Chris Wilson (Charles Birch)

[Danny King]

Hi All,

Spoke to Chris Yesterday regarding Johnsons cleaners. I thank him for getting in touch.

 

1) Yes he is supplying Johnsons with shoe repairing in a agency roll. He is using his own shops todo the work except where a independant is closer or shouts the most about it. He then offers the independant the contract but done thru birch. He has offered me the contract for the Ipswich branch of Johnsons.

 

2) His reasons for this is to stop Timpson getting another national contract. I'm not sure if I believe this as this seems to be his favorite saying.

 

3) His is also trying to put key machines into there branches but to my shock so are SKS Keys. Again he wants the business and to keep it away from Timpo.

 

That was the main part of the conversation.

 

Ok here is where I stand.

 

1) I'm still upset with Chris as he must of known supplying Johnsons in Ipswich in Felixstowe Road (My shop is in the same road) would really piss me off. He knows he annoyed me when he opened a new Shoe Care shop in Ipswich. Which is still really annoying my staff when we lose work to them as they undercut us.

 

2) Do I really want this contract as god knows what crap they will take in as they are not trained like us. Also I feel this is maybe just away to shut me up.

 

 

3) Chris is very good at putting his argument across, He seems to feel as strong about timpsons as Ido. So should I pat him on the back for taking them on?

 

Well thats my thoughts as you can tell slightly about the whole thing.

 

Any comments views etc please

[discodave]

JOHNSONS DONT GET ON WITH TIMPSON THEIR IS NO WAY JOHNSON WILL BE TEAMING UP WITH THEM

 

johnsons are landlords of johnnies shop in henley, johnsons tried to really hike up the rent according to another one of their managers

and james sort of fell out with them over that.

 

timpson is gunning for johnsons, this is the only way johnson can compete with timpson this is a personal battle that will only end with us suffering, if you dont fight them properly

 

tbh timpson and birch are just bullys and the tricks they play on normal guys who wont stoop to their level in order to get a few more pennies stinks,

 

i would take over the contract thou cos at one point you have got to earn money

 

unless your willing to fight them, which you will win, big companies just cannot compete with independents ive had johnnie timpson stood outside my shop a couple of days after i stuck a price comparison poster in my window thinking he can scare me, then next day he sent down his head office bods you know the ones he pays 100k a year to. (how much do the guys that make him the money earn)

, then he basically got the council to break the law by trying to get me to take it down just told trading standards where to go,

 

my figure didnt half go up cos of that poster

[Gray]

Whatever is said Danny while the two of them try to outdo each other at the end of the day it's the independants that are taking all the flack.

If you take the contract you will only be getting the work you would have had anyway had an agency not been put there in the first place.

Was a Timpsons about to open on your road?

Why wasn't the agency offered to you without having to kick up a fuss knowing that you are on the same road?

Will they be doing keys there?

Will they be selling shoe care products to compliment the repair service?

Johnsons next door but one to me have been selling insoles and polishes and laces for a while now, and now keys, can I expect a repair agency to come there too. These are worrying times.

[discodave]

on the other hand it does keep us on our toes, if we didnt have these people pushing us where would we be as a trade. if we didnt adapt and change i wouldnt get the buzz from learning all the new stuff and then earning a couple of grand a year just cos of 1 thing that took me a few hours to learn.

id imagine quite a few people dont like doing their job but as a shoe repairer that shouldnt really apply, if you want you could learn something almost everyday people dont have that freedom within a job and people that dont earn good money will always be able to start up really easily i started my shop with 3.5k and could of sold it 2 years later for over 100k

 

and our trade is based on nicking everyone elses trade

[Simes]

My thinking is that in every business there is competition and we just have to get on with doing things different and better than out competitors.

 

I opened my business where there was no competition. 3 months later Timpsons opened. I don't blame them. I'm not trying to undercut them (although I am a bit cheaper). Just trying to be different and provide the best service I can. So far so good!

 

As for Johnsons. I would rather an independent did the work than Johnsons have competitor franchisee's or equivalent doing the repairs in the shop! Personally, I don't think it will last. Customers want things done now not in 3 or 4 days time.

 

I expect Chris wants:

 

1) to sell his materials

2) to keep timpsons at bay

3) to contribute something to other independents where he has no shop

 

Simon