Now we have Fabric Engineers!

[Grizzly]

Yep, apparently it's pseudonym for "Handy Man".

A couple of weeks ago a large National Building Services Company.
Gave notice to 11 of their 13 Electrical Engineers. (From the South West U.K.)
I can only assume this is happening Nationally?
Yep these guys are multi skilled but the trade bias is Electrical I believe.
That leaves the 2 remaining guys covering an area so large I would assume they are going to spend most of their work time driving?
But to balance the act, the company is employing more Fabric Engineers!
These will provide the first response to site issues and then the decision will be taken as to which trade will be required to respond.

A cheap way of providing cover and one that already exists in the commercial sector, I believe?

Quote " It does not matter if the store man responds to the call out, just as long as someone has attended within the alloted 4 hrs!"

What scares me is everyone is dumbed down by the whole process and long term no-one wins.
Or am I looking at it all from the wrong perspective?

Incidental of the guys involved, the ones I have had the pleasure of working with are very good guys indeed.
Who will end up fighting over the few jobs available in their areas because the suits (that's me being diplomatic) have messed up again.
Grizzly

[r.bartlett]

Grizzly

You need to get out of there and join a specialist company which can make use of your skill set

[Grizzly]

Already am my friend!
Or have you forgotten since we last spoke of forum?
These are people we Sub to, or are used as an OEM.
Grizzly

[monkey spanners]

Shiney arses ruin everything :mad:

Used to get called a floater on my last company as i would be sent on install then called away (or rather they saved them up till it was home time) on breakdowns. Seemed to take a little too much pleasure calling me a floater for my liking :D

Jon

[Brian_UK]

Grizzly, you know it makes sense to send a monkey in first.

It is the long term plan of that particular company to acquire every decent trading name in the UK, terminate as many contracts as possible in the shortest possible time before throwing the good company name away.

They spent 12 months reorganising the previous well organised workforce. When that failed miserably they thought about using teams of people to organise what was left. These teams would be based on the old design of working, you know the thing, manager, supervisor, admin staff working one area at a time, a bit like a branch office. Sadly it was too late.

To my knowledge that now makes four company names that have been eaten and spat out ruined. It wouldn't be so bad if their blo0dy share price was falling but it just keeps getting higher and higher.

Hopefully those electricians will find better employment elsewhere.

[r.bartlett]

Ah yes of course I forgot. :-)

[Magoo]

Hi Grizzly.
A sign of the times Im afraid, its happening in all industries. They employ analyst consultants at a huge cost to come up with the model on saving money, then the executives give themselves a huge pay rise for being so clever.

[install monkey]

its normally the monkey who makes the job 10 times worse because they thick as ....! do i need to change my log in details so i do not get stereotyped!!!!

[mikeref]

This type of action would NOT have gone down well with the job i had yesterday. Coldstore with several thousand kilo's of processed meat lost both primary and backup chillers! It took me most of the day to get both online again, BUT, can you imagine the situation and response the owner would have... great,thanks for getting here so quick... but, if you can't fix this problem then...., WTF are you doing here!! CONTRACT LOST!.. Mike.

[Grizzly]

Mikeref.
I understand what you are saying, but surely how you "respond" and with whom is Dependant upon the type of contract / work involved.
Your example is more specialized!
The more Specialized the job the easier it is to justify the fees but harder to charge the same for routine maintenance.
Which is the nub of the argument, is it not?

From a business model it makes good business sense. Provided the companies continue to get away with the practice.
Which of course they will.

I was really just trying to let all know what is happening and recent. Bearing in mind this is building maintenance work.
Which may slightly differ from OZ but over here they tend to sub out to fridge companies the refrigeration work.
Not always mind there are good fridgies in that area but as a general statement that's the case.

May i just add Where we all not Thick at the beginning.
May be that's why I enjoy the forum so much.
Because I get to learn from those more knowledgeable than me.

The guys I refer to are extremely knowledgeable in their own areas and I started off as a Handy man at my first cold store.
As it was the only position available but it was an open door at the time.

Personally if it all fails tomorrow and I have a choice i won't be working for this company.

And in the meantime if I do come across a "Monkey" as long as he is not a baboon! I will help him as much as I can.
Grizzly

[mikeref]

Grizzly. First responders, If i understand your initial post correctly, are thoes that can assist in making amends to situations. Trade assistants or dilligent apprentices will be very helpful to carry out inspections and may pick up on a problem area therefore saving time for repairs by qualified persons. Your reference to the 4 hour response time led me to believe you were leaning towards satisfying clients problems with ONLY someone who is able to appraise the situation and take immediate action to rectify problem, thus, your comment in post #10.. My example is more specialised. True, jobs such as cleaning filters or hosing out condensers is significant but i think sending someone to a "time sensitive" problem requires the men trained in this field. Really, who else will complete the task required? .. The opposition? Please feel free to correct any mis-understanding i have of your comments:).. Mike.

[mad fridgie]

I do not think this is something new, back 20 years ago, they had guys who just drove up and down the M6, would pop in to the service call, sign the paperwork, "needs a part" service contract met. The real service engineer would go when he could

[Grizzly]

Grizzly. First responders, If i understand your initial post correctly, are those that can assist in making amends to situations. Trade assistants or dilligent apprentices will be very helpful to carry out inspections and may pick up on a problem area therefore saving time for repairs by qualified persons. Your reference to the 4 hour response time led me to believe you were leaning towards satisfying clients problems with ONLY someone who is able to appraise the situation and take immediate action to rectify problem, thus, your comment in post #10.. My example is more specialised. True, jobs such as cleaning filters or hosing out condensers is significant but i think sending someone to a "time sensitive" problem requires the men trained in this field. Really, who else will complete the task required? .. The opposition? Please feel free to correct any mis-understanding i have of your comments:).. Mike.

Nothing to correct my friend, your comments are truly valid!
I was originally just pointing out how certain companies are operating reducing the need for As Many specialized people.
Therefore downgrading us all in the end.
Grizzly

[charlie patt]

from what i can sea i believe its about saveing cost and the almighty pound, a general first view engineer will usually rush around and on a national contract as long as a face turns up thats all it maters, on our type of smaller contracts it would not work as the customer owns the kit thus he can spot a trainee/improver from half a mile, some nationals i no dont carry ref /fans or very little else personally i prefer to hit site fix it and go we all had to learn at some point but we all need guidance dont mater how many years we have done it, the biggest problem is some firms seem to work for very little money, if you plan to expand why work for nothing? are you better to let a contract go if you are earning nothing on it ? are you better to be a busy fool ?, i recentley spoke to a industrial engineer for a nat supermarket, they supply all the kit he fits it 96 percent away from home for 21 pph no nights out allowance self employed no ot, the response was if i dont do it they will find someone that will, rates are on the floor customers want more for there pound and people are going bust but charge a reasonable rate have decent staff look after them and keep the customer happy those sparkys that left will find work in a company that will appreciate them in years to come

[AUScooler:-)]

What happens if a handy man adjusts a pressure control when it was just a gas shortage fault, along comes refrigeration mechanic fixes gas leak leaves site not knowing every thing but the kitchen sink has been adjusted and customer looses all produce. I wonder who customer and employer will blame for this.

[spike78]

Dont ya just love Carillion Planned Maintenance ; ) lol
Left them nearly two years ago and never looked back

[Brian_UK]

Dont ya just love Carillion Planned Maintenance ; ) lol
Left them nearly two years ago and never looked back
Aw, common, don't stick it on PME, it's all the work of Carillion alone.

Signed
One more happy ex-employee. :D

[AUScooler:-)]

How should a refrigeration mechanic act when he catches a handy man making adjustments to refrigeration equipment?

[install monkey]

i served my apprenticeship at pme manchester-did 13yr there-tony stevens was trying to flog pme for years

[simon@parker]

have been in refigeration22 yrs am still a beginner lol but i have worked for a fair few companys done just about everything even worked for pme :) seems theres always a new money saving idea shifts first responders vehicle changes super depots next day delivery seen it all as true fridge men we all adapt to the situation we are in and do the best job we can i still bend over to kiss my own arse somedays but not as often lesson hard learned oh my point there is only one company still going that i worked for strange that all them top ideas didnt work take it easy guys do wot ya can f*** the rest :)

[kuhler]

served with pme for 12 years now called cpm wont last long they aint got a clue trust me never worked for such a shambles lol

[install monkey]

thats why i left 12 yr ago-leeds branch were trying to dictate overtime manchester branch u worked till u dropped.
i got dragged into a meeting to discuss my 7am starts!!-spat me dummy out big style!!!

[Tayters]

Fabric Engineers - thought that was the posh name for people that work in sweat shops. Wrong again..

If I worked in an office and was expecting a visit from one I'd picture some sharp dressed cushion plumper in a pink (sorry, Salmon coloured) shirt, light coloured Chino's possibly sporting a Paisley cravatte who was technically skilled in matching colour schemes, sourcing hard wearing yet luxurious looking materials for the blinds, carpets and walls and making small rooms seem big with well crafted applications of light coloured hues.

To see a bloke turn up in overalls to fix the heating would leave me sorely disappointed.

Andy.

[mikeref]

Hey Andy, great description. I like the way our language differs so much. Anything to do with fabric here is called a seam-stress, (female), or taylor (men). Fabricators on the other hand are generally sheet metal workers and the title then divides down to plumbers and carpenters. Reading Grizzly's post, i assumed he meant plumber and not someone who had the appearance of the pied piper.. Mike.

[jonjon]

this sounds a hell of a lot like mitie !