Clearview National August 2018 - Issue 201 | Page 42

PROUD SPONSOR OF DOORS & WINDOWS
DOORS&WINDOWS
BETTER BY ASSOCIATION
As a tradesperson or installer, you always want to
stand out from the crowd when it comes to the
products and services you offer to your customers,
but being a ‘lone wolf ’ isn’t all it’s cut out to be
when it comes to the ‘backroom’ business side
of things. Across the industry, several associations
and organisations exist to support smaller,
independent companies with just that. Finding the
right one for you and your brand, however, is the
hard part; but once you’ve found the perfect fit,
the rest should be a lot easier from here on in.
» » THE CONSUMER PROTECTION
Association (The CPA) was established in
1993. Celebrating its 25th anniversary at
the end of July, the fenestration-specialist
organisation is managed by Tim White and
his team in Bedfordshire; aiding and assisting
traders up and down the country every day.
At its core, The CPA exists to protect
consumers who have entered a contract to
have renovation or refurbishment work; by
providing a deposit protection service (in case
the outfit employed goes into liquidation or
against other unforeseen circumstances), an
insurance backed guarantee, and financial
services - The CPA is regulated by the Financial
Conduct Authority (FCA) - if necessary. Yet,
this is just as advantageous for installers and
tradesmen too, as even being a member of
The CPA can be the selling point in winning a
contract for a job.
As Tim White says himself: “The most
important thing for The CPA is that the
customer is happy. And so, for a consumer,
employing a tradesperson or installer that is
one of our members takes the risk out of home
improvements.
“From the member’s point of view, we exist
to take them by the hand and lead them down
the right path. The CPA gives the tradesperson
the same high standard of backing and support
that befits the installation they are providing.”
To ensure that the reputation of The CPA,
and its members, remain intact, quarterly
reports are compiled from customer feedback
forms and sent out to companies as a matter of
course. Furthermore, area managers are on the
road every week to offer assistance as and when
needed.
42 » AUG 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
Images courtesy of HBD Systems
“The reports aren’t used to chastise
companies,” Tim adds. “In fact, the majority
of members in the association welcome
the feedback on a regular basis, as it’s
something that could be quite costly and
time consuming to facilitate themselves. It’s
all part of the service we offer, and amongst
the many benefits, the customer satisfaction
surveys not only help to improve the
individual company’s in-house performance
but bolster the organisation as a whole; again
enhancing the overall reputation of The
CPA.”
When a company signs up to The CPA, it
automatically benefits from a whole host of
marketing support, and, depending on which
marketing suite the new member feels is the
most appropriate for them, they could be on
the receiving end of anything from bespoke
branded letters of introduction, high quality
personalised contracts, banner templates for
local advertising, to professionl referrals for
website construction and maintenance. This is
all on top of the leaflets, posters, stickers, and
display licences that come with the standard
introduction package for each and every new
member.
Tim concludes: “First and foremost for
The CPA – when it comes to customers and
members – is our name. When customers see
that a company is a member they know that not
only will the investment that they making into
their home improvements be safe, before and
during the work carried out, but also that the
guarantee they get for the project will stand up
to the promise it makes. Furthermore, as a well-
known and respected organisation, they can be
confident that our members will carry out work
professionally and to the highest standard.
“For members, ‘one man bands’ especially,
they can get on with the work they exist to
do while we take the stress and strain out of
the sides of the business they may not be as
confident or comfortable with. Our motto
is quality not quantity for our members, and
I’m proud to say that there are around 10-12
companies this year that will be celebrating
20 years of being in the organisation. When it
comes to what we provide our members, and
what our members provide to their customers,
the attitude at The CPA is always the same,
and that is simply; why not have the best?”
www.TheCPA.co.uk