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Re: British Gas Homecare
hi john,
it has to have its funny side, or we would be up the creek.Thanks to someones dad working for BG (one guess only)I now get calls for help in solving Whirlpool problems from the team manager of Scottish gas. I have given the part number of SAM and he’s bought one, but does not not how it works…….
You might expect Whirlpool to take an interest in this..but there again we are talking about Whirlpool… sorry John got carried away!
However its the “blind leading the blind” and how these companies can offer “service” and “value for money” is beyond me. In some ways its because these “nationals” are so poor that the cowboys survive, I’m sure GOD(kwatt) will post a reply now 8)
All in all BG are about on a par with …….it’s funny, there’s a few you could add to finish this sentence….dare you?
Kevin
Re: British Gas Homecare
I would love to know a couple of things about them, like
How many engineers do they have nationwide at roughly £19-21k each?
What their First time fix rate is?
What their speed of service is?
And how much it costs to send an engineer to a house?If we had the true figures for the above and had to pay them ourselves I am sure that the trade membership in here would be extinct overnight. This appears to me to be a corporate exercise that has a massive budget thrown at it but will come with a timescale to reach a profit and when that profit is not achieved then bye bye staff.
I expect the story will be on the front page this year or next at the latest.
John
PS. do you think anyone will notice that I am not a fan of British Gas 😈 😈
Re: British Gas Homecare
Given the equipment used, backup staff, quality of materials used and the sheer size of the workforce it simply cannot be economical IMO to run the operation that BG do. But they say they’ve made masses of money, in the order of multiple millions from their “homecare” scheme or whatever it is that they call it.
With the product diversity I doubt it somehow and I think that they lump the electrical side in with alarms and appliances. Just wait till Part P bites and some bright spark decides to delve a little deeper.
They also say that the gas maintenance side loses money! 😯
Go figure.
K.
Re: British Gas Homecare
I think BG poaching one of my techs is well out of order. I won’t dwell on the whys & hows, but let’s just say I’m not best pleased.
I can see the lure of money was the incentive, but he will be run ragged repairing all makes, with little tech back up and support. He will have a tracker in the van, so no sloping off home early or shopping trips. He was hungry enough to look at the financial rewards, so best of luck to him.
Like Dave I was an agent for B.Gas. What an operation that was! They couldn’t run a bath. I won’t bore you but the work stopped overnight once they took on the Homecare structure. However, if the local engineer went sick or on holiday, a load of calls would appear after a month of nothing.
They used to fax 1st thing in the morning the calls booked for that day, they could be anywhere. We would phone some customers to apologise they had double booked us, only to be told that they were booked over a week ago. Why BG didn’t pass the call on at once was never answered, they told me, “this is the way we do it, put up with it”!
I’m going now or, I will start getting passionate.
Alex
am a very happy and contented brittish gas engineer and i reguarly take home 2k per month bonus/ included for basicaly a 9 – 5 mon -fri, but like all major companys if your in a good tight area and you dont have much traveling yer quids in, their are guys who earn more than me but they do work for it>> and then their are guys who are in rural areas who get pi–ed off because they are traveling 200mile+ for 4 jobs and cant earn bonuss.also if you have a good boss it makes a hell of a difference… vans are well stocked and parts center has about 90{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} stock levels on u name it> + over night delivery… i know when they started this service things were bad and they still have areas that need attended to ( but what multi brand national repair company doesnt have these problems )> but the back up u get is 2nd to none + you might see 1-2 manufacturers being bought by centrica.. as they are looking to supply their customers just like on the boiler side a britsh gas branded appliance.. british gas pays the highest basic wage for white goods engineers £19,900>nwith pay rise on the way @april + good achievable bonus structure
[ quote]anybody that wants to know anything about ……….just ask…………..ps the whirlpool diagnostic tool works like a dream pity its a bit expensive>> working on a job lot i believe… ESD MADE ABOUT 60 MIL FOR CENTRICA LAST YEAR.. WAIT TILL THEY START ADVERTISING ON THE TELLY FOR WHITEGOOD REPAIRS
funkyboogy wrote:. WAIT TILL THEY START ADVERTISING ON THE TELLY FOR WHITEGOOD REPAIRS
They have been, for about 2 years odd. They show a bod changing a hoover logic belt with the machines back prised off about 5 cm.
Re: British Gas Homecare
I KNOW MATE …….. IF ONLY.. that was the time that they retrained their gas engineers to repair whitegoods…hehehaha.
but on a serios note they have came a long way in 2 years, and have systematicaly headhunted, and tried to avoid using contractors which i guess is a bone of contention@ UKW..> but i ran my own buis for 15 years and only threw the towel inn .. due to the nice people from HM CUSTOMS AND EXISE…so dont think i dont know hard it is to run a buis ..because i do and to behonest…… i wouldnt thankyou for it now…….Re: British Gas Homecare
And you’re not alone in that action.
Many of the independents have given it up, gone to work for the likes of BG or left the industry simply as they can get better working for someone else. They’re guaranteed money in the bank every month, none of the hassles or grief, none of the staff problems, you actually get holidays, you don’t have a major issue when a van breaks and so on and on.
It’s sad to say but you can often earn just as much working as an employee as you can working for yourself, even with contract work, as the money simply isn’t on offer to make it worthwhile.
But you do have one thing, a certain freedom.
K.
Re: British Gas Homecare
yeh theirs a lot to be said about working 4 urself… but what put the biggest smle on my face was paid hols… i was like a chessire cat…in a way i do miss selfempolyment, but i dont miss the stress ie mon-fri no customers…sat-sun loads of and all that
I TAKE MA HAT OF TO USE GUYS WHO ARE OUT THEIR DOING UR BIT FOR QUEEN AND C……, ive been their done it etc , lifes is a bitch we all know that… get over it make a wee bit dosh take care of the family……..what else do yi wantRe: British Gas Homecare
FB said
“……..what else do yi want”How about a level playing field? I am happy for FB, we all want security and a solid regular income.
However, I question, as others have done, British Gas’ motives. Here we have a true juggernaut, with the funds to move into any area they choose. We have the imminent arrival of BG’s own boilers; combi’s and condensers, to be done by not by manufactuer but by aquisition. I think we can assume that BG wish to take over our area, they could invest in training, they could look to the long term and introduce an apprentice scheme, develop new talent for the new well paid BG mission, but no. It is quicker, cheaper and much more destructive to the independant sector to buy up their engineers and leave them floundering as they seek replacement, and the challenge of covering contract areas with ever reducing manpower.
I’m all right. I don’t employ anybody, I have a solid well established business trading in areas that do not entirely rely on the public, and certainly not involving contract/insurance work. I find myself in the happy position that I have rejected several approaches to become either enslaved or employed.
This is to deny the crux of the issue. The sole trader will always find work amongst those who are not prepared to pay manufacturers call out charges, or who failed to take out extended cover plans; or trade in niche areas. Those who suffer are the mid-range employers, relying on contract, sub-contract and insurance work.
BG’s approach is to cynically “buy up” employed engineers, firstly to complete their own network and, secondly to disable and weaken the mid-sized employers who currently fill their perceived market area.
If things continue on their current path, BG will successfully disable the independent networks. They will then rationalise, so we’ll have engineers being laid off and coming back into the market place; first stop go self employed – can’t get going so do stuff on the cheap; the job will finish up getting devalued yet again.
Funkyboogie, you’re in the BG bubble at the moment. It will burst; when they think they have achieved domination – if you’re senior enough and cheap enough you’ll stay with them, otherwise you’ll be back here wondering if someone will take you on. If you can’t make it on your own there may well be no mid-range employers left…………
Chris.
Re: British Gas Homecare
The Penguin’s right!
Apart from that FB what you have to bear in mind is the damage that BG are doing to the industry as a whole as they’re stealing valuable knowledge and not then passing it on to new blood into the industry. The long term effects of what they’re doing could be quite catastrophic at best and, in doing so, they are forcing others, such as Merloni, BSH and the likes, to also play the same games.
On top of which they are luring people with training that goes beyond what they actually want them to do, i.e. they are swiping CORGI registered engineers and yet that is handled not by the appliance repairs side, but by the gas side and we’ve all seen the results of that.
BG do seem to fare rather better in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, particularly in the central belt where you have the population density to support the efforts but outside that it’s hardly all sweetness and light. There are huge problems with coverage and with technical knowledge around the country as well as quite a few compliants about the service. I couldn’t care less about that to be honest though as that’s just competition which is healthy.
What does bother me is that by “poaching” engineers and not breeding their own they are forcing additional costs onto the independents as well as the manufacturers and then they wonder why, when they ask to get bailed out, we (both repairers and manufacturers) tell them to go forth. Hardly surprising really is it?
It’s also the callous way in which this is done, like bribing their own staff with a £500 bonus to poach for them and the lure of high slaries which, in reality, are not just so easy to achieve. As you rightly state, if you’re in the sticks then achieving bonus or even the salary that you mention is nigh on impossible.
What you also don’t mention is the little niggles like two tub jobs in a day, which happens quite regularly, 14 calls a day and call centre staff that couldn’t find their way to a local pub let alone structure a sensible run. Then on top of that you do weekends and the 24 callouts for alarms and electrical problems, on top of which you may well have 10 calls or so booked for the day after you get called out at 2:30am the night before, the only way you get out of it is by calling the call centre and re-organising the run.
I know these things go on as I’ve sat and watched it happen.
In short, yes you can earn the money if you’re up for the workload, but it’s not just as easy as it seems on the surface and, whilst an independent my not match tht salary level, they won’t expect that sort of level or type of work to be carried out.
However none of that in any way negates the damage that BG are doing and have been doing now for several years. They’re also winning no friends with the industry due to the advertising that they do trying to insinuate that anyone other than they are cowboys, not a good move IMO.
Now we have the rumour floating about that they are not only trying to get their own brand for boilers but also a range of appliances as well, there is substance to this from what I can gather. That’s really going to help them get spares and tech. info from manufacturers isn’t it? Also I can imagine that RETRA, Currys and Comet et all won’t exactly be jumping for joy when news of that reaches them.
But hey, as I often say, what do I know? 😉
K.
Re: British Gas Homecare
As a yorkshireman I have to say that what FB has posted sounds like a load of rubbish.
Lets just apply a bit of logic. A take home of 2K a month is easily into the 35K figure when you consider the employers contributions.
The 90 a month bonus start is too low for an operation that has well stock vans and back up second to none. Remember this is multi brand work and if they hit 60{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} 1st time completion they’ll be lucky, 35 completed a week would be a more sensible figure for a call bonus to start at.Sorry FB your post is not an advert for British Gas but a disaster in the efficient running of their business. At your figures they losing money hand over fist on service and what P45 has posted as a reply just BLOWS you away.
Kevin
Re: British Gas Homecare
I wonder if there is a gas council part number for Rose Coloured Spectacles?
My first reaction to Funkyboogie was “What planet is this guy on”? The figures he has quoted just doesn’t make sense. The terms and conditions are totally different to what I perceive as reality. Then I read his posting again and then I wonder about the inconsistencies in his statement. Let alone the poor diction.
For example:-
“I am a very happy and contented scottish gas engineer and i reguarly take home 2k per month for basicaly a 9 – 5 mon –fri” …..
Then in the same line:-
“if your in a good tight area and you dont have much traveling yer quids in, their are guys who earn more than me but they do work for it>> and then their are guys who are in rural areas who get very pi–ed off because they are traveling 200mile+ for 4 jobs and cant earn bonuss”…….
Unless he is in Edinburgh or Glasgow, how come being in Scotland he doesn’t fall into the rural area category himself?
The pay:-
“british gas pays the highest basic wage for white goods engineers in scotland any ways// £19,900”…..
Not far out, but read on………
I like this bit:-
“bonus = £16 per job after u have completed 90 jobs for the month…”
That is less than 25 calls per week. They get issued minimum of 10 calls per day, therefore if the office and support have their act together; a good engineer will hit top bonus in 2 weeks. Is that paid per job over the 90, or all jobs once the target has been exceeded? A good 1st time fix rate would be needed, and that is down the efficiency of the call logging and pre-diagnosis staff. Any good engineer would be passing calls back as not viable to make a needless visit as there is obviously a part needed. With money like that it is well in the interest of the engineer to ensure the whole set-up is efficient.
And what about this one?
“… vans are well stocked and parts center has about 90{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} stock levels on u name it> also over night delivery.”
In that case why does my office receive on a regular basis questions from B.G. customers asking us if a certain part is available? The customer thinks they are phoning E/Lux or Zanussi, we quickly ascertain the part is available, and soon advise them if it a van stock item. Then we get told that B.Gas say that Zanussi are out of stock. Our computer has a link to distriparts stock levels, and we know at the touch of a button the status of any parts. Very often we are talking about fast moving parts.
This bit makes me wonder? The following statement is management speak, and why shout it in capitals.?“ESD MADE ABOUT 60 MIL FOR CENTRICA LAST YEAR..”
Come on Mr Funkyboogie, there must be something to moan at as there is no such thing as an engineer who is 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} contented. If the bonus was as good as you say, and above all achievable, I may as well close down my business and take a job at B.Gas. Not only the money, but I would get holidays and be able to have a full weekend instead of sitting at my computer the best part of a Sunday doing accounts and being an unpaid tax collector.
What about the new system where the engineer only gets issued one call at a time. You don’t know where you are from one call to the next. You are passing the same area several times a day, and youv’e no idea when you are going to finish as until they tell you what call is the last call. You are totally unaware of your day, and how it will pad out. One other point, are you happy having a tracker in your van? You even have to justify a small detour to get a MacDonalds. Gig Brother.
I have some contacts with B.Gas engineers who are thinking of moving to Scotland now.
A somewhat sceptical… Alex
Re: British Gas Homecare
ooh a hornets nest what…..am afraid its the nature of the beast….if you got the power use it…as i said earlier iwas in buis 4 15 years been their done etc.this bubble were talking about wii get very very large .. as suppose the independant gas traders thought the same….but how many poor plumbers/gas fitters do you know whether the a trader or employed… i think the problems that this industry has is the low price of middle market whitegoods that almost wipe out any repair the nears the £100 mark..maybee its time to evaluate the way we trade and adopt copy -cat buisness awareness…RE BONUS/WAGES — TO ACHIEVE BONUS YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE 27.5 JOBS PER WEEK OVER A 4WK CYCLE>> 110 PER MONTH MINUS TEAM MEETING ETC AND THAT LEVELS OUT ABOUT 90 TO 100 MOST MONTHS..ITS DOESNT TAKE A GENIUS TO WORK OUT YOU CAN MAKE DECENT MONEY IF YOU ARE PREPARED TO WORK SMARTER/ OR HARDER WHICHEVVER YOU PREFER, EVEN IF YOUR FI YORKSHIRE…
[color=red]PS i dont make the bonus threshold…b/g does 27.5 per week complete >> could it be your are trying to fudge the goods rates of pay that you can achieve at brittish gas to justify yourself …alex[/color]
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