NEWS | Round-up VIEWPOINT Top tips to be a better
business partner TKC CEO Roy Saunders says we’re never too old to learn new tricks. He shares the fi ve secrets for successful business relationships
BMA hits back at BBC ‘leaky loos’ probe
THE BATHROOM Manufacturers Association (BMA) has restated its commitment to reduce water wastage, including fr om leaking toilets. Its comments come after the BBC’s ‘The Great Leaky Loo Scandal’ broadcast on Radio 4 ‘, in which water industry experts said that up to one in 20 toilets in the UK had leaky valves, blaming principally the dual-fl ush toilets that were originally introduced in 2001 as a water- saving measure.
I hate hearing “we’ve always done it that way”
ACCORDING TO the life coaching website
www.lifehack.org, “being in a relationship means your partner accepts the way you are, but also inspires you to be the best version of yourself”. None of us is too old to learn, change or try new things. It also inspired me to refl ect back over decades of working life and distil my fi ve favourite tips for better working relationships. • HONEST AND OPEN: When you’ve made an error, put your hands up, regardless of the consequences. Your reputation and credibility is everything. We have a customer who is always surprised how we openly show him our statistics – including the errors – on our CRM, so that we can monitor, discuss and, when required, improve our performance. Honest dialogue is constructive dialogue. • STRIVING FOR BETTER: Work together and don’t be complacent. It’s vital to listen to your customers and I hate hearing “we’ve always done it that way”. Never stop striving, even if you’re satisfi ed with your performance. Sport is a great area to take inspiration from. Why do professionals practise so much? To get
better. I will never forget retired golfer Gary Players saying, “the more I practise, the luckier I get”. I’m sure current golfer Rory McIlroy will have a cooler Instagram post these days. • RECOVERABILITY: Things can and do go wrong and I think most people accept that. It’s what you do about it that matters. One of our mantras at TKC is to ‘wow’ on recovery, which I think sometimes carries more weight than being perfect all the time. The key is understanding your customer’s needs. Act quickly and sort it – the post mortem can be done later. • DON’T BE AFRAID TO CLOSE OR REOPEN THE DOOR: Businesses change, as do the personnel involved. Re-evaluate your needs every three to six months and make sure they’re being met. Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye, but once you’ve made the decision, procrastinating won’t benefi t you in any way. As Sean Connery said though in his smooth way “never say never again”. • VALUE: A good relationship should give value to both parties. Yes, there are always alternative suppliers and alternative retailers out there, but if one of you is regularly looking for a new partner, then something isn’t right. Make a list of your top fi ve suppliers and ask yourself if they make you feel valued? I’ve seen a lot of social media comments around supporting retailers through Covid and in particular the lack of area sales managers on the road. If it’s hurting your business badly, take action. Business relationships are just like our personal ones, they need work and understanding. I hope yours are healthy through our industry’s peak season.
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The programme pointed out that these toilets have a drop valve instead of the siphon system used in older toilets and claimed that these are inherently more prone to leaks. BMA CEO Tom Reynolds said: “We can see that a lot of valve failures were on old products. Materials, design, and reliability have since improved, and this is a very positive step. Continuous improvement of products is part of the industry’s lifeblood and will be ongoing. “Bathroom manufacturers have spearheaded public awareness of water-saving products through the Unifi ed Water Label and are leading
the fi ght against wasting water. Dual-fl ush valves can benefi t water effi ciency by giving the option of a lower fl ush volume. They have helped to successfully lower fl ush volumes from 13 litres to as little as 2.5 litres.” Speaking exclusively to kbbreview, Michael Bennett, consumer marketing manager for Geberit UK, said: “At Geberit, our products are designed and manufactured to the highest industry standards and undergo a rigorous testing process at our accredited sanitary technology laboratory. “We have a dedicated fl ushing laboratory in which our fl ushing systems are subjected to extensive tests and continuous operation. In addition to being durable, our fl ush plates have to be functional, effi cient, easy to maintain.” The BBC show pointed out that some 397 million litres of water is estimated to leak from UK toilets every day. Dual-fl ush loos were fi rst introduced to the UK in 2001 when the powers that be in Europe wanted to standardise laws and regulations across Europe, where they had been in common use for some time.
Victorian Plumbing launches huge recruitment drive after ‘record-breaking’ sales
VICTORIAN PLUMBING has dispatched more than 750,000 bathroom orders in the past 12 months and seen revenue growth of 37% to £207 million in the year to September.
As a result of that growth, it is expanding its operations with a recruitment drive to increase employee headcount by 20% over the next three months – around 80 new jobs within the Merseyside area – and invest in an additional 50,000sq ft of warehouse space. The company needs the extra warehouse space and staff because of the signifi cant increase in business over the lockdown period as homeowners started renovation projects. The revenue growth was £207m in 2020 compared with £151m in 2019, which was also cited as being a record-breaking year. There was also an increase in profi ts (EBITDA) of 152% to £29m in 2020, up from £11.49m in 2019.
KBSA and Quooker launch £250,000 support package for independent retailers
THE KBSA and Quooker have teamed up to launch a £250,000 support package for kitchen retailers that aims to encourage consumers to use their local, high-street independent showroom.
The boiling water tap company is supporting the package with a consumer-facing marketing campaign, which includes the national press and niche homes magazine, as well as a digital and email strategy.
Stephen Johnson, managing director of Quooker, said: “The Covid crisis and resultant fi nancial pressures have shaken independent businesses nationwide, forcing us through some of the toughest trading conditions this
industry has ever had to face. Having grown up in the KBB industry, and as a long-standing supporter of the independent kitchen retail sector, I passionately believe we have a responsibility to support wherever possible. KBSA national chair Richard Hibbert said: “This package, which will benefi t not only KBSA members, but a global audience of independent retailers, will reach a massive audience and provide a huge boost to business. “We are immensely grateful to Quooker for kick-starting this initiative and hope that others will join them in coming forward, to work in partnership with us and support our campaign during these challenging times. ”
· November 2020
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