Anyone Dealing With Topps Tiles??

[swindonbathroom]

Hi

Just had a bizarre experience at Topps Tiles Swindon. Just to state that I am not a Topps Tiles Tiler ( now that's a mouthful ).

I often send clients into Topps Tiles and this was the case with Mavis - incidentially in her 70's. I usually give clients the required amount of tiles they need and point them in Topps direction. Our client then deals direct with Topps Tiles and I have no financial gain from this.

Anyway Mavis buys her tiles for her bathroom , floor & walls , but mistakenly buys adhesives /grout etc. Her daughter sees the mistake and it seems fairly simple for Mavis just to get a refund. At this point the stock hasn't left Topps Tiles.

Apparently there is some issues in store that I don't just use their materials and give the money to Mavis. Easy you might think. I objected to paying the £600 charged poor Mavis for these goods. Yes £600 !! Not taking them up on their kind offer I actually went and bought all the miscellaneous adhesives etc for under £300 !!

Now I'm a person non grata as i've "done" Topps Tiles out of a £600 sale !! I thought I'd introduced a client and they'd made a tile sale. Not in Topps Tiles eyes. I'm an out and out villian lol !

I know the last company outlook was poor but acting like this is making Bankers look downright reasonable !

Anyone else had trouble with Topps Tiles ??

 

[mikethetile]

I think head office put too much pressure on the branches to make sales and to sell addy etc not just tiles

I should imagine their sales are scrutinised and they are spoken to about failing to push the ancillaries and letting sales go to the competition

we all know the easy way out of this is to stop stocking bal and stock mapei instead

then maybe fixers will buy their addy from them as well

im not defending them I just know how cut throat these organisations are when it comes to getting sales and they pitch the branches against each other, a branch that fails to keep up will lose their current manager and possibly staff

 

[swindonbathroom]

Its a very valid and good point Mike. I did talk to the Area Manager at Topps and over 30% of trade is the add ons.
All companies have targets to meet and Topps forecast on business isn't great so the add ons are quite crucial to them at present.
On a bigger picture a tile sale with no add ons is better than no sale at all.

 

[mikethetile]

I agree mate

and looking after your regular customers is the key for long term success

 

[Pebbs]

I did go into Topps Tiles for a price on some white 150x150 tiles, that had appeared on a contract spec. I gave them the amount I needed, and asked for the price. I nearly passed out when they told me the m2 price. They offered me a 5% discount when I gave them my card....and then tried to flog me their adhesive :yikes: I beat a hasty retreat, rang the architect, got him to change the specification, and Im thankful I havent had to go back to the Charlton branch again. It was scary for me to see dusky pink tiles with pictures of victorian ladies on them. Theres only so much this girly can take!

Pebbs

 

[Andy Allen]

think of me then pebs, i got a bathroom to do next week with those dusky pink tiles thankfully no victorain ladys pouring jugs of water (dose anyone realy buy that stuff anymore) :ban:

 

[Pebbs]

Andy those are the exact ones I saw! it was like a 70's throw back, all I needed was a pink shell basin to go with them!

Pebbs

 

[Dan]

haha. I used to sell those décors and whatnot. Had many problems matching shades and even tile tolerances with field tiles on the specially-fired-to-order stuff.

 

[sstilingservice]

Hi Swindon

I get my local topps to price match the local tile discount shop. Not sure if they offer this everywhere but worth asking. I buy 80% of my materials from them and they chuck the odd job in my direction if my diary slows up. Good relationship goes a long long way (Spec when money is involved):smilewinkgrin:

 

[Richard Edwards]

I've said it before on TF

My van just speeds up when ever I drive past the local branches of Topps

 

[lcjohno]

I use my local topps quite alot. If you have never used one before they will charge alot until you have used them something like 3-4times then you get the full discount. The trade trims are really cheap and there own addy rapid set is good for the price imo. I do use Tile Giant more but i find the guys at my local topps good to deal with, and they give my card out without being an approved fitter.

Just thought i would stick up for em a bit!