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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 5:54 pm
by lutonlagerlout
after a few site visits and many brochures Mr A has got his choice of block down to 2 suppliers ,marshalls and bretts
I emailed both last night requesting samples of specific blocks
I received a replay at 7.30 AM today from marshalls that samples were on their way
I received a reply at 12.08 from bretts ,saying go to your local stockist and ask for samples
whether or not Mr A goes for brett or marshalls,the fact that he may have 1 lot of samples 4 days before the other may influence his thinking
because so much block paving in luton is bog standard it is rare to ask for samples other than an odd stock block for colour match
food for thought
also was looking for an old style LBC brick "ironstone" only need 80 to brick up a window
2 merchants i normally use were very dismissive about such a small amount of a discontinued brick
so i tried jewsons, who although they didn't have them found them in stock in their watford branch
looks like customer service is alive and kicking in some companies anyway
LLL 
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:52 pm
by Dave_L
Marshalls paving products all the time in my books.
Good to hear of good service Tony
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 7:54 pm
by ken
Every sample product request I’ve made to Marshalls they have always been on the ball and sorted it asap, but once when I had a dodgy batch of blocks they didn’t want to know and told me to resolve the issue with my supplier, which in fairness my supplier did at there own cost.
If I ring Tobermore asking for samples one of there sales reps brings them to the site I’m on within 24 hours, I know I’m lucky to get that treatment but that’s only as I am ever working within 30 miles of there base in Leyland.
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:01 pm
by lutonlagerlout
like i say i rarely need samples as most people want 200 by 100s or injun stone for patios of which i have a small collection of leftovers and londonstones sample box (whats left of it)
if marshalls can send out samples why cant bretts?
see how we get on
LLL
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:20 pm
by ken
What’s Brett’s gear like to lay, cut, fading, efflorescence? I’ve seen pics of there gear but never there products in person. Not sure if they have crept into the northwest yet, if so my local suppliers don’t stock any of there stuff.
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:34 pm
by mike builder/landscaper
brett material are very good. we have a large drive to do soon and jewsons rep has been backward and forward fetching samples. he has got my order when they decide what they want. service to me is more important than price. my reps chuck bricks, skim beads, multi finish and all sorts of gear in the back of there cars for me to get me out of a fix.
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:47 pm
by oioisonnyboy
I'm from SE england, Canterbury to be exact which is the HQ of brett group, my old boss's brother in law was the eponymous Bill Brett. They are big readymix and aggregate suppliers, only recently come into paving products.
Their blocks (omega) never used to be able to mix with marshalls blocks (keyblok) , because spacer nibs clashd, this may have been changed now though. Whenever I used them they were always a bit more crumbly than marshalls and more prone to spalling, the top face also sometimes quite pockmarked, especially brindles if I remember.
Bretts also crush up mismade blocks and flog them as cheap pink reject sand.
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:53 pm
by haggistini
i found the top pitted and crumbly on a few products but they are cheaper then marshalls global corprate monster!
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:54 pm
by lutonlagerlout
i like using bretts autumn mix 60s on a bog standard drive with charcoal edges, the colours seem pretty fast and you rarely have any naff blocks maybe 2 in a 1000
AFAIK bretts are mainly south east orientated same as tobermore are more north west
and obviously merchants all have their own agenda
butterfields still sell geo-fix 5 years after i told them it doesnt work
i quizzed their buyer over this and he claims its an improved formula
yeah right
LLL
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:01 pm
by Dave_L
I too know the Marshalls standard response when you get problems with blocks.................
But, in fairness, it was only one job and we fixed it for less than half a days work and £40 of materials.
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:42 pm
by local patios and driveway
Bretts cheap range are utter shite! The fact they didnt bother to help when called says it all really. Very poor.
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:36 pm
by lutonlagerlout
really dan?
i would say their omega 60s are pretty good run of the mill blocks
LLL
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:01 am
by local patios and driveway
They do a cheaper block than the omega, i forget its name we get a great price at buildbase £9 a meter which is good down here but the nibs on them are irregular, many of the blocks arent formed properly on the top and after the final wack you have to pull out 3 or 4.. Where as ive never broken blocks on the final wack, ever. Yet i still use them and curse myself every time
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:29 pm
by lutonlagerlout
marshalls samples arrived via courier at 5.15pm today
about 50kg of blocks and sample boards in total
the clock is ticking for bretts now
LLL
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:53 pm
by lutonlagerlout
had to go and pick up the bretts samples today
took them to the client this evening but he had already plumped for tegula hazelnut in herringbone
I gave the top man at butterfields some feedback regarding samples, 7 days is simply too slow in this day and age
bretts should be sending them out direct
LLL