Tom tom sat nav

[glen]

I also use multi map but lately have used google maps which is very good you can actually scroll thru map without it having to re-load also google earth is excellent you can visit anywhere in world and even find pubs, cash points etc.have mentioned this before but for those who missed out try these links.

maps.google.co.uk/

earth.google.com/download-earth.html

Have fun

Glen

[desmorse]

Nice link Glen. I've not used google mapping before and it correctly shows the farm I was searching for yesterday - unlike multimap. Would have saved me 15 minutes. Only disappointment is multimap listed a famous country pub, which immediately set a marker for me

[glen]

Glad you like it Des, have you tryed google earth yet ?

in some areas you can zoom onto rooftops, also take a tour of the grand canyon

Glen

[desmorse]

stonehills said:

I see it from your point of view Des, but when your income has gone from around £6k a month to around £1k ............Red

Red,
I read your comments on reduced business with horror. I went on to diary booking over 3 years ago, (I think Hampshire was one of the first as it was an AOE) and have never looked back. I did have several problems in the early days though. A few things I would suggest you check.
My diary was corrupted 3 or 4 times, with post codes disappearing. Told several times it can't happen, but it did.
Initially we were told to work a small number of postcodes each day. It doesn't work, you need most of your codes most of the time.
Subset postcodes give priority, i.e. myself and another advisor Ross both cover PO8, whoever has the most immediate availability gets the lead. However, if Ross had subsets PO8 1 to PO8 8, but not PO8 9/0 he would automatically get preference on those postcodes and I would only get the last 2. I was told this 2 years ago, it may no longer be correct as the software has changed a few times since then, but got to be worth checking. Bez would be a good source of info if he's still around. If it does still work like this, and someone else has subsets, it could explain your loss.
I was fortunate that I had a really good area manager at the time (before they became FSMs) who wanted to get things right and motivate his advisors - you may not be so lucky

[desmorse]

glen said:

Hi,
..... got tom tom 5 for £4 of e-bay and 512MB SD card from local shop for £30.
Glen

Had a look on ebay, you're right, can get software only for around a fiver, but are these kosher or illegal copies? Seems strange to get £100+ software for so little - what's the catch?

[glen]

Hi Des,

Yep they are illegal copys and you cannot get the updates for new areas, but hey even if it costs a fiver every year to have the latest info its worth it.

Glen

[RED]

desmorse said:

stonehills said:

I see it from your point of view Des, but when your income has gone from around £6k a month to around £1k ............Red

Red,
I read your comments on reduced business with horror. I went on to diary booking over 3 years ago, (I think Hampshire was one of the first as it was an AOE) and have never looked back. I did have several problems in the early days though. A few things I would suggest you check.
My diary was corrupted 3 or 4 times, with post codes disappearing. Told several times it can't happen, but it did.
Initially we were told to work a small number of postcodes each day. It doesn't work, you need most of your codes most of the time.
Subset postcodes give priority, i.e. myself and another advisor Ross both cover PO8, whoever has the most immediate availability gets the lead. However, if Ross had subsets PO8 1 to PO8 8, but not PO8 9/0 he would automatically get preference on those postcodes and I would only get the last 2. I was told this 2 years ago, it may no longer be correct as the software has changed a few times since then, but got to be worth checking. Bez would be a good source of info if he's still around. If it does still work like this, and someone else has subsets, it could explain your loss.
I was fortunate that I had a really good area manager at the time (before they became FSMs) who wanted to get things right and motivate his advisors - you may not be so lucky

My FSM at the time just said" I was a casualty of war".
Well that makes it alright then doesn't it?.
I built a business up in 2 years from nothing to £200k + and rising at 30% per annum and then went full time, only to see my customers given away to other advisor's like a Woollies pick and mix when diary booking came in.
I am a fighter by nature and don't give up easy, but I never seem to get any help whatsoever.
Problem is, I was on diary booking once before and same thing happened then, a massive drop, as soon as I came off it, ZOOM, up I went only to be told diary booking was coming back. I wish I had listened to my wife and got out then instead of thinking it would be OK this time around. Maybe just the south of England gets the best prices and Hillary's concentrate efforts there and leave above Nottingham to just get on with it, I don't know.

[Blind Scout]

glen said:

I also use multi map but lately have used google maps which is very good you can actually scroll thru map without it having to re-load also google earth is excellent ...

Tried google maps but I find in this area, they are out of date with all the new houses and multimap is more up to date. However the scroll on google is better than MP. So I use several including streetmaps.

I also find that the Post Office PAF (post code finder) db very good. It has a mapping system based on MP, give the house number and street it will give a map showing the approximate position on the street.

Google Earth, I have seen, unfortunately, they don't have a MAC system operational yet, so I will need to wait a little while longer.

Of course, the fail safe method of finding houses, especially in the countryside, is to call them on your SAM mobile. Thats assuming of course that the customer has given a mobile number or home number, not work, and the details have been correctly and fully entered onto the Hillarys database.

[phugly]

I have found Map24 to be one of the best web based map/route programmes. Although not 100%, it is more up to date than the others. It does need a Java enabled computer.



www.uk.map24.com/