Johnboyfree

  • Posts: 161
Which System & Why
« on: May 20, 2006, 11:56:42 am »
In the very near future I wish to purchase a Van Mounted Water System,(600 ltrs)which do you think is the best and why?many thanks in advance.....

poleman

  • Posts: 2854
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2006, 12:35:27 pm »
DIY or Main dealer? many will say DIY on here, I have one from a main dealer and very happy which is my choice, the company... www.brodexbms.co.uk

Andy 

Johnboyfree

  • Posts: 161
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2006, 12:59:48 pm »
This is my problem,MainDealer would seem better apart from the fact there adverts seem to dominate there Buisness on the vans rather than the owners...

poleman

  • Posts: 2854
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2006, 01:04:58 pm »
not sure what you mean ???

Andy

Johnboyfree

  • Posts: 161
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2006, 01:12:19 pm »
I wish to purchase a complete system incl;van etc,all the ones I see have a large Ionics logo or the system name emblazoned on the side rather than the owners,or is this there choice?and why does one system cost £4000+ and another much less,(not incl;van)are you paying for the brand or is the product that much better?

poleman

  • Posts: 2854
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2006, 01:17:25 pm »
I see, well the best brand is your company name, I wouldnt get a van from a WFP company.

Andy

Johnboyfree

  • Posts: 161
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2006, 01:27:41 pm »
I agree with you,I would only advertise another company if it was to my advantage(ie if I sold car alarms I would say Thatchum approved)Brodex, is this the system you use?

poleman

  • Posts: 2854
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2006, 01:49:54 pm »
Brodex is the company I use, i wouldnt put brodex on the side thou, customers wont care, its about who is doing the job, I would get your own van, and get your own company name design on the side.


Andy   

Johnboyfree

  • Posts: 161
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2006, 01:58:06 pm »
Many thanks Andy,I think this is what I will do,I understand all units will make pure water just cant understand why the price range is so varied,

poleman

  • Posts: 2854
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2006, 02:15:35 pm »
Gone get shot for this ;D

YES they do most the same, DIY means that build your own system, and many do, if you have time on your hands building and spending time gettting bits and bobs then thats fine, if your wont a system from main dealer that has been tryed and tested then go down this road I have and glad that I did, I sell pure water to window cleaners and most of that is down to DIY problems and the down time, we dont get main dealer systems calling.

Andy       

DASERVICES

Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2006, 05:28:44 pm »

  DIY route for me, looked at the pro's and cons of buying from main dealer.
  The only plus I could see buying from a main dealer is the system is built
   and installed and ready to go.

  On the negative side system can cost up to £4k and that doesn't come with
  poles.
  If it breaks down you then have to drive back to the supplier to have it fixed,
  anything up to 200 miles.
  Their systems are designed that you have to order the expensive consumables
  through them eg: Ionics.
   

  The DIY route
   
  Can build a system including poles for less than £1k
  If it breaks down you'll know how to fix it and good help from the lads on this
  forum
  You source the best and cheapest consumables

  Both deliver the same end result, if you need any help let us know.

  Doug
 
 

Paul Coleman

Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2006, 06:14:32 pm »
In the very near future I wish to purchase a Van Mounted Water System,(600 ltrs)which do you think is the best and why?many thanks in advance.....

Well all the van mounts hold and/or purify water.  A lot would depend if you wanted an RO unit in it as well.  You would need an RO somewhere in your setup I imagine as you are from a hard water area (Kent).  Some people prefer to do their filtering at a static tank (so that the van isn't tied up for long periods).  Others are OK with tying the van up (it depends on individual circumstances).
Personally, I would feel happier having a van mount fitted professionally due to the potential safety issues of getting it wrong.
There are pros and cons to all systems I suppose.  Everyone will tell you their own stories about who they recommend.  My recommendation would be Omnipole.  If you live the London end of Kent - even better.  I've found their aftersales is very good and they're very obliging there.  Also, I've found their system is put together in such a way that even a DIY dunce like me can fiddle around with it if necessary.

David Halford

  • Posts: 16
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2006, 09:04:17 pm »
Hi John
   
I understand what you saying concerning the advertising of water fed pole manufactures on the side of the vans that they sell with a full package. But there are advantages to this.

If you purchase a full package from us the van will come with a 3/4-vehicle wrap but with your company name a logo incorporated with it. Our aim is to make your company look bigger than it actually is working off the concept2o corporate branding.

It works along the same lines as the McDonalds chain. McDonalds actually only owns a few restaurants worldwide all the other restaurants are privately owned. But you know that if you were to eat in a McDonalds restaurant in Scotland you will get the same food and service as you would in London, Wales or any other place in the world.

We wanted to achieve something similar with window cleaners who want to make the change over to water fed pole systems. By using the concept2o brand name and having a vehicle wrapped, it stands out above all the rest of thousands of other sign written van on the roads (much the same as sky vans). When a potential customer sees a number of these vans on the road it will appear that your company is much larger enabling you to take advantage of work and contracts previously reserved for multi vehicle based operations. It basically serves to build faith that potential customers are dealing with an experienced company.

When anyone purchases a concept2o system, they receive full training on residential or commercial work, whichever most suits the type of work they have. This not only insures that the window cleaner will get the most out of there investment but will also mean that customers will know anyone using a concept2o system are fully trained and they can expect the same high quality of service wherever they are in the country.

As well as the concept2o branding your company details and logo will be on the bonnet, front doors and rear doors. If you have not already had a company logo designed, our team of designers can work with you to come up with a design that you are happy with.

The full package option is available so that we can make the change over to pure water window cleaning as stress free as possible, it includes a concept2o system size that bests suits your work, fitting, 18ft glass fibre pole, 30ft glass fibre pole, waterproof vehicle lining, explanation leaflets for your customers, branded uniforms, access to reduced insurance premiums for vehicle, employers and public liability, palmtop computer with George program and 1 years free replacement running costs.

Some would argue that purchasing a system from a manufacturer is not a good idea as there is the question of extra cost. The truth is a matter of simple economics. If a manufacturer were to sell equipment at just above cost they would of course make some money on the sale, however the equipment that we provide is designed to become your primary source of income, window cleaners all over the UK and indeed some in Europe already rely on their concept2o systems to feed their family and pay their bills. So what happens if for any reason backup, advice and call outs are required? If a manufacturer does not budget for these additional costs will he/she be willing to do all that is required to get you up and running again as fast as possible if these additional costs were not covered?

If you have any other further questions or would like a demonstration please do not hesitate to contact us or Mike Boxall at Express Cleaning Supplies.

David
www.concept2o.com
 
 

Johnboyfree

  • Posts: 161
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2006, 06:12:37 pm »
Thanks for the reply,I understand what youre saying,I  spoke to Youre firm last week and I am waiting on youre brouchere to arrive,out of all the ones I have seen,concept seems to have the more eye catching livery but again its the fact concept is emblazoned across the van with little space for the owners name which would put me off,unless of course we could go 50/50 with the cost of the system then I would be more than happy  ;D ;D ;D

DASERVICES

Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2006, 06:54:06 pm »

  David,

  The only gripe I have with companys like yourselves you do not offer service
  nationwide. If the system goes wrong and the fault cannot be rectified
  by a phone call then you have to drive the van back to your base which
  could be upto 300+ miles. You just have to read some of the comments on this
  forum on some of the problems people have had buy direct from major players.

  Your system looks pretty top notch but for around £4k I would expect some
  service person within distance that works for the company. I did some time
  back when looking into buying direct from companys like yourselves I did offer
  my services but none did see this as a concern including your company.

  Hence the reason why I went DIY which I have found a benefit as I am now
  helping other fellow windowcleaners up here in Scotland. If their system
  goes down I'll happily drop my work and help them out even though I don't
  sell it. The oportunity up here is huge, something maybe for you guys to
  think about.

  Sorry for the rant but got my business head on, John sorry for diverting your
  subject.

  Cheers

  Doug

Johnboyfree

  • Posts: 161
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #15 on: May 22, 2006, 07:24:56 pm »
I didnt think you did,this is one of the drawbacks,after sales is all well and good IF you are lucky enough to live near the supplier,if/when something does go wrong,I cannot afford down time,I would want it fixed asap,after all time is money,(I have no time therefore I have no money) :( :(

matt

Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #16 on: May 22, 2006, 11:15:48 pm »
Im helping some1 build a DIY van system at this moment, we priced it all up to be well under 1 K

i know what i would do

http://d.co.uk/

Paul Coleman

Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #17 on: May 23, 2006, 06:33:42 am »
I didnt think you did,this is one of the drawbacks,after sales is all well and good IF you are lucky enough to live near the supplier,if/when something does go wrong,I cannot afford down time,I would want it fixed asap,after all time is money,(I have no time therefore I have no money) :( :(

After a few things have gone wrong, it's possible to get an understanding of what needs fixing.  Building up a collection of spare bits and a few tools is a lot quicker than having to drive to the manufacturer.  This is why, now I've been using WFP a few months, I feel that a simple to maintain system with accessible parts is very important.

Trevor Knight

  • Posts: 1825
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #18 on: May 23, 2006, 07:00:52 am »
Hi John,

Am in the same situation as you, just about to buy a new set up. Have demo with Tucker, excellent but very expensive - P3 package with 650lms system is over £6k

Have an Ionics demo Thursday so will post after that?

Now looking at DIY, I didi it with a smaller set up in our van, maybe will consider for a larger van, not sure yet.

Good luck,

Trev
Covering Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey, Berkshire

David Halford

  • Posts: 16
Re: Which System & Why
« Reply #19 on: May 23, 2006, 08:27:24 am »
Doug,

Very important points you have mentioned here, can’t remember talking with you though? Did we see you at Windex? From our previous post you will know that we understand this issue fully, after all we still operate our own cleaning company.

To rectify the problem, we have put 3 things in place starting with the design. All parts that are subject to wear, are easily accessible by the user and a product manual is supplied to help sort out all the smaller issues you may encounter. Secondly, we are currently training staff to enable a national mobile service vehicle, although we have not had cause to justify such a dedicated vehicle at the moment, we understand that even for a clients peace of mind, that this would be a useful addition.

And thirdly, we are currently negotiating with a number of distributors in other areas of the country, all these distributors will have the necessary training and knowledge to diagnose and repair any potential issues. Of course, the main aim of the extended product testing and the design and development period that lasted so long and cost so much was to ensure the concept2o system was the most reliable product on the market. I hope this serves to answer some of your concerns.

David.