Quiet december?

[Tony McC]

Think you had it hard while the snow was on the ground?

It could have been worse

[dig dug dan]

they need bringing down a peg or two in my book anyway

[lutonlagerlout]

why dan?
best quality paving in the uk to my mind
any big organisation always has customer service issues due to size and logistics
BTW I sold my shares in them last summer,better opportunities for making money than building suppliers right now :;):
LLL

[dig dug dan]

i don't like the way they operate the marshals register, the way they overprice some of their products, and the lack of action when it comes to customer complaints

[lutonlagerlout]

ahh the register,forgot about that
not my cup of tea either
just in terms of quality products i like stonemarket stuff
LLL

[mickg]

for what it worth the Marshall's register is not that bad Dan, its about £6 a week to join as you know and they are launching a lot of new ideas this year, in fact in the next couple of months i think i am right in saying

The fist one to be implemented which was discussed at the Marshall's northwest roadshow in December last year was we will all have our own brochures, less than 3 weeks later I took delivery yesterday of 4 boxes of Marshall's brochures with my company name and phone number on the back page, normally you see Travis Perkins name or what ever builders merchants you picked up a handful of brochures from, to me that gives you credibility when you hand one to a customer linking you and Marshall's together.....they cost me NOTHING extra, that alone is worth more than £320 in the cost of printing your own stationary

yeah its had its teething troubles so to speak as it went through big changes a couple of years ago, being honest I had had quite a few issues what had been building up for a while so i got in touch with my regional assessor who contacted the right person, we arranged a site meeting and every single issue got sorted out...I just can't fault them for that

Lets not forget Marshall's are the market leader in paving or at least they are well known by the general public, might not be the cheapest but they certain manufacture some very good products and I am really positive and upbeat that being one of the many installers nationwide that we will all benefit from having the Marshall's brand on our work wear, van and website which will lead to more customers

.......that my thoughts anyway

[Tony McC]

Six quid a week to work as an unpaid salesman for one manufacturer's products? Who's the winner in this deal?

Why should trade organisations be linked to any one manufacturer? The glazing trade doesn't pay dues to Pilkingtons; brickies don't pay a poll tax to Ibstock. I've absolutely nothing against trade organisations, as long as they are for the whole trade and promote best practice regardless of which products are being used.

A contractor should offer their clients the best products for their particular project rather than limit the choice to a single supplier. After all, it is the client putting money in their pocket, paying for their professional services, not the manufacturer.

[mickg]

why am i an unpaid salesman, I am seeing the customer anyway and I have with me Marshall's and Plaspave brochure plus samples and other sales literature, I will show the customer what i feel are the best products on the market today and available in the area I work and let them decide

Most time's but not always they will ask for my opinion on what product will look the best on their property and I will tell them honestly what colours will match their home with a contrasting border and kerb if required and its not always a Marshall's product.

Seeing as Marshall's set the register up for trades people to join I can't see how you can expect Marshall's to promote other manufacturers products, we as contractors are allowed to promote other manufacturers products when seeing a customer

As far as I know there is only one paving organisation still going, I first heard of them over 16 years ago and sadly they don't seem to have grown any larger over the years with the members and you don't normally hear anything of them so if i don't hear anything about them the general public won't know anything about them either

Getting back to Marshall's, what i do like about all the people i have contact with is the enthusiasm and not just for their own products either, for me personally when faced with a choice of phoning or meeting up with someone who is down in the dumps all the time and talking doom and glume or someone who is upbeat and positive then i know what side of the fence i wish to be stood because enthusiasm is contagious

At this moment in time I am stood with my personalised printed Marshall's brochure, my Marshall's register handbook and my sample boards feeing very positive that I am going to have a good 2011.........what's that madame you want Plaspave products, not a problem just hang on and i will go and get the brochure for you

onwards and upwards i say

[cookiewales]

well boys i signed up on marshalls registar more looking at their natural stone prouducts which I have to say are top class and top money. Came home this week to find four boxes of brochures and as mick g said a half back page with all my contact details on looks good because i dont chase blockpaving jobs leads will be slim.i will put my brochures out in the public domain libarys pubs dentists where ever peoplehang out fingers crossed :p :;):

[dig dug dan]

as i have said before, what is totally wrong with that register, is the fact that you cannot lay another companies products, or they strike you off. Thats very unfair in my mind.
A customer should be allowed to choose whatever driveway brick or slab , even if its from wickes. if thats what they want , thats what they get. paying £440 odd quid to a slab maker for the "privilege" of selling their products and no one elses is wrong.
and another thing.. there is a couple of companies round here that use the marshalls register logos, but are not on the register. one of them even calls themselves "marshalls paving". I have complained about it, and nothing has been done.(probably beacause they cant do anything)
I also know of someone who has had some bad work done by a so called marshall's registered person, and when they complained about it, nothing was done.



Edited By dig dug dan on 1294598256

[rab1]

From a complete outsider on this one,

Granted it`s good to have all of your details on the back of the UK's largest paving manufactures brochure etc but if you have to pay them £6 per week for the privilege and then are only allowed to install/recommend their products....?. It does start to sound like a bit of a con.

Where we live Marshall's had the lions share of the new patios/drives by way of products and approved installers (their plant is literally only 1/2 mile away) but now I`m starting to see a lot more of Tobermore paving etc being installed as they have opened up a centre in Falkirk.

Until this center opened all of the local BM pushed you to Marshals because they could have whatever product you were looking for delivered the next day.

[mickg]

>>>>>the fact that you cannot lay another companies products, or they strike you off. Thats very unfair in my mind

not true you can install other manufacturers products, it might be different if you did not install any Marshall's products for a full 12 months then someone might pass comment but i have never been in that situation

--------------------------------
>>>>>A customer should be allowed to choose whatever driveway brick or slab , even if its from wickes. if thats what they want , thats what they get. paying £440 odd quid to a slab maker for the "privilege" of selling their products and no one elses is wrong.

the customer does have a choice, I don't understand where you get this from, if Mr and Mrs Jones wants tobermore or wickes paving then if i could not persuade them to choose something out of the Marshall's or Plaspave brochure then i would install this type of paving for them

--------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>there is a couple of companies round here that use the marshalls register logos, but are not on the register. one of them even calls themselves "marshalls paving". I have complained about it, and nothing has been done.(probably beacause they cant do anything)

yes they can and do take action

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>>>>>>>>>I also know of someone who has had some bad work done by a so called marshall's registered person, and when they complained about it, nothing was done

I can't comment on this one but there are regional assessor covering all the country who cover this type of problem, i have no idea why nothing was done, there have been posts on this forum similar and action was taken when someone from Marshall's saw the post

>>>>>>>£6 per week for the privilege

not really true there rab, this has only just been launched and is additional to the other promotional products you receive

I first joined in 1994 when the register was set up first time round, that was pay your money and your in approach no one ever got in touch and i only lasted 2 years because it changed from being £240 for life to £240 per year

it was relaunched in 2000 and its totally different and personally i think its very good and beneficial to any paving company

put it this way I have benefited over the last 2 years for being on the Marshall's register, we are all different but it works for me and thats all that matters

[ilovesettsonmondays]

i think if your paying 6 pound a week for being on register and get even just one job off its worth it imo

[rab1]

Mick,

If your making money (with your standard off work you should be) that's all that matters. When we done our garden/drive etc Marshalls were more than helpful. :p

[GB_Groundworks]

Someone rang me up the other day, from marshalls asking if I wanted to go on the register. I said don't really do much block paving work but guy got bit pushy then and I was in the middle of chainsawing some trees so hung up on him. Dads member of federation master builders dont really use it. Magazine is good, but everyone rips off the logos on vans. And then also nhbc which is more an assessed institution.