Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

keggs

Hi Convict

As a former distributor you must have seen something in T+ for you to join? Or was the lure of the non existent fast buck the primary reason. From my experience most people leave network marketing type companies because they want it now and are not prepared to put the work in.

Unlike traditional network marketing companies T+ offers true residual income. It does offer great value for money services and it might just surprise you that the latest WHICH? magazine has put the UWDC top in customer satisfaction for both broadband and phone. Good new publicity may be late in coming but it is just another to add to the long list. Afterall, the naysayers seem to forget (or perhaps more likely don't want to know) that the company has over 240,000 residential and business customers. It has also had an 8 fold increase in its revenue since 2001. Is this a company that looks to be going down the pan.

UW is not after rate chasers. It wants to build a relationship with its customers through highly motivated network. Yes, it does get things wrong and yes there are particular issues that I don't happen to like. But in grand scheme of things the company is looking after its customers and distributors something lacking by major British plcs such as BT and Vodaphone. Do any of these pay their customers for using their services? Are any of these companies prepared to listen to its customers. Can I as a customer of say BT contact the chairman of BT and make suggestions? We all know the answer to that one. At least with UW we can offer suggestions and have them taken on board.

The Utility Warehouse is about offering best value services. It's not in the market of shaving something off a rate in order to undercut. If that means appearing to be dearer than other so-called telecoms or energy suppliers then so be it. Good value service is more than just price.

Regards
Steve

chinup_3

wow keggs-scary !! ''listen to customers + distributors etc'' then? so when IS the 0870 service number being changed then pray tell: just wonderd cos active agents have expressed dislike to no avail so far ?! ''true residual income''- true, tho' i feel 5% of £9.50 p/mnth [?] phone bill isn't going to lead to too many early retirements.
keggs+ choc- tell the nice boys and girls about the share price changes over the last couple years say.
why can't you guys see that in a business where price IS important and companies have to respond to survive ,sorry to shock you there, a mkt leading low residual is not going to bring a life changing income flow. that's just common sense and mostly why i got out.

chinup_3

looks like nigewick might be starting to see a chink of light-quick another brainwashing pill !!

keggs

Isn't odd how the naysayers and rate chasers here are constantly accusing T+ of misleading when they can't even read posts on this forum properly from others who disagree with them and are very happy. It's particularly telling when those people are not involved in any way with T+ and know very little about the company. And if they were the company last moved on since they left. And will continue to do so. You just managed to reaffirm the reason why I became a customer and distributor 9 years ago.

For your info - the Investors Chronicle has just advised shareholders to buy share in Telecom plus. The article lists 8 reasons why they should.

Despite enjoying a good argument, it's time I think to take the advice of a fellow distributor amongst the many thousands of us not to get involved with such neurotic individuals. And I say that as a graduate psychologist

Steve

Quentin

keggs wrote: »

Isn't odd how the naysayers and rate chasers here are constantly accusing T+ of misleading

Even odder is the way T+ reps constantly ignore the fact that T+ have mislead customers and prospective customers for years claiming that they provide them with the cheapest energy.

There are a number of cases where the ASA have ajudicated on complaints of misleading and false advertising.

And on the UW site they make false claims about having supplied the cheapest energy for five years.

The ASA have upheld complaints about this type of false advertising from them, but they seem to take no notice and just continue.

keggs

Quentin wrote: »

Even odder is the way T+ reps constantly ignore the fact that T+ have mislead customers and prospective customers for years claiming that they provide them with the cheapest energy.

There are a number of cases where the ASA have ajudicated on complaints of misleading and false advertising.

And on the UW site they make false claims about having supplied the cheapest energy for five years.

The ASA have upheld complaints about this type of false advertising from them, but they seem to take no notice and just continue.

Every company at some time can fall foul of the rules of advertising. As a businessman and copywriter myself it's very easy to do. As I have said before ALL companies make mistakes. But in the overall scheme of things T+ is a far far better and more ethical company than many many major companies. How often do companies such as BT, Sky, Virgin, the Daily Mail mislead their customers and readers. Or have you quietly forgotten about these or is there a particular reason for the venom you are spilling on to the Utility Warehouse.

Quentin (and others for that matter), this apparent hatred for all things Utility Warehouse seems more personal than objective.

You don't judge companies by past mistakes. You judge companies by the value of the service they give and the way they treat their customers and employees and in the case of T+ their business partners.

There are nearly a quarter of million customers / members (and growing daily) some of whom have been customers of mine for a very long time. They appear to be quite satisfied with the service they get from the company. Or are you accusing these people of being idiots for falling for a scam. If you are then as a 'satisfied' customer of 9 years myself I take that as a personal insult.

Despite your venom, the company still continues to receive fantastic 3rd party credibility. The recent Which article puts T+ first ahead of all the major companies. Investors Chronicle puts T+ first among 6 business it recommends its readers to invest in. You ignored these comments in my previous posts focusing instead on past historical mistakes which I don't condone but are now irrelevant.

Regards
Steve

keggs

Let's nail this spurious discussion. Yes, T+ have introduced an 0871 number for customers to ring. It's sounds terrible doesn't it. On the surface I would agree but let's just look at one simple thing. Let's assume the average time spent on the phone is 5 minutes. Even at the maximum 10p per minute this equates to just 50p. Hardly a fortune!

Or is it the principle of the thing. It's not illegal. It makes sound business sense. Businesses are in business to make money. If the customer doesn't like using an 0871 number on principle then hey have the choice to leave and use a company that doesn't. With quarter of a million customers, I doubt very much than many have left T+ for that reason. Customers have left T+ and always will in the same way they leave other companies. The reasons are complex. But the churn rate in T+ is far far lower than any other comparable company.

If the distributor signing up a customer is doing his or her job properly, then they would contact the company on their behalf. I never use an 0871 number to do this. The company will also contact customers if the distributor cannot resolve the problem at the time.

When my mother was moving house recently I tried 3 times to get through to BT. Each time I was put on hold for around 20 minutes. If I had to ring an 0871 number in this case it would have cost me a fortune. With T+ I rarely have to wait more than a few minutes. As a distributor if I require customer services I am put through as a priority.

By all means criticise T+ but start making your arguments more objective than personal. No company gets its right all the time but I firmly believe T+ gets it right most of the time. If it didn't the business would have folded years ago.

Looking forwards to being with the company for the next 10 years. By then my youngest son will be able to take over.

Regards
Steve

Quentin

Every company at some time can fall foul of the rules of advertising

The problem with UW's advertising "mistakes" has been that they have been
fundamentally flawed. Lying by saying their energy is the ceapest isn't just "falling foul".

You don't judge companies by past mistakes

They currently advertise this on their website:

For almost 5 years we provided our customers with the cheapest domestic energy in the UK

We all know this is just not true.

It seems the ASA have no jurisdiction over website ads. Any half decent organisation would not take advantage of this.

Cardew

keggs wrote: »

Despite your venom, the company still continues to receive fantastic 3rd party credibility. Investors Chronicle puts T+ first among 6 business it recommends its readers to invest in.
Regards
Steve

Not wanting to get involved in the great T+ debate; except to say that personally I don't like the selling tactics of the company; particularly the way those with a strong vested interest keep 'plugging' the company.

However I am quite interested in the logic that seems to think we consumers should be impressed by a recommendation from Investor's Chronicle.

keggs

Cardew wrote: »

Not wanting to get involved in the great T+ debate; except to say that personally I don't like the selling tactics of the company; particularly the way those with a strong vested interest keep 'plugging' the company.

However I am quite interested in the logic that seems to think we consumers should be impressed by a recommendation from Investor's Chronicle.

Have you ever recommended a good film or restaurant to someone? That's all we do. The difference is we get paid. Everyone has some invested interested whenever they recommend something. Even telling a joke the pay off is getting the person to laugh. That's the way life works.

The reason the Investors Chronicle is important is it show first to investors that it's a solid company worth investing in and second to consumers that the company exists in the real world. It simply doesn't advertise its services in the same way.

You seem to forget something here. Everyone here assumes that advertising that we see all around us is the way its always been done. That's incorrect. So called traditional advertising started in the middle to late 19th century. It wasn't until the 1920s when the science of advertising began when psychologists realised that it was a useful way to get your selling message across.

Recommending something you like to someone else is natural and the original form of advertising.

People join T+ on recommendation. How this is a terrible selling tactic is beyond me. We don't ram it down people's throats or is that something you really believe we do.

Quentin, if what you say is correct why hasn't T+ been taken to court and fined a hefty fine for their so-called misleading statements. If you think it's untrue why don't you personally sue the company or inform the Office of Fair Trading. Both OFCOM and OFGEM have in the past have been contacted by consumers asking this same question. Both have upheld T+. The ASA works by very different rules. It might just surprise you but it is usually other companies who are in competition that make complaints to the ASA. We had it for years from BT because they didn't like the fact that we were taking so many customers off them.

Personally I am not really interested in what it says on the web site. No doubt you will accuse me of terrible things, but that's life. What matters to me is:

1. Do I think my customers are getting a good deal from the Utility Warehouse. Can I recommend this company and still sleep at night. The answer is YES.

2. Are my customers happy with the service given to them by both me and the company itself. With over 1200 customers that answers itself.

As I have said before which seems to elude you. There are issues I have - there always will be. Each of us have our own issues. But in the grand scheme of things what matters is whether T+ offers its club members a good deal overall. I believe it does, You don't. Let's leave it at that.

Regards
Steve