FG EUROFRED is looking to increase direct sales of Fujitsu air conditioning

FG EUROFRED is looking to increase direct sales of Fujitsu air conditioning equipment in the UK, according to new sales director Tony Gittings.

The former LG general manager is driving sales for new firm FG Eurofred, formed following the merger of Fujitsu General UK and Eurofred UK to bring together Fujitsu General UK's distribution network with Eurofred UK's direct selling operation.

Explaining the new company's philosophy, Tony Gittings said "No major air conditioning brand can operate successfully in the UK without a direct sales operation. All the major manufacturers have gone, or will soon be going, in that direction. Leading consultants and larger end users with branches all over the country want to deal directly with a manufacturer.

"However, unlike other manufacturers, we are firm believers in the continued role of a strong distributor network, so we have decided to take the bold decision to develop both routes to market equally. There is room for both."

Addressing concerns voiced by FG Eurofred's distributors, he said "We don't want to compete for existing business. We will be targeting companies who don't currently purchase Fujitsu. But we must adapt to address changes in the marketplace."

The UK is the third largest ac market in Europe. In a market now dominated by direct sales of VRF, FG Eurofred have much to do since only 10% of Fujitsu sales are currently direct.

VRF accounts for nearly one third of total UK ac sales, 80% of which is through direct sales.

Tony Gittings said "Currently sales through our distributors are almost exclusively splits. So, by increasing our direct VRF sales through consultants and larger end users, we will hit our sales targets without damaging our distributors."

To support its distributor network, FGE is to make available to its distributors a figure equal to 1% of that distributor's Fujitsu sales for marketing purposes.

Reliable air conditioning is the key the to loyal end users

According to Tony Nielsen Product & Marketing Manager at FG Eurofred, it doesn't matter how efficient an air conditioning system is, "if it isn't reliable, all other considerations go out of the window".

"An end user or installer will have many criteria on the agenda when choosing an air con system which will certainly include capital cost; efficiency; aesthetic design; noise levels; physical size, etc. But, if we get right back to basics, the two most important aspects for customer satisfaction are reliability and service," says Nielsen, who argues that these two aspects are the cornerstones on which great supplier/customer relationships are built.

"Reliability is one of the most important selection criteria for specifiers and installers. The last thing they want is to be forever revisiting a job to put right inadequacies in the equipment. They want to be able to install the equipment, commission it - and move on to the next job. They want to fit and forget.

"End-users will have made significant investment in the whole installation and they want to be assured that their new air con system is going to be trouble free for many years to come because it is engineered to be reliable.

"Nowadays the end user is far more knowledgeable and, thanks to the internet, is doing a lot more research before committing to buying anything and that includes heating and ventilation products.

"Installers judge on problems. Just imagine you have a car that keeps breaking down. When you come to replace it you are not going to go with that make again. You will shop around, listen to owners with good experiences of other brands and try something else. It is exactly the same with air conditioning so it is of the utmost importance that as manufacturers we supply products and systems which are 100 per cent reliable and fit for purpose," says Nielsen.

Manufacturers now have to offer more choice than ever before to satisfy consumers' demands: as a result of this trend end users can now choose between floor standing, wall, ceiling or window mounted, ceiling cassette or discreet ducted air conditioning systems as opposed to the old days (not so long ago) when they just took what they were given. Nowadays, engineering is at its highest level of reliability with on-board computer technology enhancing performance output.

"Air conditioning is not a luxury in business these days, it has become a necessity: a unit breaking down can have a catastrophic effect on a business or organisation. More and more offices are suffering from high heat loads generated by IT and telecommunications equipment. Reliable air conditioners can improve working conditions by providing a flow of cool air throughout the space improving working conditions of the staff and safeguarding valuable equipment from overheating. It is yet another example of where reliability is absolutely essential," adds Nielsen.

Specifiers and buyers will be looking for environmentally friendly refrigerant and state-of- the-art inverter technology for superb energy efficient performance. Manufacturers are being kept on their toes, with constant research & development programmes to devise ways to manufacture smaller, quieter, more powerful units with inherent reliability.

"These are very tough trading times for everybody. At the end of the day, the last thing anyone needs is unreliable product: it has to returns very good value for money and be extremely reliable," says Nielsen.

"Reliability goes hand in hand with after-sales support and service. It is important that any national service department is comprised of engineers with in depth experience and extensive knowledge of their product," says Nielsen. "They are there to provide support to installer partners with either advice over the phone or hands-on assistance. The combination of product knowledge and expertise means whatever the circumstances, it will be a fast fix.

"Only by listening and responding to customers' wishes and providing that vital component - reliability - can a manufacturer succeed in the present climate and beyond," says Nielsen.