A certain boiler co in Glasgow

[Madrab]

Well, I always knew customer service and basic professionalism was getting worse but this take the biscuit.

Call at 9.30pm last night, regular customer on, her 83 yr old mum (who's on her own) just had a new boiler swap done. Took them a month to get to her and then took them 3 days to put an I-Mini in, left her with no heat for that month, she couldn't use anyone else ... long story.

Anyway ... Her mums calling her panicking, the boiler's making funny banging noises and so are the radiators and the hot and cold water tap is too. There's a vibrating noise coming from the boiler and the tap when she uses the hot and cold. Can't sleep through worry, couldn't leave her like that!

It transpires this company left at 1.30pm that day saying to her, you need a new tap your old ones knackered but we can't do anything about it for a week!! How about 5mins to go to screwfix that's just round the corner and get a new tap and fit it for her in 20mins, it's only 1.30pm FFS - and she's 83 remember!! That and the system will settle down and the noise will stop

I'll throw open the boiler/rads banging to anyone that can guess what the scheisters have done (shouldn't be too difficult )

 

[ianmcd]

flow and returns crossed ?

 

[Madrab]

Yayyy, give the man a cigar

Directional TRV's and they've left her like that, waiting to hear how the daughter got on with the boss today.

 

[BlueLoo]

Do you pro's kick back at these companies when you see stuff like this happening?

 

[DP]

Do you pro's kick back at these companies when you see stuff like this happening?

while it is infuriating, is there any mileage in getting involved with someone else’s shortcomings? Even name calling etc? What for, it is not as if another pro has anything to gain other than black eye, flat tyres, or Agro. I know you are quite forward when blaming heating engineers but I would not go around throwing mud at someone who has or nor done proper work. Even Gas Safe inspector would not get involved and I have seen it first hand.

 

[BlueLoo]

while it is infuriating, is there any mileage in getting involved with someone else’s shortcomings? Even name calling etc? What for, it is not as if another pro has anything to gain other than black eye, flat tyres, or Agro. I know you are quite forward when blaming heating engineers but I would not go around throwing mud at someone who has or nor done proper work. Even Gas Safe inspector would not get involved and I have seen it first hand.

Fair comments.

Are you not part of organizations or federations which look to push the industry forward and can be used to put pressure on the worst of the companies and individuals?

Is there not a red-flag process you can use (ie if its not gas-safe, etc)

 

[bernardgreen]

What for, it is not as if another pro has anything to gain

The customers may gain something if an incompetent / uncaring tradesman is identified and encouraged to improve the quality of his or her work.

 

[oilhead]

As a tradesman, I've seen my share of iffy work, but I would never totally condemn it to a customer, maybe just suggest there are other ways of doing it. What you never know is whether or not a customer has resisted having recommended work done. I have had instances where I have been left with no alternative but to leave something safe but badly fitted. I know the high minded would say disconnect it, disable it, but you are then left with the potential to have your reputation trashed locally which could be disaster to a sole trader. Whilst most of my work has come from recommendation, you never know what you don't get for a bad review you never know.

 

[Madrab]

Do you pro's kick back at these companies when you see stuff like this happening

Maybe there should be. My advice to the customers daughter was to call them today, get the boss on the phone and complain that the system isn't correct and then given them the opportunity to sort it out. If they don't then there are prescribed avenues to progress a formal complaint through official bodies or the courts.

These companies don't last long if their work is continually poor, word of mouth is a killer to companies like that. My biggest bugbear about it all though is that when these companies liquidate due to massive debts or go bankrupt because they've ripped so many people off and hide the money the powers that be then allow them, for some unfathomable reason, to open another and then another and then another company and keep doing it under a different names.