Retirement

[jag-12]

Re: Retirement

Still at least 4 guys around here repairing TV’s, fitting aerials and dishes, installing extra LNBs etc
They have just had to adapt to the new technologies.
Yes the small cheap sets are disposable but who is just going to replace a £800 and upwards TV
Having said that they do seem to get far better tech support from the manufactures than this trade does.

[Gazman1000]

Re: Retirement

jag-12 wrote:Still at least 4 guys around here repairing TV’s, fitting aerials and dishes, installing extra LNBs etc
They have just had to adapt to the new technologies.
Yes the small cheap sets are disposable but who is just going to replace a £800 and upwards TV
Having said that they do seem to get far better tech support from the manufactures than this trade does.

I bet they are not repairing TVs apart from the odd inverter board you can’t Repair them without hi tech workshops now.
No service information is available for TV most makers will not supply diagrams, it is even worse than this trade. Everything is done in house. At one time the manufacturers would provide diagrams and ran help desks for the trade to call if you had a problem fault. Fitting aerials is not TV repair, it never has been, that was a trade of its own. The work has dried up so much that the few left have to do what they can. The bottom line is, at one time every high Street had more than one TV repair shop, now very few remain, I do not know of one anywhere and those few that are scraping a living cannot repair at component level only a few board swops remain viable for the small outfit due to the technology changes. The TV trade was a licence to print money, in the 70s I know I worked in it form the early 70s and the man I worked for had ten shops across London employing 50 staff and made a mint.
Try doing that now in TV repair trade, This trade will go the same way, you can adapt but you cannot hold back technology changes or machines that cost more to repair than replace.

[philfish]

Re: Retirement

Im not missing the point I know exactly where you are coming from and it is sad that the industry as took that route but they think it’s progress they ain’t interested in the repairs so much more in sales, so they don’t look at it like we do. So don’t repair them types of machines that are cheaper to swap then repair unless you think it’s going to be a nice quick easy job. For example you try getting a gas double oven for less then 400 or a side by side,range cookers etc some machines are silly money, I mean even a lot of coffee machines are now way over £500 as I say people are a lot less comfortable with go getting a new one and most houses have at least one major big appliance nowadays. but as I say whats the difference in the repair? If your looking at doing a bearing job on a Indesit/hotpoint £230 washer you’ve got no chance or a pcb on a sub 250 machine you are peeing in the wind. Of course people will go get a new one wouldn’t you?. I mean people now expect to pay over £200 for a vacuum cleaner.
There is a market/money out there look at all these numptys who pay £100+ upfront to the likes of repaircare,British gas and all the others just shows people are out there in force and willing to pay. It’s just the lower end of the market is shrinking so we have to be flexible and adapt to take on other work and newer types of work, our bread and butter of carbons and bearings are way behind us.
But that certainly don’t mean we are anywhere near finished.
We can’t go the same way as brown goods simply down to the fact appliances are to big and they ain’t just all electronic they’re mechanical aswell and that’s just laundry which is still only washers, dryers, dishwashers what about fridges, cookers, coffee machines, microwaves, hoods etc etc that’s workout sales, installations etc
As I say it’s about flexibility and ability I still believe the future is bright.
Optimistic Paul

[eastlmark]

Re: Retirement

Alex wrote:
Apart from that more golf, walking visiting places and having a ball!

Alex

A nice Whetherspoons in Bridgewater then Alex?

[Alex]

Re: Retirement

eastlmark wrote:

Alex wrote:

Apart from that more golf, walking visiting places and having a ball!

Alex

A nice Whetherspoons in Bridgewater then Alex?

Ha Ha! Apparently there is, but I’m not at that point (Yet)

Mark. Thank goodness you are here to put this back on topic!

I’m supposed to go to the Barbers and Sainsburys on a Saturday morning now. I gather it is mandatory to get up at 5 am every day, and queue outside the papershop (in my slippers), can’t have it delivered as would arrive nearly in the middle of the day.

I believe it is no longer a legal requirement to queue outside the Post Office door once a week waiting to collect the pension. (Again in my slippers)

I am waiting the government issue of a brown dust-coat to wear when I’m doing DIY or banging together bits of wood in my shed. Then I’ll need to replace all my dark clothes with beige.

I won’t get my government old age pension until next year, then I suppose I will need to get a mechanic to fit a stiff spring to the accelerator mechanism of my car to prevent my foot pushing it too far down, as well as removal of the rear view mirrors and disabling the indicators. I assume I’ll receive a letter advising me to book it in. Best order myself a faster car whilst I remember, Jag or BMW 7 series will do.

I hope my Washing Machine or whatever doesn’t breakdown, it will be a nightmare booking it in. First of all is identifying a day; Golf, Bowls, Hospital Visits, Shopping, Always out to lunch Thursdays, College courses on Computers, Zumba/Line dance classes. Then I have to take the dog to the grooming parlour (note to self, need to get a dog) The list is endless, how did I ever get the time to go to work?

Engineer won’t be able to call between 1 & 2-pm, lunchtime and then not until after 3-pm, end of snooze time. Then the visit must take place whilst I’m there as since I retired my wife is no longer capable of running anything within the household, despite doing so successfully for 40 + years.

Then I must stand behind the repairer telling him in a nasal manner, “I’m a retired engineer you know” and annoyingly rattle the change in my trouser pocket at the same time (can’t give a tip as on a fixed income), and despite being in charge of the running of the home “It is my Wife’s Washing Machine”

Oh I forgot to factor in, Homes under The Hammer, Bargain Hunt, Flog it, Escape to the Country, Rip-off Britain etc etc.

Must go, just seen a weed in my lawn that needs eradicating……..

[Martin]

Re: Retirement

Alex, don’t forget to use your bus pass to maximum effect. With clever bus timetable route planning you can tour the country and use your weekly pension allowance on B&B’s.

Your local community transport can also provide free travel to and from the supermarket and local library. Coffee mornings every Thursday at your local vicarage. Plus so much more you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Do all this during the week and stay home at weekends as the poor sods that work are at their worst then.

P.S Almost forgot, it’s old duffers discount day at B&Q on Wednesdays. And you will find the 10{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} discount a great saving on your limited resources.

[eastlmark]

Re: Retirement

Alex wrote:

eastlmark wrote:

Apart from that more golf, walking visiting places and having a ball!

Alex

A nice Whetherspoons in Bridgewater then Alex?

Ha Ha! Apparently there is, but I’m not at that point (Yet)

Mark. Thank goodness you are here to put this back on topic!

I’m supposed to go to the Barbers and Sainsburys on a Saturday morning now. I gather it is mandatory to get up at 5 am every day, and queue outside the papershop (in my slippers), can’t have it delivered as would arrive nearly in the middle of the day.

I believe it is no longer a legal requirement to queue outside the Post Office door once a week waiting to collect the pension. (Again in my slippers)

I am waiting the government issue of a brown dust-coat to wear when I’m doing DIY or banging together bits of wood in my shed. Then I’ll need to replace all my dark clothes with beige.

I won’t get my government old age pension until next year, then I suppose I will need to get a mechanic to fit a stiff spring to the accelerator mechanism of my car to prevent my foot pushing it too far down, as well as removal of the rear view mirrors and disabling the indicators. I assume I’ll receive a letter advising me to book it in. Best order myself a faster car whilst I remember, Jag or BMW 7 series will do.

I hope my Washing Machine or whatever doesn’t breakdown, it will be a nightmare booking it in. First of all is identifying a day; Golf, Bowls, Hospital Visits, Shopping, Always out to lunch Thursdays, College courses on Computers, Zumba/Line dance classes. Then I have to take the dog to the grooming parlour (note to self, need to get a dog) The list is endless, how did I ever get the time to go to work?

Engineer won’t be able to call between 1 & 2-pm, lunchtime and then not until after 3-pm, end of snooze time. Then the visit must take place whilst I’m there as since I retired my wife is no longer capable of running anything within the household, despite doing so successfully for 40 + years.

Then I must stand behind the repairer telling him in a nasal manner, “I’m a retired engineer you know” and annoyingly rattle the change in my trouser pocket at the same time (can’t give a tip as on a fixed income), and despite being in charge of the running of the home “It is my Wife’s Washing Machine”

Oh I forgot to factor in, Homes under The Hammer, Bargain Hunt, Flog it, Escape to the Country, Rip-off Britain etc etc.

Must go, just seen a weed in my lawn that needs eradicating……..

Very funny… sure you have not quite got to that stage yet but you forgot one thing, when the visiting engineer has finished (never, but never, while he is doing the job) you will need to struggle up the stairs very slowly to search aimlessly for the cheque book which was actually in the fruit (no fruit in it) bowl on the kitchen worktop right above the washing machine…not that it mattered as its an old book and you wrote the last one to the window cleaner 6 weeks ago so need to go upstairs again to hunt for the new one the bank sent you 2 years ago. cannot bloody wait!

[twicknix]

Re: Retirement

I once was given a cheque by an elderly man to pay for my services. Later on he phoned to say that he used the wrong cheque book as it has his late wife’s name on it who passed away a year ago thus the cheque is invalid. He asked that I am to return the invalid cheque back and I will be issued a new one with his name on it without his late wife’s.

It was rather awkward moment if you ask me!

Make sure that you have the right names on the cheque especially if the other is still with us or not!

[Gordy29]

Re: Retirement

I agree with gazmam been in this trade for over 30years,getting worn out and most of the stuff out there is rubbish.estate agent work getting paid is ,like getting blood from a stone.intigrated is ok unless you get one that’s bodged in.if my private pensions were any good ,i would pack in now. But a lot of my customers are great and after working long hours ,it’s hard just to stop.my answer for now is get away in the caravan every three weeks.

[neilsukwg]

Re: Retirement

by philfish » Wed Aug 06, 2014 8:47 am

I know where your all coming from and I do understand, but I think survival is all about flexibility and ability.
There is work out there, that’s for sure. But you might not want to do contract work, or work for work providers, estate agents etc you might only do laundry and not do intergrated, semi commercial, commercial, refrigeration or gas, sell appliances, install appliances etc. You might only want to do a small area, or certain makes, not work early/late or weekends, I really really don’t know and don’t mean to offend but I’m just trying to say there is usually room for movement or advancement it is just if you have the ability and are flexible enough to take it on. You might not like it but work is out there.
I feel private chargeable work now is just a small piece of a big pie with a lot of people wanting that very same piece of the pie because someone else said it tastes good. So you just got to take some of the other pie if that piece as gone.
I keep hearing people say we are like the brown goods? I know it’s a sister trade but apart from that how are we? We ain’t nothing like them, that was only one trade mainly electronics, we have electrics, electronics, plumbing, gas, refrigeration several different types of large appliances etc etc or is it because they are appliances and in a house? That it? It’s like calling us heating engineers, we ain’t but we can sympathise with them too. If we was like them we would of died when they did but we didn’t, because that ain’t our trade and we are not even similar, to my knowledge I have been hearing that one for the last 15-20 years and it still ain’t happened.
Yes if you repair cheaper products people are less likely to have them repaired that is common sense on the customers side why have a day or two off work costing them either time, holiday or money when they can nip to argos and buy a cheap washer on way back from work or sat or Sunday and there ain’t no difference in price or hassle to them and they can install it themselves, job done. think of it would you have yours repaired? Yes we all know the difference in quality etc but those types of customers don’t think on those lines so your banging your head off a brick wall there.
I personally would rather repair a quality appliance or an appliance that causes the customer a real issue like a gas cooker where they need it fixed or will have to pay through the nose to get it replaced or installed (and you can do that as we’ll) or an intergrated appliance where yet again either costs them or it’s a proper pain to exchange or a side by side where the chances are they can’t go get that in the boot or it’s too expensive to replace, perhaps a range cooker etc etc I would rather do 4/5 calls at £65/70 then 7/8 calls at £40/45 any day of the week, from an engineers point of view what is the difference in actual work? Not a lot, but you don’t have to find so much work, people are more willing to have it done, you ain’t got so much competition, you have got more time free and there ain’t much difference in your earnings.
Just my thoughts and sentiments and I hope I haven’t caused any offence, I wish all you lads who are retiring all the best and enjoy your retirement you’ve worked hard for it and losing your skills knowledge and experience is a blow for the trade but the for ones who are left like myself, I feel we have to keep moving to keep up with the moving world otherwise we will be finished, but I don’t believe we are anywhere even close to that.

Optimistic Phil

Thanks for that Phil, it changed my outlook and as a result increased my earnings by a good bit every week!

I reckon laziness had just crept up on me (frogs in boiling water anology) I actually printed off your post and realised my work-shy ways

For instance i balked at working later than 2 or 3 on a friday, stopped doing wma bearing jobs, stopped doing recon machines, turned away dishwasher repairs …the list goes on

Cheers Phil, I’ll see you straight when i get me glasses! 😀

[philfish]

Re: Retirement

Morning, what a strange unprovoked late response, you must of been thinking about it for a long time, not sure you read my post correctly, but, thank you! I am happy you have seen the error of your ways, your right you must of been stuck in the same old rut for far too long. It does me the world of good to know that I have enlightened you to potential new business ideas and work ethics.
I can see where your coming from though, I mean the time/ease and the profit margin on a recon or a bearing job on what a 7 to a 14 year old machine are so massive it is easy to become too comfortable in your ways and those markets are brimming with potential and a never ending customer base, so there would be no need to advance yourself to new ideas or possibilities, or even just to keep up to date with current trends and technology because those sides of our trades will be around for ever won’t they? We have nothing to fear!. We could all do the same thing and just stand still and let the world keep turning at its own pace and we would just stay in our little “safe place” and then moan when the world moves on but we couldn’t be bothered to keep up with it, so it’s the worlds fault not ours.

I do like your logic though your making me question myself now! Mmmm perhaps I have got it wrong?, perhaps it is me who should not try to keep up with the world or customer trends and demands, perhaps I should shut my eyes to new technology and possibilities or even new business adventures, perhaps I should just stand still, try not to advance myself or better myself, try not to understand why things work the way they do, I mean that ain’t what engineers do is it? perhaps I should narrow my skill set down instead of being qualified and experienced in all 3 skill sets and being able to repair anything in the kitchen, so when I customer asks for example do you do gas cookers or systems etc I can always say yes! Not, oh I don’t do that but I know a man who can! Perhaps I should just narrow it down to being able to do the bread and butter basic stuff washers, dryers, dishwashers etc you know the same basic stuff I was doing 20 odd years ago and can and still do it if there is enough profit in it for me to do today.

Here is a great idea what about…..I can work harder and longer for the same or less money, instead of having a life, Brilliant, genius! Why did I never see the light and the error of my ways! I am so happy you made me realise… I’m on the right path!

Perhaps you can’t see straight because I have got those glasses you was after lol 😛

Always happy to help

Optimistic Phil

[Martin]

Re: Retirement

philfish wrote:Optimistic Phil

I love reading this stuff, it is such an uplifting outlook you have and well for you Phil. The spirit of white goods is not dead after all, yet! We’re not doomed it seems, there’s old duffers refusing to retire and still banging in the bearings. 50+year olds pondering over the future and with little option but just hanging on in there. Those that have succeeded in building up their small empire with hungry engineers wanting a days work each and every day, constantly watching which way the wind is going to blow tomorrow. Others that just want to eek out another 2 or 3 years before getting a weekly pay check from DWP and their maturing private pension fund.

….all good entertaining reading.:D

[SAMURI]

Re: Retirement

Another area to branch out if you are not retiring is Robotics as give it Ten years and a Robot will be another Whitegoods to repair.

I hope to have one to do the work at home in my retirement.

Bob

[Author]

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