Why is every Which? Best Buy boiler made by Worcester bosch?
- Thread starter cjard
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I run a company which installs boilers, we specialize and don't take on bathrooms, plumbing etc so we see a fair number. We are only a small outfit but over the last 12 years we have seen Worcester-Bosch reliability and customer service improve massively, whilst their main rival, following the untimely death of their UK MD perhaps, have had numerous reliability issues and their customer service has dropped to being borderline unacceptable.
Granted, a Worcester Bosch boiler doesn't look like it's well made inside, but the analogy I use is a Japanese car. They don't look particularly well made under the bonnet, but everything is tested and just keeps going. We have found over the last 6 years that the Worcester promise stands up, they might have a fair bit of plastic inside and seemingly random wires snaking around the case, but owners care not a jot if it just keeps going year after year.
So our experience matches the Which? results, and while I'm on the subject, I think there is very little Which? can achieve on a test bench. What exactly can you do with 10 boilers in a lab over 6 months? Most boilers manage the first 6 months OK. Canvassing their members for long term customer experience is a much more accurate and meaningful method.
It will also expose perfectly the 30 minute call centre waiting times and post sales Homeserve warranty hard sell from Worcester's main competitor.
Granted, a Worcester Bosch boiler doesn't look like it's well made inside, but the analogy I use is a Japanese car. They don't look particularly well made under the bonnet, but everything is tested and just keeps going. We have found over the last 6 years that the Worcester promise stands up, they might have a fair bit of plastic inside and seemingly random wires snaking around the case, but owners care not a jot if it just keeps going year after year.
So our experience matches the Which? results, and while I'm on the subject, I think there is very little Which? can achieve on a test bench. What exactly can you do with 10 boilers in a lab over 6 months? Most boilers manage the first 6 months OK. Canvassing their members for long term customer experience is a much more accurate and meaningful method.
It will also expose perfectly the 30 minute call centre waiting times and post sales Homeserve warranty hard sell from Worcester's main competitor.
Canvassing members that purchase items based on the publication's recommendations for opinions on the purchases they have made is tad incestuous don't you think?
As for the product. The manuals are poor and inaccurate, Tech support isn't as good as it should (not had a correct answer in ages).
Plastic components crack, both hydraulic and gas. The gas valve drifts terribly over the course of a year. The cases are a joke and company a bunch of arrogant tosspots.
Granted the main competition has slipped over the years as well. But that is no excuse.
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I have noticed the gas valve drift, so I can see where you are coming from Dan. However this is an irritation for the servicing technician but has little impact on the customer. Similarly, the fact that the casings are a pain to get off and put back (about 6 different lengths and types of screw to lose and/or put back in the right place) is of no interest whatsoever to the customer.
Yes, there's lots that could be done to make the product more attractive for gas technicians, but I'd argue that reliability, in a boiler, is the number one.
With some of the more niche boilers such as ATAG or Intergas, you talk to a tiny technical team that know a small range of products inside out. The Worcester tech support team are sometimes a bit green, but there are lots of them and they answer the phone. Their admin people are efficient, polite, empowered; superb in my opinion, and that is what the customer sees.
It only this year that Worcester have the Which? game to themselves so, for now, their sample of existing boilers would not be unduly influenced.
Yes, there's lots that could be done to make the product more attractive for gas technicians, but I'd argue that reliability, in a boiler, is the number one.
With some of the more niche boilers such as ATAG or Intergas, you talk to a tiny technical team that know a small range of products inside out. The Worcester tech support team are sometimes a bit green, but there are lots of them and they answer the phone. Their admin people are efficient, polite, empowered; superb in my opinion, and that is what the customer sees.
It only this year that Worcester have the Which? game to themselves so, for now, their sample of existing boilers would not be unduly influenced.
Might not be of interest to the customer, but it is of interest to me. And if the points I highlighted above are indicative, then all the bribery in the world won't get me to fit one that I have supplied.
If a manual is wrong, and they have been told it is wrong, they know it is wrong, yet they still haven't corrected it 2 years later, that tells me all I need to know.
Trainers having a laugh on a training course about the shyte design saying "yeah they could have thought about that a bit more" isn't in my book a good thing.
If a manual is wrong, and they have been told it is wrong, they know it is wrong, yet they still haven't corrected it 2 years later, that tells me all I need to know.
Trainers having a laugh on a training course about the shyte design saying "yeah they could have thought about that a bit more" isn't in my book a good thing.
And simond I agree we all stick to what we know I'm opposite to u obviously, but Worcester and vaillant got identical marks so are both best buys, ideal is now market leader in sales
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