This comes 15 years after its original launch back in 1995.
Listers are one of the few Trade Window Suppliers who concentrate their business on sole supply to the trade and avoid the temptation to install their windows, doors and conservatories directly for retail customers. And they don’t own any other partner installation business. The original launch of the Trade Card was to highlight this unique differential.
Mark Warren, Listers MD says that “Back in 1995 Listers was surrounded by ‘Trade Frame’ companies who liked to supply the local installers but who also liked to install windows themselves in direct competition with their own trade customers. We wanted to demonstrate that we would not compete with our Trade Installers and so the Listers Trade Card was born.”
The Listers Trade Card is only issued to customers who can prove that they are legitimate businesses in the window, conservatory, roofing and construction industry. An application form has to be completed and a number of checks are made before the card is granted. This prevents ‘Joe public’ from masquerading as a trade customer to gain a trade price. The card guarantees a genuine trade price only to those who are genuinely in the trade.
While the original card was a simple laminated affair with details held on Listers database, the new card is a professionally designed personalised plastic credit type card. The first of the new cards was presented to Norman Barker of Barkers Windows who was the very first business to receive the original card back in 1995. 15 years on and Norman still had his original card in his wallet. Obviously the card had been an important indicator for Norman of both his loyalty to Listers and Listers loyalty to their trade customers.
In difficult trading times Listers have avoided moving into the more lucrative area of retail sales and installation. Instead, they have once again reinforced their commitment to supporting their trade customer’s businesses and produced a new Trade Card which provides tangible evidence of this unique selling point.
Lister Trade Frames are currently reporting a 12% sales increase for this year to date, so perhaps there is good business sense to their distinctive approach.
Contact: Lister Trade Frames, www.listertf.co.uk Tel: 01782 391900
Picture shows Norman Barker with the New Listers Trade Card in his wallet.