Improving Methods of Training

Ian Hampden:

O.K., Peter, I'll send you some charts like these if you'd like them.

They're very easy to use.

Peter Wiles:

Thanks, Ian.

These wall charts are just what I need.

Ian:

Don't go for a moment.

I'd like your advice.

Peter:

What's the problem?

Ian:

It's the apprentices' workshop.

I'm seeing H.G. this afternoon.

He's given me half an hour to convince him that we need a workshop of our own for training purposes.

Peter:

I bet you won't do it!

Ian:

Thanks for the encouragement.

I'll take your bet, though.

Five pounds if I persuade H.G.?

I need an incentive.

Peter:

Done!

Though I must say, this is one bet I hope I lose.

The present training method is primitive.

And we can get any money we spend on the workshop from the Engineering Board, can't we?

Won't they give an outright cash Grant for training facilities like this?

Ian:

Yes.

We pay a levy of two and a half per cent of our annual payroll by law, and we aren't taking advantage of the benefits it offers.

That'll be my chief argument.

Peter:

You'd better get your sums right.

You know H.G. sees everything in terms of figures.

His dreams are probably in figures!

Ian:

I expect you're right.

(Ian goes along for his interview with Hector Grant.)

Hector Grant:

Well, Ian, what do you want?

Ian:

Er... the training programme.

We...

Grant:

I thought that we'd agreed to discuss it tomorrow?

Ian:

Er... no.

Three o'clock today.

Grant:

Oh, very well then.

Though I can't say I'm in the mood for any discussions.

I've just had an awful lunch with Alfred Wentworth.

He will insist on telling me how to run my own business.

Ian:

I'm sorry, H.G. I... er...

Grant:

Well, don't let's waste time.

What is it you wanted to see me about?

Ian:

I think we really need to rethink our entire training programme.

In my opinion, our present apprentice training system is inefficient and wasteful.

Grant:

What's wrong with it?

Ian:

It's unplanned.

Each year we take on a couple of toolmaker or sheetmetal worker apprentices.

They are trained on the shop floor, when and where the foreman and skilled operatives can spare the time.

Of course, we try to keep them busy, but inevitably while they are learning they make mistakes.

The quality of their work is not up to standard.

We lose time and material.

And the apprentices aren't efficiently trained.

Grant:

They also go to the local technical college for training, don't they?

Ian:

Yes, they do.

By the rules of the national scheme we have to release them one day a week to attend courses, and those link up with the practical work they do with us.

This wouldn't be affected by what I am proposing.

What I propose has to do with our training programme, here, on the premises.

Grant:

Well, what do you propose?

Ian:

Well, I... er... I think we need a separate apprentices' workshop with full-time instructors.

Grant:

That's out of the question.

It would cost far too much.

Ian:

Are we right in assuming that?

We should save on time.

The training would be concentrated; we'd cut out the waste of time and material on the shop floor...

Grant:

Have you thought of what it would involve, setting up and equipping such a workshop?

It's out of the question.

Ian:

Yes, but you know we can get a grant from the Engineering Board?

Grant:

Of course I know that!

But what kind of grant is it going to be?

Do you really imagine it would be enough to cover such a scheme as yours?

Ian:

Not completely, no.

But it would go a long way towards paying for it.

The Board make outright cash grants for new training facilities of this kind.

Grant:

I know damned well it wouldn't be enough!

Well now, look, I'm rather busy now.

If that's all...

Ian:

With due respect, H.G., it isn't all.

I don't think you have given this very serious matter enough of your attention.

Grant:

Oh, indeed?

Ian:

I consider this to be a matter absolutely vital to the future of the firm.

The purpose of the Government in setting up this scheme, and extorting the cash from industry to run it, was to give us the incentive to get most of it back by good up-to-date training.

In my view they were completely right, and any firm that doesn't take advantage of it is guilty of restrictive practices.

Grant:

These are very strong words, Ian.

Ian:

I mean what I say.

And I've done quite a detailed costing.

I think we've a chance of getting a good three-quarters of the money we'd need from the Board.

The remaining twenty-five per cent would be more than made up by the savings effected by not having apprentices on the shop floor.

Grant:

I see.

Well, Ian, I must say you have put your case with... er... vigour.

Well, I suppose I must give your proposal a little more thought.

Yes... er... leave me your cost breakdown.

I don't promise anything, but I'll look into it.

Ian:

Thank you, H.G.

I hoped you would.

(Later on, Ian sees Peter.)

Ian:

Oh, Peter, did you get those wall charts you wanted?

Peter:

Yes, I did, thanks.

Now we've got the great job of redoing all the production charts and the work flow diagram.

Marvellous fun!

By the way, here you are.

Five lovely pounds, dear boy.

I'm forced to hand them over.

Ian:

Why, what's this?

Peter:

H.G. had me in this morning and told me a lot of stuff about how all modern firms were determined to improve the quality and quantity of their training.

How did you do it?

 

TWENTY ONE

Debtors and creditors

(In the Accounts Department.)

Christopher Thorn:

Good morning, Mr. Buckhurst.

William Buckhurst:

Morning.

We've got a drive on today to try and get payment on one or two of these long outstanding accounts.

Thorn:

Yes, I noticed yesterday that there were several bad debts.

I thought we only gave credit for thirty days.

Buckhurst:

Yes, that's correct.

It's supposed to mean that payment may be deferred until the end of the month, following that in which the goods were delivered.

But... er... look at this!

This retailer, Bush & Green, has owed us seven hundred pounds for office furniture for over nine months.

Thorn:

How often do you send out the accounts?

Buckhurst:

At the end of every month.

Really we must do something drastic about this lot.

There's a great deal of money owing to us on these overdue accounts.

We don't want any of them to default.

I think I'll get our rep, in the north on to this one.

You know Mr. Shuttleworth?

That's his area.

Thorn:

I thought there was a rumour that Mr. Shuttleworth was going to a different region?

Buckhurst:

Yes, he's going to the south-west, but he doesn't know it yet.

Thorn:

About those debts.

Can't we put a professional debt collector on to collect some of them?

Buckhurst:

Yes, we can.

But I'm against doing that until we've done everything we can do ourselves to get the money.

To bring in a third party, or to use legal pressure, is a sure way to lose a customer.

Thorn:

I see a couple of rather strong letters have been sent to this firm with no reply.

Have they gone bankrupt?

Buckhurst:

I hope not.

H'm.

I'll get Shuttleworth on to that one right away.

What time is it?

Nine o'clock.

He may not have left home yet.

I'll ring him at once.

(A week later Mr. Shuttleworth is in London. He goes to see Mr. Buckhurst in his office.)

Buckhurst:

Come along in, Mr. Shuttleworth.

Have you seen Mr. Martin yet?

Shuttleworth:

Yes, I have, Mr. Buckhurst.

He's just told me about my new area.

He told me to come and see you about the new salary scheme.

Buckhurst:

Did he explain it to you?

Shuttleworth:

Not really.

Buckhurst:

Well, as you know, our representatives have up till now been paid a basic salary supplemented by a commission on sales.

The new system will be a graded salary based on sales quotas.

Shuttleworth:

What really interests me is whether I shall earn more money or less!

Buckhurst:

I think you'll find it will work out better.

All the districts have been carefully researched and an estimate has been made of the probable volume of sales and your salary graded accordingly.

All you've got to do is to keep up to the quota, or better, surpass it.

But in simple terms, it means that you can count on a much higher basic salary.

Shuttleworth:

I see.

Buckhurst:

We're gradually introducing this system, and we find that the reps prefer it.

What do you feel about going to the south-west?

Shuttleworth:

Oh, I'm very pleased.

I think it's about time I had a new area.

Buckhurst:

You did very well about that matter of the bad debt.

We didn't even know that Bush & Green had moved.

How did you find out what had happened?

Shuttleworth:

Oh, an amazing bit of luck, really.

I made enquiries about Bush & Green in several shops near their old address.

There's a cafe at that address now.

I suspected the people who run the cafe, because they acted strangely when I asked them what they did with any letters that came for Bush & Green.

The chap hesitated quite a long time before he said that he sent them all back to the Post Office.

I was sure he was lying.

Buckhurst:

What was the bit of luck?

Shuttleworth:

Well, I thought I'd try one more place, and I got into conversation with the chap who owns the bookshop next door.

While I was talking to him I noticed his office door was open, and inside I could see what looked very like one of our filing cabinets.

He said he'd bought it in Wilminster, that's a little market town near by.

Well, I took the serial number and I telephoned to Mr. Martin.

He checked that it was one of the filing cabinets we'd supplied to Bush & Green.

Then I got the bookshop owner to give me his receipt.

He'd bought the cabinet from a firm who called themselves Windel & Riddel.

Windel & Riddel indeed!

Huh!

Buckhurst:

What did you do next?

You realise, of course, that Bush & Green might have sold the cabinet first to this firm?

Shuttleworth:

I didn't think so.

I was sure it was the same people operating under a different name.

Buckhurst:

Did you go and see them?

Shuttleworth:

I certainly did.

And I presented our bill to them.

They pretended they didn't know anything about it.

But then the boss came in, and he recognised me.

I'd taken the order from him originally.

He went at once to write out the cheque, and he asked me to keep quiet about it.

What do you think we ought to do?

Buckhurst:

Well, we've got our cheque, but there are probably a lot of other people who have been done out of payment in the same way.

I think it's our duty to inform the police.

And... er... Shuttleworth, we must take more care in the future before we recommend supplying on credit.

 

TWENTY TWO

Patents and Trade-marks

John Martin:

Good morning, H.G.

Are you free?

Hector Grant:

Yes, come in, John.

I've just got a quarter of an hour before Alfred Wentworth arrives to see over the factory.

You said you'd got that marketing report on the box files.

Let's get on with it.

What do they say?

John:

As you know, I asked Smith-Weston Consultants to do us a brief marketing report on box files...

Grant:

Well?

John:

Here's their report.

Apparently the market for box flies was static for a number of years, but it's growing now.

There are eight firms in the business, and one of them Maynard & Company, has about forty per cent of the market.

Grant:

What's the average retail price for this type of file?

John:

Oh, about eighty pence.

Grant:

What are the wholesale prices?

John:

Wholesale prices range from twenty-five to thirty-five per cent off retail prices.

Grant:

H'm.

Maynards, you say.

They run office-stationery shops all over the country.

Did you find out about the patent?

John:

Yes.

I asked Wainright & Hansford, the patent agents, to see if our new design can be patented.

Grant:

And can it?

Is it a new idea, or have dozens of other people thought of it first?

John:

Apparently this type of steel and suction clip inside the file is a completely new idea.

The agents suggest we should patent it at once.

We can put in a provisional specification now- that records the invention with the Patent Office, and then we've got twelve months to file the complete specification.

Grant:

What about a trade-mark for it?

John:

The agents suggest we should put in an application to registers the file at once.

Otherwise a rival firm could pass off their files as being made by us.

(The telephone rings.)

Grant:

Hello?

Yes?

Oh, Mr. Wentworth's on his way up now, is he?

Thank you...

H'm, he's early.

Elizabeth, ask Mr. Wentworth to come straight in, will you?

Elizabeth:

Oh, he's here now, Mr. Grant.

Would you go in, please, Mr. Wentworth.

Wentworth:

Morning, morning.

Well, Hector, my boy, I'm all set to see the famous Harper & Grant factory.

I've sat looking at it long enough from across the road.

Always thought I'd like to have a closer look.

Grant:

For goodness sake, sit down Alfred.

The floor shakes when you walk about like that...

What do you think of this?

Not bad, eh?

We're applying for a patent for this new paper holder inside the file.

It works by suction.

I'll bet you've never seen anything like this before.

Wentworth:

What?

How does it work?

Ah, I see.

Well, you know, that's funny.

I have seen one rather like this.

Chap I know in Manchester.

I saw one like this, in fact, last week.

Grant:

What?!

John:

It can't be the same!

Grant:

It's not possible!

John:

Are you sure?

Wentworth:

Of course I'm sure.

I said I'd buy some for my various offices when he'd started to market them.

Grant:

Now look here, Alfred, who was this man?

This is extremely serious.

We're just about to apply for a patent for this.

Wentworth:

Well, you'd better be quick, or you'll find someone else has got there first.

John:

What's the name of this man's firm?

Wentworth:

Oh, he's one of the sales boys for Maynards... Robinson, I think his name is.

John:

Oh Lord!

It couldn't be worse.

We were hoping to break into the market with this.

Wentworth:

Well, I should get your application in to the Patent Office.

John:

But, Mr. Wentworth, we've only just had the report in today from the patent agents.

Grant:

Well, you'd better get our application in today, John.

John:

Right, H.G.

May I use your phone?

Grant:

Yes, yes.

John (he picks up phone and dials):

Sally?

The new box file paper holder...

I want the second copy of the specification, and the photostat of the drawing.

Let me have them straight away, will you?

I'm in the Chairman's office.

What?

You sent them to Birmingham?

Both copies of the drawing?

Oh, good gracious, what on earth did you do that for?

Can't the Design Department let us have another copy?..

Yes, ask them.

Grant:

What's the trouble?

John:

Apparently Sally sent off both copies we had of the drawing to the Birmingham factory who are making the file for us.

She forgot to check whether they were, in fact, the only two copies in existence.

Grant:

What time does the Patent Office close?

Wentworth:

Six o'clock.

You ought to know that, Hector.

(The internal phone rings.)

Grant:

Yes?

Oh, John?

It's your secretary.

John:

What?

They can't find them?

Well, it's too late now to be sorry.

Grant:

What's happened?

John:

The Design Department can't find the original designs.

Grant:

Do we need drawings for the Patent Office?

John:

In some cases it's not necessary to supply drawings for a provisional specification, but in this case, apparently, we must include them.

Wentworth:

Well, get on to Birmingham.

What's the time now?

Twelve twenty.

If they put them on the next train to London you could have them collected at the station and taken straight round to the Patent Office.

Grant (speaking into phone):

Get me Mr. Clark, of the Kitson Board Company, Birmingham, will you.

It's urgent.

John:

One of my sales clerks has got a motor bike.

I'll send him to collect the drawings and he can take them straight to the Patent Office.

I'll get on to him...

 

TWENTY THREE

Insurance

William Buckhurst:

Hello, Peter.

Are you looking for me?

Peter Wiles:

Yes, as a matter of fact I am.

Have you heard any more about the missing lorry while I've been away?

Buckhurst:

Yes, we have.

Andersons have just been on to me.

The vehicle insurers say the lorry is a complete write-off.

Peter:

I hope we're covered all right.

Buckhurst:

Yes, we are.

Peter:

What puzzles me is why they stole office furniture.

Buckhurst:

Well, apparently, it seems that the gang had been tipped off that a lorry belonging to Andersons would be coming through that way with a valuable load of cigarettes.

Peter:

Ah, that sounds more like it!

Buckhurst:

When Andersons' driver was approached by a man in the transport cafe he was asked what he was carrying.

He said it was a load of office desks and filing cabinets, but they must have thought he was lying for some reason.

Peter:

What happened to the driver?

Buckhurst:

It seems he was taken to a farm a long way from the main road and held there for several hours before the gang released him.

Then he had to walk six miles before he found a telephone and was able to get hold of the police.

Peter:

Did the police raid the farm?

Buckhurst:

Yes, they did.

But by that time, of course, the gang had left.

Peter:

What did they do with the lorry?

Buckhurst:

They took the brake off and let it go over the side of a steep hill!

It's a total wreck.

Peter:

What about our desks?

Buckhurst:

Well, now, apparently the insurance of the load is not so simple.

I informed our insurance brokers as soon as the theft was reported.

As you know, all goods delivered for us within the United Kingdom are covered by a blanket insurance policy.

Peter:

Who underwrote the policy?

Lloyds, wasn't it?

Buckhurst:

Yes, we're insured with a syndicate of Lloyds underwriters.

Someone from a firm of adjusters is going up to inspect the damaged goods tomorrow to give an opinion about their value.

Peter:

Well... what's the problem?

They won't make any difficulty about paying up, surely?

Buckhurst:

Well, it could be difficult.

Our insurers seem to think the desks and chairs may not be too badly damaged.

Peter:

I think someone from the firm ought to go up and give us an opinion of the damage.

I'd like to go up there myself and have a look.

Buckhurst:

Oh, but it's miles from a main road.

It's right up in the Moorland Valley.

Peter:

Well, I can't go, anyway.

I've got too much to do at the moment.

I'll get Christopher Thorn to go up, he's got a car...

(Christopher Thorn gets to Moorland Valley.)

Christopher Thorn:

Good morning.

Nice morning for a country drive, isn't it?

Oh, what a mess that lorry's in.

Roberts:

May I ask who you are and what your business is up here?

Christopher:

Well, I might ask you the same question.

Roberts:

My name is Roberts.

I represent Brown & Johnson, Insurance Adjusters.

I've been asked to investigate the damage to the load which this lorry was carrying.

Christopher:

Ah, how do you do.

My name is Thorn, I work for Harper & Grant.

Roberts:

Oh, yes, your firm is making the claim.

Christopher:

Well, let's have a look.

I was warned that the lorry doors might have jammed.

Roberts:

I don't think these filing cabinets are too badly damaged.

I think it should be possible to salvage the lot.

These dents could be quite easily knocked out, and these desks could be repainted.

Christopher:

Oh, I don't think I agree, Mr. Roberts.

Look at this chair, it's a complete write-off.

We'd never be able to repair that.

And the filing cabinets.

Look at them!

They must have been under water for some time.

They would have to be stripped down and completely repainted.

Roberts:

H'm, well, I think I might recommend payment of... seventy five per cent of the insured value...

Hello!

What's this piece of paper?

Christopher:

I should think it used to be stuck on the windscreen; it's come unstuck with the damp and...

What does it say?

Roberts:

'Drivers are warned that it is a serious offence against company regulations, as agreed with the General Workers' Union, to give lifts in this vehicle to any person not being an employee of Andersons Transport Company.'

You realise what this means?

Christopher:

Sorry, no, I don't.

Roberts:

Didn't the driver inform the police that he gave a lift to this man in the transport cafe?

Christopher:

Yes, I believe he did.

But I don't see...

Roberts:

I think your company will find, Mr. Thorn, that Andersons, the carriers, should be held responsible for any damage to their customers' goods in transit if the damage is caused by negligence on the part of the driver.

Of course, it will depend on the contract your firm has with Andersons, but I don't think your insurers need be liable at all.

 

TWENTY FOUR

The Firm Expands

(The meeting of the Welfare Committee is just about to begin.)

Ian Hampden:

Miss Prince, Miss Tappett, Mr. Biggs...

Well, I think everyone's here, except the Company Secretary, Mr. Buckhurst.

I'm afraid he can't join us this morning because he has to meet the Mayor for the opening of the new factory extension.

By the way, we'll have to be fairly brief if we're to be down there before eleven.

We don't want to miss the official opening, do we?

Roy Biggs:

No, we don't.

Ian:

Good.

Well, let's take the minutes of the last meeting as read, if you agree?

(Murmurs of assent.)

Now the first item on today's agenda arises out of the last meeting.

It was agreed by the Committee to collect reactions from the staff to the new canteen and the new serving counters, which were designed to speed up the rate of service.

Miss Tappett, you undertook to find out about this.

Miss Tappett:

Everyone seemed to be very satisfied, Mr. Hampden.

Ian:

Are there any complaints?

Miss Tappett:

Oh, there were a few silly ones, but nothing serious.

Most people think it's a great improvement on the old canteen.

Ian:

Good.

Next, the suggestion was made that all wages should in future be paid by cheque instead of in cash.

Mr. Biggs undertook to enquire into this.

Well, Roy?

Biggs:

I made quite extensive enquiries, Mr. Hampden.

Some people didn't object to the idea.

They understood the point about safety.

But the majority of people, especially the male staff, didn't want to hear about it.

They like to see their money.

Most of them asked when they'd have time to go to a bank.

Miss Prince:

Their wives could draw the money from the bank.

Biggs:

Most men prefer to handle their own money, Miss Prince.

Miss Prince:

In my view that is a very old-fashioned attitude.

Biggs:

Maybe, but that is the majority opinion.

Ian:

Well, I gather there's not much point in pursuing this matter, anyway for the time being.

Biggs:

No, not really.

Ian:

Well, next we come to the question of sports facilities, and I'd first like to make a statement about this.

As you know, the management is seriously interested in using the area of land beyond the new extension.

One suggestion is that some form of sports ground be provided.

They ask the Welfare Committee to make recommendations.

As a preliminary I think we should put forward our own views on the matter.

Roy, perhaps we could start with your opinion.

Biggs:

I think, if there's enough money that the land should be levelled and made into a football field.

The majority of employees are men, and football is their favourite sport.

I strongly recommend a football pitch.

Miss Prince:

It's true, Mr. Biggs, that there are more male than female employees in this firm, but still, there are a lot of women.

I think it would be most unfair if the men were given special treatment in this way.

Ian:

What do you think, Miss Tappett?

Miss Tappett:

Me?

Oh, I really don't know.

Well, speaking for myself, I rather like things as they are.

It's nice, with the trees and the grass at lunchtime.

Biggs:

I think we should ask for suggestions from everyone first.

Then we can take a ballot.

Miss Prince:

But if there's a ballot, the majority wins.

I think more interest should be taken in minority opinions.

Ian:

Maybe we can do that, depending on the cash available.

But the first thing is to get information.

Roy, would you be willing to make yourself responsible for getting suggestions from the staff?

Biggs:

Yes, all right.

Ian:

Fine.

Oh, look, it's ten to eleven.

I think we'll have to adjourn if we want to hear the speeches.

I think we've settled most of the business.

Now we'd better fix the date of the next meeting...

(At the official opening of the new factory extension.)

Hector Grant:

Mr. Mayor, ladies and gentlemen.

You all know what this little ceremony is about; to launch this new extension.

But before I call upon the Mayor, Alderman Ridley, to perform the ceremony, I would like to tell you some thing about the state of our company and what we hope to do in the future.

It's sixty years ago to the day that the late Mr. Harper and my father first started (Mr. Grant's speech continues.)

At the annual general meeting of Harper & Grant, held this morning, the necessary resolutions were passed to allow a substantial increase in our authorised capital and to change the articles so that the shares of the company may be freely bought and sold on the open market...

We're going public.

Voice:

What about the workers?

Grant:

Anyone will be able to buy Harper & Grant shares.

But we are proposing to issue a special class of share, with all the rights attaching to the ordinary shares, which can be bought and sold by employees only, at a price below the open-market value.

We want all employees to have the chance to participate in what we are all sure will be the successful future of their company.

As we continue to stride forward, we must keep a fair balance between the perhaps somewhat conservative wisdom and care for detail that comes with experience, and the adventurous spirit of high endeavour.

With your help, success will be assured. (Applause.)