Cef yess electrical

[LeeH]

My local branch is great, I get all my control and instrumentation materials from them along with the normal cable and containment.

It's all down to the people in the branch I guess.

 

[Electrichead]

All well and good Paul, but as someone who has experience of just about every wholesaler in the land and several across Europe I have to say that CEF are not a patch on what they were 20 years ago, when you employed knowledgeable people who had respect for customers, not a bunch of spotty gob-****es (not all staff I would add). The CEF I knew as an apprentice stopped existing when Mackie Senior went to the states to start up over there and left the Sons in charge, that was when we started seeing toasters, gardens lights and all that tom foolery.

I have been into CEF branches in the sticks and found a member of staff who did not know what 25mm Galv conduit was because he had never sold any!!

I agree that Newey and Eyre and WF are not what they used to be, the only wholesaler I regularly specify or use myself is Edmundson's, I do this because of customer service and i know if they don't have it they will get it, and in an emergency they will put stuff on bikes, like contactors and other small stuff.

I feel it is a shame to see the tribulations of the Mackie family, I met the old man once when I was an apprentice when he visited the Cricklewood Branch (The one on Cricklewood Broadway), seemed like a decent chap to me, but more importantly I feel it is a shame to see a once decent wholesaler turned into a poor man's B&Q...save for the bathroom fittings of course. I sincerely hope that CEF gets back to basics, back to it's roots and returns to being a true wholesaler, dump some of this home brand tat, Proteus really is rubbish (Although all the wholesalers can have this leveled at them for their home brand tat).

Lets get back to proper wholesalers who do not deal with Joe public, employ professionals behind trade counters (I recall many retired/former sparks working for all of them when I was an apprentice) and move away from the wide boy reps who talk rubbish, promise the Earth and deliver asteroids....and normally the wrong bloody ones!!

I agree to some extent. I was one of those staff in the era you suggest. It was a great family business in those days and it certainly had some very good staff, certainly where I was the staff were all very knowledgeable and to be honest it felt like a great company. In general also customers were very loyal and treated well. I have to say this did change in my later time at the company. I would state this was probably only instigated from certain people in the company and this is when problems started. I would state it is down to the individuals at the branches and relevant group offices. Some are very much better than others, this is the same at any company. If you get a bad practise going it may may you a quick profit, but lose customers very quickly. I always looked after mine and had a good relationship with the customers. Unfortunately over years they have seemingly lost the quality staff that were spread in the company, they tend to now go for price rather than quality, wonder why they do not retain customers. I always remember after leaving one of my customers contacting me and desperately needed a star delta starter. I called the branch for him as he refused and was told they have stacks in stock. I knew this wasn't correct and asked him to describe it. You all can guess what he was trying to sell (yes an FSU flor starter) worth about 40p instead of something worth several hundreds and they maybe had in stock (on shelf as i knew a customer used them). I organised it from another wholesaler for him, delivered next day (to be honest lots of staff in the wholesalers today would probably have no clue what it is or where to get one). Like anything quality costs, they need to invest in staff, people will use if they have the confidence and help often required from the wholesaler.

 

[uksparks]

My experience of CEF and Newey & Eyre is that they are sodding awful, rude and arrogant amd should not be in business.

 

[Adam W]

This thread is nearly 3 years old.

 

[uksparks]

This thread is nearly 3 years old.

Makes the point even better then that things haven't changed!

 

[shanky887614]

My experience of CEF and Newey & Eyre is that they are sodding awful, rude and arrogant amd should not be in business.

depends on the branch, i found one that was helpful and friendly.

i prefer lh though if im asking for something specific because the ex-sparky there will makesure its right.

ill go to where ever is most handy but will be a lot more selective on one off items

 

[Risteard]

depends on the branch, i found one that was helpful and friendly.

I've never had any issue with my branch.

 

[ipf]

Neweys OK as far as I'm concerned....even though they shut my branch....THREE YEARS AGO.