British Gas

[micktheframer]

I have to say, I agree with Stan, the grass is DEFINATELY greener on the other side.
I worked for them 18 months ago, but got so fed up of having to justify myself all the time, i.e: performance monitoring, getting phone calls from office staff asking why are you ordering parts for this job and why are you ordering parts for that job.
I'm a Gas Engineer just let me get on with my job, man.
Training?... What training?... I had 1 day at Worcester bosch. But they do do a nice Buffet lunch, and some nice freebies at the end.
Yeah ok, you've got the laptop, tools, workware etc etc.
As previously mentioned, its a good starter if your not that experienced, but my advice would be, if you can complete 8 breakdowns everyday, and you like being balled at for ordering parts, and if you like having to justify your every single movement every single day, then fine go ahead, join the best gas company in the UK. If not stay away my friend... You have been warned.

 

[nickso]

I have to say, I agree with Stan, the grass is DEFINATELY greener on the other side.
I worked for them 18 months ago, but got so fed up of having to justify myself all the time, i.e: performance monitoring, getting phone calls from office staff asking why are you ordering parts for this job and why are you ordering parts for that job.
I'm a Gas Engineer just let me get on with my job, man.
Training?... What training?... I had 1 day at Worcester bosch. But they do do a nice Buffet lunch, and some nice freebies at the end.
Yeah ok, you've got the laptop, tools, workware etc etc.
As previously mentioned, its a good starter if your not that experienced, but my advice would be, if you can complete 8 breakdowns everyday, and you like being balled at for ordering parts, and if you like having to justify your every single movement every single day, then fine go ahead, join the best gas company in the UK. If not stay away my friend... You have been warned.

newcomers.....heres a prime example of a BG employee who didnt learn to say no or ignore his phone. could be you next.

 

[Paul Barker]

You think phone calls are problem? Far worse for independents.

Also we have to justify parts.

 

[gasright]

I have to say, I agree with Stan, the grass is DEFINATELY greener on the other side.
I worked for them 18 months ago, but got so fed up of having to justify myself all the time, i.e: performance monitoring, getting phone calls from office staff asking why are you ordering parts for this job and why are you ordering parts for that job.
I'm a Gas Engineer just let me get on with my job, man.
Training?... What training?... I had 1 day at Worcester bosch. But they do do a nice Buffet lunch, and some nice freebies at the end.
Yeah ok, you've got the laptop, tools, workware etc etc.
As previously mentioned, its a good starter if your not that experienced, but my advice would be, if you can complete 8 breakdowns everyday, and you like being balled at for ordering parts, and if you like having to justify your every single movement every single day, then fine go ahead, join the best gas company in the UK. If not stay away my friend... You have been warned.

newcomers.....heres a prime example of a BG employee who didnt learn to say no or ignore his phone. could be you next.

But what suits one individual may not suit the next.

i am hoping to get a start as a service fitter because of the extra training i can do and the half decent pay.

The job ios also secure which is a major plus.

 

[nickso]

I have to say, I agree with Stan, the grass is DEFINATELY greener on the other side.
I worked for them 18 months ago, but got so fed up of having to justify myself all the time, i.e: performance monitoring, getting phone calls from office staff asking why are you ordering parts for this job and why are you ordering parts for that job.
I'm a Gas Engineer just let me get on with my job, man.
Training?... What training?... I had 1 day at Worcester bosch. But they do do a nice Buffet lunch, and some nice freebies at the end.
Yeah ok, you've got the laptop, tools, workware etc etc.
As previously mentioned, its a good starter if your not that experienced, but my advice would be, if you can complete 8 breakdowns everyday, and you like being balled at for ordering parts, and if you like having to justify your every single movement every single day, then fine go ahead, join the best gas company in the UK. If not stay away my friend... You have been warned.

newcomers.....heres a prime example of a BG employee who didnt learn to say no or ignore his phone. could be you next.

But what suits one individual may not suit the next.

i am hoping to get a start as a service fitter because of the extra training i can do and the half decent pay.

The job ios also secure which is a major plus.

thats my point...i had it far easier than micktheframer did.

your right job security is a bonus.

servicing is also a good way to get into BG but you will get bored of it.

 

[namsag]

Don`t kid yourself you will get loads of training specific to the job. Try an speak to a BG guys in your area to see what they think, a lot of patches work differently all depends how strong the manager is to say no to his superiors or if halfwit manager how strong TU rep is to tell him no. It is not just the engineers who are dissatisfied with the company a lot of managers are as well and desperate to get out in the next reshuffle coming up shortly.

Newcomer i see your in herts well if thats watford you should be ok as area shop steward works out of there and helps get easier ride.

Nickso sums it up in reasonble manner

 

[nickso]

thats another thing worth mentioning. like namsag says each manager is obviously different and they sort of run their patch like its their own business as they get their own individual budgets.

therefore you get good and bad management depending on your area and manager.

might not matter so much soon as its all getting changed again like namsag says, there are going to be far less penpushing managers and more for the technical managers to do. they will be doing it all for less money though so i cant see them staying long.

 

[ollski]

I would also say that being a bg employee is a world away from working for bg as contracted labour who generally seem to be seen almost as a necessary evil.

There are more benefits such as reward vouchers, team rewards (cash), paid for entertainments and of course sharesaves. I know engineers who use their dividends to buy a new car each year and from shares in a 10 year old company that aint bad

 

[Agile]

Best way to join them is as a service fitter where there is far less pressure and hassle and half decent money.

What exactly does a "service fitter" do ( and not do ) ?

Tony

 

[namsag]

Don`t talk stupid olski it is not a ten year old company it was part of a company that is over fifty years old and split up. And at the time of this had a very highly trained workforce from management through engineers to back room staff with billions in assets'

It was split for mainly 2 reasons first one being money . At the time the sale of gas was very highly regulated with BG being forced to give up approx 40 percent of it`s domestic and industrial customers. Where as the exploration/ transportation was very lightly regulated and far more money could be made there.

Secondly contracts had been signed with all the major oil companys for gas to be bought for about the next twenty years at twenty pence approx a therm and back around ninety six it dropped to just above ten pence a therm on the open market.

The oil companys refused to renegotiate so centrica was set up with approx twenty billion of debt as in buy forward contracts with the oil companys and they where then told if they didn`t renegotiate the company would go bust and they would get no money surprise surprise they renegotiated.

How stupid that is now with gas hitting eighty pence a therm and above last year.

So don`t claim the success of thousands who have gone before you to give the company the fantastic name it does have amongst the general public

 

[namsag]

services appliances . Does not do breakdowns, installation , fit cylinders rads etc.

 

[ollski]

Don`t talk stupid olski it is not a ten year old company it was part of a company that is over fifty years old and split up.

I'm only talking about centrica namsag, I personally started under centrica shares and took out 60k when I left and that was in a lot less than 10 years....others have done better.

 

[newcomers]

Just received the forms and I have already hit the first stumbling block!!

It says I need to have s/nvq level 3 and some other city and guilds stuff, which I havent got. Thats the end of that then

 

[namsag]

And so am i it is a ten year old company in name only. Started with centrica that explains the brain washing then . And is 60k meant to impress what you mean is you have shares to the value of this because if you sell them in a 1er you will pay 40 percent capital gains. .Personally done full share save every year from eight seven till i left in 2001. The best ever share save was the first one for centrica when at 46p a share and a nine thousand investment over three years became fifty two grand on paper....

As for someone getting a start with centrica. They are using or getting ready to start using one of there companys Dino rod to start fitting rads and cylinders etc. Entry to them may be easier and give you a toe in the door

 

[Garfeild]

Just received the forms and I have already hit the first stumbling block!!

It says I need to have s/nvq level 3 and some other city and guilds stuff, which I havent got. Thats the end of that then

Fill it in anyway, i havent got any of the s/nvq stuff,just the old city and guilds,and theyve accepted that.