Tobermore - Block world

[Tony McC]

What register? Tobermore's?

[mickg]

my mistake I called it register, I was asked to join Tobermore's list of approved contractors

[Tony McC]

I thought it must be that - Tobermore only ever had an informal, unoffical list of the better contractors and I know you were on it, if not as a Tobermore installer, then certainly as a target.

There was a conscious effort by Tobermore to have this more informal, relaxed, looser organisation rather than go to a lot of effort creating logos and certificates and search-by-postcode databases, but to focus more on personal contact and building friendly relationships with those deemed to be the "better-than-average" contractors. Contractors would be "suggested" to clients rather than recommended, and there was a lot of effort put in to making these contractors feel valued and appreciated.

There was no fee or vetting to get onto the list; if a contractor somehow came to their attention and was producing good quality work that was likely to show off Tobermore products to best effect and not come back to bite the company on the arse, then they'd be encouraged to try Tobermore products and be tempted-in with the offer of trips to the plant in Norn Iron, contractor nights out, fleeces and the like.

While it lasted, it was very good at engendering loyalty, as others have said, but it was only ever informal. If a contractor didn't want to know, they'd be left in peace (eventually) but many contractors took the opinion that they had nowt to lose. An all-expenses-paid free night in Magherafelt on the ale with a bunch of fellow contractors: what's not to like?

[mickg]

yeah your spot on Tony, the main reason I have never used Tobermore products is Marshalls paving has always been available to me via local merchants so to change from the excellent service I have always received to being block short to complete a driveway and have to wait 3 - 4 days for the next boat to arrive was not for me

I know this changed shortly after I was first asked but if your happy using a product then why change

about 3 years ago I had the unfortunate experience to have the Tobermore sales director phone and insisted that he calls to see me the same afternoon, he also brought along the guy who was in charge of the Display Centre at Leyland who I do like as I have spoken to him about the incident below since (we both shrugged our shoulders in disbelief)

I asked him to call at 6pm as I had a doctors appointment at 5.30, who should turn up just as I was leaving, yep you guessed the sales director 3 quarters of an hour early, as it happens my daughter was home so she kept them entertained while I was at the doctors, when I returned I had him sat in my kitchen for over an hour and half and he would not shut up bulling Tobermore up as this fantastic company doing all these big commercial jobs, he did not listen to anything I was saying and to put it bluntly I would not piss on him if he was on fire - he was an embarrassment not only to himself but to Tobermore as a company especially when you start calling the largest paving manufacturer in the UK who just happens to be the same company who I use

and that is why I will never ever use Tobermore block paving

[Tony McC]

I can guess who it is you're referring to!

[ambient]

so can i