Why the latest BIS report is like a weak cup of tea

Is the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) just like a very, very weak cup of tea?  Perhaps – and I hate weak tea.  I had an excess of it at an educational institution in the 1960’s and thought it had long since disappeared until I stopped at some services on the M1 recently.

There it was again! Pale coloured, insipid dishwater. Ugh!  Only this time it was £1.70. Not even good enough to dunk a digestive.

A report like weak tea…

Yes, you’ve guessed it, BIS has produced a 34 page report ‘Building a Responsible Payment Culture’ saying very little indeed of substance.  In fact it lacks clarity and firm foundation throughout.

To give you a feel for the weakness of the document, the strongest assertion was in one area of reform in the public sector which was “subject to parliamentary time”.  I smell the delicate aroma of long grass there, don’t you?

The Foreword states that “The measures we set out will mark a significant step forward in establishing the responsible payment culture that UK businesses need to thrive”. So where is this significant step forward? Where is the real bite that UK industry so badly needs?

Whilst it is true that legislation cannot solve the endemic refusal to pay on time – the under-used and under exploited Late Payment Acts have shown us that – I do believe that strong support for our legal system, and late payment remedies, at the legal end of the chain can only help. 

Weak and slow government action

Sadly the Government has form when it comes to late payment. They have acted too slowly, too weakly and implemented changes that run contrary to their proclamations of support for businesses, particularly the small businesses that serve as the engine room of the UK’s fragile economy.

The European Directive last year (2011/7/EU) was adopted by the Government as late as possible, and I have seen no initiatives at all for buttressing “the recovery of costs” for legal collections, or anything like it.

It’s no good implementing regulations if you don’t give businesses the wherewithal to take advantage of them. Then earlier this year Court fees were doubled – a classic own goal by the Government and a massive step in the opposite direction!

Regardless of party affiliations, we all know that politics is the art of sounding like they might do the possible, and then doing nothing.  There are some nice sounds about supporting industry organisations like the ICM, and the Prompt Payment Code, but they’re not really taking on board the heart of the issue about Big Business imposing ‘unfair payment terms’.

I have to wholeheartedly support Chief Executive of the ICM, Philip King’s response that the Government has ducked the issue stating that “what is critical is the certainty of payment, more than being caught in arguments over 30 or 60 day terms.”

At the end of the day, we all know who the serial late payment offenders are and it’s about time the Government implemented some changes with real clarity and bite.

And on that note, I’m off for a good strong mug of builder’s brew.

Written by Charles Wilson, CEO, Lovetts PLc

The importance of good service

I knew there was a good reason to go to Prague last weekend – aside from celebrating a big wedding anniversary with my beloved – and it being an excellent place to visit, as everyone told me beforehand.

Before leaving, we’d just had news of the massive Court fees increase, with only a few week’s notice.   Tempted though I was to vent some spleen on this score, we are where we are and even I am bored with the sound of my own pen on that subject. No, I have something far more interesting to talk about here – it’s something we all want but rarely receive in good old Blighty and my visit to Prague restored some lost faith!

Something we all want…

You might be thinking this has something to do with the huge numbers of highly-decorated churches, or the odd imposing castle, monastery, bridge, civic building or opera house. Yes, they made a very impressive statement about the vision, skills and commitment of many hundreds of people 500 years ago, but these weren’t what impressed me the most.

What really struck me was the attitude of service we found in the hotels, restaurants and taxis. Getting people to ‘serve’ customers well – consistently, reliably and intelligently – is extremely hard to achieve. How often does service ‘blow you away’ in the UK? In a taxi?  In a restaurant (especially when asking for something troublesome like a jug of water, or decaffeinated coffee) or hotel or store – these days. On some occasions it’s even hard to find someone to speak to!

I found myself asking – how does Linda, one of the hotel waitresses, remember without notes everything we tell her? How does she remember and action, the following day, our preferences for tea and coffee at breakfast before we even sit down at the table? It wasn’t just Linda, it was every staff member. The porter who greeted us upon arrival didn’t see me for 3 days, and yet, in passing me in the corridor, greeted me by name.

How do they do it?

OK, no doubt they have a sophisticated CRM system.  But that cannot prompt the porter in the corridor who is already talking to a colleague as he passes by. There is something in their desire, their intent, their delight in serving the customer. How is that achieved?

It must be something to do with excellent training?  For sure; but there’s more than that. What is it?

There’s got to be something deeply inspiring and motivating to keep your concentration and initiative consistently high.

What we need to learn from this

I figure that there must be a culture of respect for yourself, your colleagues and customers that perhaps we miss here in the UK. It’s all about how you yourself are treated and viewed by managers and colleagues. Do they respect me? Do I respect them? If we believe in each other, praise each other, trust each other in the nitty-gritty of daily life… it warms the heart and motivates.  If you’re not trusted, then you’ll lose that motivation, that determination to excel, that drive to go the extra mile.

I doubt Linda was paid a lot. But she clearly loved her job.  And we loved the pride and excellence she showed in her daily work. I found her attitude challenging and inspiring – and to complete the circle, this blog is now winging its way to the hotel manager.

Author: Charles Wilson,  Managing Director – Solicitor,  Lovetts plc

Changes ahead for regulation of consumer credit and other CCUA news

On the 1 April 2014 responsibility for regulating consumer credit transfers from the Office of Fair Trading to the Financial Conduct Authority. The new regime will be designed to focus on higher risk firms. Lower risk firms will not have to meet such onerous standards and will pay lower fees. The FCA will also have different enforcement powers to the OFT. Further information can be found at http://www.fca.org.uk.

On 6 April 2014 the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 will come into force. A few of the main changes will be:

• “Tools of the Trade” will be limited to a value of £1,350
• Officers will be required to give 7 clear days notice before a visit
• Officers will not longer be allowed to enter a residential premises via open window or skylight
• Hours of entry to a residential premise will be limited to 6am-9pm

Volunteers (still) needed

Becoming involved with the CCUA is a great way to take positive action to gain improvements in the court service. Probably the easiest way to assist the Association would be to respond to any surveys emailed to us asking for our views on the service we are receiving from the courts. Monitoring the results ensures the Associate can provide valuable feedback and highlight the problem areas to those concerned.

As this will be my last blog (well, at least for some time to come…) we also need new bloggers to step forward to provide regular updates which help the CCUA provide social media content. This doesn’t take up too much time and really is a worthwhile effort.

Regional meetings….

South West Region – next meeting will take place on 29 April 2014 at the offices of Burgess Salmon in Bristol and will include a presentation on insolvency matters by Olivier Kalfon from Enterprise Chambers.

Northern Region – next meeting will take place on 5 June 2014 at Harrison High Court Enforcement and C.W.Harrison & Son Auctioneers, Ossett nr Wakefield.

Greater London/South East Region – next meeting will take place on 12 June 2014 at BDO offices in Baker Street, London.

Central Region – next meeting will take place on 24 June 2014 at KPMG, Snows Hill, Birmingham.

Diary dates for 2014

The Annual Conference 2014 will take place on 21 October 2014 and will be held at the Leicester Marriott Hotel. The AGM will take place the following day. Senior Master Whitaker will be speaking and as before it is hoped Paul Lewis will host a Question Time Panel for some lively debate!

Author: Christine Power FCILEx – specialising in Debt Recovery at Lightfoots LLP

Happy New Year – what’s coming up for the CCUA in 2014…

 

May I somewhat belatedly wish all CCUA members a Happy New Year! I don’t know where the time has gone since our offices reopened after the Christmas break but I’m sure we are all now back in the swing of things ready to continue lobbying for improvements in the court service.

Court Fee Consultation

The Consultation closed on 21 January 2014 after being rushed through in seven weeks which included the Christmas and New Year period.

Rob Thompson, Chair of the CCUA Lobbying Committee, drafted a clear and concise summary of the situation and I hope everyone managed to get a chance to read it . Should the fees be increased as proposed, past experience would seem to indicate that this will result in a reduction in the issue of money claims. As Rob points out, there was a decrease in the issue of Warrants of Execution when the fee doubled, showing the cost of action can be prohibitive.

Also, could the timing of the consultation be worse? As users of the court service, I am sure most of us are dissatisfied and in some cases, extremely frustrated with the inadequate service provided not only by CCMCC but by the court service as a whole. We can only hope the Ministry of Justice give careful consideration to the CCUA’s response on behalf of the members.

Regional meetings February….

South West Region – next meeting will take place on 5 February at the offices of Burges Salmon, Bristol at 10.30am for 11am start.

Greater London/South East Region – next meeting will take place on 20 February 2014 at BDO offices in Baker Street, London, at 10.30am for 11am start. The guest speaker is Alan Smith, Director – Corporate Governance, High Court Enforcement Group. His presentation will be on ‘The future regulations for execution against goods’ which will come into force as part of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 Order 2013 in April 2014.

Diary dates March

6 March 2014 – Northern Region meeting to be held at CCMCC (sponsored by Shoosmiths)

Simon Hardy, Chair of the Northern Region, says “The focus of the meeting will be the CCMCC and will include a tour of the operation and an opportunity for questions and answers.  Good attendance at this meeting would be much appreciated as HMCTS/CCMCC are genuinely keen to work with us and do welcome feedback”.

What a great opportunity to see inside the CCMCC and identify their main problem areas. Such a visit may help us, to help them, improve the service provided and gain a better understanding of their systems and procedures.

14 March 2014 – House of Lords dinner.

News for 2014…

Christmas is coming…

I don’t know about you but December seems to be arriving quicker each year so maybe now would be a good time to consider our New Year’s resolutions before we enjoy our well deserved break. With the CCUA committee becoming busier each year, how about a resolution to become a more active member of the CCUA ?

Volunteers needed

In 2014 volunteers will be required to attend workshops, provide updates and maybe even write a blog or two! Probably the easiest way to assist the Association would be to respond to any surveys emailed to us asking for our views on the service we are receiving from the courts. Monitoring the results ensures the Associate can provide valuable feedback and highlight the problem areas to those concerned.

Also, please remember that if you have having a particular problem on a case, this may be reported to the Association using the email address: claires@ccua.org.uk. Just a few brief details of the problem you are encountering and the court dealing with your matter is all that is required to log this. The more feedback we receive, the better, to build up a complete picture of the court service. In the interests of fairness, we should also report any exceptionally good service we receive!

We must remember that the result of all the work we put in should be an improving court service which will be beneficial to all concerned.

Regional meetings

Looking forward now to the regional meetings for December…

Northern Regional – next meeting will take place on Thursday 5 December at the offices of BDO in Leeds. One of the guest speakers is a representative from the Northampton CCBC who will provide an update on the activities at the centre and will provide performance statistics etc. The meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to network with other members and with representatives of HMCTS.

Central Region – next meeting will be on Tuesday 10 December at the office of KPMG in Birmingham. Greg Wasinski, Jurisdictional and Operational Support Officer, Civil Improvement Team, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service will be the speaker and his presentation will be on the very topical subject of mediation.

Diary date 2014

House of Lords dinner – Friday 14 March 2014.

Author: Christine Power FCILEx – specialising in Debt Recovery at Lightfoots LLP