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Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #

Posted by David Ray on July 31, 2009, 10:21 am
Message modified by board administrator July 31, 2009, 10:32 am

Is anyone familiar with the "car service brokers" featured on Dragons Den shown 26/07/09. To my surprise they managed to seal a deal with one of the Dragons who invested £100K. There concept sounded very much like NSN so nothing new there?
Any information appreciated.

Dave

Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #

Posted by Peter Warman on July 31, 2009, 10:37 am, in reply to "Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #"
Peter Warman - Administrator

Hi Ray

Are you refering to this

Servicing Stop Ltd

Just seemed like another company trying to make a fast buck from hard working Independents. Very surprised the Dragons fell for it

Peter

Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #

Posted by David Ray on July 31, 2009, 12:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #"
David Ray

Yes Peter that them. Having bad experiences with NSN,myself I would not be one of the 600 garages they claim to have on their books but I think it was a good plug for independents. Hopefully viewers watching will think why use the middle men and why use main dealers.

Dave

Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #

Posted by Nev smith on August 10, 2009, 12:34 am, in reply to "Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #"

We have been contacted to sign up but have decided against it for as peter says they are just trying to make money off our backs.
we run a busy workshop and they want us to collect & deliver, wash & hoover, do mots at 39.00 plus servicing at a lesser rate that we charge now.
If you sign up to this sort of thing you run he risk of your existing customers taking them up on there offer via the web and you losing out. And there is no guarantee of extra work, they are just trying to build a network.
no information should be left in the vehicle advertising the fact that you repaired the car, so in my opinion this is a bad thing.
you are far better off advertising your services at a realistic price for the effort that you put in and retaining a good customer base for yourself, NOT giving your services cheap so someone else can earn off your back.
If you are any good a this job you would have like many of us invested in diagnostic kit, and lots of training so why give this away, and if you have not then the extra work if any will be short lived.
If the motor trade in general did this we would not have insurance company's dictating to us how much we can and cant charge.
The Dragon was i believe Deborah Meaden
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden/dragons/deborahmeaden.shtml
If you are prepared to work for this sort of company for less money than normal, then sell your services local at a cheaper rate or consider a special offer changing monthly.
ATB
Nev

Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #

Posted by sean savage on August 10, 2009, 10:23 am, in reply to "Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #"
Sean Savage

i was contacted by this company over a year ago. they called wanting to book a car in but dictating i collect it and how much they would pay.i told the guy that he should fax a copy of the prices he expected and asked how he got my number. they sourced us through the feedback on the good garage scheme. to be honest i have done 7 or 8 of thier vehicles in my area (all decent usually still in warranty cars) the price they state for the service and clean is actually more than i would charge the origional customer and they pay before the car is delivered by credit card. i have recently though had an email wanting me to sign a contract with so much small print that i am no longer interested.
sean

Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #

Posted by Nev Smith on August 10, 2009, 12:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #"

hello Sean

i think your right.
its the small print that kills most things, and in reality very few of us read it all or understand it, But you can bet your bottom dollar that if a dragon wrote it, it is likely to cover every eventuality.
Like Yourself i thing they also sourced us through the good garage scheme.

ATB
Nev

Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #

Posted by sean savage on August 10, 2009, 1:01 pm, in reply to "Re: Nationwide Service - As seen on Dragons Den #"

i had a chat with "toby" at servicing stop when he phoned me a few weeks ago. basically they are a middle man who does a postcode search for a garage in the area of the customer,then chooses a garage (from the ggs reading the feedback) book it in and reap the rewards. but technically they have never used and have no idea how capable the garage they choose really are. i am guessing the contract is now basically getting them out of any legal complications should anything go wrong and putting everything on the garages shoulders. a nice hastle free little set up really. as i said i have done about 10 vehicles for them in the past but i think that will be the end of my work for them now we have a book of legal paperwork to sign first.

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