New Wood samples

[BlindWizard]

Anyone, other than advisors trailing, have the new wood book ? Have the sample blind but no samples of the wood and stopped selling the old ones because of stock availability.

[dolly]

Well finally today i received my new wooden samples. Marvellous. They look good and i dont wish to be negative but they slide out of their holder far too easy that its gonna be no time at all before i lose one. My other half was looking at them on the couch and half of them ended up on her lap.

[dibsdobs]

The slats are a little thinner/lighter than the others, I hope this doesn't mean warping is likely.

Good to see some pictures of the tape option, this should help to price up.

Good to see we can now compete and do bigger blinds (over200cm).

Good to see the massive price hike if you went over 120cm has gone.

Good to see white and off-white in the range.

Before anyone thinks I'm being to positive, let me remind you these are still cut downs, that our competitors sell at half the price.

But the name Hillary's is synonymous with quality and people pay more for that.....right and with the current 3 for99p offer only enhancing our repetition as the "John lewis" of the blind industry we can't go wrong, can we?

Now look.......I've made myself all negative again

[Blind Scout]

dibsdobs said:

The slats are a little thinner/lighter than the others, I hope this doesn't mean warping is likely.

Also noticed the 25mm samples are slightly wider than the previous sample.

[phugly]

Asked my driver why I didnt get the new samples on my delivery. He told me "they've run out". Now surely they knew how many they would need.

[Bear]

phugly said:

Asked my driver why I didnt get the new samples on my delivery. He told me "they've run out". Now surely they knew how many they would need.

Courier ( remember them?) arrived just now with new wood samples--pity 6 are missing, having fallen out of their holders--isn't it great when a plan comes together.
No they are not in the packaging--thats soaking wet in the bin, as the sily sod never rang the bell, just put the packet BEHIND THE DUSTBIN--which is normally collected today at around NOW!!!

Had I not been here, then they would surely have gone on the dust-cart, and I would havee been seen on the Computer as having had them dlivered.
Lucky I saw the "Green Parcel Machione" pulling away from the house!!

Sometimes I sits and wonders and shakes my head, and sometimes I just shakes my head....

eeeeh, by Gum

Bear

[JoY]

phugly said:

Asked my driver why I didnt get the new samples on my delivery. He told me "they've run out". Now surely they knew how many they would need.

It may be because they have sent me [glow=red,2,300]3[/glow] lots, and I'm leaving in 2 weeks!!

[gloryboy]

jayandemm said:

phugly said:

Asked my driver why I didnt get the new samples on my delivery. He told me "they've run out". Now surely they knew how many they would need.

It may be because they have sent me [glow=red,2,300]3[/glow] lots, and I'm leaving in 2 weeks!!

that's because you did the work of 3 people!! ;D

[dennis redbottom]

"Before anyone thinks I'm being to positive, let me remind you these are still cut downs, that our competitors sell at half the price..... "


With the instruction issued NOT to discount these new woodens AND the FACT that most of the competition seel them at almost half our price - what are the views on beat-a-quote / discounts in the real world to ensure we can make a living? What are others doing / planning to do?

Dennis

PS love the site keep it going please - check in every day / post occasionally

[BlindWizard]

I'm not planning to discount unless a large order, we make 15% therefore discounting just reduce earnings to an uneconomic level.

Hillarys can either pile em high and sell them cheap which is no good for advisors at our commission rate or build the brand (and the quality) sell less blinds and we can earn more.

[Bear]

dennisredbottom said:

"Before anyone thinks I'm being to positive, let me remind you these are still cut downs, that our competitors sell at half the price..... "


With the instruction issued NOT to discount these new woodens AND the FACT that most of the competition seel them at almost half our price - what are the views on beat-a-quote / discounts in the real world to ensure we can make a living? What are others doing / planning to do?

Dennis

PS love the site keep it going please - check in every day / post occasionally

In reply, I can only relate what I do..
If the job is a reasonable size £350+ and the fit is not hard then I will do outmost to get it--regardless of the percentage discount or the drop in money for me.
I am very conscious of the time a fit will take and factor this into any deal the customer insists on.
I do not do 3 for 99 calls as a matter of principle. Evem going on one and selling it and fitting it,loses me money. When I have to call on three in gheto areas , and only sell one then its a huge waste of time and money.
I just put them down as "customer not in". I have a second job and can used the saved time to my advantage.

!Ido not do this job to make money for Hillarys.
I do it to make money for me and my family.

I have given 35% off maximum when I had 11 woodens to fit in a barn into wood----no ladders. I was still dearer than the local guy, but it was an existing client, and that sold it. Also I got a referral out of it. That was 3 years ago when wood was very good, I stopped selling wooden last February when they went to shi*e, and when Aluwood became dearer than wood(!!!).
I will probably try the new wooden in time, when they get my samples right ( See ystdys post telling how the poor design of the new wooden sample book meant that 6 samples had fallen out in the factory BEFORE it even got to me.!!)

Not a good omen.

Hillarys statistics are historically crap. They dont know what discount you give, they dont know what you convert so sell it if its worth your doing it .
Remember your biggest competitor is Hillarys in its various guises--especially the new website about to launch with recommendations from non-existant customers!!!

Do what is best for you--you are not there to make money for Hillarys.....If they run short they will nick it off the Agent!!

Hope that helps

Bear

[whiterabbit]

Just curious to know Bear how you know in advance which ones are the 3 4 99 jobs so I can do the same

[Bear]

whiterabbit said:

Just curious to know Bear how you know in advance which ones are the 3 4 99 jobs so I can do the same

I ring every call before I go to visit to check they will be in--nothing worse than an empty house...
"What are you looking for? " I ask--" So I am sure I have the right samples to show you--we have so many you know?"

If they reply " We want the 3 for £99 quid ones the answer is " Sorry all sold out very popular" Then I add the next bracket up in price is 3 better quality for £149 and then its 3 for £199 and so on.."
So they then qualify themselves.
If they only want to get 3499 then its " Bye, bye-time"
I will never sell an order for 3 below £149--as my Accountant tells me I need £21.87 to come in to cover an average of 20 miles driving ( 2 trips, sell and fit) and an hour of my time--and whats more I must only do 3 of those MAXIMUM per week.
I am supposed to tack them onto other calls which I always do to actually ensure I cover costs and make a quid or 3.

Phone calls cost 5p---money well spent. If I miss a big one I doubt it, because I qualify the potential for other sales in the first call.

It works for me--never had one of those FSM thingys catch on to it--but then many of them couldn't catch a cold in an East wind.

Hope that helps you save a quid or 2, remember the best way to fill a bucket is to first stop emptying it....think about it!
Cheers
Bear

[phugly]

Is anyone else still waiting for the new wood samples???