Engagement and Interaction seem to be the buzz words at the moment as Google+ usage continues to grow at an astounding rate.

With this in mind we have updated the Top 10 SEO Tips section on V1 SEO to reflect the way Google has entered in to social networking with such a gusto

Wwe have also added sections providing Google+ Optimisation Tips and Profiles Optimisation advice.

January 18th 2012 WordPress Blackout Day Against SOPA

Butler Fuels Limited, part of the GB Oils / DCC Group – Previously known as Total Butler.

Initial post about sales staff discounting prices (made on 3rd December 2008)

I have been a regular customer of Total Butler (Butler Fuels) for over 10 years now and have always had my central heating oil delivered by them and in all that time I have always paid my bill as soon as it arrived and never queried anything.

Last week I phoned Total Butler to order my oil as usual and out of interest asked how much it was now? The reply I got was 48p a litre, I said “Is that the best you can do” and it immediately came down to 44p a litre. Deciding to push it a bit further I said “surely you can do better that that” the guy on the end of the line went away for less than 20 seconds and came back with a price of 40p a litre.

Basically, for the sake of less than a minute asking about the price (only slightly haggling) I got nearly a 20% reduction of my £500 heating bill.

You may think I am happy with this, but no, I am livid. What it shows is that because I have been a regular loyal customer, never queried the price before, I have probably been paying a 20% premium for the last 10 years.

So if you get your oil delivered from Total Butler, have been a regular customer for a yew years and would like to save 20% of your heating costs, don’t just pay the initial oil price they tell you, ask if they can do any better, haggle more and see what happens.

If anyone has any views on Total Butler oil prices please comment below.

Update 13th January 2012 – Total Butler Name Change

Total Butler are now known as Butler Fuels Limited, part of the GB Oils / DCC Group – Registered in Jersey with the company number 108474

Contact Butler Fuels: Local team – 08457 240 241 (local rate)

Contact Butler Fuels: Head Office (Cheltenham) - 01242 222 999

Contact Butler Fuels: Customer Care - 08457 346 222 (option 2)

Update 5th October 2010

I have just received the following correspondence from a Total representative which they have asked me to publish, hopefully this is a sign that they are listening to customers feedback.

“At TOTAL BUTLER we always aim to provide a safe, easy and reliable service. If for any reason this is not your experience, please let me know so that I can help to resolve any issues you might have.

Please contact me, Claire Woolham, at TOTAL BUTLER Head Office on the dedicated helpline 01242 229442 or rm.marketing-totalbutler@totalbutler.co.uk
Thank you”

Update 15th January 2010

As can be seen by all the recent comments at the bottom of this page, not only are there a number of complaints about the pricing policy of Total Butler there are also a number of complaints about communications and the fact customers are apparently given misinformation about delivery times.

We cannot blame Total Butler for the weather conditions, but surely we can expect the sales and call centre staff to communicate with their own drivers and not promise deliveries unless they are possible?

Update 14th February 2009

Since writing my initial post the number of comments has obviously revealed that a lot of people are not happy with what appears to be a new telephone ordering system Total Butler have recently bought in.

I was surprised when I ordered my last top up not to speak to my usual local office, but didn’t really think anything of it at the time. I now understand that Total may have changed the system of ordering on the phone? (confrirmation would be appreciated)

This post receives regular visits from users using  an IP from par.totalfinaelf.net if anyone from Total would like to leave a reply to these comments I will be happy to publish it here. tj@nrac.co.uk

Apparently this years John Lewis Christmas advert features Slow Moving Millie performing an old The Smiths classic Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.

More info here – John Lewis Christmas Advert 2011

Update: Slow Moving Millie Version Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

You can now see the full Slow Moving Millie Version, read more information and comment on it here – Slow Moving Millie Version of Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

The CAE (Centre for Accessible Environments) say the maximum gradient for wheelchair ramps is 1:12, with the occasional exception in the case of short, steeper ramps when refitting existing buildings.

The gradient also depends on the going of the flight with longer goings requiring shallower gradients.

The maximun height a single ramp should climb before incorporating a landing/rest area is 500mm which should have a gradient no steeper than 1:20 as the height gets lowwer the ramp can become steeper on a sliding scale with a 330m height requiring a 1:15 gradient and a 150mm height requiring 1:12 gradient wheelchair ramps

The different upgraded directory listings are;

Bronze Listings – £30.00

Appears above Free listings in category pages, displays telephone number more prominently, includes a link to your website.

Silver Listings – £50.00

Appears above Free and Bronze listings in category pages, displays telephone number more prominently, includes a link to your website, other adverts are removed from the page.

Gold Listings – £100.00

Appears above Free, Bronze & Silver listings in category pages, displays telephone number more prominently, includes a link to your website, other adverts are removed from the page, is colour coded to match your website, displays logos or images, and includes 2 extra deep links to your most important pages.

For further information visit – Special Upgraded Directory Listing Options

Unfortunately it was bit cold and drizzly so I decided to go for a breakfast in Shipston instead.

After taking miracle anti wrinkle treatment

Interestingly, the first traffic generating tip goes against the common perception and tells people not to worry so much about Google Duplicate content penalties and if you have well written quality articles to be less protective about them and get them syndicated and repeated in as many places as possible.

The post Duplicate Content Bah Humbug expains that it is better to have your quality article out there for as many people to see as possible rather than closely protected on your own site where only a handful of people may ever read it.

Many SEO’s will disagree, but sometimes the SEO forgets that traffic is more important than positions.