Maintenance agreement

[Vince8282]

Each to there own as far as wether you go to non contracted customers in office hours or out of office hours or not, but I personally would encourage engineers to go and help the potential new customer for the following reason alone.

The person is coming to you for service which means you have someone coming into your "shop" you just have to perform to make the sale and if you do your job to the customers satisfaction he will buy again by way of regular maintenace contract. You just have to make sure that if you do turn out you will be paid giving your t&c's over the phone and if you record the coversation you inform the person that the conversation is recorded to avoid any arguments as to the cost of the call out.

From an engineers point of view, if your on call your on call and if you don't get paid for call outs your boss is taking you for a mug. Some firms will reward engineers for aquiring new customers and this may be an area to make some extra bucks for the engineer and the firm.

As for the 4hr response I think it's open to interpretation eg Is a telephone fix a response? I think so and the customer is happy. I also think if it's a telephone fix, it wasn't broke

[Guest ALSEC]

a week on call and you dont get paid.. that cant be right...

I get

[whistle]

I would have left a long time ago with them T & C's

[Guest ALSEC]

From an engineers point of view, if your on call your on call and if you don't get paid for call outs your boss is taking you for a mug. Some firms will reward engineers for aquiring new customers and this may be an area to make some extra bucks for the engineer and the firm.

True enough and again thats why I've handed in my notice..

However, how **** did I feel on the phone - you can quite clearly hear the keypad beeping away happily in the background and I'm telling the guy that I can't help because I'm already with a contract customer and will be busy for some time - in reality I was 5 mins from the front door..

I'm not going to miss out spending time with my wife and kids due to some misguided loyalty..

I would have left a long time ago with them T & C's

When I stared it was different - then it changed after no consultation with any staff..

New job is based from home and much better standby pay plus time 1/2 door to door if called out..

It will mean going out more as national customers who can't be put off but thats fine - I don't mind doing the work I would just like to be paid for it..

[j.paul]

RU absolutely sure..? only I expressed this concern to a manager after recently having my area extended which could now mean 4hours in en-route drive time alone, so if another call was to come in I could posibly have no way of meeting the 4 hour deadline.

I was assured that he'd verified it was ok with our Nacoss rep not to attend within 4 hours so long as we phone the 2nd call and arrange an attendance time.

PD6662.2004 D.4.2

The emergency service facility should be so located and organized that, except under abnormal circumstances, the maintenance company's representative can reach the supervised premises within 4 hours from the request to attend. This period may be lengthened with installations on off-shore islands and those with local audible alarms only; the lengthened period should be agred in writing by the subscriber and subject to the approval of any insurer involved. The period may also be lengthened at the subscriber's request which should be in writing or, in the case of a temporary request, subsequently confirmed in writing.

[norman]

The time the customer place the call is totally irrelevant, they pay us for a 24/7 cover therefore they can ring at the drop of a hat, as and when it suit's them, we are there for them not the other way round. It can be a pain but if we take the money we should deliver the service....

[Guest ALSEC]

The time the customer place the call is totally irrelevant, they pay us for a 24/7 cover therefore they can ring at the drop of a hat, as and when it suit's them, we are there for them not the other way round. It can be a pain but if we take the money we should deliver the service....

Thats a fair enough comment, however, the person taking the money is rarely the person delivering the service...

I have just returned from 3 calls today - my first post on here was early this morning sometime. I have repaired a damaged cable at a car garage, replaced SAB which went mad last night and removed the menu from a CCTV monitor that the security guard managed to get on some how!!

So the firm gets from profit from and SAB and a callout charge for the CCTV job (and also three happy customers because I got to all three jobs quickly and carried out my work efficiently and to a high standard) and what do I get - nothing.

[norman]

Thats a fair enough comment, however, the person taking the money is rarely the person delivering the service...

I got to all three jobs quickly and carried out my work efficiently and to a high standard) and what do I get - nothing.

As with the customers it all comes down to choices, they choose whom maintains their security, we choose whom we work for, you have stated that you are moving on, good for you I would not work for the same terms and conditions that you currently are. Your employer, regardless who they are are in the game for one reason only...money, nothing wrong with profit, how they share the profit and how much they share is another thing completely

Good luck with the move.

[Guest ALSEC]

Good luck with the move.

Thanks - quite excited and just want to get on with it now. When I told my boss (over the phone as I was on leave) the first thing he said was "I take it you won't be coming back now then?" He expected me to not bother turning up for work the next week! I told him I'd obviously meet the conditions of my contract and work out my notice because I didn't want to drop him in the **** without a pair of hands at such short notice - wish i hadn't bothered now!!

[breff]

Coming back to my point, the regs. put an obligation on us to attend, but what to do about the customer who deliberately delays calling for an engineer until a convenient time for them.

For instance, Mr bloggs house alarm activates while he is at work on friday morning. He goes home, stops the alarm and then leaves it out of operation until Sunday when he is free, then calls for an engineer.

As peoples lives become busier, I think we will get more of this. Everyone wants supermarkets to open at a time to suit them. They will expect the same of us soon.

Deal with it the same way as us, in office calls are included in maintainance contract, out of hours are chargeable.