Brian Farrington Ltd Survey February 2011: The Findings

We don’t always get the time to ask you what you think of the service you have had from us at Brian Farrington Ltd. We put together a short survey that took only 45 seconds to complete: www.surveymonkey.com/s/RPFB25X
We asked seven questions and received the following responses. Please note we are being completely open with the results – both positive and less positive. We have attempted to draw conclusions from the responses (noting the adage ‘lies, damned lies and statistics’):

Click on those words and phrases you would use to describe Brian Farrington Ltd.

Most popular response: experienced, friendly and insightful. Least popular responses (although still hurtful!) we were charmed to observe were: aggressive, old-fashioned and boring.

Conclusions? We are quietly pleased with the broad theme of the response and indeed the three popular responses are facets of our service we aspire to permeating our approach. The least popular characteristics may well, on a rare occasions, be shared with our client’s suppliers and contractors.

We don’t want to stifle your creative thoughts. Please tell us in your own words how you have found working with us. We hope that your words will be useful for other people to know what it’s like doing business with Brian Farrington Ltd

Responses included:

• I don’t know what you do or why you email me.
• I’ve never worked with you; I just receive unsolicited e-mails regularly from you.
• Stop sending me unsolicited e-mails
• Your newsletters (when received) are usually quite interesting
• Somewhat frustrating
• Most people in my organisation have never heard of you and are at a loss as to why they receive emails from you. Even more annoying, there is no unsubscribe option on them which they find very irritating
• We don’t currently work with you but receive your missives. Interesting to keep you in the back of our minds.
• don’t mind receiving a copy of your Enewsletter but please cleanse your database I [respondent gave their email] get at least 3 copies each month. I do not want to have to set your server to spam and cleaning up your database would remove this need. Thanks.
• Having met Steve at one of the Tender Events in the North West, I thought he could potentially help us with our Tender for [respondent named the contract]. Both Steve and Brian have provided us with an excellent service throughout the process. They are very experienced and really helped us to see a way through the difficult parts of our PQQ and ITTs. We felt like we had people we could always ‘go to’ for guidance and reassurance. The end result was that we were Awarded with the Contract, so thanks guys for all your help!
• Youre bringing the larger picture into focus.
• Professional and experienced in the area of purchasing & supply. Easy to do business with. Friendly and engaging.
• In all assignments Brian Farrington Ltd are without doubt market leaders. Be that training, consultancy or delivery they are quite simply world class.
• I receive the newsletter, some of the articles are helpful
• Good ideas with a moving on mentality
• Experienced and knowledgeable
• Reliable Independent Honest Open
• We couldn’t have achieved a successful outcome to our procurement exercise without you.
• All good, good advice, ideas well received
• Stephen and Brian have offered advice and support of a very high quality. Not only do they have considerable knowledge and insight into all matters of procurement but they have a clear and practical approach to finding solutions and providing advice. All this, and done with very good humour. I would be very happy to recommend them. I would strongly recommend them
• Very experienced and knowledgeable consultants. Pays to have your consultants working in a sales capacity as so much is won and lost in the initial discussions.
• I greatly appreciate all of the assistance that the team have put into our engagements. Their expertise is invaluable and nothing has ever been too much trouble. Thank you to all and I look forward to working with you again soon.
• Helpful/ interesting
• Very professional
• Good honest commonsense advice
• Thought provoking. Well informed. Well presented. Adapted to audience and reactive to audience needs.
• Supportive, providing appropriate challenge.
• Thought provoking yet predictable.
• I don’t know Brian Farrington Ltd.
• Determined and thoughtful in bringing private sector negotiating to the public sector world
• Always bring a useful and practical insight to an unimaginative and usually inept process.
• Easy to work with, vastly experienced and exceeded all expectations. Made what can be a very dry subject area very enjoyable and interesting.
• I attended a morning seminar on ‘How to Tender Successfully’ which was extremely well presented and equally informative. I have referred to my notes on more than one occasion and would encourage any colleagues who get the opportunity to attend to ensure they do so!
• Excellent Truly professional and helpful and supportive
• My only contact is through the newsletter which is always a good read and very informative.
• My only experience was attending a training course which was extremely well delivered by Stephen.
• Reliable source of procurement expertise
• Very helpful
• Adding value in a very fun and entertaining way…
• very open and clear
• I have not worked with you but you seem to be fulfilling a requirement my only concern is that your catchment for students is only geared to rich people who can afford courses.
• Direct, relevant, useful feedback!
• Refreshing is the best word- I love your enthusiasm and friendly approach.
• Invaluable
• Very approachable and friendly
• Expertise in pricing models. Well explained.

Conclusion? Please unsubscribe by stating ‘no thanks’ in the subject bar of an email reply to this newsletter!

What services do you think Brian Farrington Ltd provides?

The most popular was Procurement ‘problem solving’ consultancy, training programmes and review of purchasing operations closely followed by contract negotiations. There was less awareness of our services in training needs analysis, design of commercial guidance and outsourcing advice. Tender and bid support and dispute resolution were somewhere in the middle.

Conclusion? We really do need to evidence our experience in all these areas – perhaps case studies and testimonials from clients. Not really our style but please be prepared to hear from us soon. Better yet volunteers please contact us!

We would contact Brian Farrington Ltd as our first choice when we are planning any projects needing procurement consultancy and training support…

The most popular response was ‘sometimes’, which we are happy with and actually is the most thoughtful answer. However we were rather saddened that one in five said ‘never’, noting that, in the modern way of prizes for all, this does mean 4 in five say ‘always’, ‘usually’ or ‘sometimes’.

Conclusion? Many years ago we worked for a central government department. The Oxbridge educated head of the department told us he admired our ‘redblooded approach’. Im not certain it was wholly a complement! We recognise we are a company of personalities not a faceless consultancy machine. Apparently friendly but not for everyone.

Would you recommend Brian Farrington Ltd to others?

There is a little more cheer here than the response for question for; less than 1 in 10 said ‘no’. Hence 9 out of ten said ‘yes’ with over half of the affirmatives saying ‘definitely’.

Conclusion? Thank you! Followed by what did we do to the one in tens? Please, please tell us that feedback and opportunity for learning would be so valuable.

If you could have any FREE service from Brian Farrington Ltd what would it be?

On reflections this question was a stinker! Our idea was that the ‘customer’ would identify something new and exciting that we could offer. Responses, although welcome reflected Henry Ford’s view of innovation. If he had asked his customers what they wanted prior to introducing the Model T they would have said ‘a swifter horse’. Part of our value to clients is ideas generation; that will continue to be part of unique proposition. Response included the following, including a few rye comments…

• To be removed from your mailing list.
• Occasional advice on contract terms and conditions and/or interpretation of government legislation.
• We see you as VFM people, so I suppose its how our business can add vfm
• Training updates
• The economic situation at present makes it difficult to assess what type of service we would require.
• Not sure
• Review our tender response wording
• Legal
• Ad hoc phone advice
• Don’t know organisation well enough
• Ad hoc advice on procurement issues.
• Tendering Advice
• Exec Negotiation Training
• Training Seminar on procurement subjects
• Tender advice
• Challenges / contract advice
• A job
• Tender support
• Assistance with a tender submission
• Nothing is free in this life……
• Tender writing
• Any of the previously ticked services that you provide as and when required for the function.
• They already have provided a very helpful review of a completed tender. It is an excellent way to promote good will.
• Ad hoc legal advice?
• Not sure
• Telephone helpline
• Lunch!
• Procurement law – key topics (recent challenges and how to avoid)

Conclusion? Lunch was my favourite – please call me! And to unsubscribe please write ‘no thanks’ in the subject bar and reply to this email.

Finally question 7 was seeking permission to use your names for testimonials, which we will not be pursuing, as we have said not our style. The majority of respondents did however kindly agree.

Overall Conclusion?

Food for thought; always wounding to find out not everybody loves you. As consultants Brian Farrington Ltd appear to have pool of contacts who value our services although some of our team members have a lower profile than the standard of their work warrants. We appear to need to ‘get the message across’ that we have a portfolio of services and solutions. Thank you for your input.