YouWish

As we all know the world has been venting their anger on MP’s for their completely dishonest handling of their expenses. That’s old news. And yet it plays to a topic that is equally important but less widely discussed, namely people’s honesty on the web.

There seems to be a sort of unwritten law that it is ok to dissemble, cheat, lie, mislead and generally obfuscate on the web. In fact anything that avoids one having to disclose proper information. Why should this be acceptable? Just because the web police haven’t been created yet and Stallone is yet to appear to sort out good from evil, that is no reason for people to behave like that. Much of this has originated from the fact that people have an aversion to revealing their true identity on the web. And so it is increasingly hard for people to work out what stories are true or false and nowhere more so than on Twitter.

Why do I care?

Well I care because there are so many double standards being applied by people in different circumstances. It’s ok for Journalists to reveal information about MP’s expenses and yet media insitutions like the BBC have such a problem with being fully transparent about their own organisations.

If we want other people to take each one of us seriously then it is high time that we were all a little more transparent about who we are and what we want. And so if we expect companies to take time to give proper service, then it is equally important that people give out the right personal information to help them do their job. That’s why I find it frustrating when users of You Wish don’t put in their postcodes or other critical information that a business needs to sell them something. We shouldn’t have to mandate that people fill in a ton of personal information. Instead people should just think through what is important for that company or person to deliver what they want. They shouldn’t need prompting.

After all we protect people’s personal contact details. No-one gets those unless the individual concerned wants to give out their telephone number or email address. But we’re trying to create relationships here between companies and people and both sides need to honour an unwritten agreement. If I am going to take you seriously then at least think about my needs and respect my position. If all sides do that then everybody should find it much easier to get what they want.

It’s simple really. It’s like any friendship. It’s built on trust and it’s maintained by honouring that trust. Perhaps we can teach MP’s a thing or two after all!

Hi All

As anyone knows I can throw bricks with the best of them but it is a delight to tell a story of fantastic service, ironically starting with a Service!

The Honda Jazz is a fantastic little car that does everything really well and ours, a 2002 model is one of the first in the UK and has never really missed a beat other than needing a replacement rear wheel bearing in whilst on holiday on France in 2006.  Unexpected but not the end of the world and put down to the fact it works hard with top box etc.

Spin on to 2009 and I take it into Brayley Honda in St.Albans and have its serviced which went well other than I’m told the other rear wheel bearing needs replacing BUT great news it will be done free because Honda have extended the warranty to 9 years on this item. Fantastic.

So taking a chance I write to Honda UK asking if they will contribute to the cost of the French one. I didn’t hold much hope:

- it was 3 years ago

- it was replaced by a Renault Garage (although I had the receipt and it was a Honda part)

Today I received a phone message from a named person at Honda UK in Slough, Sam. I missed her call and traded friendly  messages but I assumed it was a “sorry but….” situation. Wrong! When at last we spoke it was to inform me that they would pay the French cost in full and were converting into sterling.

Wow. Well done Honda. Well done Sam in Customer Service in Slough.

Now that really is SERVICE. I’m telling everyone and will probably buy a Honda FRV next so Honda really do understand the lifetime value of their customers. Shame the banks have yet to get there (other than First Direct).

Until next time.

Nick

I was just strolling home yesterday  in London enjoying the evening sun and how fine the world looked, when I heard a horrendous roaring noise. I carried on round the corner and alighted on a group of blokes attacking a rather proud tree! They were cutting large branches off it. I was horrified. My second reaction was to look to see what company they were from and to consider reporting them. They seemed absolutely non-plussed at another person gawping at their work.

I suppose in some environments one would call them tree surgeons – a very refined name for what appeared to me to be like environmental vandalism. I mean I know that there are times when they are an invaluable resource and prevent damage and cut down dead trees etc, but far too often nowadays they seem to be called out to do someone’s bidding just to make something more civilised. In this particular case clearly they were blocking the sunlight going into a top floor room, but that was no reason to cut down half the tree.

Trees are so precious and no more so than in London, where more and more get cut down and replaced with rather less mighty imitations. I wonder whether the Council even knew that this was happening and whether they would  bothered if they were told.

But then I thought maybe I might need a tree surgeon one day – I could be that person wanting my view cleared. And actually where did one find a good tree surgeon. Certainly I had never heard of a company that does it. Are there any national tree surgery companies – who knows? And how would I know if they were any good or if they just hacked down what they were told for a fee- the mercenaries of the spinney! It’s time for some tree surgery company ratings just in case someone needs one. Hopefully it won’t be me since I don’t want to encourage that sort of behaviour!

Hi All

I am asked how it is that a soft handed marketing chair jockey like me ended up setting up a car rustproofing business. Well let me tell you a story…..

I didn’t know a great deal about rustproofing when I took my Landrover to the self appointed expert who had been advertising in the mags for 20 years. I do however know rather a lot about customer service and brand efficacy.

So I took my Landrover to him, handed over hundereds of pounds in cash (he only does cash- I wonder why?). I then returned to London and  turned up as agreed to pick it up the next day (at his ramshackle premises about 100 miles West of London at the time, since moved)  and received a disinterested response that it wasn’t ready or indeed even started and that another customer’s vehicle needed to be finished first. He also suggested he needed to have a sleep at lunchtime!

I sat around for 5 hours joined by the other customer who was himself the victim of a delayed delivery. Together over a cup of tea ( bought ourselves – no customer care here)  we discussed  this behaviour and concluded it was no doubt because there was almost no UK competition.

That said the job looked good and I felt unhappy but okay before he broke the news that after his treatment  no guarantee could be made as it was rusty already in places. It was made worse when some months later, when having a door glass replaced after a break in it was clear that no Waxoyl was present inside the door cavity. Two e-mails and a call later there had been no response from the provider. I then decided that enough was enough.

I committed there and then to set up a competitive business that would only operate to the highest standards and found a kindred spirit, an  Australian who had worked directly in the automotive trade for 15 years.

Together we  launched Rustmaster Ltd and created some real competition in the UK market.

To ensure that we had the best product, training and equipment we contacted Chris Mitchell, the man who had been responsible for Waxoyl’s sales and marketing drive in the 1970’s and from there found out about the fact that Waxoyl’s rights outside of the UK and been sold to a Swiss company, who unlike the UK owners, had continued to develop the product into the Waxoyl Professional trade only products.

After meetings with the top Waxoyl team in Switzerland, responsible for global distribution and training for their corrosion products across the world, we were given intensive training based upon this global experience – most significantly how their Waxoyl version was more costly than the UK product but much more effective if properly applied. We also received exclusive UK rights to these products.

Set up near St Albans to be handy for the M1/M25, the business is quality and service obsessed and by power of word of mouth and efficient digital advertising has been very successful. The competition’s reaction to us is proof that we are doing as intended and raising the stakes of what a 21^st century professional automotive brand should be about, in the technology we use and way we respect people’s custom.

Mr self appointed expert has been found lurking in the busihes outside our premises and is always looking to knock Rustmaster because clearly we are winning business that was otherwise his. Perhaps he would be better to deal with the issues that caused us to set up Rustmaster in the first place – after all his slack arsed complacency created it!

So next time a company fails you don’t just moan, take action and make sure they take some pain. This doesn’t mean set up in competition (always) but at least let them and anyone else who may be interested know. Word of mouth matters.

In the meantime if look under your car and if it looks at all crispy or you never want your pride and joy to get that way visit www.rustmaster.co.uk and book it in. Mention You Wish and get £50 off when you do (not in conjunction with any other offer mind – business is business!!).

Until next time. May you chassis never crumble.

Nick