Key Objective: To provide an extended guarantee to customers selecting Brett products and using an approved installer to fulfil the contract. Create an online portal which highlight the added value in becoming an approved installer, and incentivised the landscape contractors to only use Brett products, and built a database of validated contractors for home owners to choose based upon expertise and location.
“Working with Quiet Storm to develop the contractor portal for the BAI scheme was a resounding success. I was able to work directly with the developer so that communication wasn’t diluted. This meant I got exactly what I needed, and where there were options, I could make a fully informed decision. The development project ran smoothly; on time; and on budget.
“The engagement with Quiet Storm went beyond just programming. The software developer supporting me in the demonstration of the software at our annual conference. We were able to demonstrate the benefits of using the tools in the portal to create a better marketing profile for the registered members. He was then able to take the direct feedback onboard, and this helped us improve some features, but more importantly got buy in from the installers.
“One of the systems main attributes was getting product guarantees to the installers customers via a customer notification and log in system. This gave us great customer feedback, which together with uploaded finished project photos, helped the installers get more business.
“The project was also phased over a long period, with an initial 3 year vision, it was built in three structured phases. Quiet Storm have continued to develop the portal to provide added functionality. The feedback from contractors is the system is really easy to use, which was a critical factor in its success.”
Calvin Jackson, Product Development and Approved Installer Scheme Manager
Brett is a century old supplier of construction and building materials. As a family run business, they are committed to providing the best services to their customers; safe in the knowledge that Brett block paving and Brett building materials are of the finest quality, the devised the Brett Approved Installers (BAI) scheme. Brett approved installers have been accredited by Brett, and have been verified to meet Brett’s high standards and are regulating assessed. Brett offer a 5 year installation guarantee accompanied by a 10 year product guarantee, helping customers to know that they are choosing the best landscaper in their area.
Issues: There were three key issues the project needed to address: first – to get more Brett product specified on domestic projects; second – how to get product laid to a consistent quality standard; and finally – how could the business obtain a wide variety of photos of finished projects using their products.
The first issue was driven by the fact that although homeowners knew what they wanted as a finished look of their project, they were rarely the key decision maker in the final product selection. Even if the customer had chosen Brett products, the final selection could be swayed by the landscape contractor. This could be because they wanted to use a product they were more familiar with, but more likely it was influenced by the one the builders merchant could do the best deal on.
The second issue was the fact that the hard landscape contractor community is typically made up of independent businesses who traded on word of mouth. Often self taught, or taught on the job, they didn’t necessarily know the technical requirements of more challenging projects. This was a problem to the homeowner, as they potentially only discovered the product had been laid incorrectly sometime after the project had been completed and the contractor paid. In other words, it was difficult for a homeowner to spot the difference between a cowboy contractor and a professional tradesman.
Brett wanted to build brand loyalty and prevent the cowboys laying product incorrectly. This meant giving assurances on the quality of their product when installed correctly. Validating the quality and professionalism of an installer and providing a guarantee on the quality of their work. This would be in return for the installer exclusively using Brett product and laying it to the Brett specification.
Finally, the hard landscaping products are an aesthetic addition to a house, this means people want to see lots of different applications. Getting photographic reference of multiple examples of product in different settings, especially when it’s newly laid and looking its best is a priceless marketing tool, for both the installer and Brett.
The greatest challenge was installers are naturally not sat in front of a computer. Their standard method of communication is typically a mobile phone. If Brett wanted to manage this community efficiently through a contractor portal and facilitate an ‘online self-serve’ environment – it needed to be easy to use and loaded with benefits to encourage them to use it.
To achieve this, Brett needed to provide irresistible incentives for the installers to stay loyal. Plus a way of validating the professional capability of installers on the scheme, in addition to managing the quality of ongoing projects. Functionally the portal needed to provide a tool where the contractors could be reviewed, projects listed, rewards, and awards managed. It also needed a public facing output, so homeowners could select a landscaper based upon locality, any specialist expertise, and view a gallery of past projects.
Above all it needed to be ‘cash machine simple’ to engage with a wide range of technical abilities.
Resolution: The project was scoped to initially document all the key stakeholders and document the ‘what’s in it for them’ – to ensure it delivered the maximum value to all parties. Once functionality was agreed, the technical delivery was defined and designed to be delivered across three phases. This was to deliver the tools in an order which enabled the scheme to be deployed as soon as possible, intelligence and feedback gathered throughout the process could then be used to check against assumptions made or identify possible improvements.
Contractor Tools
• Approved Installer registration process
• Recognition of professional ability through directory listing
• Profile page – highlighting geographic location, contact details and any specialisms (i.e. drives, water features, etc).
• Ability to upload completed projects to their personal gallery
• Self-serve guarantee registration process
• Submit awards entries
• Request samples and brochures
• Check their rewards (earned on products purchased through the guarantee registration process)
Homeowner Tools
• Homeowner login to portal to validate the work has been completed
• A questionnaire about the project which delivers objective performance stats on the installer
• Guarantee Validation – auto generated PDF to initiate the 5 year installation and 10 year product guarantee
• Feedback
Brett Management Tools
• Preview profiles to shortlist recommended installers
• Check feedback on completed projects
• Bespoke API to product website ‘homeowners’ search of installers
• Manage guarantees on installations
The Brett Approved Installers portal was launched at their annual awards, with a workshop to explain the benefits of using the portal. Contractors were taken through the functionality and could ask questions about the portal could help them increase enquiries, manage guarantees (5-Year Installation/10-Year Product Guarantee), get samples, submit projects for awards, etc.