra availability. Having worked bank holidays for years I always found it easier in the short term as it allowed me to me various customers blinds who I might of had to do out of normal working hours. Also, been able to take advantage of both partners being their so could do the deal on the day more often. Now having a family it has been harder to fit things in and keep everybody happy ( ie - the wife ! ) It would be nice if HQ had given us a little more notice and maybe the option of working rather than attempting to 'force' it in. Effectively all they want to do is try and maintain a good level of business by making sure the customer is seen a quickly as possible. Nothing wrong with that ? A fresh lead will always be better in my eyes. We are all a little too quick to put things down that come out of HQ. If they either hired a new person to write the letters or sampled it to a few advisors first then maybe the 'crossed lines' wouldn't happen so often..... Times are hard, but while the leads come in, it's in our interest to make the best of them. 3 for £99 regardless. Time to take stock again. We have to conceed that the call centre sometimes get it wrong, sometimes we are let down. We all have bad days- but we don't often come on here and sing about the good days do we ? Chin up guys and gals P. allright then motters, ive had a good day today, fitted 12 customers there blinds today, and NOT ONE D.O.R. I LOVE HILLARYS, always have and always will ;D |
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