Forced Availability

[JoY]

blindsfitter said:

thelloydgang said:

Hello All

You'll be glad to know I'm back fully refreshed from my wonderfully sunny weekend in Torquay. So much so that I got sunburnt..............that's Mr Mustards fault you know!

What has been going on whilst I've been sipping my very alcoholic cocktails not under my Pink Umbrella...............still awaiting that one!!

Well just to let you know I've had £34.57 commission clawed back this week and have no idea why.............but you can bet I'm gonna find out why! As you now when I've got summat betwixt me teeth I don't let go very easily!!

K

Did you find out why the clawback was justified???
It is not supposed to happen now, or so we are led to believe.

But then again, considering Hillarys record with clawbacks and stoppages for agents money,"once a thief always a thief......."

Blindsfitter

Let us know the outcome, good or bad

My recent clawback was because a cheque had bounced....

[Number6]

CLG


this forced availability rubbish, on Monday last I had (not for the first time) an appointment with 2 pensioners, who, when asked said they would have been delighted with a daytime appt, but were not offered one just given the next available slot which was an evening. I have subsequently spoken to another client who rang me direct, who wanted an evening call and cant have one as there is no availability. CLG needs an injection of common sense. Not to mention the customers who complain about the "rudeness and offhand attitude" of the call handlers at CLG.

Had an email from the FSM today saying no fitting allowed w/c 18/09. As we only get paid on what we fit what do we pay the bills with that week???

[blindmansam]

wren said:

Had an email from the FSM today saying no fitting allowed w/c 18/09. As we only get paid on what we fit what do we pay the bills with that week???

Let FSM think you'll play thier game - then carry on as usual.

Sod-em!

[hereticus]

wren said:

Had an email from the FSM today saying no fitting allowed w/c 18/09.

No fitting allowed ? Are you sure that was said, or have you put your own spin on the request to leave as many slots as possible free for sales during that week ? I can't believe that any manager or FSM would go so far as to say 'no fitting allowed'. This could herald a whole set of new management guidelines, starting with 'sod the customer' - in fact, when are we going to start calling them 'punters' rather than customers ? No, I can't accept that you have been forbidden from fitting for a week !

I have very mixed feelings about the 'sales push' in the third week of September. The company's motivation is simple enough - they have set a target to achieve £ 100 million turnover for the first time, and are close enough to make it possible with an upturn in September - just not decent enough to actually explain this to us and share the reasons for asking us to work differently for a short spell. If we were treated as part of the team we might be more motivated to co-operate, but the mushroom principle of management still applies.

But what is the problem anyway ? I will be booking fits for the following week, leaving sales slots open as requested, but do not believe for a minute that my diary will be filled up with sales - where are the extra leads going to come from to fill it ? So each day that week, probably around early afternoon, I will check the next day's diary and fill the gaps by bringing fits forward. Nothing difficult about that.

By this means I will be playing along with their request (which I don't actually object to under the circumstances anyway) but will also ensure that I fill the gaps in the diary, fit blinds within the customer's expectations, and still put something in the pot for the following week's commission payment.

Thinking longer term, there is a significant lesson to take from this - why, why, why do we have to book a fit date at the time of sale anyway ? Many customers are flexible and don't need it, some can't plan that far ahead and don't want to be pinned down, and it simply clogs up the diary weeks in advance. If lead-to diary times are extending I would suggest that the major cause is that diaries are full of fitting appointments which don't need to be so inflexible. If they stopped this ridiculous control then we would all regain some control over our businesses, be able to work smarter, often fit blinds sooner, and have the availability to see customers more quickly. Setting the fit date at the time of sale can be useful sometimes but should be an option within SAM, not a condition of order placement.

[keenasmustard]

blindmansam said:

wren said:

Had an email from the FSM today saying no fitting allowed w/c 18/09. As we only get paid on what we fit what do we pay the bills with that week???

Let FSM think you'll play thier game - then carry on as usual.

Sod-em!

what sort of bonus will management get if they crack the magic £100mil?and what bonus will we get when they crack it?

[RED]

hereticus said:

wren said:

Had an email from the FSM today saying no fitting allowed w/c 18/09.

No fitting allowed ? Are you sure that was said, or have you put your own spin on the request to leave as many slots as possible free for sales during that week ? I can't believe that any manager or FSM would go so far as to say 'no fitting allowed'. This could herald a whole set of new management guidelines, starting with 'sod the customer' - in fact, when are we going to start calling them 'punters' rather than customers ? No, I can't accept that you have been forbidden from fitting for a week !

I have very mixed feelings about the 'sales push' in the third week of September. The company's motivation is simple enough - they have set a target to achieve £ 100 million turnover for the first time, and are close enough to make it possible with an upturn in September - just not decent enough to actually explain this to us and share the reasons for asking us to work differently for a short spell. If we were treated as part of the team we might be more motivated to co-operate, but the mushroom principle of management still applies.

But what is the problem anyway ? I will be booking fits for the following week, leaving sales slots open as requested, but do not believe for a minute that my diary will be filled up with sales - where are the extra leads going to come from to fill it ? So each day that week, probably around early afternoon, I will check the next day's diary and fill the gaps by bringing fits forward. Nothing difficult about that.

By this means I will be playing along with their request (which I don't actually object to under the circumstances anyway) but will also ensure that I fill the gaps in the diary, fit blinds within the customer's expectations, and still put something in the pot for the following week's commission payment.

Thinking longer term, there is a significant lesson to take from this - why, why, why do we have to book a fit date at the time of sale anyway ? Many customers are flexible and don't need it, some can't plan that far ahead and don't want to be pinned down, and it simply clogs up the diary weeks in advance. If lead-to diary times are extending I would suggest that the major cause is that diaries are full of fitting appointments which don't need to be so inflexible. If they stopped this ridiculous control then we would all regain some control over our businesses, be able to work smarter, often fit blinds sooner, and have the availability to see customers more quickly. Setting the fit date at the time of sale can be useful sometimes but should be an option within SAM, not a condition of order placement.

Mike,
Like you, I have no objection in opening up my diary for sales. In fact it is in my interest to do so any way. Like you, I will also be filling up the unused slots with fits. However, opening my diary to just have it filled with 3 for 99 customers is not on. Therefore I will be asking my FSM as a one favor deserves another, to remove that offer for that week and the prior week at least. If not and it stays then it will not be worth me opening my diary as all I will be doing is driving around all day, every day for either peanuts or nothing at all. I know this as the offer has ran for so long now I know the score.
I know which address and which customers will ask me for these just by looking at my diary.
I also like the idea that Greenpesto mentioned about reintroducing our own 2 for one set price in the main book. I know it will cause confusion but I am seriously considering doing it as my conversion rate has plummeted over the past year and getting a discounted sale is better than no sale at all. Not the way I would like to go but when needs must and your voice goes unheard.

Red

[BlindWizard]

I agree with you hereticus

If they were open with regard to why they want sales now instead of making out there are soooo many leads (I'm quietest I've been since I started 2 years ago) we would have more respect, believe what is said and as you say feel part of the team/firm.

With regard to arranging fits at point of sale, if you don't want to just put them in for a Sunday then on sam complete them and book them in for the day you've arranged later. I personally don't do that because I far prefer booking at sale instead of all the phone calls later on arranging them.

[farmer]

wren said:

CLG


this forced availability rubbish, on Monday last I had (not for the first time) an appointment with 2 pensioners, who, when asked said they would have been delighted with a daytime appt, but were not offered one just given the next available slot which was an evening. I have subsequently spoken to another client who rang me direct, who wanted an evening call and cant have one as there is no availability. CLG needs an injection of common sense. Not to mention the customers who complain about the "rudeness and offhand attitude" of the call handlers at CLG.

Had an email from the FSM today saying no fitting allowed w/c 18/09. As we only get paid on what we fit what do we pay the bills with that week???

oh! but they can reckon on they can play the phone conversations back now to see what was said.
yes you've guessed, its always the opposite to what you have been told. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR give me stregnth.

Ooops best be off, to get to all my leads today before the 4 days are up, so that i can go in and quote, so that the loal compettion can go in after me and undercut me. worse still i give all the advice on what to have etc, and then customer passes on the info' to next company. saves them a job dunnit.

YORKSHIRE BLINDS, and MIKE GOlDRICK blinds always ask the customers if they are shopping around. If yes they book after us.

EX-advisors aren't they !

HOW DO I KNOW ??

i RESEARCH my customers. Last week i asked everyone of my leads . 25 of them.

9 replied with that answer.

SO GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER HILLARYS.

[desmorse]

I thought we were promised "no more spin - we'll tell the truth"
Another meeting promise broken.

Did you all notice the "reason" given for this suggestion?

which will allow Hillarys to achieve their year end targets, and will also allow you to increase your revenue and therefore your commission, so a win win

No it doesn't - it's just time shifting, there's no overall increase.

The timing of this also further highlights what myself and others have said over the months - there's just no joined-up management at Hillarys, just a set of individual depts each doing their own thing.

We were told months ago to book 2-3 weeks for fits, not 14 days.
We've had diarys forced for the last week or 2, so fits are already booked in for w/c 18/9 based on that.

Like Mike, I understand why Hillarys want to do this, and an honest and open communication would have been considered, but as ever, it's too much spin, too late.

And thanks for the birthday greetings - christ owl was quick, just gone midnight

[Bear]

gilly said:

blindmansam said:

Let FSM think you'll play thier game - then carry on as usual.

Sod-em!

what sort of bonus will management get if they crack the magic £100mil?and what bonus will we get when they crack it?

May I CONFIRM the fact that a memo was circulated to FSM's INSISTING on SALES ONLY in w/c 18 Sept, please??

This has been conveyed in different ways by individual FSM's.

Some have emailed it as an instruction ( albeit too late by 2 weeks for those who have booked fits in for that week)

Some have chosen to phone advisors--as in my case--FIRST verbal communication since JULY 7th(!!!). TELLING , Not asking or requesting, just telling me to postpone booked fits into the following week regardless of customer objection, to make space for what?

To mak space for Sales calls which will be coming......oh yeah....


Has anyone asked Ross K what the score is on this???

I gather he is being driven to get this "Initiative" working..

Oh yes.... and the FSM thing added, that if there are a lot of fits in that week from your agency I will want to know why.??

HELLO!!!!

Where is the logic in this godforsaken company?

Must go now ---- Nonails ( former agent) and I have a conservatory including the roof to fit ---.........for him....I must keep busy as only 2 leads today!!!..from Hillarys for me...


Bear
( I said I would stop ranting, but there are times even a bear has to have grizzle!!!

[hereticus]

bear said:

May I CONFIRM the fact that a memo was circulated to FSM's INSISTING on SALES ONLY in w/c 18 Sept, please??

Sounds like complete and utter arrogance, but I'm a little confused by 'insisting' and 'please' in the same sentence !

I currently have about ten hours of fits booked for that week. I will not be booking any more, and I will either bring forward or delay some of those ten hours worth, so I will be making availability for about 45 sales appointments that week. Are Hillarys going to fill all those with new leads ? Of course they won't (or if they do, why can't they do it all the time). Will I be compensated for the idle time thus created - of course not ! So, as I stated earlier, I will take it day by day and insert fitting appointments into the gaps as appropriate.

I will offer them the availability that they have requested, I challenge them to keep me busy, and I will be the first to acknowledge if they succeed, but I retain my right to 'Plan B', which is to arrange fits at short notice rather than sitting around doing nothing.

I have a business to run, a mortgage to pay, a household to maintain, and must therefore retain the flexibility to fill my time and work efficiently.

[greenpesto]

We could of course all go along with their request for the 3rd week in September!

Lets see if they deliver on their promise of a 'bumper' week!!!!!

If it flops, then we know what to do next time!!!!! ... There won't BE a next time!!!!

Also have you considered that one reason for delaying fittings that week may also result in a drop in payment of commissions to swell the already fat accounts for the end of year figures??!!!

Be prepared around that time to have delays in commission payments anyway for the same reason!!!

I seem to recall that this has happened in previous years whereby you only get half of what you expect or that commission appears to be paid only on orders of £500 or less!!!!

[Blind Scout]

bear said:

May I CONFIRM the fact that a memo was circulated to FSM's INSISTING on SALES ONLY in w/c 18 Sept, please??

This has been conveyed in different ways by individual FSM's.

Some have emailed it as an instruction ( albeit too late by 2 weeks for those who have booked fits in for that week)

Some have chosen to phone advisors--

I have now received 6 text messages from my FSM saying


To all advisors. URGENT. There will be a sales only period in september to push sales for the end of financial year. All fits will be pushed back to last week of september of september and october please check emails and faxes asap for details. If email of fax unavailable please contact me.

(Yes I know there is probably a full stop missing after "october" and "of fax" should be or fax, but it's a text message after all)

But this read as an instruction, and sorry, I am fitting. I had 1 fit and 3 sales appointments today. I appointment not in (can I cancel said customer on mobile phone,as I'm in the town.), 1 sale and 1 quote. I have put in another fit tonight, but I have spent this pm doing paperwork for the scouts. I have availability for most days this week with only 2 appointments and not one appointment next week yet.

[blindmansam]

Todays E-mail from FSM, i copy it here for your perusal , it reads as follows.........



"Make Hay while the Sun Shines"



Dear All, I can hear you saying now "what is she on about?!" Well let me explain. What I really mean is "Sell blinds while the sun shines". As you know September is the last month of the fiscal year, and I would like us to go out with a big bang!

To cut a long storey short it has been identified that with the current level of leads coming in and the way the lead to diary is at present, there is definitely an opportunity to maximise on sales in this last month, hence my new sales objective!! We believe that it's possible to increase sales by 20% over the original forecast. Now I can hear you say "Impossible!" but actually it isn't. When broken down its only one extra sale per person per week, now that sounds achievable already doesn't it? So how am I going to convince you all to help me achieve this? Here's my plan

Firstly we need to agree that we will definitely need to do things a little differently over the next few weeks. Doing what we've always done will get us what we've always got!!

I will be speaking to you all individually over the next couple of days, and if you will be supporting this initiative I will give you a sales objective based on your sales for September last year, plus the extra required to achieve the new figure.

OK, so now you want to know what's in it for you, if you achieve the objective. Well this involves me going out and selling (In the area's where we are struggling for cover) and the more I sell the more commission I raise, which will be awarded in the following way:

There will be only one prize, no prize for 2nd or 3rd! To be eligible to win, you will have achieved the objective by the end of the month.
The winner will be the advisor with the biggest sales growth over the objective e.g.

Objective Actual Difference
Advisor 1 £8,000 £9,000 £1,000
Advisor 2 £8,000 £10,000 £2,000 Winner!!
Advisor 3 £8,000 £8,500 £500

So if I sell £10,000 worth of blinds you'd be looking at a prize of £750 (If I've got time to fit the orders myself the prize will increase as I wont have to pay anyone to fit them!!)

Well I'm sure by now you're starting to think about what you could do with an extra £750, so lets have a look at the tactics to help us achieve our goal.

* Sales only week 3 & 4 - all around the UK we are gearing up for selling only and referring any fits to week 1 & 2 of October, this will give you the opportunity to increase your availability to take on the extra leads to achieve your objective, so please leave wk3 & 4 free for sales. I will discuss this with you over the phone.

* Quotes - If you leave a paper quote, don't send it to the quotes dept, send it to me and I will follow it up on your behalf. I will be looking to convert these with no discount or as little as possible. Also you may be sat on a few quotes that you haven't had time to follow up, there maybe a few quick wins for you here, or send it to me and I'll follow it up for you! (Details of how to send the quotes to follow)

* Orders in Query - Having checked my latest report, there are 28 orders in query throughout the counties, this could equate to £8,500 of sales based on AOV. So you could be only a phone call away from an extra order!

* Self generated leads - You may have friends and families that have been asking for you to pop round and sort them out with some blinds, well this month would be a perfect time to fit them in! Also don't forget the other tools you have available to you for generating leads e.g. the new home cards.

* More tactics you can use:
o Interest Free Credit - a great conversion tool
o Present the range - This will help you up sell a few verts to a few romans
o Ask if there are any more windows that need doing at the time of the fit. How many times have you had a phone call week later from a satisfied customer asking you to call again? So asking at the time of the fit could result in another sale, but one less visit!


I'm sure your brains are already ticking over, planning how to win that prize, but if you need any advise I will be more than willing to help.

I will be receiving county results daily and will share them with you on a regular basis, and don't forget your prize depends on my sales, so I will be expecting a few phone calls asking me how I'm doing. I will share my results with you regularly, so if you think my conversion or AOV isn't good enough, then call me and challenge me, or give me some advise! The more I do the more you win.

"Good Luck Everyone"

Here's the fax no. to send your paper quotes to: 0115 852 2947, I'm looking forward to getting them.

I will speak to you all over the next couple of days.

Kind Regards

[desmorse]

What a good idea for a bonus. Get more FSMs out there selling and giving away their commission. As previously said, any new ideas coming out, try them just in case they work

Only question, if 20% increase equates to 1 more sale a week, that means you're only doing 5 orders/week at the moment.

One other thought, whoever gets her commission, be sure you don't get her mis-measure fines too