New delta 8 headrail

[blackout]

Hi, hillarys are lauching the new delta 8 headrail starting in Nottinghamshire area from the 17th sept. There will be a phased rollout across the country from october. The main points are as follows:

1. This will replace both the luxury and the deluxe systems. Only curved H/R will be made by the current deluxe system.

2. The new headrail is a wide bodied system simlar to the deluxe.

3. The headrails will have wheeled carriers and a geared control mechnism which will allow for a smoother operation. They are also centered will will allow you to turn the headrail around so the controls can be on either side.

4. All new brackets will be of the same style but allow for the wide body. Except for usb's this means you need the new fittings.

5. The new headrail is only available in white for 89mm and 127mm. Brown only 89mm. Beige is discountinued.

6. All headrails are pre-built in 1cm increments rounded down to the nearest whole cm.

Example, if you order a 74.9 cm exact you will receive a 74.0 cm rail.

If you order a 74.9 cm recess you will recieve a 73.0 cm rail.

7. To "reinforce the made to measure message" all the control lengths will be adjusted to the customers requirements on site.

8. Each headrail will be packaged seperately in cardboard to reduce damage and to be more recycleable.

Hillarys are saying the reason WHY is to "sell the best blind we can at a good price". The headrail will be priced the same as the luxury. They say there are very few companies offering a wide body headrail as standard so customers will percieve this as better value.

The reality in my opinion is the only true inprovement is the wheeled carriers which should allow for a smoother operation and the fact that you can move the control side by simply turning the headrail. The rest is spin.

The reality is they are prebuilding these headrails not in England but in China. So much for british Jobs , all they care about is bottom line profit not quality. All prebuilt in 1 cm increments which make it impossible to give an exact measurement. Think of all the angled bay windows and conservatories we measure and fit. Does the customer really want gaps between each headrail ? Does that really show us to be a company whose ethos is "made to measure" ? They are also reducing choice on colour and expecting us to adjust every control length on site. Remember alot of companies stich the louvre clips and fit the chains on production. Hillarys expect us to carry this cost. The headrails are very light weight. You can press the sides in if you squeeze hard enough.

The reality is this will save hillarys money on production. Increase their profits on each blind. Increase their silly offers. The reality to you and me is another inferior product mass produced in china. Less money per hour and less credability with the custormer.

what do you think?

[Guest]

Sounds good to me

[Russell]

blackout said:

Hi, hillarys are lauching the new delta 8 headrail starting in Nottinghamshire area from the 17th sept. There will be a phased rollout across the country from october. The main points are as follows:

1. This will replace both the luxury and the deluxe systems. Only curved H/R will be made by the current deluxe system.

2. The new headrail is a wide bodied system simlar to the deluxe.

3. The headrails will have wheeled carriers and a geared control mechnism which will allow for a smoother operation. They are also centered will will allow you to turn the headrail around so the controls can be on either side.

4. All new brackets will be of the same style but allow for the wide body. Except for usb's this means you need the new fittings.

5. The new headrail is only available in white for 89mm and 127mm. Brown only 89mm. Beige is discountinued.

6. All headrails are pre-built in 1cm increments rounded down to the nearest whole cm.

Example, if you order a 74.9 cm exact you will receive a 74.0 cm rail.

If you order a 74.9 cm recess you will recieve a 73.0 cm rail.

7. To "reinforce the made to measure message" all the control lengths will be adjusted to the customers requirements on site.

8. Each headrail will be packaged seperately in cardboard to reduce damage and to be more recycleable.

Hillarys are saying the reason WHY is to "sell the best blind we can at a good price". The headrail will be priced the same as the luxury. They say there are very few companies offering a wide body headrail as standard so customers will percieve this as better value.

The reality in my opinion is the only true inprovement is the wheeled carriers which should allow for a smoother operation and the fact that you can move the control side by simply turning the headrail. The rest is spin.

The reality is they are prebuilding these headrails not in England but in China. So much for british Jobs , all they care about is bottom line profit not quality. All prebuilt in 1 cm increments which make it impossible to give an exact measurement. Think of all the angled bay windows and conservatories we measure and fit. Does the customer really want gaps between each headrail ? Does that really show us to be a company whose ethos is "made to measure" ? They are also reducing choice on colour and expecting us to adjust every control length on site. Remember alot of companies stich the louvre clips and fit the chains on production. Hillarys expect us to carry this cost. The headrails are very light weight. You can press the sides in if you squeeze hard enough.

The reality is this will save hillarys money on production. Increase their profits on each blind. Increase their silly offers. The reality to you and me is another inferior product mass produced in china. Less money per hour and less credability with the custormer.

what do you think?

Was informed of this change on a recent SP meeting my view was very similar I dont think its a change for the good .

[brian]

One day they will make a "cost cut" to far, and it will be end. You can not keep building the brand by selling inferior stuff by amature "ma and pa" "advisors" the outcome is inevitable, but these shareholders may of cut and run by then so what do they care. There are rotten apples in the barrel for sure, i may be considered one, but they are all due to hillarys own making, and all the rotten apples used to be the pick of the bunch! all thats left are some over ripe plumbs and some granny smiths, and some pips that may or may not sprout. (I'm sure someone more eloquent could of phrased that better!)
3 of my suppliers all use wide bodied rails, as standard, and all "bespoke" not your "lets see how much we can rip the customer off for now imports". Some of you peeps need to get out in the real world of blinds and take a look at whats available and stop feeding on the Sillarys bull! All my hangers are in, all my weights are in, all my chains are clipped on, get an extra slat every time, even arena customers get a better service. All delivered in 5 days. Getting us to do the extra work for nothing is taking the ssip, ripping off customers with tat masquerading as quality is one thing but why do we let them do it to us.
Spin spin spin, let me quess Sillarys wonderful "new" products will be a perfikt fit system and errrr lets see now lets try panel verticals. all of which have been available for a year at least!
Don't believe the hype you all!

[A N Other Guuest]

brian said:

One day they will make a "cost cut" to far, and it will be end. You can not keep building the brand by selling inferior stuff by amature "ma and pa" "advisors" the outcome is inevitable, but these shareholders may of cut and run by then so what do they care. There are rotten apples in the barrel for sure, i may be considered one, but they are all due to hillarys own making, and all the rotten apples used to be the pick of the bunch! all thats left are some over ripe plumbs and some granny smiths, and some pips that may or may not sprout. (I'm sure someone more eloquent could of phrased that better!)
3 of my suppliers all use wide bodied rails, as standard, and all "bespoke" not your "lets see how much we can rip the customer off for now imports". Some of you peeps need to get out in the real world of blinds and take a look at whats available and stop feeding on the Sillarys bull! All my hangers are in, all my weights are in, all my chains are clipped on, get an extra slat every time, even arena customers get a better service. All delivered in 5 days. Getting us to do the extra work for nothing is taking the ssip, ripping off customers with tat masquerading as quality is one thing but why do we let them do it to us.
Spin spin spin, let me quess Sillarys wonderful "new" products will be a perfikt fit system and errrr lets see now lets try panel verticals. all of which have been available for a year at least!
Don't believe the hype you all!

I have to agree with you Brian! ... This will only fuel the rise of us go-it-alone'ers' whilst Sillarys falls burning to the ground.

I think I may print this page off to show my customers!!!

I may even publish it on my web-site!!!!

What Silliards state is 'bull0cks'!!! ... I can get verticals made in ANY headrail type I want!!!!!
Not ONE of these headrails will bend if you squeeze them!!!
ALL are made-to-measure in the true manor!!

I am looking forward to Silly'arseries launching 'Perfect-Fit' too, as it can only increase awareness of a product I already sell.

I promise to sell it for less than you can & ... make more money in the process!

[loneranger]

A said:

brian said:

One day they will make a "cost cut" to far, and it will be end. You can not keep building the brand by selling inferior stuff by amature "ma and pa" "advisors" the outcome is inevitable, but these shareholders may of cut and run by then so what do they care. There are rotten apples in the barrel for sure, i may be considered one, but they are all due to hillarys own making, and all the rotten apples used to be the pick of the bunch! all thats left are some over ripe plumbs and some granny smiths, and some pips that may or may not sprout. (I'm sure someone more eloquent could of phrased that better!)
3 of my suppliers all use wide bodied rails, as standard, and all "bespoke" not your "lets see how much we can rip the customer off for now imports". Some of you peeps need to get out in the real world of blinds and take a look at whats available and stop feeding on the Sillarys bull! All my hangers are in, all my weights are in, all my chains are clipped on, get an extra slat every time, even arena customers get a better service. All delivered in 5 days. Getting us to do the extra work for nothing is taking the ssip, ripping off customers with tat masquerading as quality is one thing but why do we let them do it to us.
Spin spin spin, let me quess Sillarys wonderful "new" products will be a perfikt fit system and errrr lets see now lets try panel verticals. all of which have been available for a year at least!
Don't believe the hype you all!

I have to agree with you Brian! ... This will only fuel the rise of us go-it-alone'ers' whilst Sillarys falls burning to the ground.

I think I may print this page off to show my customers!!!

I may even publish it on my web-site!!!!

What Silliards state is 'bull0cks'!!! ... I can get verticals made in ANY headrail type I want!!!!!
Not ONE of these headrails will bend if you squeeze them!!!
ALL are made-to-measure in the true manor!!

I am looking forward to Silly'arseries launching 'Perfect-Fit' too, as it can only increase awareness of a product I already sell.

I promise to sell it for less than you can & ... make more money in the process!

I have resisted posting on this site because I am no longer a Hillary's agent (or advisor) although I still enjoy dropping in from time to time to see what's going on.

However, I can't help but agree with the message coming across over the last few posts. I, personally, found it very disconcerting to join an independent blind company who, at the last count owned 12 separate outlets and to find, after spending 15 years in the Hillary's Way, that I had barely scratched the surface of the range of product available in the industry. I am now back on a learning curve.

Mention products like panel blinds or perfect fits to a Hillary's agent and they will look at you in wonder. I spoke to one guy about ISO blinds and he could not grasp that screwing the venetian onto the PVC of the window did not make it an ISO blind.

I also find it incredible to think that I carried only one book for rollers and one for verticals. I now have a available to me about five or six roller books and four or five vertical books. Eclipse, Seasons, Luxaflex, Amo, Senses, JR King, Louvolite, Newhouse and of course Arena (which is Hillary's trade side). The Newhouse range of braids and pulls is phenomenal and the range of standard tassels matches all the braid colours. How did we survive with only white, cream or beige ?

I have complete access to the guys in the factory in case there is any special requirement for a particular blind. While I would not shout this ability from the rooftops, I had a previous Hillary's customer (and friend) phone me last week. They had converted their garage to a bedroom and were anxious to use it as soon as possible. I measured on Thursday at 4 o'clock and fitted the vertical next day at 11 o'clock.

The ethos now is "Yes we can" ..... just like Bob the Builder. What a difference from the Hillary's way of "No, the customer will have to accept our way of doing it." Because, no, they don't have to.

I don't mean to "slag off" remaining Hillary's guys, God knows I did it for years. But really, there is so much more out there. Hillary's are feeding you the idea that they are cutting edge and bang up to the minute and that there is nothing beyond their way. It's just not true. In effect they are selling mass produced made to measure blinds if such a thing is possible. This latest vertical headrail is taking away the made to measure element. How long before they make up stock rollers and Venetians and cut them to size as required.

Tony Hillary must be glad he's out of it.

[aappeal]

As an ex Hillarys employee I have to agree with the above comment. The D8 headrail is the laughing stock of the blind industry!