Opportunity for Input - REPOSTED

[Halstead Man]

All - following your previous posts and delayed response from me - I thought I would post this again and try and assure you it is not a hoax, we are genuinely after honest opinion so we can improve and grow and with the backing of Glen Dimplex I am sure we can take all of your commmnets on board.

Previous Message -
Guys - apologies for absence as I haven't been able to logon over last few days from Home.

To answer the first question - No this is not a Wind Up - we are actively looking for honest feedback from the guys like yourselves so that we can improve all aspects of our product offering and take your comments on board - you obviously care or you wouldnt be on these forums, which is why we are asking you.

We realise we have had issues in the past an we actively want to put these right and as a British Manufacturer we want to grow and develop our business.

Any feedback good or bad is beneficial to us and to prove it is not a wind up - my e-mail address is *********** so if you would like to contact me direct you are more than welcome - thi s cant be viewed in post so
I have made my e-mail available to respond direct if you wish !!!!

As part of this we are commisioning some market research and this will involve Installer Clinics where we will ask opinions of installers of our products and competitors in order for us to identify the way forward in terms of product development - these are taking place in Bristol and sheffield; - so anyone interested please contact me on the e-mail address above
Look forward to hearing from you

Rich

 

[Agile]

I am very pleased to see that apparently a manufacturer genuinely wants to improve their produsts and assist installers.

HOWEVER,

it would assist us to rate your posting as genuine if you were to give your FULL NAME and post from a HALSTEAD email address! So far I am forced to the conclusion that this is your home project and not authorised by Halstead! What will happen if anyone calls Halstead to ask about it?

ANYONE could do what you have done as a hoax or windup!

Tony Glazier

 

[corgiman]

That would be better

 

[gas4you]

genuine or not, what ridiculous places to hold your only 2 installer clinics.

Who's going to take a day off and drive hundreds of miles to answer a survey for free

If this is Halsteads attitude then I would give up manufacturing now

 

[Halstead Man]

Guys - as far as I am concerned I am posting from a business e-mail however I am not an IT guy and dont know about the IP address etc thing so will check it out.

On the installer clinic comment - we can't do them in every city, budget unfortunately dictatates, if only we could, and the request was anyone interested to contact me direct and we could have explained the format etc - and we would obviously only targeting installers from those localities not countrywide as that would be ridiculous, and YES their is an incentive to attend!!!!!!!!

Anyway my name is Richard Braid and my Halstead e-mail is available if you click on the name in top left of the message - or alternatively ring Halstead Boilers and check it for yourselves. - I am based at the offices in Leamington

Like I say - I am just after honest and upfront feedback.

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

[HarrogateGas]

Honest advice then is that you have your work cut out. Your mistake of selling at BBQ and DIY shacks was a major mistake it may have irreviversably tanrished your reputaion among installers. Another mistake your Finest Gold combination boiler. In fact to be honest with you I cant think of anything positive to say about halstead boilers at this time and It would certainly take me some time to come round to installing them. Perhaps in 10-15 years when the products have been in and worked well might I think about them but until then im afraid I have little confidence in your products.You wont get me being the guinea pig installer to test new products on. i have customers who want a decent reliable job and I dont feel I can offer that by installing a Halstead boiler at this moment in time

Sorry!

 

[AlanE]

Just to put the record straight this afternoon I telephoned Halstead Boilers and spoke to a person in their customer services department who had no hesitation of transfering me to Richard Braid. I could not ask for him by name since I did not see his his post giving it until after my telephone call.

After speaking to him I am without doubt that this is a 100% genuine effort on the part of Halstead Boilers to gain feedback on their products.

 

[corgiman]

Harrow you can pretty much say that about any new boiler these days

 

[HarrogateGas]

Harrow you can pretty much say that about any new boiler these days

I cant quote exactly but over that 18 montsh I reckon 50 Worcester have gone in, 10 Vokeras, 5 Vailliants, 4 GlowWorms and 2 Ideal Isars, 1 Ideal Istor and a Baxi 80e (se)

The only one ive gone back too is the Baxi. I stick to brands i know and trust the Baxi was the customers choice despite my protests and advice. it came back to bite him.

So I do disagree that you can say that about any boiler. Ive been to plent of repairs on Ravenheats, Halsteads and Biasi boilers less than 18 months old. They were under warrenty but the customer support from the manufactuers was so poor the customers gave in and parted with a call out to me.

 

[simond]

I think it was a little niave but placed with good intentions to ask a public facing internet forum frequented by heating installers for advice on new products.

I fear that you are mainly going to unleash a load of negative criticism which prospective end customers could access by typing 'Halstead Boilers' into Google for many years to come. Your next boiler could be the best on the planet but diynot.com archive replies to your question will be telling a different story.

I used to be a senior product manager and installers were usually the last people we asked for advice. Generally they want a boiler that is dirt cheap, tiny, lightweight, easy to wire up, 5 yr warranty, no paperwork to fill in, intuitive diagnostics that tell them exactly what part to change but don't tell the customer, supported by a TV campaign and £1M of press advertising, never goes wrong, separate mounting jig, easy lift packaging, cheap but beautifully made flue components, and a free remote control car.

If I were Halstead I might be considering making a combi with a solar panel attached or a GasSaver, because councils and HAs do the volume and they are turned on by this stuff, there will be Government incentives for them to invest in 'so called' renewables.

Don't ask the trade, they will design you the World's most expensive boiler and expect to pick it up for £350. And for you to turn away B&Q's business into the bargain.

And if you must ask the trade, without wanting to seem too patronizing, do it in private with the help of some female marketing buds, sticky buns and a few pints of Boddies. Like all the other manufacturers.

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

genuine or not, what ridiculous places to hold your only 2 installer clinics.

Who's going to take a day off and drive hundreds of miles to answer a survey for free

If this is Halsteads attitude then I would give up manufacturing now

Hear hear!

David

 

[Softus]

Good post Simon. Honest, accurate, and impossible to fault.

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

Their prices for replacement parts are generally 8 times more expensive than other boiler manufacturers spare parts.

6 pounds 21 pence will get you a diaphragm that fits a Halstead from Ariston. Halstead will charge you over 50 quid for the same part.

I would never pay 40 quid for a packet of Marlboro(T) if the same product is on sale for a fiver with a different name on it.

David

 

[Agile]

Previous Message -
Guys - apologies for absence as I haven't been able to logon over last few days from Home.

I am glad that you have now come clean Richard!

However, what you said before implied that you could only access this forum from home!!! Hardly a company email there!

Since you want to keep to a budget then why not have installers in the Leamington area first! I am in the local tele book!

Lastly, why not give bona fide installers a free training as Ravenheat do?

Also I have an ongoing gripe with Halstead as I was told on my ( paid ) training day that afterwards our name would be given out to callers needing repairs to out of warranty boilers. That never happened !

Tony

 

[Soggy_weetabix]

Hummm, Jonhson & Starley are another culprit.

David