Pentreath Cold Chain / BG-Demo – QBR
Callcompleted
Pentreath Cold Chain · 15 May 2026 10:30
QBR with Finance Director Philip Annear: about twelve daily users against fifty licences, a demand for a number rather than an anecdote on value, and a renewal on 28 Dec 2026 he will not accept on autopilot.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026QBR with Finance Director Philip Annear: about twelve daily users against fifty licences, a demand for a number rather than an anecdote on value, and a renewal on 28 Dec 2026 he will not accept on autopilot.
What happened: Daniel Okafor and Philip Annear met alone. Around twelve people were active on a typical day, against fifty licensed users on the Growth tier.
Customer view: Philip does not want to pay for seats nobody uses, and he called the time-saving story an anecdote, not a number. He asked whether a few people do most of the asking and said that if one left, they would be paying for nothing.
Commercial: The term ends on 27 Dec 2026 and the renewal date is 28 Dec 2026. Invoices of £48k a year match the order form, and Daniel would not state the renewal price, only that list prices have moved for renewals.
Watch: Seat count, key-person risk and price are the likely points of challenge. The evidence does not show whether the value note or renewal paper has since been sent.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Seat gap and value case
Importance
renewal
Sentiment
mixed
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Daniel Okafor to send Philip Annear a note on usage and value, including who asks the questions, by the end of the month.
- Daniel to confirm in writing that the two tickets were answered within the Growth response time.
- Daniel and Tom Ashdown to send the renewal paper with full terms well before the notice date.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Twelve active users against fifty licensed invites a request to cut seats at renewal.
- A few account managers may do most of the asking, which is a key-person risk Philip named himself.
- Philip has no number for value and the renewal price was not stated on the call.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Daily use is up on the previous quarter and account managers use it before client reviews.
- Depot supervisors and contract review staff dip in less, so wider use is a case for keeping the seats.
Transcript
Daniel OkaforMorning, Philip, and thanks for making the time. Can you hear me all right on your side?
Philip AnnearLoud and clear. Morning, Daniel.- Daniel OkaforLovely. I think it's just the two of us today, so I'll keep it relaxed. How is the week treating you? Is Avonmouth still busy?
- Philip AnnearBusy. Trailers everywhere and a hot spell forecast, which keeps the depots on their toes. Anyway. Usage. Who's using it?
- Daniel OkaforFair question, and I'd rather start there too. Over the last month there have been around twelve people active on a typical day, and that's up a little on the previous quarter, so the direction is the right one. Most of them are your account managers, the ones who sit with a client's excursion tickets, orders and contract reviews all in one place.
- Philip AnnearTwelve. And we have fifty licensed.
- Daniel OkaforYes, fifty licensed users. I won't dress that up, Philip. Twelve against fifty is a gap, and you're right to point at it. Part of my job is working out with you whether the gap is headroom or whether it's waste.
- Philip AnnearWhich is it?
- Daniel OkaforHonestly, a bit of both, and I'd be guessing if I gave you a split. The account managers are in there every day. The depot supervisors and the contract review people dip in much less. So the question I'd put back to you is whether you'd like those groups using it more, or whether you'd rather the licence matched the people who do.
- Philip AnnearHm. I'd rather not pay for desks nobody sits at.
- Daniel OkaforUnderstood. Let me come back to you on that properly. I'll look at who has logged in at all over the quarter, not just the daily average, because the average hides people who come in once a week for a contract review and get real value from it.
- Philip AnnearFine. Do that. What else is on your list?
- Daniel OkaforSupport, just to close the loop. There were two tickets in the last month and one of them was marked high priority. I've read through both. They were picked up inside the response time you have on Growth, and I'll confirm that to you in writing so you've got it on paper rather than just my word.
- Philip AnnearTwo tickets. That's not many.
- Daniel OkaforNo, and with a base that's growing, I'd read that as calm rather than quiet. If it was few tickets and fewer people, I'd be worried. Here it's the other way round.
- Philip AnnearMm. Invoices. Anything outstanding on your side that I don't know about?
- Daniel OkaforNothing. Nothing overdue, and what we've invoiced matches the order form. It's forty-seven thousand five hundred a year, and the invoices say the same, so no surprises there.
- Philip AnnearGood. I like that boring.
- Daniel OkaforBoring is the aim, from my side as well.
- Philip AnnearNow the one I actually care about. What does it save us? Not a story. Something I can put in front of my fellow directors.
- Daniel OkaforRight. So the honest version is this. Before the brain, an account manager preparing for a client review had to open the ticketing system, then the orders, then the contract folder, and stitch the picture together by hand. They now ask one question and get the excursion history, the orders and the contract position together. That's time back for every review, and you've told me yourself the review season is when it bites.
- Philip AnnearThat's an anecdote, Daniel. It's a nice one. It's not a number.
- Daniel OkaforIt's fair. I haven't got a cost-per-pallet figure for you and I'm not going to invent one. What I can do is put together a short note from what the system actually holds: how many questions are being asked, by which teams, and how that has moved over the year. You'd see the use, in your own data, rather than my description of it.
- Philip AnnearQuestions asked. Is that spread around or is it one person?
- Daniel OkaforGood thing to check, and I'll put it in the note. My instinct is that a few account managers do most of the asking, which is natural, but I'd rather show you than say it.
- Philip AnnearIf it's three people, I want to know that. If one of them leaves, we're paying for nothing.
- Daniel OkaforYes. That's exactly the risk worth naming, and I'd rather we look at it now than discover it later. I'll include it.
- Philip AnnearGive me a second, I've got the contract here somewhere.
- Philip AnnearRight. Contract end. I have it as 27 Dec 2026.
- Daniel OkaforThat's what I have as well. The term ends on 27 Dec 2026 and the renewal date is 28 Dec 2026. We've a good while yet, but I know you like to be warned.
- Philip AnnearI do. Send me the renewal in good time. And I don't renew on autopilot, so don't take silence for a yes.
- Daniel OkaforI wouldn't, and I'll make sure nobody on our side does either. The renewal notice comes through me, about ninety days ahead, and Tom Ashdown, who looks after the commercial terms, will be on it with me. You'll have the value note first, so you're deciding with something in your hand.
- Philip AnnearAnd the price? Will it be the same?
- Daniel OkaforI won't guess at that on a call, Philip, because it isn't mine to promise. Our list prices have moved for renewals, and I'd rather Tom and I set out in writing exactly what applies to you than give you a half answer now. You'll have it well before the notice date.
- Philip AnnearHm. Not what I wanted to hear, but I'd rather that than a guess.
- Daniel OkaforUnderstood. How is the team finding it day to day, from what you hear? I get the usage numbers, but you hear the grumbles.
- Philip AnnearI hear very little. Which, from account managers, usually means it's fine.
- Daniel OkaforI'll take that. Shall I recap, so we've both got the same list?
- Philip AnnearGo on.
- Daniel OkaforOne: a note on usage and value, including who is asking the questions and how many of the fifty seats are really in play. Two: written confirmation on the two tickets. Three: the renewal paper, with the terms in full, in good time before the date. I'll come back to you on the first two by the end of the month.
- Philip AnnearThat'll do. Thank you, Daniel.
- Daniel OkaforThanks for your time, Philip. Keep the trailers cool. Best wishes.
- Philip AnnearWill do. Goodbye.
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