[Kev Martin]

Rob

When we get jobs in that we don't want,  or that are not financially viable for us because of the distances involved we automatically offer the work out to others!  When there are no takers I offer the work on to the open forums including the CIU.  I will say at this juncture that I prefer to offer the work to people who have done our course because I am usually confident that they can deal with it.  (This does NOT Mean that if you have not done our course I believe that you are Unable to do it before someone takes this the wrong way).  The point I am trying to make is that we charge nothing for the referral however, I do feel that a finders fee is appropriate in relation to the value of the work but it is covered in the job!  This method is better than charging on a monthly basis.  In addition over the last 8 years or so I have never refused anyone free advice over the phone whether they are buying our products or not!  In fact on average I receive 20+ E Mails per week asking for advice and probably 50 + Telephone requests.  Either I or Tony answer each and every one!

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

[Rob Hall]

Rob

When we get jobs in that we don't want,  or that are not financially viable for us because of the distances involved we automatically offer the work out to others!  When there are no takers I offer the work on to the open forums including the CIU.  I will say at this juncture that I prefer to offer the work to people who have done our course because I am usually confident that they can deal with it.  (This does NOT Mean that if you have not done our course I believe that you are Unable to do it before someone takes this the wrong way).  The point I am trying to make is that we charge nothing for the referral however, I do feel that a finders fee is appropriate in relation to the value of the work but it is covered in the job!  This method is better than charging on a monthly basis.  In addition over the last 8 years or so I have never refused anyone free advice over the phone whether they are buying our products or not!  In fact on average I receive 20+ E Mails per week asking for advice and probably 50 + Telephone requests.  Either I or Tony answer each and every one!

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

...and thats the difference Kevin. You also have a brilliant range of Removers and Sealers. 
I have done your course and enjoyed it whilst learning a hell of a lot. I have spoken to Tony about buying a Levighetor and all the kit that goes with it, so I will seeing you about doing the grinding course.
On a certain "other" course, their way is to use HTC Hy-Brids to hone stone and remove lippage. Not a bad product at all for certain jobs but nowhere near the capabilities of a Levighetor.
That "other" course uses Twister Pads to do the polishing of Marble, I am not knocking Twisters, I use them sometimes, but polishing marble is best done with diamonds. You cannot get anywhere near the same results with Twisters, but "they" suggest them for "their" jobs. Each to their own eh?

I suppose, listening to what you and others are saying on here, I am better off out of the T... D..... ways of doing things and am better off putting my money into my own site.
Who knows what the future holds, as I am no longer in a contract with Russ, maybe it would not be a bad idea to start a rival business would it? What do you think Kevin?

[Rob Hall]

Rob

Don't take his actions to heart.  In addition you could reclaim all the fees you paid to Tile Doctor as well.  Because he has terminated your contract and technically you have done nothing wrong.

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tilinglogistics

Cheers Kevin. That has crossed my mind too, I can see it getting ugly!

Rob

Nothing Ugly about it!  He takes money for leads then terminates that agreement for no reason???  Money Back!!!

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

I totally agree Kevin, it costs a lot of money to be part of the set up.
Training is around £295,I seem to remember, then you have to buy the order forms, which I thought was a little strange, I am sure they were a few hundred pounds, then, I was asked to pay £85+vat/month to optimise 'my website'. The website is a page on the Tile Doctor website. This is where I got a bit fed up with shelling out loads of money for very little return, it just does not make good business sense. This is when I opened THIS thread on here to see what others were doing with their advertising budget.

Kevin, please can I ask you, does this thread suggest to you that I am trying to employ any Tile Doctors (as Russ puts it) and I have been accused of "collaborating" with his competitors....? Who? Which competitor? I have given him the chance to explain, but has choosen to ignore me. Why?

Come on Russ....have the decency to explain, after all, I spent a lot of money with you and I think you owe me an explanation.

Rob

I have to very careful here!  I do not want to appear to be exploiting this thread for my own gains!  Tile Doctor used to re bottle Aqua Mix Products and sell them as their own.  When Aqua Mix pulled out of the UK in November 2009 and I purchased the remains of the Liverpool Warehouse stock that meant he could not get anymore Aqua Mix Product.  He then resorted to other companies to replace the product!  The decision to change the products has been noticed from a performance point of view by a lot of people who have done his course.  Since the advent of us being appointed under contract as the new sole importer of Aqua Mix into the UK & Europe under that agreement the resale of Aqua Mix under any other name has been stopped by the owners of the product.  Which means he could sell the product again but could not re lable it!  I have never stopped or refused Russell from having the Aqua Mix Product but neither has he approached me.  I also think it is unlikely that he would do!!!

Ultimately he has read the the thread or been directed to it by someone!  I have reread the whole thread and see no direct competition or anything directed at Tile Doctor, however, I also feel it is unlikely he will answer you on an open Forum.  He clearly dislikes me intensly, after all he sees me as direct competition and therefore sees me as a threat.  On the reverse I do not see him as a threat to my business at all.   I imagine and I am only summising here that he sees the collaboration with competitors he mentions to you as me probably,  although this is clearly not true.

Personally if I were you I would just forget the whole thing and concentrate on your own business but the decision has to be yours!

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

Kevin, again, thank you for your honesty. I wonder if Russ has read THE WHOLE THREAD?? I think not.
Coincidently, I had to use some 'alternative' products when I was on some of his jobs as I struggled, especially with the removal of Slate Seal.
Interesting, the point you make about USED to supply...Having used Aqua Mix Sealing and Coating Remover, I note IT WORKS!!

I suppose the easiest thing to do is put the whole episode behind me and move on. Until I get an explanation from Tile Doctor I will keep the thread alive. I would not want anyone to be in my position, having got me to spend all that money with them to be dumped out like this with NO REASON, I am not prepared to let it lie.

Again, I invite Russ to air his views HERE, give his side of the story. His message from him on my mobile accuses me of collaboration with a competitor and trying to employ HIS Tile Doctors, come on Russ, where is the evidence!!

[nice-n-white.co.uk]

a good quality flyer ,maybe to the more affluent areas in the beginning got all my work this way,unless you have cash its a slow process .This year built new site ,paid google premier took them two months to get 4 out of 15 keywords onto page one.Then new site with internal and external links better info,suddenly on page 1 for loads ,still no calls.

[Ian mott]

We advertise on the net, also local monthly magazine which gets distributed to about 40000 homes and businesses, these do really well