Network research ‘essential’

James Clegg, director of Anvil Financial Solutions Ltd, joined Openwork after setting up his own firm but encountered a number of problems which complicated his business.

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He said: “I was somewhat new to the whole process and needed all the support I could get and Openwork seemed like a good choice, given it size and market presence. However, after a long and protracted joining process which involved a week’s residential ‘training’ course in Swindon, the flavour of things to come soon became apparent.

“It was when I began to write business that the real problems emerged. The submission process was weak and time-consuming, and the final straw came in the form of the payment department, which I am still chasing for a print out of my final commission statement so I can claim the money back that it has ‘lost’ in the system. A word of warning to the wise – if you value your sanity, money and business, choose your network carefully.”

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Openwork admitted it had problems in the past but had undergone a number of changes to improve its service.

Joe Kessler, marketing manager at Openwork, said: “We accept that 12 months ago our submission process was cumbersome. This is precisely why we have invested in IT over the last year, culminating in the launch of a point-of-sale system in 2006.”