Executive opinion Added value
It’s important to take full advantage of what ECA membership brings – and what it stands for, says ECA group chief executive Steve Bratt
T
imes are tough. We at the ECA recognise that every penny has to be accounted for, and that businesses all over the country, both in this sector and others, are scrutinising the value of
everything they do.
In times like these, then, when we are all battling for work, it is important to do everything that can be done to stand out from the crowd. Membership of the ECA is one very good way give you that edge in the electrical contracting industry.
The ECA has been around for more than 110 years. Its badge is renowned for being more than an indicator of competence – it’s something that clients recognise as being a sign of genuinely high quality. And it’s backed up by the ECA’s guarantee of work, providing customers with confi dence in the quality and reliability of services that ECA members deliver. It’s important to have a badge to differentiate your business – it can add credibility to your operation; but it’s more important to have the best badge, and the ECA is undoubtedly the best. And it goes beyond competence – it says that yours is a genuine quality business. If an electrical contractor displays an ECA badge, clients can be assured that they are getting the fi nest the industry can offer.
If an electrical contractor displays an ECA badge, clients can be assured that they are getting the fi nest the industry can offer
an association, obviously take this very seriously, and we have recently had an example of a director of a fi re safety specialist, Cotswold Fire Group, being given a suspended prison sentence for falsely claiming the fi rm was accredited by the ECA when bidding for large NHS contracts (see News, page 7). This highlights the need for us to remain vigilant. The ECA continues to monitor for this kind of activity, working with the authorities and bodies such as trading standards to counter this type of false representation – pursuing legal action ourselves wherever necessary. The ECA’s reputation, and the value of the badge, is something that is critical for us to maintain. Leading on from this, the ECA is keen
to put the spotlight on those companies who falsely claim to be ECA members, by introducing a new ‘wall of shame’ section on the association’s website. We will name and shame those rogue operators – clients will be able to see clearly who they are by visiting
www.eca.co.uk
Success
Services But it’s not solely about what ECA membership represents to the client – the support the association can provide for your business can be invaluable. ECA members have the backing of all the services the association can offer, from expert technical support and legal advice through to debt recovery and training information. There’s a fantastic range available, and we encourage members to take full advantage of them. We aim to deliver useful, compelling services to support your business, and the association is working not only to help members through these diffi cult times, but also to ensure that they are in a position to take advantage of new opportunities and thrive in the future. Given the value of membership as a badge of quality, it’s no wonder that businesses are often tempted to say they are ECA-registered when, in fact, they are not. We, as
About the author
Steve Bratt Steve Bratt was appointed group chief executive offi cer of the ECA in October 2010. He joined the ECA as chief operating offi cer in 2007, and became deputy CEO in February 2010.
As well as providing a credible badge of quality for customers, we are keen to ensure that the association focuses its activities on helping members to be successful, and also to ensure that we do all we can to develop a fl ourishing industry. To do this, we need to know both what our members want and what the industry needs. Therefore, periodically we carry out research among members to get their views. We’re currently undertaking such a piece of research – the Big Survey – and we’re keen to get the opinions of as many members as we can. Whether your business is large or small, specialist or mainstream, we’d like to hear from as many of you as possible – all views are welcome. You’ll fi nd information on this survey elsewhere in ECA
Today and via The Source, and I’d encourage all members to let us have their views. We’ll be using this information to continually refi ne and add to our extensive range of services, in order to ensure the ECA’s membership offering remains a valuable investment for your business – and the mark of excellence in our industry.
July 2012 ECA Today 19
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