Heroes of the network: winning a raffle was pure luck: the rest is hard graft

It isn’t your average installer that could claim more than £200,000 of business as a direct result of winning a raffle.

But then Ousebank really isn’t your average installer.

For one thing, the nine year old family business was the first Network VEKA member – and one of the first companies in the whole industry – to gain the Government-backed Quality Mark. It is also Trading Standards Approved, and holds the Investors in People accreditation – a rarity in itself for such a modestly-sized company.

The quality-without-compromise message not only makes Ron and Colette Cox’s company very popular in the affluent suburbs around the Bedford area; it also makes it one of Network VEKA’s showpiece members.

It is ironic then that their raffle win, at the Network’s 2002 AGM, had nothing whatsoever to do with their flawless performance. It was quite literally a raffle, though it did turn out to be a momentous event.

‘It was just a prize draw for all members who’d booked early and our name came out of the hat,’ Colette explained.

‘We used the prize of £1,000-worth of marketing materials to buy exhibition display panels. From just the four exhibitions so far, we estimate we have gained £200,000 of business and we still have the panels as good as new for many more to come.’

That upturn was only one factor behind Ron and Colette’s recent increased turnover – now around £600,000 a year – and their subsequent decision to move into their first showroom, in nearby Kempston, because, remarkably for a company of their size, they have up to now run the whole operation from a shed in the garden.

‘We have done very well so far by reputation and advertising,’ said Ron, ‘But we couldn’t have gone on like that forever. Word of mouth counts for a great deal among the people round here but the showroom will make a great deal of difference.’

Another factor helping to bring in the business is a lively and colourful newsletter sent out to a list made up mainly of past customers. The first issue went out in January and included a giveaway of 100 free tickets, usually costing £8, to their subsequent exhibition, at Woburn Abbey.

‘The newsletter has been very well received and the tickets proved very popular,’ said Colette, ‘We aim to publish two a year from now on Ron added: ‘The Woburn event was our second there and it went very well but we have learned to our cost that not all exhibitions work. You have to target them very carefully and, where possible, make the stand interactive with lots of things going on like product demos. We have also added a composite door from Goliath that attracted a lot of attention.’

That 100% Club badge had meant a lot to us and we don't intend to lose it again

Ousebank has also recently set up its own building team:

‘Last year we lost our Network VEKA 100% Club status from the Customer Satisfaction Returns – and all because of one complaint against a contractor.

‘That 100% Club badge had meant a lot to us and we don’t intend to lose it again.

‘Our fitters are trained to communicate with customers. They tell them when they are on the way; they tell them if they are delayed. There are also more tangible reasons for the setting up the team, he continued: ‘While we were contracting out conservatory bases, we would sometimes be asked if we do conventional extensions. I have turned down so many in the last five years, I don’t know why we didn’t do this sooner.’

It might come as no surprise that these heroes of Network VEKA are also among the organisation’s biggest fans but their quest for quality has taken them even further than becoming the first members in the country to be awarded the Government’s Quality Mark (QM) accreditation. They have also earned Trading Standards Approved status in a pilot scheme involving Bedfordshire and a number of other local authorities.

‘That is one of the reasons why Network VEKA is so good for us, especially its Insurance-Backed Guarantee package; that carries a lot of weight. Whenever we speak to people, we are Ousebank first of course but Network VEKA is always close behind.’

Membership alone may be enough to some but Ron’s advice is that a little commitment goes a long way:

‘Network VEKA is one of those things you have to work at. If you put some effort into it, you will get a lot more out.’

The new Kempston premises, with showroom, storage and three small offices, should have ample space to cope with Ron and Colette’s enviable rate of expansion for quite a few years to come – that is of course unless they win another raffle.