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FAQ |
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CNG Business Services is part of the privately owned CNG Family of Companies,a privately
owned business founded in 1971.The rationale of CNG Business Services is to allow
smaller businesses to obtain products and services for themselves at the same low
prices that the largest businesses obtain. We think it ironic that the smallest
businesses, those least able to overpay for a product, are the very same customers
who pay the most to a supplier, whereas the large customer with the high profits
pays the least.We help to redress this balance by providing individual businesses
with access to the lower costs they would not be able to negotiate themselves –
as we act for so many small businesses,the suppliers provide all our customers with
preferential pricing more usually reserved for their largest,most preferred customers. |
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Both the supplier and customer benefit with CNG Business Services. Customers benefit
from access to a lower cost pricing structure from their preferred suppliers. And
suppliers benefit because CNG Business Services generates so many new customers
for them at a much lower acquisition cost than normal.The result is win-win for
all parties and it is the reason that our company is growing so quickly. |
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| Q |
What are business rates? |
| A |
Business Rates are a tax on your property based on its rental value as at 1 April 2003. The Valuation Office Agency is responsible for assessing the rateable value of all non-domestic properties in England and Wales. The Assessor has the same task in Scotland. Your Local Authority collects the business rates based on the rateable value, uniform business rate and transitional and other reliefs.
All business properties were revalued from 1 April 2005 in England Wales & Scotland . You can appeal your new rateable value at any time up to 31 March 2010 if your property is in England and Wales and up to 30 September 2005 if in Scotland. The advice from storeys:ssp is to make early appeals. This could lead to your appeal being dealt with sooner. Business rates revaluations take place every five years. The next revaluation will be from 1st April 2010 and it will use information about your property rental value as at 1st April 2008. |
| Q |
How does the rates appeal process work? |
| A |
A business rates appeal involves considering the local District Valuer’s assessments and then considering any factors which could result in variations from this – these include your usage class throughout the property, any modifications to the building, the usage class of neighbouring properties, any building works in the vicinity and any variations in measurements. |
| Q |
Can everyone use your services? |
| A |
No, we cannot help businesses that occupy one property with a rateable value of less than £10,000 PA. For these properties, it is worth noting that a new SMALL BUSINESS RATE RELIEF SCHEME was introduced in England from 1 April 2005. To qualify you must occupy only one business property and your rateable value must be below £10,000. Relief is between 0% and 50% of your rates bill! You should have received an application form from the Council with your rates bill. If you think you qualify, complete and return the form directly to your Council. The forms are very straight-forward and you can get help from the Council if you need it. The form cannot be completed by an agent, only the ratepayer.
There is a similar scheme in Scotland which also applies from 1 April 2005.You can have more than one property provided the total rateable value is less than £11,500. Relief is also from 0% to 50% of your rates bill. |
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Q |
Does empty rate relief still apply? |
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A |
Yes, but the conditions in which it applies are much more restricted than previously.
It mainly applies where:
A property is unoccupied for less than three months, whereas previously it was six
months. A building is a monuments or sometimes when it is listed When there is a
legal prohibition from occupying a property. |
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Q |
Why are more vacant buildings being demolished? |
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A |
This is because the Government has reduced the empty rates relief period from six
to three months. As a result, it is sometimes cheaper for landlords to demolish
old buildings and pay no rates while they sit out the overall slump in the market. |
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Q |
What is happening in conjunction with the new 2010 property rating revaluation? |
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A |
The VOA will be using rental evidence from around April 2008 for all 2010 rates
assessments. These new assessments will be effective from April 2010.
The Government has announced some measures for businesses to defer payment for part
of this increase in business rates but discussions on this front are continuing
with the property industry. |
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Q |
How much notice do I have to give my existing supplier if I wish to change? |
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A |
You must give your current supplier at least 4 weeks notice prior to the expiration
of your current contract that you are considering changing supplier.
You should check the specific terms of your current contract but most require at
least this period of notice otherwise your supplier may be entitled to automatically
renew your contract at a much higher rate. It does not matter if you serve notice
to your current supplier and then after you receive the renewal quotes you decide
to continue with your current supplier. You have at least protected yourself
and preserved your ability to choose the most appropriate contract by giving the
contractually required notice. |
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Q |
Am I allowed to change electricity and gas supplier whenever I want? |
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A |
You can certainly change suppliers whenever you like as long as you are not under
contract with a particular supplier. If you are under contract, you must refer to
your specific terms & conditions and serve the relevant notice.
Since deregulation of the energy markets in late 1998, changing supplier to obtain
a more favourable rate for electricity or gas has become commonplace. Thousands
of businesses change electricity and gas supplier every month and lower their bills.
We do the hard work for you by sourcing the most competitive electricity or gas
supplier for your type of business. |
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Q |
Can I just ring up and use the emergency glazing service when I want? |
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A |
Once you have registered your interest with us, we give you an account number so
you can purchase from UKGlassForce whenever you need to. |
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Q |
Can I ring for new glazing at any time of the day or night? |
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A |
Yes, UKGlassForce will ensure they attend to you when you need them. |
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Q |
Do you provide temporary boarding if suitable glazing is not available at a
particular time? |
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A |
Yes, the minimum call out fee of £100 includes for boarding if suitable glass is
not available at a particular time. |
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Q |
I already have fire extinguishers, what more do I need to do? |
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A |
While having even a single fire extinguisher can be tremendously
helpful, it may not be enough to comply with your insurance requirements.
Furthermore, compliance with British Standards requires extinguishers to be serviced
annually to the highest standards. |
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Q |
Where can I read more about my responsibilities as an employer? |
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A |
For more detailed information on your responsibilities as an employer and the range
of fire protection services available, please refer to the Chubb website. |
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Q |
Can I call Chubb to help me on an ad-hoc basis? |
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A |
Yes, you can call Chubb to help on an ad-hoc basis, but you may prefer to have an
annual service agreement with them.
A service agreement is important because in addition to complying
with British Standards & meeting insurance requirements, it extends the
life of equipment due to preventative maintenance visits and it reduces the risk
of false alarms. We can provide you with an easy, convenient and competitively
priced solution through Chubb that will both give you peace of mind and look after
your property.
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Q |
Why do you pay a bonus? |
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A |
We have been doing this since we started our original Wall's Ice-Cream buying group
in 1984. It is a way to reward you for all the efforts you have made to sell frozen
foods and it is in addition to the already low prices from our distributors. |
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Q |
How is the sales bonus calculated? |
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A |
This is calculated based on sales of ice-cream and other frozen food supplied by
our nominated distributor. |
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Q |
When do I receive the bonus and in what form? |
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A |
The sales bonus is sent to you every March in the form of a cheque. |
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Q |
Do you have coverage across the whole country? |
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A |
No, we only have coverage in certain areas where our distributors have reach. This
is always changing though so do check back frequently. |
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Q |
How long does it take to obtain a quote? |
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A |
We will provide a bespoke quote to you within 24 business hours of obtaining all
the required information. |
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Q |
Do you deal with just one insurer? |
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A |
No, we work with dozens of insurers every day so you can be assured that we are
searching for the best product for you. |
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Q |
If I have any questions after I have taken a policy, is there any support available? |
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A |
Yes, there is specific customer support available from Giles and also the relevant
insurer. |
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Q |
Do you provide any account managers for larger clients? |
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A |
Yes, if you annual insurance premiums are in excess of £10,000 your account will
normally be assigned to a dedicated account manager. |
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Q |
Do I open the account with CNG Business Services and the supplier? |
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A |
No, you just open the account with the supplier and then you order directly from
them. |
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Q |
Can your suppliers deliver nationwide? |
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A |
Yes, the suppliers can deliver nationwide |
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Q |
How long does it take to open an account? |
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A |
An account can be open in only a couple of days |
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Q |
What if I want to buy something which is not on the list of items initially
submitted? |
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A |
Just ring your account manager to request a specially reduced rate. The reductions
that will apply will depend on whether an item is OEM or a high-quality generic. |
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Q |
How is this Health & Safety legislation enforced? |
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A |
Legislation is enforced by various agencies including the Environmental
Health Departments of Local Authorities and also the Health and Safety Executive. |
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Q |
Can you treat other pests? |
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A |
Yes, Rentokil can treat all types of pests – they will determine the most suitable
treatment after visiting your premises and indentifying the specific pest. |
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Q |
Can I change my pest control provider to Rentokil? |
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A |
Yes, but please refer to the agreement you have with your current provider as they
may require notice for you to stop using their services. |
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Q |
Could my current pest control company already be using Rentokil products? |
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A |
It is possible that your current provider has bought some Rentokil products, but
only Rentokil carry the full range of their products and it will be cheaper direct. |
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Q |
Why would I need to replace my existing alarm system? |
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A |
If your intruder alarm system has more than about three false alarms, or the personal
attack alert has more than two false alarms in any 12 month period, the police
may refuse to respond to your alarm calls in the future? If this happens,
the only way to restore police support is to replace and upgrade your existing
alarm system to current specifications.
Each Secom installation is backed up with a service package which ensures the system
installed operates to its fullest potential and that any potential problems such
as equipment failure or false alarms are reduced or eradicated altogether. |
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Q |
Can you still help me if I already have security equipment in my business? |
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A |
Yes, in many cases it is possible to upgrade a security system without replacing
the equipment already in place. An example of this is adding CCTV to
complement the existing intruder alarm system - this serves both as a deterrent
in preventing crime, and more importantly it helps bring criminals to justice. |
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Q |
Can you help maintain my alarm system even if you did not supply it? |
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A |
Yes, Secom can also take over the maintenance and monitoring for many other
types of security systems too. Preventative maintenance of any manufacturer's equipment
not only extends the life of that piece of equipment, it also ensures that it functions
properly in an emergency situation. Our supplier has its own in-house
alarm receiving centre and an infrastructure of local offices to ensure the highest
levels of customer care and service throughout the country. |
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Q |
When did it become possible to switch telephone supplier? |
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A |
Deregulation in the telephone markets began in 1984, but it is only much more recently
that switching telephone supplier has come within the reach of most businesses.
Like switching electricity supplier, switching telephone supplier is an easy, and
much misunderstood process. |
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Q |
How does switching suppliers actually work? |
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A |
Switching supplier is also known as Carrier Pre-Selection, or CPS. CPS entails all
telephone calls you make being automatically re-routed at your
local exchange to the new supplier, but you maintain the telephone line
and telephone number with British Telecom. BT will still own, run and send you bills
for your line rental, and your secondary CPS supplier will bill you for calls made
through them. |
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Q |
Do I keep the same number if I change supplier? |
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A |
Yes, your number stays the same and you will notice no difference in the service
provided.
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