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Post by hereticus on May 8, 2006 19:21:09 GMT 1
Have just returned from an evening six-slot sales appointment involving a thirty mile round trip, and my blood is boiling.
Customer wanted nine roller blinds around his conservatory - five minutes to measure, picked out a fabric straight away - settled on specification as Rhapsody Sorbet, shape 6, with braid and brass pole - and I priced from book at £ 1320.00. Realising that this looked expensive and that it would be a simple fit, I offered a deal at £ 1095.00.
Customer tells me that he has a better quote and without prompting, goes to his desk and passes over a quotation from Blinds Direct Cotswolds which quotes exactly the same specification - nine rollers in Rhapsody Sorbet, shape 6, with braid and brass pole - at a fitted total price of £ 680.00 !
So I am competing with a company which uses our presenter, calls the fabrics by exactly the same names, and is clearly buying from Hillarys trade division (Arena) but which can afford to cover their overheads and still cut our prices by half for absolutely identical product.
I'm beginning to feel like the Christians thrown to the lions - no matter how hard we fight we are out there on our own with the odds stacked against us. How can we be expected to have any credibility with customers when the whole price list is just a con.
Of course, I could have offered 'beat-a-quote' but why should I further undermine my own personal integrity by effectively acknowledging to the customer that we have tried to con him with outrageous and indefensible pricing. I told him to go back to Blinds Direct and bite their hand off at that price. Hillarys probably won't care anyway because they will still be manufacturing and selling the blinds for this conservatory.
And this failure to make a sale will, of course, reflect in my conversion, lead effect, and other performance statistics. What better proof do we need that we are being undermined by the hand that feeds us ?
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Post by farmer on May 10, 2006 0:10:40 GMT 1
Have just returned from an evening six-slot sales appointment involving a thirty mile round trip, and my blood is boiling. Customer wanted nine roller blinds around his conservatory - five minutes to measure, picked out a fabric straight away - settled on specification as Rhapsody Sorbet, shape 6, with braid and brass pole - and I priced from book at £ 1320.00. Realising that this looked expensive and that it would be a simple fit, I offered a deal at £ 1095.00. Customer tells me that he has a better quote and without prompting, goes to his desk and passes over a quotation from Blinds Direct Cotswolds which quotes exactly the same specification - nine rollers in Rhapsody Sorbet, shape 6, with braid and brass pole - at a fitted total price of £ 680.00 ! So I am competing with a company which uses our presenter, calls the fabrics by exactly the same names, and is clearly buying from Hillarys trade division (Arena) but which can afford to cover their overheads and still cut our prices by half for absolutely identical product. I'm beginning to feel like the Christians thrown to the lions - no matter how hard we fight we are out there on our own with the odds stacked against us. How can we be expected to have any credibility with customers when the whole price list is just a con. Of course, I could have offered 'beat-a-quote' but why should I further undermine my own personal integrity by effectively acknowledging to the customer that we have tried to con him with outrageous and indefensible pricing. I told him to go back to Blinds Direct and bite their hand off at that price. Hillarys probably won't care anyway because they will still be manufacturing and selling the blinds for this conservatory. And this failure to make a sale will, of course, reflect in my conversion, lead effect, and other performance statistics. What better proof do we need that we are being undermined by the hand that feeds us ? this is happening all the time hereticus. i have to contend with Mike Goldrick who also uses Arena and beats our prices by 1/2 all the time. ITS TIME FOR A SHAKE UP GUYS. HIllarys way is old hat now. we have been sussed, and its time to fight back, but not on the rate of commission we get, and not with our hands tied tighter behind our backs. Why dont they realise this, found out today that one of the new advisors set on a few weeks ago has jacked in...I wonder why....................... If he has done as many 3 for 99s as me, then hes probably made £200 quid gross for 2 weeks work. Now where can i get an arena book.................................... |
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Post by golfsthegame on May 10, 2006 10:06:05 GMT 1
Just had a look at Web Blinds site. 30% off EVERYTHING today even the 3 for 99. Don't leave any measurements today guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by JoY on May 10, 2006 11:02:37 GMT 1
Just had a look at Web Blinds site. 30% off EVERYTHING today even the 3 for 99. Don't leave any measurements today guys!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes.... just had a look and on a positive note the web site has been changed!! Web-blinds web page no longer asks the customer if they would like to be re-directed to Hillarys. BUT Hillarys web page STILL ask the customer if they would like to be re-directed to Web-blinds! So there's progress... NOT |
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Post by grumperbear on May 10, 2006 12:44:50 GMT 1
Yes Web blinds are at least half Hillarys prices, and yesterdays offer was 20% off and if you spend over £80 you get a FREE round of golf or a Beauty treatment.
Not sure which to have!
Yesterday...........
Aluwood Hillarys price £1300
Aluwood Webblids price £600 plus the Free Beauty treatment.
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Post by RED on May 10, 2006 12:55:36 GMT 1
Yes Web blinds are at least half Hillarys prices, and yesterdays offer was 20% off and if you spend over £80 you get a FREE round of golf or a Beauty treatment. Not sure which to have! Yesterday........... Aluwood Hillarys price £1300 Aluwood Webblids price £600 plus the Free Beauty treatment. So the difference of 700 pounds that we sell them for for including the fitting we only get 17.5% totaling 227.50 pounds making Hillarys 472 pounds extra on top of Web blinds prices. What a rip off both for the customer and us. |
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Post by phugly on May 10, 2006 14:11:44 GMT 1
Its not just Web Blinds that do Aluwood at half our price, Last week gave a quote of £605 and customer came right back at me with a written quote from my main competitor of £312. Went for beat a quote at £300 and was accused of trying to rip off customer in the first place and she would never buy from us again.
PS. She also had a sample which was identical to ours
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Post by JoY on May 10, 2006 14:19:09 GMT 1
When I first get to a customers house, I usually ask in the intial chat, if they have had any other quotes. If they say yes, then I cheerfully say that I will be able to beat it! Then just base my quote on that.....
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Post by golfsthegame on May 10, 2006 18:32:47 GMT 1
Plays havoc with your figures Joy but we all have to pay our mortgages!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by kwikfitfitter on May 10, 2006 18:33:52 GMT 1
Never get the chance to beat another qoute,always 1st in, competition must love Hillarys, always beat our qoutes and then buy the blinds from them.
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Post by saxman on May 10, 2006 21:21:22 GMT 1
Priced up for a customer today who wanted 6 colorado rollers, all 103 cm x 100 cm. price............. £690.00........  needless to say i wont be getting that one.  |
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Post by RED on May 10, 2006 21:27:45 GMT 1
Never get the chance to beat another qoute,always 1st in, competition must love Hillarys, always beat our qoutes and then buy the blinds from them. The reason Hillary's want you in first is so that the customer does not get to know how inflated our prices are if they order with you. Trouble with that theory is that customers are a lot more savvy now and are getting to know the score. Not just with blinds I might add but with every consumable there is. A more price conscious consumer now exists brought about by the plastic society and the debt most people are in. The collapse of credit and borrowing is probable within the next 20 years. By that I mean most people will be getting out of card borrowing and the lenders will be struggling to lend any more and so the more savvy consumer is born. It is happening now and will pick up momentum in the coming years. Red |
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