Plumbing emergencies!

derekgas · 26-11-2007, 16:49

Just noticed a google ad at the bottom of a thread for reactfast plumbing and heating emergencies, someone told me the other day (a plumber), he does work for these, (so they contract out a lot), the job took 40 minutes, reactfast told him he should have made it last another 20 minutes and charged another hour! Just thought it should be known!

park381 · 23-12-2007, 17:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

Just noticed a google ad at the bottom of a thread for reactfast plumbing and heating emergencies, someone told me the other day (a plumber), he does work for these, (so they contract out a lot), the job took 40 minutes, reactfast told him he should have made it last another 20 minutes and charged another hour! Just thought it should be known!

Is that not how all traders work, think of a figure then double it

derekgas · 23-12-2007, 18:39

Not where I work, my boss is more fair than anybody I have worked for in the past, including big companies like British gas.

park381 · 23-12-2007, 21:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

Not where I work, my boss is more fair than anybody I have worked for in the past, including big companies like British gas.

Your boss uses a lucky bag then

British gas are one big joke. 2 weeks training and out on the road as a
qualified gas engineer

glasgow guy · 24-12-2007, 19:38

I work with a load of gas fitters/plumbers in my job so I am quite covered if anything goes wrong at home..parts at cost price and a pint as payment..and no call out charge !!

BERNADETTE · 24-12-2007, 19:49

My brother-in-law is a plumber so just a phone call gets any energencies sorted out

derekgas · 24-12-2007, 19:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by park381

Your boss uses a lucky bag then

British gas are one big joke. 2 weeks training and out on the road as a
qualified gas engineer

BG is not quite like that yet, they train qualified people for 2 weeks before they send them on the road, it used to be to bring them up to BG standards, now it is as much to teach them sales techniques as anything else, because they have shareholders and pay commission. BG is definately not what it used to be, it has been far too easy for people to become corgi registered for years, it is changing, but still not stringent enough.

park381 · 25-12-2007, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

BG is not quite like that yet, they train qualified people for 2 weeks before they send them on the road

BG used to send groups of new starters to stay for a week at the Swallow Hotel (Preston new road) they attended gas training courses at Blackburn College, the courses run by Stan the man. I don't know if they still do that, but all the BG new starteres were new to the trade and from every walk of life.

derekgas · 25-12-2007, 09:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by park381

BG used to send groups of new starters to stay for a week at the Swallow Hotel (Preston new road) they attended gas training courses at Blackburn College, the courses run by Stan the man. I don't know if they still do that, but all the BG new starteres were new to the trade and from every walk of life.

Wow! That's bad, and worse than I thought, that will be why BG has really gone down in some peoples estimation, another result of this is, we get a lot of calls from people willing to work cheap, or for free because they need experience to get corgi in thier own right, trouble is, no loyalty, why would you create your own competition?

park381 · 25-12-2007, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

Wow! That's bad, and worse than I thought, that will be why BG has really gone down in some peoples estimation

That is very true. I know several people that have signed up with BG for their "Central Heating/Boiler Maintenance" and there are some real tales of woe, I know not all problems can be resolved at the first attempt, but to order and replace parts, as in process of elimination, until they have nearly rebuilt the boiler in finding the fault. Not very good

derekgas · 25-12-2007, 10:30

We have a customer who got £560 back off them because they told her her boiler was obsolete when it wasn't, on average, we take a breakdown cover a week off BG, people are obviously getting wise to them.

park381 · 25-12-2007, 11:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

We have a customer who got £560 back off them because they told her her boiler was obsolete when it wasn't, on average, we take a breakdown cover a week off BG, people are obviously getting wise to them.

So what is your charge for breakdown cover, and what do you provide for that charge. Is all that subject to a site inspection of the boiler and system, the same as BG?

derekgas · 25-12-2007, 11:40

It's on the website, but standard boiler £129, guaranteed visit within 2 hours, inspection required unless already on cover with somebody, full system cover with exception to the flue. Combi is £149, fires etc can also be covered.

park381 · 25-12-2007, 12:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

It's on the website, but standard boiler £129, guaranteed visit within 2 hours, inspection required unless already on cover with somebody, full system cover with exception to the flue. Combi is £149, fires etc can also be covered.

Not bad, a well designed website, one thing your website does not tell me is that the boiler is serviced to the manufacturers specification. Do you strip and clean the combustion chamber, and clean off the burner ass.?

derekgas · 25-12-2007, 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by park381

Not bad, a well designed website.

Thank you, I will tell the boss, though i'm sure she knows, she is pretty good at what we do!