Cheeky Request

[No spare names]

This is a bit of a cheeky question and probably doesn't comply with forum rules but its worth a try.

I just completed my ACS and am in the process of applying to CORGI. I have employment lined up with a firm that has a contract with the council for servicing and repairs of their boilers.

My problem is i have started to receive some offers of private work and i am finding it hard to sensibly quote.

I would be very grateful if some of the professionals on here would give me a little bit of help in the right direction. I appreciate I'm fortunate to have the internet as a resource (this might not be the best platform to ask this question but its the only one i know of) and understand some people had to learn the hard way.

Im just looking for guides on things like services, hourly labour rates and landlord certificates. If any one can help could you email me to help try and comply with the forum rules. If you wish to ask me any questions to prove i am genuine, please do.

Many thanks to anyone that can help.

P.S. I live in Devon (i would guess rates vary across the country).

 

[twgas]

try ringing local firms for price of a service and go from there

 

[corgiman]

try ringing local firms for price of a service and go from there

sage advice there

its the only way to know if you are competative

you can always ask a relative to do it if you are not happy doing it your selF

 

[Agile]

I just completed my ACS and am in the process of applying to CORGI. I have employment lined up with a firm that has a contract with the council for servicing and repairs of their boilers.

This is why the service is so poor from those firms when they cannot afford to employ experienced people and have to use people who have just got their gas qualifications.

Tony

 

[corgiman]

I just completed my ACS and am in the process of applying to CORGI. I have employment lined up with a firm that has a contract with the council for servicing and repairs of their boilers.

This is why the service is so poor from those firms when they cannot afford to employ experienced people and have to use people who have just got their gas qualifications.

Tony

correction they DONT want to pay for experiance chaps and most experianced chaps are doing their own funky thing and dont want to be employed do grunt council work

 

[oilman]

What about liability insurance? The people asking you for jobs probably want a cheap job doing. For your own protection insurance is recommended. For Corgi registration, it is not enough that YOU have a certificate, your registration has to be with a registered business. This could be your own business, or your employer's, but "private" jobs will leave you exposed.

 

[ChrisR]

See here . You'll get more help there. It's the only free gas-installers-only forum on the net.

I'd say stick with the employer route for now, especially on repairs. You'll be spectacularly slow the first time you do some things, and that can be a problem if someone's paying you an hourly rate. The council will pay you to gain experience.

You'd be able to change thermocouples and diaphragms, but stripping a diverter valve would take you all day.

 

[Agile]

correction they DONT want to pay for experiance chaps and most experianced chaps are doing their own funky thing and dont want to be employed do grunt council work

I dont think thats the case! I would blame the Councils and HAs who drive down the contract prices to the point that the only people the contractor can afford to pay are newbees without experience. Few people stay more than 3-5 years with those firms.

Its not just the technical experience, its the whole customer service aspect. No polite greeting, no explanation of the problem, delaying fixing on lame excuses just because they are not allowed the time to complete the job.

The whole senario is of a poor quality operation with inexperienced staff.

A trainee I had told me that he had been to 11 CP12s and he had NEVER even seen a tightness test being done. That was a HA Contractor!

Tony

 

[chr15]

I just completed my ACS and am in the process of applying to CORGI. I have employment lined up with a firm that has a contract with the council for servicing and repairs of their boilers.

This is why the service is so poor from those firms when they cannot afford to employ experienced people and have to use people who have just got their gas qualifications.

Tony

But surely everyone has to start somewhere and sometimes being chucked in at the deep end can be good for you, just depends if he ends up being a good un' or a bad un' i suppose, and hopefully he'll make the decision to always work safely.

I would have thought that he would get at least some training with the firm he's going to, even if its just shadowing one of the experienced guys for a week or two, if he wasn't taking this job, where would you suggest he go?

 

[corgiman]

correction they DONT want to pay for experiance chaps and most experianced chaps are doing their own funky thing and dont want to be employed do grunt council work

I dont think thats the case! I would blame the Councils and HAs who drive down the contract prices to the point that the only people the contractor can afford to pay are newbees without experience. Few people stay more than 3-5 years with those firms.

Its not just the technical experience, its the whole customer service aspect. No polite greeting, no explanation of the problem, delaying fixing on lame excuses just because they are not allowed the time to complete the job.

The whole senario is of a poor quality operation with inexperienced staff.

A trainee I had told me that he had been to 11 CP12s and he had NEVER even seen a tightness test being done. That was a HA Contractor!

Tony

Its sad but true and they are also coining it in thanks to the influx of the inexperianced but accredited re trainer.

Its a bad time and no mistake

 

[No spare names]

Err thanks i think. Some interesting replies.

What about liability insurance?

Already looked into it. I don't wish to work without it.

The people asking you for jobs probably want a cheap job doing.

This why i want to give out sensible quotes. I don't want to earn a reputation of being cheap. However i won't be expecting customers to pay for slower pace of work.

The whole senario is of a poor quality operation with inexperienced staff.

I appreciate that this maybe true in some cases, but it's a bit of a generalization!!!!


As for phoning local firms i will give it a go.