Clearview National January 2016 - Issue 170 | Page 10

INDUSTRYNEWS

Installers have their say
‘Keep interest rates low and encourage people to
invest in their homes and properties to grow the
economy and boost the building products industry’.
»»This is the view of the vast
majority of installers and home improvement
companies that are members of the UK’s
number one lead generation business –
Leads2trade.
At the end of each year Leads2trade
surveys its membership base, to find out their
thoughts on the 12 months just gone and the
months and years ahead.
The results were overwhelmingly positive,
with over 80% of its members saying that
2015 had been a better year than 2014.
Looking ahead, a good chunk of the
installers who were asked what they felt the
prognosis was for the industry, said that
they felt consumer confidence was as strong
as it had been for many years and that the
‘improve rather than move’ trend was still
alive.

A number of installers urged caution
though, when it came to interest rates - saying
that a likely rise could see more people holding
onto their cash, rather than spending them on
home improvements or other investments.
Andy Royle, Director at Leads2trade,
comments: “Going forward there is clearly
optimism but it is cautious optimism - with
many installers saying that they fear an interest
rate rise could dent consumer confidence,
which has remained relatively strong despite
the economic turbulence.”
Andy said that members had also noted how
well niche products like bi-folding doors and
vertical sliders are still performing.
In 2015, Leads2trade launched a bi-folding
door lead generation service – giving installers
double qualified leads for homeowners looking
for this product.

Leads2trade generates thousands of leads
per month via a network of 800 websites,
where homeowners register to find tradesmen
to carry out home improvement work.
Leads are then double qualified in
Leads2trade’s in-house call centre and passed
on to members of its Trusted Local Suppliers
network in real-time, via email or text.
To become a member visit
www.leads2trade.co.uk

The National Plastics
Shopping Experience
»»Giving customers what they
want is something that is central to National
Plastics Managing Director, Geoff Foster’s
vision for the company, which is why the
customer experience is so important to him.
He commented: “Our customers are busy
people and our aim is to make their lives
easier. To do that, two things are vital: stock
availability and staff knowledge.”
National Plastics is renowned for its range,
which includes fascia boards, soffits, trims,
internal and external cladding, guttering,

10 » JAN 2016 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M

drainage systems, carports and canopies,
windows, doors, conservatories, EPDM rubber
roofing and much more. What’s perhaps
less well known is how much of that stock
is always available. “We aim to keep 99% of
our stocked items readily available at any one
time,” says Geoff.
“Also, our staff are genuine product
experts,” says Geoff. “It means our customers
can trust them to answer any questions, make
informed suggestions and offer useful advice
whenever it’s needed.”

It is clear that the company’s approach
of making customers’ lives easier is proving
very successful, having added £9 million to its
turnover in recent years.
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