Oh save us from employees of a certain Gas company

[JohnW2]

But what they also do is put the fear of god into the customers by exagerating the situation and making it appear more dangerous that it often is in reality. The one that started this thread had an old lady in fear of actually being in her own house as she had been convinced it was dangerous by the BG employee

Yes, that's unfortunate, and presumably has a basis in 'backside-covering'. However, I presume that BG (or BG employees) don't have a monopoly on this?

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

Everyone has to cover their ass these days and by no means has one company the monopoly on worrying homeowners. I have been to many houses down the years where well-meaning sparks from all sorts of different companies have preceded me and they have sometimes unintentionally worried the customer by reporting a situation.

I've done it myself.

It was on a PME install with a dodgy link where the earth reading was erratic. I turned off the supply and advised them not to use it. Now the occupants understood and the DNO agreed with me, but the occupants relatives were FURIOUS with me, reported me to my company and my bosses got on the blower sharpish to ask what was going on. When the story was explained though, I was backed up.

I've also done it on other things, dangerous situations with no PEB's etc... No RCD's on TT that kind of thing. It worries the customers, yes, but if I didn't tell them to try and soften the blow, I would face disciplinary action.

 

[JohnW2]

Everyone has to cover their ass these days and by no means has one company the monopoly on worrying homeowners.

Yes, of course. I suppose we're really talking about situations in which homeowners are 'unnecessarily' worried, or worried 'unnecessarily much'. In some cases, that might be the result of incompetence, but it is probably far more commonly due to less-than-ideal communication skills and/or 'people skills' - i.e. not what they they say, but the way they say it.

I've also done it on other things, dangerous situations with no PEB's etc... No RCD's on TT that kind of thing. It worries the customers, yes, but if I didn't tell them to try and soften the blow, I would face disciplinary action.

Quite - but it's that 'softening the blow' (or the lack of it) that I mentioned above. In passing, those are two interesting examples you mention. Those two situations, if they exist, have probably existed for years or decades. Whilst I understand that you 'have to tell them', one could well argue that they should be told in a pretty 'soft' fashion, rather than making it sound like a melodrama - e.g. tell them that it's a potential danger, which ought to be addressed soon, but that the immediate danger is no greater than it has been for years.

Kind Regards, John

 

[mfarrow]

Well my neighbour's still using his earth-free installation after the DNO assured him it was all OK. So it works both ways I guess