Franchisor of the Year
SNAP-ON TOOLS WON THE TITLE OF FRANCHISOR OF THE YEAR 2007 AT THE PRESTIGIOUS BRITISH FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION AWARDS
Snap-on Tools beat eight other top-flight
finalists to win the gold title at the British
Franchise Association’s gala luncheon at
the Savoy Hotel on May 24. The awards,
sponsored by the Daily Express and HSBC
Bank, honour the franchise sector's annual £10
billion contribution to the UK economy.
The theme for this year’s awards was 'Customer
Focus', with contenders having to demonstrate how
franchising has made them more effective in the
market place, enabling them to track consumer
needs and respond more effectively with systems,
products and services that meet customer demand.
TRIBUTE
In accepting the Franchisor of the Year Award, Snapon
Tools managing director Terry Barcham said: "This
award is a tribute to our franchisee network and the
dedicated efforts of all our sales management and
back-office employees who have helped to make
Snap-on Tools such a success. I’m glad that at least a
small number of the team could be here to be
recognised for their contribution."
The Kettering-based company has rapidly
expanded its products and services to keep pace
with demand from the vehicle maintenance and
repair sector for premier-quality tools and
sophisticated diagnostic equipment.
Terry Barcham explains: "We know we have topquality
products and are clear leaders in our market
and that’s because we focus on our service and we
listen to what our customers are telling us."
That's why a year ago Snap-on Tools invested
heavily in a new training programme – TechEd –
training customers as well as franchisees in the use of
complex automotive diagnostic equipment and
helping them establish a clear lead in the market that
has changed dramatically since Snap-on launched in
1965, manufacturing and distributing tools and
equipment for after-sales maintenance and repairs.
Snap-on hired six diagnostic product specialists
to train firstly the 415 franchisees across the country
and then run seminars specifically for customers.
Says Terry Barcham: "We’ve been amazed by the
success of these courses, with more than 3,000
customers across the UK improving their knowledge
in diagnostics. They are thirsty for more information
and we will be extending the curriculum this year."
RESPONSIVENESS
Snap-on’s responsiveness to market needs has also seen the launch of a new product range.
Aldo Rodi, UK Franchise and Marketing Manager,
explains: "Some categories of customers have been
telling our franchisees that the price point of some
of our hand tool line was too high for them.
"We knew we were missing an opportunity
here and so we introduced the Bluepoint Mid-
Tier Range that sits with our existing heritage
range. Since we launched in September last year,
we have sold more than £1.5 million and seen a
15 per cent increase in our customer base.
"This has really boosted our franchisees’
confidence. They know that they can build
strong and long-term relationships with many
more customers and they can trust Snap-on to
constantly evolve and keep ahead of demand."
The Snap-on management team further
boosts that confidence with 160,000 direct
marketing flyers a month, which help franchisees
promote new products when they visit
customers each week. The flyers also promote
monthly deals, services and industry news.
This strengthens the bond between
dealers, customers and the Snap-on
management team as they continue to
grow their market share
For more information
For more information call 01536 413800.
