David Neill Mica
19 years ago independent DIY, garden and homeware store, David Neill, took a giant leap to EPOS
Based in Ashbourne, David Neill Mica Home & DIY has been open since 1989 when it was established by managing director Mark Hidgcock’s father. David Neill has gone from having 3 part-time members of staff to 6 full time members, and in 2017 Mark and his brother were passed the business by their father.
Over the years the business has had to change to keep up with trends and fashions. When the store first opened, car parts were a prominent department, but as the business has evolved over time they now stock everything from DIY / Hardware products to Homeware goods. Now Mark and his brother have taken over the business, they have plans to modernise the building and refresh the customer experience through the store. Known for their excellent customer satisfaction, the team now wish to open 2 new stores alongside their current store on the main high street in Ashbourne’s town centre, so they can spread their DIY knowledge and expertise to DIY enthusiasts everywhere.
Before CSY installed their system into the store, they relied on a written stock inventory. “We didn’t have an EPOS system before CSY Vector, we used a basic standalone till at the counter and our stock inventory was controlled on paper” said Managing Director, Mark Hidgcock. “CSY’s EPOS system is a much more modern approach, with stock figures and reports available instantly and at the touch of a button. They are also local to us with their head office being in Nottingham, which is reassuring if we have any major problems.”
We first installed the system into David Neill back in 1999 which Mark described to be “excellent and hassle free.” As with all of our customers, we partner with them to refresh their hardware when necessary and support them every step of the way. Getting the staff used to the system was just as easy and slightly bonded the group, which is always nice to hear. “Younger members of staff took to the new system straight away, whereas older members took a little longer but CSY support team were always available during these times.”
As the brother’s want to improve the store, we want to make sure our system always fits the stores image. We also want to make sure the store is always running smoothly, especially when serving customers. “Selling, ordering and goods receiving are used daily and are the most important aspect of the software.”
As David Neill is an independent retail business it is vital that they offer great customer service and is something they pride themselves on. “Anything we can do to make the customer feel wanted and special is important,” added Mark. “Loyalty cards are an excellent way to give back to our customers and we use them a lot.”
At CSY one of the main services we provide are our in-house training sessions, we always want our customers to leave the sessions with a better understanding of the system. “Last January I attended a training course to get a refresh on the system and found it very useful. I will maybe attend again next year as you always learn something when you attend.” Another service we pride ourselves on is our 7-day a week helpdesk, “the staff members on the helpdesk are very good, always polite and very helpful. Whenever I phone my issue is always resolved.”
In the future, we are very excited to see Mark and the team develop their fathers’ business and we will always be there to provide them with modern, hassle free EPOS.
“With the help from CSY Vector we’ve grown and continue to develop as a business.”
