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  1. #1
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    Cool Got the job, what to expect?



    hey guys, just landed a job in the supermarket sector, been in commercial for 6 years and finally got myself where i want to be. just looking for a heads up? what to expect with uk supermarkets? common faults? what to keep an eye out for?
    kind regards



  2. #2
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    They treat you like sh-t,have no respect for you and your just a nuisance to them. Then when the sh-t hits the fan you are their best pal. I've had almost 30 years of it and now I just switch off and do what I've got to do. I know I sound like a bitter old fart but hey oh that's life. I've just had the worst three weeks of my working life and things can only get better. Good luck though.

  3. #3
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    Haha sounds positive, any things i should keep an eye out for!? Common faults!? Im really exited to be honest!!

  4. #4
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    Nobody is going to be able to tell you common faults unless they know what make of equipment you will be working on and even then they could probably write you a book. The excitement soon goes when your stuck knee deep in a shop at 2 in the morning and nobody will answer their phones

  5. #5
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    Blocked drains, knackered fan motors (from blocked drains or otherwise), poor airflow due to iced coils or on occasions grubby fan blades, run of cases with no power due to breaker tripped due to defrost heater or fan motor faults (don't expect any clues where the breakers are), probe faults (get yourself a collection of handsets!), gas leaks from a leaky Schrader if it's a Friday afternoon (see next fault), prima donnas who cause more faults than they fix, misdiagnosed compressors (jeez, is it that hard to check output from a contactor first?).

    Should get you going. As Joe says when you need help most prepare to be a one man army, squeaky bum time ha ha. Only did it for a couple of years but money was good as always working and did learn quite a lot so hope it goes alright for you.

    Cheers,
    Andy.
    Health and safety first..........unless I'm in a hurry.

  6. #6
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    I can add:
    Water leaks due to blocked drains.
    No air flow due to packers covering the air on - or sometimes the air off. Had problems at one time with cartons of soup freezing up because the merchandisrs insisted the shelves be full with NO gaps. On an air off the back cabinet!
    Store managers who think you're a piece of .€%* even when you're doing your best to help them out.
    Backstabbing *******s in your own company.
    Dirty or rotted condensers.
    Fixed leak detectors that are set off by the cleaner's chemicals.
    Night managers calling you out to cabinets on an overnight fan only defrost, so they can be seen to be doing something by their bosses.
    Customers who refuse to obey safety barriers.
    Clients who refuse to do the right thing H&S wise - like safety barriers.
    I could go on.

  7. #7
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    Quote Originally Posted by raz10 View Post
    hey guys, just landed a job in the supermarket sector, been in commercial for 6 years and finally got myself where i want to be. just looking for a heads up? what to expect with uk supermarkets? common faults? what to keep an eye out for?
    kind regards
    Kiss good-bye to any social life you had. Supermarkets seem to have a knack for breaking down after hours. (Call comes in at 4:50 PM...even though the store manager sat on the alarm a few hours earlier.)
    Expect calls at any hour of the night. Finished a job at 1 AM and on your way home? Don't be so sure. I've had another call while driving home in the early hours.

    There was a lightning strike at one location around 7 PM. Boards for the low and medium temp racks mostly blackened and melted, wiring colours burnt off and 1.5/ 2.5 etc wiring fused together. That required a sparkie and yours truly to stay all night and half the next day.
    To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

  8. #8
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    To prepare for Supermarket life? Always have a Thermos with strong Coffee ready to go.
    During my "on call" supermarket years, the night-fill staff often asked if i had brought my sleeping bag and pillow.
    To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

  9. #9
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    Pulling snakes of jelly out of drains. Constantly changing probes. Being expected to fix a cabinet with a magic wand so the store don't have to empty it. Having customers step on you to get to the product like it's the last day on earth. Seeing sun rise and sunset twice before you get to sleep! Paperwork being more important that fixing the job. If you have a partner take a picture of them now as you may not recognise them when you next get to see them. Especially in the summer. Running round after apparent engineers fixing the stuff they said they fixed. Fixing a job and just as your getting your paper work signed they give the ' ah, while your here' line and they give you another two jobs.

    I could go on but I'd be here all day. On the upside you'll make money like never before and the conditions are better in the markets than some backstreet pub or restaurant. Also the experience you'll gain will put you in place to work on most equipment anywhere and you often get to work on new technology first. Also you'll realise what a great bunch of guys are on here when you really need help! Enjoy!

  10. #10
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    well cheers for all the comments guys, i expect long hours and hard work, thats why i went for the job, i am use to getting nothing but grief off farmers, every customer is the same, they want everything for nothing! hey hoh thats the fridge game for you i guess haha!

  11. #11
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    Firstly sorry for my rant earlier on but sometimes it gets to you. The Supermarket side of the industry can be very rewarding as well as very demanding. I would say the rewards are in the greater by a lot,but you do have a lot of pressure put on you. Depending on which chain you are working for the control systems all do the same job but all in their own way. We are quite fortunate now due to mobile phones/ internet to get info on them straight away, but that wasn't always the way. You really need to get your company to get you on as many controls courses as you can to get at least a little bit of a heads up. But you will really learn by hands on at the sticky end. My best bit of advice is try not to get too stressed,they can pass you as many jobs as they want but you can only do one at a time, so just turn up do what's needed and let the company take the flak. I've had shop managers effing and blinding at me but I've also had managers bringing me a cup of coffee when it's all sorted and they can start using the cases again. So in a nutshell it's not a bad job.

  12. #12
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    yeah i think it will be the control side of things which will take a bit of time to getting use to, a lot of work with the rdm controllers i believe.

  13. #13
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    As said above, do not stress and do what it needs, be fast but don't rush, in the end the quality and reliability iof the repair speaks for its self. When stressed and rushing is where most mistakes will be made and some times be fatal!

    Much to the great annoyence of some of my past employers I don't stress and panic over things my secret to health and happines! even when all ells goes to pot!
    Now in Redvers Sask.

  14. #14
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    How has your first week been? Induction go well?

  15. #15
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    he's prob not finished his 157hr week yet

  16. #16
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    Quote Originally Posted by install monkey View Post
    he's prob not finished his 157hr week yet
    Or in a+e getting his head out of
    his arse!

  17. #17
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    He probably got locked in by a store manager. (And yes, I really have known that to happen.)

  18. #18
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    I was working on some kit in a scrap yard, finnished up, packed the tools whent to leave to my much longed for bed, only to be met by closed gates with a very big lock on it!

    had to phone the cops to track the owner down as the night watch wandered off to who knows where, hour later they find the owner and I can finaly jump in bed with my puppy girl and go to sleep! any who knows german sheps know the looks they give ya when your late!
    Now in Redvers Sask.

  19. #19
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    Re: Got the job, what to expect?

    How's new job going Ryan?

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