At Reddiseals, our Trade Counter is an essential part of what we offer our customers, so it’s important to us that we can give you the right support when you drop in. We’ve ensured that we have the perfect staff in place to help you, and our man on the Trade Counter is Brett – we’ve been talking to him to find out how he keeps the heart of Reddiseals beating!
Tell us a bit about yourself, Brett.
Well, I’ve been with the group for 21 years now; originally on extrusions, manufacturing seals and carriers followed by a time in the warehouse where I learnt extensively about the range Reddiseals offer. I have also worked within the purchasing function of the business and in a technical role before working on the Trade Counter and I’ve been there ever since. So I’ve done a bit of everything which means I know the products and applications inside out!
Could you talk through a typical day on the trade counter?
We have Trade customers coming in regularly looking for advice, mostly wanting to physically see the products and make sure they’re choosing the right ones, especially in size and finish, but most of the time people are looking for guidance.
We get people from a wide variety of trades; joiners, builders and plumbers to name but a few. Some of our regular customers come in just to pick up their orders from us directly on the way to their jobs to save on delivery costs. We also meet a lot of DIY and first time renovators who are keen to understand the best products to use for the job in hand.
What part of the job do you enjoy doing day to day?
I think communicating with the customers is my favourite aspect of the job. Helping them and guiding them, especially when they come back and tell me that my advice helped and the job went really well.
It’s satisfying to know you’ve helped someone complete something they were struggling with.
Why do you think the Trade Counter is so important for Reddiseals?
It’s the contact; customers coming in and having a general chat to make sure they’re ordering the right products, they can see them and they’re on display.
Most customers just come in to have a look at what we’ve got and there are so many people that say, “I didn’t realise you did all this”! And these are regular customers who have been with us for years! They notice things on display they wouldn’t normally buy from us. We offer the whole package really and I think the Trade Counter helps to show that.
What products from the new catalogue are you excited to see?
I’m particularly excited about the forged Kensington sash range, I think it’s going to be good for us. I’m also pleased about the Budget sash range we’re introducing because now, between that and the Kensington, we have the complete collection. We listen to our customers when they tell us what products they’d like to see us stock, and some diversity in the sash furniture range was feedback we had and acted on.
You’re the face of the Reddiseals help videos – what are they about?
They’re something we started putting together a couple of years ago to help people who were new to the trade or were trying to tackle a project they’d never done before. They’re good and I think it’s something that works really well. I’m always amazed by the amount of people who come into the Trade Counter or come up to me at shows and say they recognise me from the videos! We pride ourselves on how we offer support and help to our customers and the videos are a big part of that.
What’s your ‘top tip’?
Parting Bead! Always make sure you cut it and turn it around at the meeting rail!
The number of people that come in or phone up about that is incredible. If it’s not fitted correctly, it won’t fully draught-proof your window. We do have a YouTube video to show how to do that too as it’s a query we get asked a lot.
Thanks Brett! He’s just one of the people who help make Reddiseals what it is and many of you will already know him either from watching our helpful videos or when you’ve popped by. It’s free collection so it pays to come in and see us!
