Clients receive VIP treatment

This column has appeared in The Redland Times, Cleveland, Redland Shire, Queensland, Australia. Image: The rebranded VIP trailers.

A BLOKE from Redcliffe landed the star role in the recent image revamp of national property maintenance gang VIP Home Services.
However, Redlanders should not feel left out of the company’s push, even though a face from the other side of the bay flashes the VIP message from its trailers and promotional material.
Six of more than 100 VIP Queensland franchisees service the southern bayside region including the Redlands.
If you haven’t seen them toiling away around houses, unit blocks and businesses in your area, you probably have noticed their distinctive bright green "rebranded" trailers in the burgeoning traffic of the shire that apparently is about to become a "city".

AT least two VIP vehicles don’t have far to travel far for their Redland jobs. Two franchises are based at Victoria Point; the operators are Geoff Carter and Kevin and Merryn Holden.
They are part of a regional team that also includes Graeme and Sharon O’Donnel, Marcello Gordano and Rodney West.
When launching the new corporate image in June, VIP chairman Bill Vis said the group was "so much more than a collection of little businesses".
"It is a company founded on the simple principle of real people delivering real solutions aimed at enhancing the quality of life of our customers," he said.
"In rethinking our visual identity, we realised the most important thing to us is our commitment to developing and maintaining strong relationships with the people who use VIP -- we wanted to put a human face on the business," he said.

ADVERTISERS should note this tip from a business that started with a small suburban lawnmowing round in 1972 and developed into one of the most successful franchises in Australia and New Zealand, claiming a turnover of more than $70 million a year.
Bill says turnover is rising an average of 10 percent a year.
Last year, this column reported on the successful advertising strategy of Mount Cotton painter Tim Thompson who used a highly personal approach to his Trade Services notice, making five promises -- to beat any written quote; be on time, every time; treat furniture and fixtures with the utmost care and respect; leave your home spotless; and guarantee the highest quality work.
Honesty in saying something from the heart as well as the head seems to work for businesses at all levels and most times it comes with recognition a customer is a very important person (VIP).

THANKS for joining me to meet the great people in the marvellous community of classified advertising.