.....is it REALLY that bad out there.....

[Blumper]

I reckon if I had vital statistics of 36-24-34, blonde hair, blue eyes, a really dirty laugh and a smooth builders butt I’d have much more luck…:crazy:.cos as a 42 year old fart with plenty of plumbing experience I just cannot seem to give away totally free competent labour. In brief, I’ve worked for years as a plumber, then worked on Oil and Gas in Ireland, (no such thing as CORGI or Gas Safe then, as wrong as that was…) then ended up in France, (hated it there, full of French) so I came back here, did a few things to improve the cv, 6129, (long story, waste of time) BPEC Unvented, WRAS approved etc. then did an Intermediate CITB Gas Course and now have the ACS portfolio to do, (I want to eventually train to commercial catering, comcats etc. as that’s what I want to do) Anyway, had a Gas Engineer friend of a friend lined up to work with but he’s since had serious domestic wobbles and has high-tailed it to Wales to be with his new beau….now I don’t mind travelling, but I ain’t going to Wales…..

So, with that door firmly closed, and as I am lucky enough to have a missus, (with all the above dimensions by the way…:sailor🙂 who’s prepared to keep me in hot food and warm clothes while I train, I set about writing personally to no less than 58 local registered Gas Engineers in the Kent area. In the letters I have offered to work totally free of charge, out of hours, weekends etc., cover my own travel expenses, (I have my own van and all my tools) and basically do any and all donkey work in return for their expertise, authority and guidance ensuring that I know what I am doing and working to the Gas Safety regs and sign off on the tasks. I don’t want a bacon sarnie in the m morning or even a cup of anyone’s soup from their flask, I’ll bring me own sandwiches and soup….

Out of the 58 engineers, 2 have contacted me……..one to say he now works for Watkins so can’t help, but good luck anyway and another who would have but he is retiring at Christmas….just my luck…

Where am I going wrong fella’s ? Should I be putting a few quid in the next batch of desperate letters ? or get the missus to write…………………..!!

 

[Deleted member 32524]

People do not want newbies in the trade. Simple. More people= less pay. Yes, it is tough atm. Diary not full and only know what I am doing half of next week. After that have nothing in book. Government will flood our industry with thousand of new inexperienced people and drive down our take home pay. May even reach the level where you may be better off in a stress free office job at min wage.

 

[Barry98]

I reckon if I had vital statistics of 36-24-34, blonde hair, blue eyes, a really dirty laugh and a smooth builders butt I’d have much more luck…:crazy:.cos as a 42 year old fart with plenty of plumbing experience I just cannot seem to give away totally free competent labour. In brief, I’ve worked for years as a plumber, then worked on Oil and Gas in Ireland, (no such thing as CORGI or Gas Safe then, as wrong as that was…) then ended up in France, (hated it there, full of French) so I came back here, did a few things to improve the cv, 6129, (long story, waste of time) BPEC Unvented, WRAS approved etc. then did an Intermediate CITB Gas Course and now have the ACS portfolio to do, (I want to eventually train to commercial catering, comcats etc. as that’s what I want to do) Anyway, had a Gas Engineer friend of a friend lined up to work with but he’s since had serious domestic wobbles and has high-tailed it to Wales to be with his new beau….now I don’t mind travelling, but I ain’t going to Wales…..

So, with that door firmly closed, and as I am lucky enough to have a missus, (with all the above dimensions by the way…:sailor🙂 who’s prepared to keep me in hot food and warm clothes while I train, I set about writing personally to no less than 58 local registered Gas Engineers in the Kent area. In the letters I have offered to work totally free of charge, out of hours, weekends etc., cover my own travel expenses, (I have my own van and all my tools) and basically do any and all donkey work in return for their expertise, authority and guidance ensuring that I know what I am doing and working to the Gas Safety regs and sign off on the tasks. I don’t want a bacon sarnie in the m morning or even a cup of anyone’s soup from their flask, I’ll bring me own sandwiches and soup….

Out of the 58 engineers, 2 have contacted me……..one to say he now works for Watkins so can’t help, but good luck anyway and another who would have but he is retiring at Christmas….just my luck…

Where am I going wrong fella’s ? Should I be putting a few quid in the next batch of desperate letters ? or get the missus to write…………………..!!

you have to rember fella when you pass , you will be covering the same area and going for the same jobs so taking bussines from them as all newbies tend to go in low to get the work. imho. that make sense ?

 

[Blumper]

Cheers lads, I know and hear what your saying, makes sense of course, but I've no intention at all of going full time into domestic work and I've said that in the letter. I've got to do the domestic first to progress onto the catering comcats. I've contacts in that trade and that's where I'm heading so I wouldn't be a potential competitor once I've done the ACS. I just would have thought that at least someone would jump at the chance of having a free pair of competent hands for however many weeks it took to do the portfolio, especially coming into winter when there is always more work about.....I even pointed out that I'm fast, take my work and safety very seriously and even like a good laugh, plus I make a blinding curry, all the bhaji's, naan breads and everything...the missus taught us, she's a chef..and I'd even bring in large samples and tasters every Monday.............!!! what's left to offer ? short of having to pay someone to let me work alongside them for free I'm all out of options....can't believe it really, real downer cos without the ACS I'm at a red light. I wouldn't mind either, but I had it all sorted until my Gas Engineer got his collar felt by his missus and ended up in some place I can't even pronounce in North Wales.....how unlucky is that...

 

[fuzzy]

yeh its a shame but thats the market for you, well and truely saturated with people wanting to get their gas

 

[dboi78]

I feel for u mate, I went through the same thing at the beginning of the year and I sent out about a hundred cv's and cold called from the yellow page's, went into merchants the lot with no luck, then I spoke to a guy at my local gym and hey presto been with him since, but I know a college in dartford that let's u go out with one of their engineers to complete your folder, for a fee of course, failing that remember the three p's patience, persistence, pig headed and something will come up

 

[sparra1100]

this is one hard trade to get into mate as above your gunner be competion for people regardless of what you say you want to do ,what if that doesnt work out and you end up just doing domestic theres another few boilers gone a month sounds harsh but thats how it is, ive found out first hand a few yrs ago have loads of mates in this trade some really close mates that i go for a pint with and go to gigs etc ye none of them would help full of promises but nothing came. had to go begging in the end and managed to find a really decent bloke to help but i still had to get some of the work, theres new people every week asking for help on here because the first bit has become so easy pay the training center £4000 plus and your on your way so your told untill you need the portfolli doing and thats when it becomes hard

 

[Blumper]

Cheers again fellas....it is some comfort to know that a few of you went through the mill first as well and its not just my bad luck......will just have to keep plugging away, or join a gym and start chatting up fellas, ; ) anything I suppose that can help.....been thinking perhaps I really should offer anyone willing to help a lump sum when the portfolio is done, gotta get it done so no other choice really. I knew I should have moved back into London as well, there's lots of lovely fields and scenery round here, but not as many boilers.....cheers as well dboi78, I know the place in dartford, but with them they don't guarantee a timesale, I'm not in any mad rush but maybe one or two days a week will take months on end to do it properly and I don't want it dragging on quite that long....

 

[stevetheplumber]

i get at least 2 calls aweek asking for a job as a mate i cant find enough work to keep myself going i think im going to have to get spurs and a ten gallon hat no more powerflushing before fitting ignore the need for stats and trvs bang it on the wall and run seems to be the only way to get any work in london now

 

[tonto33]

i done my by finding the work offering the job to gas engineer so he got paid for the work and i tagged a long for free, just shame i chose the wrong acs centre to go to for training

 

[cr0ft]

I've honestly been doing this for just 3 years now running my own business. Down in Fareham it just isn't worth it any more to be honest. Am number 1 on Google and have (to date) 43 Checkatrade feedbacks with an average of 9.9/10. Up till last month I was booked up for every month of the year. This month and last, nothing but a handful of repair jobs.

I honestly can't do anything else to promote my business locally. There just isn't enough income out there at the moment, certainly not down here. Every quote is either a small repair job or an insurance job just now.

Just about to move up to Lincoln and I hope to hell that things are better up there!

The government has also finally put the nail in the coffin for Solar PV too which was the only potential growth area in the domestic market that I could see.

So, yes, I would say it is very bad out there at the moment!

 

[sparra1100]

ay blumper just think of all them sheep ye missing out on,lol you just need to bump into the right person mate if ye were near me ad help ye but am futher than wales so not much can do there keep pluggin away and something will happen might take a little while but there will be someone somewere all the best mate and good luck

 

[Daleroader]

To go back to earlier comments and to back up the fear of existing gas engineers.
I did my gas placement/portfolio with a great firm and was used as free labour which I did not mind. I found out today that I recently won a job quoting against the firm who helped me out.
To be fair to me I quoted for the job first (over 2 months ago) and was more expensive but not having to charge VAT swung the job my way.
I actually felt quite bad about it but the job was only 5 miles from me and 30 miles from the other firm.
The moral of this story is paths do cross.

 

[Blumper]

Cheers tonto, great idea in principle but as I've only just come back to UK after years away I don't have the contacts or customers to even begin to source work to do it that way, I know.........i must be mad, and sparra, yeah, I'm not immune to the odd bit of mutton so your right there.. 😉, shame too but cheers for the thought anyway, as I'm more than happy to travel to get this done and a fella rang me this evening after hearing of me plight and offered to help a bit but he's over Twickenham way..........I wouldn't mind, but we're only here in Kent until end of March when the missus'sses (!) contract expires then we're off to Bristol where I have the commercial catering contacts, best laid plans an'all.... and I hear you too Daleroader, but everyone registered on this forum did it at some stage, you were all 'beginners' once and we all have to get a start eh, despite current climate and sentiments, still astonished that NOT ONE out of over 50 engineers would take the offer up..and typically the only ones that were decent enough to ring me back, couldn't......England eh, where did it all go so wrong...anyway, I'm sending these letters to everyone on the Gas Safe register in the CT9, 11, 8, 12 7 & 13 postcodes in the next few days, phase 2 of the plan, got me stamps, envelopes and the missus'sses (!) neat handwriting for the adresses. That's about 120 engineers I think, will post again when sent, might even put a 'golden ticket' in one....it could be you....:wink:

 

[Blumper]

...just a thought Daleroader, how did you approach the firm you did yours with ? I ask because I've avoided companies thinking they would be less likely to be interested, not looking for thier details, just interested in how you pitched it to them, you only get one crack at a first impression so any info would help, cheers

 

[sparra1100]

ay blumper just think of all them sheep ye missing out on,lol you just need to bump into the right person mate if ye were near me ad help ye but am futher than wales so not much can do there keep pluggin away and something will happen might take a little while but there will be someone somewere all the best mate and good luck

Cheers tonto, great idea in principle but as I've only just come back to UK after years away I don't have the contacts or customers to even begin to source work to do it that way, I know.........i must be mad, and sparra, yeah, I'm not immune to the odd bit of mutton so your right there.. 😉, shame too but cheers for the thought anyway, as I'm more than happy to travel to get this done :wink:

classic

 

[Daleroader]

I was lucky and knew the owner of the company personally. In my opinion companies would be a good place to start, you will be the tea boy and probably end up working with someone half your age but it is a means to an end, I would also try local councils, they have gas engineers who service fires, cookers, bbu's all day long.

 

[gasmarc]

yes It is that bad out there, I started work at 9 o clock and finished as 10.30 yesterday
Today no work got a call from a regular started at 11 o clock finished at 11.45
just waiting on a part to turn up for a regular combi repair
and a new programmer to fit on thursday and thats it for the week
and that maybe a good week compared to others where i had no work
only been doing it for 20 years odd

 

[Blumper]

Cheers again Daleroader, will try a few and see what happens. Cheers too gasmarc, that really cheered me up :svengo:...................and to think when I was twenty I wanted to make a career out of writing erotic literature........anyway, hope it picks up for you all over the coming weeks, the silly season is starting so that should help.

 

[stevetheplumber]

im the same as marcbeen doing this for thirty odd years and its now pants insurance schemes have taken all the small work ,easten europeans the medium sized work for builders and the big boys will only pay peanuts for monkeys
builder i used to do work for has two albanian plumbers doing his bathrooms £50 a day for the 2 of them he took one home the other day and they are living 8 in a room in 4 bunk beds