Remember the DGCOS? They’ve been quiet for the last few months haven’t they!?
I had a quick scoot round their website the other day and found that very little has been updated. In fact the news section on their site hasn’t been updated for 6 months! The last new news posting was at the beginning of September! Have they nothing to report on?
They certainly did ruffle some feathers when they aggressively joined the GlassTalk forum a couple of years ago, sparking quite fierce criticism of the company and their methods. One point that was constantly picked at was their screening process. Their claim of not allowing companies who had phoenixed into the scheme had major flaws and was quickly blown wide open, prompting mass debate on the forum.
On a personal level, they were far too aggressive for my liking. Way too brash on GlassTalk, and by all accounts way too brash and in-your-face in real life. If you’re coming into this industry with a new idea you need to be humble, ready to listen to your audience and talk openly and on the same level as everyone else. Members of the DGCOS did not behave in this manner and brought on themselves much of the criticism they received from the start.
They set themselves a target from the outset for how many installers they were going to sign up within the first year. I can’t quite remember what that number is, I think it was 100. I’m sure someone will confirm or correct me on that! I personally don’t think they have met their targets and I put that down to their poor personal relations skills and flawed and much criticized screening process. Press releases have waned and online activity from the company has become just a trickle. In my eyes, the scheme has now failed. It had the workings to be something good, but was spoiled by the wrong people running it.
They’ve posted today as it happens http://www.buildingtalk.com/news/rdx/rdx105.html
Dear Mr Blogger, It never ceases to amaze me how inaccurate and uninformed some people can be yet make comments without any intelligence or serious thought. The fact is dgcos has received over 630 applications (within our first 2 years) for accreditation but has accepted just over 255 for membership. Many of the bigger regional installers have now joined dgcos and are experiencing many benefits as are their customers. There is a film crew going out filming consumers all over the country who have been helped by dgcos who otherwise would have been let down. We have recieved many, many… Read more »
Thanks for contributing Tony. In your fourth paragraph you suggest consumers will have been let down if they hadn’t had been helped by the DGCOS. Are you in some way saying that if those consumers hadn’t had picked a company which is DGCOS accredited then they definitely would have been let down by that window company. Because if you are then that is incredibly assumptive and shows that you hold the whole industry who doesn’t go with the DGCOS in contempt. You kindly corrected me, as I pointed out in my post that someone would, that you have actually had… Read more »
This is tad presumptuous, in my opinion. You’re putting words in his mouth. You blatantly criticized him in your post, which you have the complete right to do, and which you have done consistently throughout this blog. But when you offer up criticism like that, it’s going to come back, and the organisation, in my opinion, has a right to defend itself. While I understand that you don’t release the name of your employer for personal privacy reasons, it’s difficult sometimes in reading the discourse that often arises in the comments section of your blog and taking it 100% seriously… Read more »
Window Gal Thanks for your reply. I don’t quite understand what the problem is with me being anonymous. It is quite clear that I work within the double glazing industry, and that alone should give me more than enough reason to freely comment on matters that go on within it. But just to appease you, without mentioning names, I work for a small family run business that has been running for over 3 decades in Yorkshire. I might also add that we have never needed to be with any consumer protection scheme. Indeed up to press we have only ever… Read more »
The last company that I worked for became members of the DGCOS, quite how I dont know!! When asked by my MD to come up with some names of happy customers, I found it quite a struggle. The joining process seemed quite easy, it must have been to get us in! Unfortunately, the only way customers were covered were to register them, the company I worked for registered around 1 in 5 sales. For the DGCOS to be want they aim to be, they need to be more stringent in their joining process and monitor the installers.
It`s all fine this talk of IBG, looking after the customer etc etc. I still remember the case of a DGCOS member (whos now on twitter), installing a conservatory.Totally not fit for purpose and no where near what the installer had supplied Cad drawing sizes off. Pitch of roof far to low (almost flat) The company had tried blagging the customer the height measurments on cad drawing was from ground level to top of 9″leads. Not from FFL to ridge level as we all know the case. Anyway the Ombudmans got involved and ruled in favour of the installer. Which… Read more »
When I looked at this it was a very expensive scheme and I’d have little hope of any financial benefits.
If you’re going to spend that sort of money, you’d be better off spending it on additional marketing which gives you a far greater chance of gaining additional business with far less risk in my opinion. I could be wrong I suppose :)
We met up with DGCOS a couple of months ago. I don’t know why I have my reservations but I just do! Totally agree with you that all these organisations just scream at your customers “when things go wrong” and hidden under the illusion of Consumer Protection.
I think the comments from Tony Pickup above are arrogant and his comments on the Renegade Site are equally arrogant. I won’t be joining. Something about DGCOS makes me very nervous……….
dont join , if you dont trust, they wont be here in 10yrs time
Well the Glazine reported yesterday that they’ve let Apple Conservatories join! If ever there was a terrible window company….. how the hell did they pass the so-called “stingent” testing? Yeah right…..
Anyone in the business who’s down Dorset way will know exactly what I mean. Well done DGCOS!!
Hello Window Sam, I’d be very interested to know who the installer was you worked for who is only registering 1 in 5 customers with dgcos? Could you tell me please then we can investigate? One major distinction of DGCOS’ service is that every customer of every member gets the full protection of the scheme irrespective of if the installer has registered them and paid the relevant fees or not. If the job was done by a member during its period of membership the consumer will be covered- this protection is not available elsewhere. As regards ongoing monitoring Sam, we… Read more »
Tony As Ginty has pointed out in his reply, you are a public figure – I have chosen not to be for practical reasons. To keep this site fair, I post ALL comments, whether they agree with my writings or not. As a public figure, it should be expected that criticism will occur. Footballers and the Prime Minister are public figures but they don’t complain when their club or Government is criticized or the way they do their job is slated. To be fair to you though Tony, you have come on here and put your point of view across,… Read more »
Dear Tony, I have to say my personal experience of dealing with the DGCOS is quite awful. Your claim of fair mediation is total nonsense, your claim of a compensation fund and award for both parties involved in a dispute is fake and your Mediation team infective and incompetent. The fact your own insurance provider went bust goes a long way to show your judgement and the fact you now only have a very limited number of members only confirms the above. I am deeply disappointed in your organisation and I am disgusted in your MD and his lack of… Read more »
Hi Jason. It’s ironic that just a few days after you published your post about online reviews, there is this comment above which has to be the longest gap ever since an article posted by DGB, nearly 7 years! And it’s by an anonymous poster called ”ex-DGCOS member”, making curious allegations for some reason. I guess you can’t please everyone who’s a member 100%, assuming he is a genuine ex-member. As many people in the industry know, I have been working in this industry most of my life and was Director of Home Improvement at the GGF for 7 years.… Read more »
time will tell. dgcos isnt a force in the double glazing industry to waste outr time on . its there to make money and no other reason. nothing wrong with , just dont do it under the guise of the savior of our industry.
Mr Pickup, there is a clear difference between “hide behind anonymity” and running a blog relevant to the industry, with a distinct seperation from his ‘day job’ for practical reasons. I find that approach simple, perfectly fair and conducive to a non-advertorial style blog. He makes no attempt to disguise his role in the industry nor his general background, though choses not to reveal his name or company. Big deal! What he writes is balanced enough for a blog , which are about opinions, and you have the right to complain if you think any statement has been unfair, and… Read more »
Hello DGB, We joined the DGCOS back in 2010 and are very proud to be members of the scheme. You can correct me if I’m wrong but I can’t think of any other scheme which offers that level of consumer protection maybe other than Network Veka, and I personally have never been a fan of the Veka product. I’m not sure why the DGCOS comes in for so much criticism. I can only think that the people which have been refused membership are trying to give it a bad name. We are a small family business and part of us… Read more »
In your question to GB about who`s a phoenixed company read this Tony. Mentions at least 2.
http://renegadeconservatoryguy.co.uk/how-will-dgcos-deal-with-phoenix-companies/
You comment about me being incorrect.
Well when someone buys a conservatory and is supplied with cad drawing,
Most people would expect that is what they`d end up with. Design , size etc..
I don`t care if the ombudsman (paid by you) ruled in favour of YOUR paying member.
The job was wrong!
I seem to remember RCG got invloved and found the customer a installer who would replace the roof, at the customers expence.
The “savours of double glazing” Hmmm
As a founding member of dgcos I think their scheme is one of the best available and feel it gives our company more credibility ! We work to high standards and expect the same from our guarantors, It doesn’t do for everyone to want the same !
Rich
I totally agree with you!
If it works for your company, that`s great.
The problem is their attiude, thinking anybody who`s not a member is a cowboy.
If only their looked after their own members and stopped trying to put the rest of us in the “Cowboy” bracket. Because we have not coughed up the large fees.
Read this it says it better than i ever could.
http://www.aluminiumtradesupply.co.uk/4830/the-new-myglass-website-is-launched/
DGCOS cannot be much of a scheme. Have they any members? I live in one of the most heavily populated parts of the country yet DGCOS is unable to recommend any double glazing company. Below is the opening part of a reply I received on15/9/13 in response to my enquiry for a recommended company.
Dan Tinsley
To Me
Today at 2:10 PM
Dear J McCulloch,
Thank you for your enquiry.
Unfortunately we are unable to recommend a DGCOS Accredited Member local to PA2 9LB
DGCOS appears to be a scam that supports con men. After placing an order for a replacement door from a verified member. They sent a certificate and when the door company failed to supply i reported to DGCOS. After weeks they claim my installed door (door that never came) was not on their scheme as they only deal with consumers??? Can someone please explain how they can take my money accepting me on an insurance scheme without first investigating such? Further i would like to sue both the supplier & DGCOS for conning me. Perhaps I should be going to… Read more »