Currently the Rural Action Derbyshire scheme offers members the opportunity to take advantage of a bulk buying. Not everyone in the ‘off gas grid areas’, however, gas grid’ uses oil for fuel. Research the alternative fuel sources for solid fuel.
Description:
Currently the Rural Action Derbyshire scheme offers members the opportunity to take advantage of a bulk buying. Not everyone in the ‘off gas grid areas’, however, gas grid’ uses oil for fuel. Research the alternative fuel sources for solid fuel heating systems, taking into consideration the benefits of each fuel type, the cost and the feasibility of purchasing on a bulk buying system that could be administered in a similar way to the oil buying scheme.
Make recommendations and process map how an alternative fuel bulk buying scheme would operate.
Oil Buying Scheme Procedures:
The secret to managing OBS is good record keeping. With a membership of approx. 325 members it is easy to lose track of what you have said to who and where each members is in the joining, ordering, renewing processes if you don’t log all phone calls / voicemails and a note as to when you responded.
A database manual is stored in the database folder on the OBS drive and a paper copy can be found in the general file.
Membership:
OBS membership is now £20 for any member whether business, community organisation or individual.
When the scheme was first set up we used local coordinators to send in orders from their area. We no longer recruit new coordinators but have some existing ones who are happy to continue. Their membership is free of charge. A full list can be found on the database.
Handling an enquiry:
1. Enquiries will come by email or telephone
2. Point out to members the pros and cons of joining the scheme.
• We save an average of 5ppl on the best price available on the internet – this covers the cost of membership on the first order
• Members need to be a little more organised about ordering, i.e. we only order once per month and so they can’t just call and get a delivery in a few days – they must plan ahead.
• They will not know the price in advance – suppliers need a firm order for us to be taken seriously and get a good deal.
• People who require a small or baby tanker should not join as we can’t get them a good deal. Only two suppliers in the county (Peak and Halso) operate this small tanker so we can’t ‘shop around’
3. An information email or hard copy info pack should be sent to each enquirer
4. Info pack should include
• Membership application form / leaflet
• Oil prices 2011-14
• FAQs
• Oil Buying Scheme ordering deadlines 2014
(all saved in Membership information/ Application & Info)
Adding a new member to the database
1. Open the database
2. From the main menu, click ‘source members’
3. In the bottom left hand corner, use the arrows to find the next ‘empty’ form
4. Complete the member details;
• Title
• First name
• Surname
• Address
• Postcode
• Telephone
• Mobile
• Email
• Source – choose ‘no coordinator’
• Member type – choose ‘Domestic’ (1)
• Add detail of tank location / any problems the supplier needs to know about in capitals.
5. Click the save ‘button’.
6. New members must be emailed or receive a welcome letter, the buying schedule and an order form. An example email is stored in outlook drafts. Example letter in membership information / intro letters
7. File the paperwork alphabetically in the relevant file
8. Reference the cheque on the back with the members village and surname
9. Complete the details on the long orange
Managing membership renewals:
The database will not automatically generate a full list of renewals. A report can be produced which identifies which members are due to pay their year 2 membership fees but will not produce those who are into their third year. Instead I use the ‘members data table’ which is an excel spreadsheet that ‘sits behind’ the main menu.
At the beginning of each month I notify members who are due to renew in the following month. The renewal email contains info about when their membership is due to expire, how much oil they have bought and how much they have saved since they joined the scheme, unfortunately these must be generated separately.
To set up a monthly renewal list;
1. Open member data table and hide all columns except title, forename, surname, postcode, email, date member joined, member type, year 2 member type, members active
2. Highlight the date member joined column and order ascending so the spreadsheet reorganises into date order
3. Identify the members needing to renew in the next month, copy and paste into a new spreadsheet.
4. Delete those rows relevant to members who have already left the scheme (member type 5) or ‘FALSE’ in the member active column or who are coordinators (type 2)
5. Change the member active column to a ‘paid’ column. You will need to monitor this so reminders aren’t sent to members who have already paid.
6. Title and save in the renewals folder / membership information in the OBS drive.
To calculate savings info;
1. Open the main menu of the database and click ‘purchase by surname’
2. Add the first three or four letters of the members name add press enter. This generates a report from which you can retrieve the following info;
• Number of orders placed
• The amount of oil ordered
• The savings made against the average price
3. Add this info to your spreadsheet
Sending renewal emails / letters
1. Save example email in drafts folder
2. Example renewal letter saved in membership info / renewals on the OBS drive, send 2nd class.
3. Using the templates add in the savings info and renewal date and send.
To process returned renewals;
1. Use the database to search for the member’s details (enter surname in ‘locate by surname’ field)
2. This will tell you when they’re renewal is due, which will make them easier to find on the monthly renewal tracking spreadsheets. Identify the member as paid so they are not chased again.
3. If they are renewing with WHHP funding, file the two documents together with the originals, putting the renewal form at front. If they are paying for renewal, file the documents identify the member has paid on the list as above but then process payment.
4. Add a 1 and save.
5. Members are filed in alphabetical order.
6. Using the RAD RECEIPT long, complete the details, adding ‘R’ to the payment type so sally can distinguish it as a renewal fee.
7. If a member has decided not to renew, add a 5 to the member type column and un-check the ‘member active’ box