Network
Nears the Quarter-Billion...but says 'Public Trust is Worth More'
Network
Veka has proclaimed total sales on the verge of a quarter billion pounds
- but says the growing public trust of for its standards and principles
is worth much more. The £250,000,000 accumulated figure was calculated
to be only days away when the organisation met for its 7th AGM and Conference
- but more than 150 delegates and guests heard the ever-increasing recognition
of its integrity was now the most valuable asset the organisation has
ever owned.
Consolidation
and self-analysis had taken priority in 2002/3 after the previous year's
phenomenal growth, Operations Manager John Ogilvie (pictured) told a packed
hall at Birmingham City Football ground. The organisation had still improved
on every one of its principle statistics in that time, but far more important
were the structural developments and the ever-increasing degree of trust
that the public put in the Network Veka brand.
'Never before in this industry has any organisation gained the same respect
from the public,' he told the conference, 'Not only from our accolades
and accreditations but also the trust we have genuinely earned from the
70,000 Network Veka customers in Britain and Ireland today. When you add
every friend, neighbour and relative that each has told about us, then
it becomes clear what a powerful vehicle the Network Veka brand has become.
'I now believe that this trust is the most valuable single asset that
Network Veka has ever owned.'
Annual sales are now running at £60million among a membership that
has now topped 140 across Britain and Ireland.
Ad budget up
Network Veka's central advertising budget is to be increased by 10% to
£550,000 in response to last year's success, members heard.
The organisation returned to national consumer advertising in 2002 after
two years of subsidising individual members to run their own local and
regional campaigns.
Full-page adverts were placed in key consumer and lifestyle magazines
throughout the year and also featured the 'Win a Renault' competition.
The strategy is to be repeated through the year to come with a series
of updated executions developing on last year's theme of the three stages
of life of the Network Veka customer.
Members vote for a spec' product
Network Veka's Steering Group is to investigate the prospect of establishing
a minimum specification product after being given a near-unanimous go-ahead
by a poll of all members at the AGM.
Delegates heard such a move would bring many benefits such as fewer remedials,
better supplier guarantees and even lower-cost Insurance-Backed Guarantees.
A spec' window would also create a very powerful product proposition,
giving Network Veka a further point of difference from competitors.
In a separate vote, members also instructed the Steering Group to look
into branding installations, perhaps by adding the logo to a special handle.
The best of the best
Parameters for winning the Network Veka Awards have been made tougher
than ever, delegates heard.
As usual, awards were presented to the top members, based on the organisation's
Customer Satisfaction returns but companies must now score a minimum of
96% even to qualify for the awards, as against 95% last year. Next year
it will be raised again to 97%!
Regional winners, many of whom had also won in previous years, were:
Thistle's
Gary Morrison (front) sports the overall winner's trophy in the Customer
Satisfaction Awards, backed by regional winners.
Scotland:
Gryffe Homeworld
Ireland: David Strain Windows
North West England: BB Glass
North East England: Hallmark Windows (Harrogate)
Midlands: Goliath Windows
East of England: Prestige Glazing Services
Wales: Classic Windows
South East: Vectra Windows
South West: Heaver's of Bridport
National Winner: Thistle
In
a new award, for the greatest increase in registered business over the
year, a £12,000 Renault - choice of Laguna car of Trafic van - was
presented to Classique Windows of Retford.
A car also went to Sue and John Scott, customers of Crewe-based Nouveau
Windows, who won the national 'Win a Laguna' competition in the consumer
advertising.
Another new category recognised the top performer by volume in the organisation's
100% Club - members scoring a clear round on the Customer Satisfaction
returns - and was won by Castle Conservatories of Warlingham, Surrey.
Who shot the albatross!
Anyone who believes disasters always come in threes would not have been
too welcome at the Network Veka AGM and conference.
Organisers were already wondering how much worse could things get after
the original venue - the National Motorcycle Museum - burned to the ground
only 15 days before the event. It didn't take them long to learn the answer...
they arrived at the new venue on the eve of curtain-up to discover that
compere/link-man/cabaret comedian, Mike Maguire, had been rushed into
hospital with suspected appendicitis.
Even more quick thinking and former TV presenter Don Maclean was spirited
from nowhere with only a couple of hours to spare to MC the conference,
while ex Yorkshire and England cricketer Mike Cowan stepped into the after-dinner
spot.
They say there's nothing like a crisis to focus the mind and not only
did the two stand-ins put in an admirable performance but also everyone
agreed the event had been Network Veka's best yet by far.
(L) Don Maclean delivered a Crackerjack performance;
(R) Mike Cowan bowled over the diners with his cricketing stories.
Luck was on the cards for Mick and Georgina Colley of Classique Windows (centre of picture). They won a £12,000 Renault Trafic van for recording the year's highest increase in business (see story). With them (left of picture) are guest speaker Professor Brian Cunningham with wife Christine.
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