Loyalty pays: how Advance can help your business grow

The Vaillant Advance loyalty scheme offers a range of great rewards, incentives and training for installers. Advance member Peter Carruthers tells us how it’s helped to boost his business

Since he joined the Vaillant Advance installer loyalty scheme, Peter Carruthers of Ceredigion-based PA Carruthers Ltd has seen his plumbing and heating business boom.

He began installing Vaillant aroTHERM plus heat pumps in rural Mid Wales six years ago, and his business has since grown to employ another two plumbers and an apprentice.

We caught up with Peter to discover the secret of his success and talk about his experience as an Advance member.

Q How long have you been an Advance member?

A For as long as we’ve been installing Vaillant products. So that would be around six years.

The tech is so good now, the heat pumps almost sell themselves. But being part of the Advance loyalty scheme has also been a massive help in growing the business.

Q How did you first hear about Advance?

A My Vaillant Regional Business Manager at the time came out and demoed an aroTHERM plus. We were so impressed, we switched from another manufacturer to installing Vaillant instead.

But equally, we were impressed by what the Advance scheme had to offer. So, we joined right away.

"The Advance loyalty scheme rewards us for every install… We use those points to order tools and work clothes. It saves us a lot of money”

Q Have you taken any Vaillant training courses? How useful have you found them?

A We’ve done a course on how to fit the heat pumps. This was crucial in helping us switch. Most of our new installs are now Vaillant aroTHERM plus heat pumps. So having the training gave us the confidence to work with the product and was a massive boost to our business.

We work in a rural area, where there isn’t a big turnover of customers. I know some urban installers can specialise in one type of job – installations, for instance – then keep doing that job forever, each time for a new customer.

For us, that’s not the case. We need to keep customers happy, keep them coming back and build a long-term relationship.

That means getting the heat pumps right and making sure our customers are happy with their heating system and happy to spread the word. The training from Vaillant has helped a lot with that.

Q Which Advance rewards, offers and incentives have you benefited from the most?

A The fact that the scheme rewards us for every install. With other manufacturers, we had to install large quantities before we saw any rewards.

We’re a small company. If we have to wait until we match the volumes of a big-city firm with lots of plumbers before we can claim rewards, that’s no good to us.

As it is, we get rewarded right away. And we use those points to order plenty of tools and work clothes. It saves us a lot of money.

Q What’s the best thing you’ve ordered from the catalogue?

A The pens. I love the pens. They’re really well made, and they’ve got a torch on the end, so you can use them if you’re in a tight space and it’s too dingy to see whatever detail you’re interested in.

When we claim rewards, we put pens on order – every time. And they’re not expensive. So, no matter what else we’re ordering, we can always get a box of pens.

Q How have Vaillant and Advance helped you to grow your business?

A As I said, reputation means everything to us. So, aftersales support and care is a very high priority. With other manufacturers, it can be difficult to get hold of your rep. Even when you do, it can take three weeks before they send someone out to you.

If I call Kevan Harvey, our local Vaillant Regional Business Manager, he always picks up. Most of the time, we can solve the issue between us on the phone in fairly short order. If we can’t, Kevan gets an engineer out to me in a couple of days.

That’s a massive thing for us. It means our customers aren’t sitting around, cold, waiting for a resolution.

And because 80% of our new installs are heat pumps, it’s also doubly important that we foster confidence in the new technology. The service that Advance and the Vaillant team offer helps us to do just that.

“When I first met Peter, it was obvious that he wanted to do the best for his customers.

“He has a friendly demeanour, he’s enthusiastic about Vaillant air source heat pumps and controls, and he’s very knowledgeable – and this is reflected in the customer recommendations he receives.

“Advance has made it easy for him to register his products and guarantees, so reducing paperwork. It’s always a pleasure to help him if he ever needs it.”

Are you getting the full range of benefits from being a member of Vaillant Advance? Find out more about the great range of incentives and the fantastic support on offer to Advance installers, or log in to your account today