ICON dinner in spirit of openness

In an unusually frank speech, Dr David Holt, the Chief Executive of NSI, has admitted that NACOSS had been seen by some installers as "dictatorial" with an "unfriendly reputation, a bad reputation.
It was a problem we had to deal with".

Speaking at a dinner to inaugurate ICON, the new regulation scheme for smaller installers, Dr Holt said they had worked hard to overcome that reputation and were now getting "good feedback."

They were now seen as "helpful and helping peoples' businesses to develop".

The idea for ICON, focusing on the needs of smaller and newer installers as well as those looking for simple inspection services, came about three years ago, he revealed.

"When we announced it we were surprised we got as much negative reaction as we did," he said. They listened to the criticism, postponed the marketing and modified it. "Now it is what the installer wants: a simple scheme helping firms to grow their businesses"

The thinking behind it was that NACOSS had been seen as "quite exclusive and it needed to be inclusive. It needed to broaden scope", he said.

Adding to the new spirit of openness, Alex Volossevich, Head of Corporate Affairs, said that with ICON there would be "no onerous paperwork.

"The focus is on people. A lot of people do dread and fear ISO 9000. For the smaller companies this is not so necessary".

ICON (which stands for Inspected Company of NSI) was "not a secret organisation and we will do things in an open way."

Icon was recognised by insurers and it complied with ACPO Policy giving installers the chance to obtain URNs.

Prices were kept low (from £360 a year for inspection service and certificates £9 "Every job is certificated to a level customers have confidence in", said Vollossevich.).

In a sheet of literature distributed at the dinner for potential ICON companies and others in the industry, Jackie Bennett of the Association of British Insurers, said: "ABI recognises the introduction of ICON as an extension of the inspection service which NSI provides for intruder alarm companies". A number of insurance companies also are quoted as welcoming the new organisation.

Darren Hughes, of Morgan Security, Oswestry, Shropshire, accepted a plaque for being the first ICON installer. He said: "We wanted insurance recognition … but we didn't want a sudden big pile of paper onthe desk."