Getting signatures

[RED]

I am sure you will all be aware by now of the new laws passed by Cowlick.
That is to get a signature on every order and with out a signature the order will not be manufactured.
Now what I want to know is, how will they know we have got a signature. Will they phone us and ask. Will we have to send in the little postage stamp sized bits of paper so that they can loose them and we then have no record.
If we do need to send them in then will that not hold up the order and are we not back to where we started before SAM and might as well have stayed with paper orders.
Also no order will be manufactured with out a 50% deposit. Whats that all about. I know we really do need to get a deposit but there are times when it is not possible, like the lady I went to last week that does not have credit or debit cards and would have to go to the bank the next day to get a deposit and I would have to call back again. No way was I racking up more expensive miles to collect deposits so I used my discretion and put it through with no deposit. So under the new way I would have to go back the next day and pick up a deposit. Well excuse me, but if that order had been for less than around 130 quid then there would be no reason for me to go back as my time would be draining away and so would my petrol. Result, a lost order for Hillary's.
What do the rest of you think bearing in mind this happens frequently to me with the offers currently on.

RED

[BlindWizard]

Absolutely Red, I had the same thoughts.

It says "any order you send in must be signed and a deposit paid". There isn't any mention of 50% so presumably you can take a small amount which we should do anyway as legally it does make a big difference even if you just take a £1 deposit.

They can't check SAM orders or another week would be added to delivery and all the admin SAM has saved would be out the window as it would be more work as each order would have to be found on the system and released !!

I'm interested to know how the quotes department are going to manage as they don't get signatures and very rarely take a deposit. As you say Red under £130 (or more if far) is not worth it and also you will have to arrange a time that they are in so that will reduce your availability for sales calls.

I'd be interested to know the amount they loose because of no signature compared to the number of orders with no signature that are processed without a problem

Don't think they have thought it through; they do loose creditability with these half baked announcements.

[Amber]

I quite often leave a quote and customer phones back later to order, usually quite easy to take deposit by card over phone but can't get signature without re-visit which not worth it for small value order and will delay order for customer if cannot re-visit quickly. I wonder how many orders actually go wrong which haven't had a signature, compared with how many orders hillarys will loose this way. I have never yet had an order go wrong in this way.

[gloryboy]

pamandray said:

I quite often leave a quote and customer phones back later to order, usually quite easy to take deposit by card over phone but can't get signature without re-visit which not worth it for small value order and will delay order for customer if cannot re-visit quickly. I wonder how many orders actually go wrong which haven't had a signature, compared with how many orders hillarys will loose this way. I have never yet had an order go wrong in this way.

same here.

i've not seen these new instructions yet. they won't be able to police it, how are they to know if the customer, me or my neighbours cat has put a signature on the order?

sounds like a lawyer has offered them a way of passing the cost of any cancelled orders onto the agent.

[Blind Scout]

I have one order still waiting fitting since before Christmas. I left a quote for 2 Clouds at 119. Quotes converted as a single bind at 59, took no deposit. Apart from not knowing it had been ordered until an extra blind appeared off my van, calls to the customer are being met with the usual no money at the moment, try next month. I wouldn't have ordered the single blind, unless at the full list price, I would have taken a deposit, Quotes didn't, and after seeing the house, would probably have asked for full payment for that special offer.

As for doing an extra 12 mile round trip, at 44p/mile and 1/2 - 2/3 hour time, all for 9ukp. As it is, I'm loosing money on the job anyway.

[royt]

what does the Mail say about Hillarys been sold

[BlindWizard]

Nope not been sold, being offered for sale.

The owners, Change Capital, have appointed NM Rothschild to find a buyer. Thought to be worth up to £200m.

Was brought in August 2004 for about £100m, made profits of £10.3m on sales of £75.4m in the year to September 2005.

Wish I had brought it now ;D ;D

[RED]

Here is the full write up.

Former Marks and Spencer chairman Luc Vandervelde is selling Hillarys, Britains largest supplier of made to measure blinds.
His private equity vehicle, Change capital, has appointed investment bank N M Rothschild to find a buyer for the business, which is thought to be worth up to 200 million pounds.
Change Capital bought Hillarys in August 2004 for about 100 million. The company has made profits of 10.3 million on sales of 75.4 million in the year 2005.
Hillarys, whose chairman is former M & S chief executive Roger Holmes, launched a variety of cost cuts in 2005.
It shifted its supply base to the Far East, closed down its stores and now sells blinds through direct advertising and the Internet.
Change capital was set up by Vandevelde in 2002, a year before he was ousted from M & S. He recruited Holmes as managing director in 2004.

[phugly]

aren,t these last posts a bit off subject and better for being placed elsewhere??

[osram]

Anyone want to buy my printer there must be someone needs one 07762 327619

[skelly]

Now dont shoot the messenger.
My FSM has just rung me and i have asked him about this signature problem. He has said if you dont already you need to send in your signed SAM receipts in on regular basis in the envelopes provided.
I know this wont be popular but i hope it helps.

[Blind Scout]

So the question is "do they hold manufacturing, until they receive a signed copy of the order" If so, the delivery time to fit, will need to be increased. Instead of going from SAM into manufature, more staff will need to be taken on to process these little bits of paper. I have no problem on orders taken on the appointment, as I send the signed copy in anyway, it is the conversions. Large value orders are probably ok, it's the £30 1/2 price give aways that it is not worth doing. Don't really want these jobs anyway, and I certainly don't want to go back just for a deposit and signature.

[RED]

isabella said:

So the question is "do they hold manufacturing, until they receive a signed copy of the order" If so, the delivery time to fit, will need to be increased. Instead of going from SAM into manufature, more staff will need to be taken on to process these little bits of paper. I have no problem on orders taken on the appointment, as I send the signed copy in anyway, it is the conversions. Large value orders are probably ok, it's the £30 1/2 price give aways that it is not worth doing. Don't really want these jobs anyway, and I certainly don't want to go back just for a deposit and signature.

I dont think anything is ever thought through properly. Someone just thinks up these half backed ideas then puts the word out. Do they really think someone is going to sort through around 10 thousand bits of paper every day. No, I dont think so and then what happens when order goes into dept recovery and you have no receipt with a signature on because you sent it to Hillary's and they have lost it. Oh, very well thought out Hillary's. So do we now get 2 receipts, one for them and one to protect us. Is that more time to sit staring at the wall whilst you loose connection for the umpteenth time that day. Give me back the paper orders any day. There were no mass errors then like today. Sam was supposed to make things more streamlined, more secure. Seems to me all it has done is caused chaos. Commission does not come through any quicker. Customers dont get their blinds any quicker. The only good thing I see in it is we dont have to manually price up all the time.

[farmer]

skelly said:

Now dont shoot the messenger.
My FSM has just rung me and i have asked him about this signature problem. He has said if you dont already you need to send in your signed SAM receipts in on regular basis in the envelopes provided.
I know this wont be popular but i hope it helps.

What envelopes are that then.

[phugly]

farmer said:

skelly said:

Now dont shoot the messenger.
My FSM has just rung me and i have asked him about this signature problem. He has said if you dont already you need to send in your signed SAM receipts in on regular basis in the envelopes provided.
I know this wont be popular but i hope it helps.

What envelopes are that then.

You beat me to it ;D ;D ;D ;D