[APG]

Re: Advert

Was this machine tested on sand aswell as the iron grate????

[APG]

Re: Repairs@ Update

That was a quick reply 😀

Many thanks Ken

Andy

[APG]

Re: Repairs@ Update

I have been testing your system on repairs@ by putting in our post codes but we are not coming up on all brands which we repair, which is everything
Can you assist please 😯

Andy G.

[APG]

Re: Sold The First One

We sold our first machine on Wednesday. The lady was well impressed on how quiet it was on her wooden floor and that the machine came with 5 year parts guarantee. She could not also beleive how much water the machine also took in as she said she could not see the water levels in her old machine. Here goes 😉 she is telling all her friends and we are now awaiting the rush :wave:
We ran through the machine with her and told her to :rtm: :lesson:
Andy G.

[APG]

Re: Modern Apprenticeships for the whitegoods industry

I have looked into this and the government are only prepaired to pay 65{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} towards cost. The other 35{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} we will have to find which in turn is a lot of money and no return on that money for training your apprentis. They only make you money when they are out on the road full time completing minimum 7 calls a day.
Where are we going to find this money?
Training in this industry is a constant battle what with new products always arriving on the market, refrigeration training and not to mention CORGI every five years.
The other problem is when you have your trainee, is whether they have the right attitude and aptitude to do the work as I have found out in the past. Now days, it is not if you can repair the product, it is dealing with the customers in their homes, meeting time dead lines, avoiding school times and how to plan the work route properly so they do not go back on themselves where they lose out on time and start to drop calls as they want to be home before six o’clock.
In my eyes, a 16 year old school leaver is no good. They cannot drive for one, have had no public experience which is an art in it-self and then they have to do the job they are being paid for by the govenment and yourselves. A twenty year old will be fed up in no time as he/she will not be earning the money his/her friends are earning in other jobs and will eventually walk out and find something else to go into. What then becomes of all the time, money and effort put in by ourselves?
I have been in the service industry for nearly seventeen years and have owned my own company now for seven years and believe me, I have not found it easy and have had my moments about coming out of industry as bus drivers were earning more than me!!!! The hardest thing was how to deal with customers, so will this be part of the criteria at NVQ level or would it be left to the individual to fend for him/her self.
At the moment, unless we are invited to attend training courses(which are few and far between), pay for corgi and other basic courses, there is nothing else we can do except shove a trainee out on the road with a senior engineer who could guide and teach the trainee who wants to learn the trade.
Other issues that I think need to be addressed is the name for people in this trade. By this, I mean, what do we call our selves?
Are we known as: washing machine engineers, gas fitters, dishwasher repairers, refrigeration engineers or field service engineers. This, I think must be more defined to make the trade more attractive with one name known to us all to attract more people to it. I can just imagin a pupil leaving school talking to his friend/s and saying what are you going to. “i’m going to repair washing machines” when all his/her friends have already got potential good jobs up in the city earning 18k start off wage.
One good thing in this work though, is that it is a trade. To learn a trade is a fine art and if you excel, you will do well and live comfortably.

BUT
How can we attract more people to the industry?
How can we make this industry more attractive?
How much money can we afford to pay a trainee or apprentis?
What sort/type of candidate are we looking for?
Just because a person is physically fit or academically brilliant will they be right for the job/training in your company?

This IMO, will be an interesting topic to discuss and get out into the open as I must not be the only company struggling to find new blood and half good engineers, which we are prepared to train ourselves.

Andy G.

[APG]

Re: Expert Appliance Care

Most of the manufacturers passed on refrigeration work to Expert i.e Merloni, Hotpoint, Whirlpool, etc, etc. Where will it all go?
This means manufacturers will have to train engineers whether they are their own engineers or not, franchises’ possibly but they have the initial outlay for refrigeration equipment and training.
Compressor changing is not a five minute job and legislation is getting harder. You could say it is getting like CORGI but it would be in the interest of manufacturers to farm the work out rather than exchanging all the time as this costs money.
I think this will be an interesting time to sit back and watch what happens as none of us has the buying power to buy in thousands of compressors to get them at the right price to hit first time completion. There again we have gone out to calls to fit compressors and regas systems which was not required. It has always been defrost thermostats or defrost elements and cooling fan motors. The first diagnosis was not made by us
Ken, here is a question for you.

Which one of these effects a companies profit margin:
a/ Wrong diagnosis
b/ No product training

There once was a very good refrigeration course at LEC where you learnt about how the system worked, at what stages the refrigerant was gas and when it was a liquid, its properties and what it does. As far a I know there is nothing like it now as the plant and training school has been shut down and taken over by Glenn Dimplex.
I will as usual, sit on the back burner and watch whats going on.

Andy

[APG]

Re: Expert Appliance Care

So, I take it that refrigeration engineers will be plentiful or will the independent service company like all of us, be more in demand “shearing the load” so to speak.
When Caremark went under we got hit quite hard, now Expert are going it explains for updates and emails we have received. I did cop wind of this a couple of weeks ago and did ask but had no direct answer. Emmm
I must stress, Expert have been very good to us by giving us work (mainly gas) after the Caremark escapade. They have paid on time, the work was at a good rate and we have got on well with their staff.
Sorry to everyone at Expert and all the best for the future.
I will be more than prepared to take on ex Expert refrigeration engineers if this softens the blow as good refrigeration engineers are hard to find.

All the best

Andy G.

[APG]

Re: Stock Available

We had six machines delivered today, 5 of them looked like the machine in the picture, but one of them had the new designer CRUNCH! look, just above the filter area. 😯
I must say, the machine looks like a nice piece of kit and I would not mind owning one myself. The only trouble is my Miele is only three years old and has loads of life in it yet :worthy:
Any chance UKW sending us a new front panel and plinth????

Andy G.

[APG]

Re: ISE Washing Machine

I went out to an ISE but not ISE machine today if you know what I mean.

Kevin, could you sort out a van stock for me and double up on pumps please as I have fitted four of these last week and one this week already.

Regards

Andy G.
APG(Appliance Service Repairs)LTD

[APG]

Re: UK Whitegoods Meeting – Feb 06

Hi

Sorry, will not be able to make this meeting due to being under staffed, to busy and not enough hours in the day.

See you all at the next meeting

Andy G.

[APG]

Re: LPG and costs

Can I suggest Ken, for your guys to pass first time? 😆 😆 :rotfl:

[APG]

Re: LPG and costs

LPG, network required = manufacturer investment into Service Provider.

Good point. They will provide product training but you have to qualify first by having LPG certification.
I hope I am not speaking out of turn, but there is a manufacturer who was/is willing to pay part of cost for training??????? so if this is the case, why don’t we take advantage of it for everyones interest. I can’t say too much about it as I am only at the top of the ice burge, but a service provider full of nat and LPG gas engineers are more likely to get and keep the work and charge a reasonable rate.
Everyones patch will differ to someone elses regarding LPG work and the miles travelled between each call, but if you get work on holiday parks (as all caravans there will have a fridge, fire, boiler, cooker) and tie them in to a years maintenance contract for all caravans and out buildings, what more is there to say but go out and look for the work, speak to manufacturers about the demand for LPG on their product or even speak to CORGI. They are always putting people in contact with gas companies.

Kevin, what did you think about the LPG price list I gave you. Is there much difference in cost where you are to get trained?

Andy G.

[APG]

Re: LPG and costs

Believe it or not, LPG is on the increase and LPG engineers are in demand. O.K, it is a lot of out lay at first but then taking on new engineers also cost lots of money with training, more stock, vehicle and all the hidden extras ontop.

I myself will be LPG trained again soon as explained to Kevin when he came to see us, and YES it is us who charge £80.00+vat just to turn up for a natural gas appliance. Customers are more than happy to pay us this as they have been given the run around and cannot find anyone to repair the appliances. We have also had the same customers phone us back for other appliances and have even recommended us to their friends and family because of the service we can offer.

LPG will be the same charge as what we charge for natural gas and I do understand I have outlay for the course and the time off the road preparing for the qualification and exams BUT I will not be charging anymore, but please note: I WILL NOT GO TO AN LPG JOB FOR LESS THAN £80.00+VAT. This is our charge and this is how it will stay.

Now, if a work provider, customer or manufacturer give us chargeable work and there is continuity of work, I will bend. They do not charge us for giving us the chargeable work and all the admin for that job they have had to deal with in passing the call over to us, so it is only fair.

I have done my sums and workings out and we are making a proffit on the work we are completing and our work carries a full 12 month guarantee on parts and labour.

Sorry to say it, at the end of the day it’s about customer satisfaction and how well the work is done. This only comes with training and at a price. I have had to turn down 17 calls this week because they were LPG and I was not happy as this is 2 days work lost which we could have earned a lot of money. Manufacturers are pushing us to become LPG either because they have not got the coverage or because they are unhappy with who they are using.

I have given Kevin a price list of a gas training centre right next door to us in Basildon, Essex for the CONGLP 1 upgrade, CKRLP 1 cooking and LAULP 1 laundry. All in all these total to 3 days of the road if you pass first time and at a cost of £510+vat. Now if you charge £80.00+vat per call, you will need 7 calls to break even on the cost of the course but then you have your running costs and admin on top. It will not take long before you start to make a proffit.

So my conclusion to this is you have to move with the times. Training, running costs, engineers and cost of living are not getting cheaper so the right rate has to be charged but what rate is the right rate where appliances are £100 or £1400 upwards to purchase.

I am open to your views on this and on what we are doing but the above paragraph in my eyes says it all as I am responsible for not just my own wages, but my staffs wages too and the running of my company. Please post your replys here or PM me.

Regards

Andy G.
APG(Appliance Service Repairs)LTD

[APG]

Re: LEC Closure

What a shame. 😥 It was a very good training course with Karl Steiner who was the trainer at the time we were down there back in 1992.
I remember Karl telling us on the beery nights out 😀 to jump the fence for Butlins and get free entertainment for the whole evening if we were not caught by the security. 🙁 Karl has gone out on his own and the last I heard he was doing very well repairing and installing refrigeration.
I wish Dimplex and LEC all the best for the future and if the call rate is right, please give us a sniff of the work. 😉
Regards
Andy G. 💡

[APG]

Re: Project X

Thanks Kevin

That is really nice to know

Andy G.

PS. when is this happening?

[Author]

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