Crown Trade scheme

Citation

(1999), "Crown Trade scheme", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928fab.009

Crown Trade scheme

Crown Trade scheme

Keywords: Crown Trade, Business

Crown Trade informs us that it is launching a new business referral scheme that will bring more business to Britain’s reputable painters and decorators.

Introduced by manufacturer Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings, the Crown Trade Decorator Link is a professionally operated service that will match home owners seeking quality decorative work with reliable professional decorators.

To join, decorators can either be recommended by a trade paint or builder’s merchant or they can apply direct to Akzo Nobel. Following the initial application, decorators must provide four customer references and proof of public liability insurance. To ensure that only committed decorators are attracted to the scheme, also to cover the costs of administering and promoting the scheme on the participant’s behalf, decorators need to provide a joining fee of £100 plus VAT. CrownTrade is running a special introductory offer, those who wish to join the scheme before 1 October will get 15 months membership for the price of 12.

In return, Akzo Nobel is offering participating painters and decorators a helping hand to improve their businesses by providing them with discount vouchers, subsidised business literature, marketing materials including posters and advertisements, national advertising to potential customers and subsidised training courses.

The 1-3 man sector of the trade paint market carries out 85 per cent of domestic refurbishment work and is dependent on recommendations and referrals from end customers. The scheme will ensure that the professional businesses in this sector continue to prosper through the provision of high quality referrals. In turn, domestic customers are given the reassurance that they are dealing with professional decorators and quality products.

The service will be advertised in the consumer media across the UK with a low-cost 0845 telephone enquiry number for homeowners wanting to find a good decorator in their area. The Link service will provide homeowners with the names of up to three Link-registered decorators and will notify the decorators of the business enquiry. It is anticipated that the Decorator Link will have 1,000 members by the end of the year.

For further information, or to obtain an application pack for the Crown Decorator Trade Link scheme, contact the Decorator Link hotline on +44 (0)845 6018282.