Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hi Mike,
You’re on the wrong track with a thermostat for that fault I think. 🙁
It’s far more liable to be a weak compressor, short of gas or a partial choke although there are other problems which could replicate the symptoms. 😕
Do you know the model number and age of the machine, the model number is most important in helping.
K.
Hi Tony,
This has been discussed before bu tI guess it’s worth re-itterating the point.
Disclaimers are worth Jack in a court, if it goes that far, as you are deemed to be “competent” to remove the appliance.
I tapped out a load of stuff on the forums a while back now but if you search about you should find it.
The golden rule I have my guys stick to is simple, if there looks as if there could be any potential for damage at all – DO NOT remove it!
K.
Farker,
You can try re-foaming the area but, in all honesty, you’ve a 50/50 chance of working at best. But, if you’re at that stage there’s little to be lost in trying, just use expanding foam from B&Q as it works fine.
K.
Why do customers..
Sit with a faulty appliance for two years then it HAS to be fixed this week before they go on holiday??!!
Of course it’s my fault that I don’t have the required spares sitting here waiting on the phone call…plonkers! 😆
K.
Dave,
When you say that the was results are poor what exactly do you mean? Are there residues on the dishes or something?
In almost 99.99{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of cases poor wash results are due to either improper loading and/or poor use of detergents and rinse aid. If you’re in a soft water area ditch the tablets as Penguin suggests, I think we’ve all had bad experiences with them at one time or another. 😕
You’re rumbling noise could be a problem though.
K.
Re: Kevin’s News
I’ll digest the rest when I’m more capable P, well it’s Saturday night and well, you know…but one point I just can’t resist…
Manufacturers/WP’s/Insurers for the most part, IMO, don’t really much care about the 1st time hit rate as it’s not their problem, they pass that problem to us to solve, in effect we indemnify them from that risk. Which is fine if the work is steady and you can get a grip of it, but if it’s sporadic as much of it is these days then it is not possible to gain a hit rate in excess of 70{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d}, which at the rates on offer from many, is a loss before you start. We’ve been trying to educate people to that for a long time now.
I have seen figures from manufacturers that would condradict that argument, but it’s so obvious that they’re fudged it’s unreal.
Kevin mentioned earlier someone taking on contract work at £30 a call, in this day and age in all honesty, that’s just asking for trouble.
But hey, we can only tell people the pitfalls, whether they choose to listen or not is their call. 😕
K.
Re: hotpoint wma32 washer, drum lifters breaking
Plastic paddles were introduced to lower production costs, that’s it!
I have been told that they reduce the moulding cost from the drums as well as removing a little steel as well worth a pound or two, not much you may think, but when you churn out 100,000 a year saving a quid a unit is considerable. On top of which consumers have sought out cheaper and cheaper appliances therefore any saving to the manufacturer in production makes them look more competitive. So they all cut costs and corners where they can.
K.
Re: DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A PROFIT
In light of the changes in the wind, for those of us that employ people to work they are there usually because they like the freedom that we, as independents, usually offer and that breeds a certain loyalty that the big boys just can’t get. That’s why I feel a lot of engineers remain with us to a large degree. However, what the big guys do have is the ability to throw money at the problem to cure it and get staff. But they want to see instant returns on that investment and the same goes for those wishing now to pay us more in part.
Everyone agrees that rates for service are too low, they have been for many, many years and now we’re starting to see change, but beware that that change does not come with a price.
Updates of calls are a prime example, we are expected to report back every change on a call for some manufacturers and yet they feel that we should not be paid any extra for that service. I’m sorry, the last time I wanted a service from any organisation it cost me money, they do not offer it for free! Why should we? Inclusive prices are fine, but make sure it’s the right price, we are already way behind inflation on contract rates, I proved that many months ago using the basic headline rate of inflation over the last decade. Yet now we are expected to offer extra services, like calling mobile phones, like reporting back constantly, like calling customers within minutes, like ordering spares with carriage charges on them, like faxing reports several times, like accepting a reduced rate on BER calls, the list goes on and on of the changes that have occured, often sneakily just slipped in. All these things erode the core function of a business, to make a profit.
So we have all this piled upon us and there are many out there running a business and earning less than the engineers that they employ simply to keep the business afloat, that is known as working for your staff, not yourself. This is a ludicrous situation. Why? Simple, to keep the business alive and retain the engineers as we know that without them we will not survive and now, with British Gas, Hotpoint and the likes throwing money at the problem to poach our engineers how long will it be until some of them decide to move on for that extra £4-5K a year?
Already we are in a situation where no network can get all three skillsets in this industry to cover 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of the UK. Gas (natural) cover CANNOT be achieved now within the whitegoods repair industry. Refrigeration cover, without the use of the likes of Expert, CANNOT be achieved across 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of the UK. Cover for LPG is patchy at best and almost non-existent in many huge areas of the UK. Major agents unsupported by manufacturers such as Electrolux or Whirlpool are now almost non-existent outside the major cities, in many rural areas there are only two or three repairers in the area.
And this against a background of rates still being erroded by inflationary pressures and rising labour rates which are being driven ever higher to levels at which we simply cannot compete. Given the previous paragraph I often wonder just what it will take to make this industry wake up and smell the proverbial roses?
K.
Re: Kevin’s News
Well I read it again and there’s a lot of truth in what Kevin says from what I can see and I do believe it may be time to pay attention otherwise, what does our future hold?
K.
Re: booked call through site
I can only hope that those with the foresight and vision to use the site in the way that it was and indeed, is, intended will reap some reward for doing so. This is but a single example, there have been many others and I hope and wish for many more in time.
Bear with me, I have a few tricks still to try to get you lot some more chargeable work. 😉
But it is indeed very rewarding to see the site giving something back to the people that make it what it is.
K.
Ehm, I think we had to do some digging but I asked a collegue and he’s positive that RS did list them in their catalouge. Sorry, it’s been at least 18 months or more since I last looked at them as we will replace the failed component in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction and that generally means not going to component level.
K.
425 209 in brown is the only one listed under that model Dave. 😕
Time to call Kuppersbusch methinks. 🙄
K.
