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That’s gonna be one mighty long list of s**t you’ll have there Andy. 😉
Actually there is a Servis machine that’s really okay (hears gasps of surprise) apart from any one that is currently in a skip! 😆 There is one that’s just a re-badged Asko since old Antonio bought them up and re-badged a washer, dryer and a dishwasher and they’re okay, don’t have the model numbers though as I’ve yet to see a broken one. AFAIK they were released earlier this year and I’ve only seen them in Makro so far at double the price of the normal rubbish, which tells a tale in itself.
I thought that Antonio Merloni bought Asko to find out how to make them better, apparently not. 😕
Other than those few models Servis to me is landfill waiting on the skip truck and the performance is crap too of the vast majority of the range.
K.
Re: DASA!
A trade association is defined as being:
“Individuals and companies in a specific business or industry organized to promote common interests.”
US obviously. But I would go a bit further and say that it is also an associations remit to protect and inform it’s members.
So, with that in mind, how does DASA reach that criteria being steered in the direction that it has been for the past 20 years or more? It has protected us from some legislation, well, one item of it. Other than that it may have gained the odd concession but it hasn’t stopped anything from becoming law.
How has DASA promoted any of us? How has DASA promoted DASA? How has DASA promoted the industry?
Has DASA protected any of it’s members? No. And here’s a case in point, Kev and NESN, DASA should be able to do something about it whether that be calling for a stoppage of NESN work by members or whatever. What will DASA do? Nothing, as usual, it’ll just stand by and watch another member possibly being made bankrupt dwindling it’s membership still further.
Inform its members, well it could but then it doesn’t even inform its own ruling body, the council, so what hope is there of members being informed.
So, I ask myself, why is that DASA operates this way? Well that, IMO, all falls back to one person’s doorstep…Chris. Yes consecutive council members and various chairmen have done bugger all to address it even if they were aware of the problem but it seems to have fallen on us to stop the rot.
But this has had another effect as well, years of seeing ((basically) fuck all happening has jaded people’s view of DASA and now it finds itself in a position where it has little respect in the industry. It is regarded as being toothless and useless in many people’s eyes and with good cause if you ask me.
The question we have to ask ourselves is, what do we want DASA to do and be? Then we must shape it towards those ends.
IMO, Chis will not relinquish control easily, in fact, I doubt he’ll relinquish it at all and that it will end in tears there. But while he’s in the driving seat and, he is firmly in that seat and has been for years, DASA will not change one bit irrespective of what we do.
Can it be changed and can the rot be stopped? Don’t know, but I do know that whilst Chris controls all that he does presently the answer to that question is a firm “no”. 🙁
K.
It’s not just apathy Tinhips although you are absolutely correct that it’s a huge problem in this industry. People in whitegoods service seem to want things done etc. but don’t want to get involved in them, case in point, DASA. But then for it to be a viable thing to take up it has to show some return for the investment, be that in time or a financial investment.
Training and bringing on a new generation engineers is absolutely vital to the future of this industry and its not happening anywhere. British Gas etc. are just “buying” engineers from established businesses and those businesses are not replacing staff the way they once would.
A conversation topic for another time and another thread though that is.
K.
JP wrote:CH is an asset to DASA but he needs to be manged and that is the problem we seem to be having.
We are not managing correctly and also when we do request things he does not carry out the requests.He is an asset, to an extent but not irreplacable if it comes down to it. But he’s also a hinderance standing in the way of progress and therin lies the rub. Which takes presidence? In the end that’s what the officers have to figure out but I can tell you that unless changes are seen to be made and quickly DASA is on a shaky hook at best, you all know that just as well as I do. People have lost confidence in it and can see no reason to be a part of it since it has accomplished little that will aid the guys on the ground on a day-to-day basis. Yes, I admit it has got NVQ’s, so what? The QM, so what, that is only going to cost businesses more money that they can ill afford? Standards, again, more expense! The perception is that DASA is all take and no give and, to be frank, they’re not far wrong I don’t think!
If you think I’m wrong just look at the decline in membership.
Now, Chris has had 20 years or so doing it his way, it’s failed.
Time to get a grip and move on.
K.
Remember the fun starts tonight around 9ish, but I’ll be a bit later since I have to go to some silly Xmas bash. 🙁
Can you tell I’m chuffed to bits at the thought? 😉
K.
Re: Site News & Updates
UK Whitegoods has been accepted onto the Google AdSense program (I hear a whoosh going over people’s heads already 😉 ) which is quite a prestigous little feather in the cap. Basically it’s a system of targetted adverts fed by Google over the net in real time.
I know that ads are loathed by some but they do serve a purpose other than just being ads in this case, there’s a lot more to it that than. This can increase exposure on Google and other site search engines and also give better keyword results, plus it’s not just any old site that’s accepted onto the program.
I’ve downloaded a custom block to display the ads in and this will not be seen by registered users when they sign in! It is only visible to anonymous users and site admin.
I have no idea if it will generate any income at all, the Amazon ones certainly haven’t, not a single penny, but if it does I’ll most likely fire into Li’s xmas fund for next year.
K.
I would not agrue with anything you’ve said Sumphose, in fact I applaud the fact that you can see what I’m on about here.
My primary concern is that for something like this to be justifiable in a commercial situation, just like any other investment in a business, you have to see a return for your money. In so far as I can see there is none here other than more heartache, grief and expense for the business. So my point is, why do it? Commercially it just doesn’t make sense to do so and we all run businesses, not charities.
I also agree that we have to find a way forward and if a better more competent breed of engineer is what’s needed then I’m all for it, I just don’t want to have to fund it with no return for the investment. I would think that working in harmony with the manufacturers, insurers and WP’s is the way forward there and that, if they want that level of competence, they will as a “trade” have to foot the bill in some way.
K.
Re: DASA!
Flipper I don’t disagree with what your saying at all and Chris does need put in his place a bit IMO. I also agree that much of this should not be aired in public but there is a cunning plan m’laud. 😉
What is needed is to get opinion and comment to take to the council meetings, to get people talking about DASA and to fire up some interest and passion. That thread has done exactly that! The more comment, either positive or negative is great as far as I’m concerned and people’s curiosity will be piqued, that’s the point. Your post only serves to further that debate from the “positive” camp and that’s magic! 😀
Do you see what I’m trying to do? I want to promote DASA as much as you do, but I’m a sneaky bastard. 😉
The point is that to get people interested you have to make it interesting and currently DASA is about as interesting as a wet weekend in Southend-On-Sea if you take ND out of the equation. In fact a weekend there sounds like more fun than a DASA meeting normally!
I’m taking the same line with the plug thing as well, whilst I don’t actually think it’s a commercially sound idea the thread is serving a purpose.
You’ll learn that most things I do, I do for a reason not just for fun or to stir it up with no reason and as Ted noticed as well, the views on all the ND stuff has gone up over the past few days. More people reading it, more people interested in it and more people paying attention to it, is that not what we wanted?
K.
LOL, if that’s the worst you get you’re obviously not doing contract work Andy where customers own your soul and you do as they command! 😉
We should start a nutter customer thread, but call it something nice as it’ll show up on the scrolling front page box. 😈
K.
Re: Does anyone check wall sockets?
Okay I’ve tried all day to be good and resist this, but I just can’t! 😈
You’ve hit the nail on the head as far as I’m concerned Martin, our remit is to repair the appliance and not to test or repair the customer’s house electrics. As far as I’m concerned if the customer wants a diagnosis of her house electrical system she/he should call an electrician and I tell customers that. We are not electrician’s and I will not get involved in that work in any way.
You’re dead right, the Martindale tells you all you need to know for your own safety and I believe in testing I just don’t think we should be forced into testing something that we are not really qualified to comment upon, electricians go to school for years to be able to that and then get paid a lot more than we do!
Interestingly I had a conversation recently about whapping 500V round an appliance and was told that in some cases with the newer electronics that’s coming that it may actually damage some sensitive components, so much for that plan if it turns out to be correct.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against testing and safety, that’s not the point of what I’m saying, the point is why should I invest money in time, training and equipment that has little, or nothing, to do with the reason I’m there in the first place and then, to add insult to injury, I don’t get paid to do the testing. And yes, I am a mercenary sod! 😉
K.
