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These key factors behind the growth of our company remain as important today as they ever were – and we are constantly seeking to improve all three! You may be able to buy cheaper than Richards Gray, but can you also rely on efficient service and continuity of supply on a national basis?
Our online ordering service, www.richardsgrayonline.co.uk provides all the essential functionality to genuinely deliver ‘affordable e-conveyancing’ and outstanding service to the industry. Our investment in technology has been matched by more than doubling the resources specifically devoted to customer service in the last 12 months – see below.
With nearly 250 staff, and 80 agents on the road from Newcastle to Penzance, we can genuinely deliver the benefits of local based service and experience to a national client base. Our agents are experts in a particular group of councils local to them, and we NEVER subcontract searches to other companies. This ensures the ability to maintain service standards and quality.
The agent network is backed up by a team of 12 regional account managers, the Head-office sales and marketing team, and most importantly an expanded customer services team – you will always know who to call if you have a query or problem, and you will receive a positive response! The structure is very flat – any issues which are of a serious nature will be rapidly referred to either the Sales and Marketing Director or one of the director / founders. We believe that this ability to reach senior management quickly has been a key feature behind the growth of our company in recent years, and we intend to maintain this principle.
This powerful combination has been behind the tremendous growth of the company over the last few years. We are not just re-sellers, but innovators of new and exciting products for the industry, and these have been coupled with exciting innovations in distribution and marketing. In just the last two years, we have brought you
• Know Your Neighbour™, the market-leading local neighbourhood and planning report, is owned, designed and developed by Richards Gray.
• Private Water and Drainage Reports, in conjunction with our sister company Conveyancing Searches, have provided valuable consumer choice to the industry at an exceptional price.
• HomeBuyer's and HomeSeller's Packs – we are not waiting for HIPs to be formally introduced. We have developed these 'search and survey packs', designed to deliver the benefits of HIPs to both the public and the conveyancing profession now…..which all means that we will be well ahead of the pack in terms of experience when HIPs start in full force!
We can’t tell you what the next exciting development will be….but we are sure that there will be plenty of them!
This innovative philosophy is backed up by 20 years of experience in providing information to the Conveyancing industry. Mike Richards has proven entrepreneurial ability in several areas and he is now backed by a senior management team with wide experience from both within and outside the property sector.
Alongside Product Innovation, we have also been leading the market in areas of delivery and search packaging.
• Richards Gray Conveyancing Pack (RGCP) – we were the first to offer flexible, flat-priced packages of searches that can be tailored to your individual requirements, providing you with genuine 'one-stop' shopping for all your search information.
• www.richardsgrayonline.co.uk. - All of the above, and much more, are available via our online ordering system – the first personal search company to genuinely rival the NLIS channels. The system has been designed with ease of use in mind, with RGCP packages specific to your firm making ordering simple. Training is free and provided by our regional account manager team.
• Case Management System Integration – our online ordering system has been integrated into many of our clients CMS, thus further improving the efficiency of the ordering process.
Richards Gray carries £8million of Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) on every property that we carry out a search, and there are no time limitations placed on claims under this policy. This covers all actions taken by Richards Gray employees.
In addition to the above, we have introduced an Information Accuracy Warranty policy which will provide additional cover up to £2 million for situations where local authorities are unable to answer a question at the time of search, or when an error is made by a council employee. We anticipate that the introduction of HIPS in 2007 will significantly improve access to certain areas of the public records held by local authorities, but until then, the Richards Gray IAW policy will provide additional peace of mind to our clients.
Perhaps the best reassurance, however, is 20 years in the industry, still growing strongly and developing new solutions for the current market.
All Richards Gray clients benefit from 30 day-credit terms, and this is offered whether you are a sole practitioner or a major national player with the Direct Conveyancing Association. Payments can be made once a month against statements, and BACS payment and automated direct debit systems have recently been introduced for key clients, which simply means
• One monthly statement
• One easy reconciliation
• One simple payment
• No more cheques, excessive administration, or cash flow issues.
No sale, no fee terms can also be considered on application.
The government is introducing Home Information Packs (HIPs) on a gradual basis, starting with 4 bedroom properties and larger on 1st August 2007 and will then phase in other properties over the following months, although no firm timetable is currently in place.
Richard Gray will be at the forefront of the HIPs revolution, both as a supplier of searches to all levels of the market and by offering an integrated HIP solution. Our key principal in the provision of our HIP solution is flexibility. Whilst we have in place the resources to provide a complete HIP, including both the required and authorised elements, we recognise the importance of existing local contacts. Our philosophy therefore has been built around enabling local businesses, with established commercial relationships, to continue to work together in the HIP arena.
Our web based HIP ordering and management system is easy to use and is backed up by a dedicated Customer Service Team. We offer a number of finance options and will not ask you to sign an exclusive agreement.
We are founder members of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) and the Property Codes Compliance Board (PCCB) and fully support and adhere to their Search and HIP codes.
For more details on the Richards Gray HIP Solution click here
Richards Gray were the key drivers from within the property search industry behind the establishment of COPSO, the Council of Property Search Organisations, which was formally established in early 2003, after discussions with the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
Richards Gray recognised the need for a representative organisation for the industry that would
• Set and continue to raise professional standards
• Ensure adequate levels of professional indemnity cover
• Provide a co-ordinated voice for the industry to government and the wider industry.
• Play a significant role in shaping future legislation and industry practices at a time of significant change.
• Promote greater consumer choice and value within the industry as a whole
COPSO has played a significant role in shaping the structure of the HIP package and process – but without the innovative vision of the Richards Gray founders, COPSO may well not have come into being at all!
For more details on COPSO click here.
Richards Gray are members of PISCES, the Property information Systems Common Exchange Standard. As the drive towards wider implementation of e-conveyancing continues, all Richards Gray technology systems are being developed or upgraded to ensure that they will be fully PISCES compliant with XML based output as the standard going forward. This will allow full implementation with clients Case Management Systems at all levels, further enhancing the efficiency and speed with which we can provide information to our key clients.
For more details on PISCES, click here
Listening and reacting to our client’s requirements and concerns has always been a key element of the Richards Gray philosophy. It has underpinned our growth over recent years, inspired the recent product and systems delivery innovations, and will be central to the companies position in the market as the HIP revolution finally arrives.
This philosophy is now communicated with almost obsessive passion to every single member of our staff, not just those who directly interact with the public! Every single one of our team has the opportunity to make the vital difference to our customers on a regular basis, and they fully understand and believe in this approach!
And finally, and most importantly, after 18 years, you can still speak directly to any of the senior management team or the founders – they remain committed to driving the company forward, which can only be achieved by listening to our customers and understanding their requirements. |
