Rising Star

One example of a problem you have encountered on the job and how you worked with your employee to overcome it

During the installation of a heating system, we had a very tricky gas ‘run’. My manager had described to us how he wanted it completed but it was unable to be installed the way he wanted. I came up with the idea of a different, more cost-effective way using less materials and less time, and my manager was very pleased with the result.

The proposed route for the gas supply was unachievable due to unforeseen obstacles, being on site with my ‘mentor’ I was able to climb into a tight space within the loft area and see a better route for the installation, but it also involved some very complex accurate pipe bending to transition from outside to inside using a 28mm pipe bender. I have experience with using the 28mm tripod pipe benders and was very pleased that the ‘sets’ ‘kicks’ and pulled bend worked perfectly. It was a more complex route but saved on materials and labour time.

The end result in this was the customer did not have an excessive external 28mm gas pipe, running around the property to the appliance which would of looked awful. Once again at the end of the job the customer was really appreciative of my work and vision.

One example of going the extra mile and/or shown outstanding commitment during your apprenticeship

During an installation for an elderly customer who was ill at the time, there was a shopping delivery, with her permission and to her surprise I took the shopping in for her and put it away in the cupboards.

This was a spontaneous act of kindness on my behalf which ultimately contributed to the high standard of customer service that has been instilled within me from my peers, which resulted in the customer at the end of the job contracting my ‘managing director’ to personally thank him and make him aware that this left an overwhelming impression on the customer.

Since working within customers properties, I understand the importance of customer relations, communication, and expectations, which I always try to go above and beyond to please my customers.

We had a job where I was booked in with my mentor to complete a ‘skirting heating’ installation but the materials did not arrive when they were supposed to. Whilst we were waiting on the job I spontaneously asked my manager if I could go and help another one of my colleagues who was installing a boiler and updating the heating controls. I attended the new job and helped the installer finish the install, I confidently changed the 3 port zone valve, altered the pipework, changed the heating pump and valves and also added a gate valve onto the return pipework from the cylinder. I also contributed in filling up the system up and commissioning the boiler, which resulted in the installation being finished quicker than the allocated times. The ‘skirting heating’ did not arrive until late that afternoon where I then re-attended and helped with the installation.

Three important qualities of a good heating installer and how you have demonstrated these qualities

Attention to detail, attention to customer expectations, time management – I feel my progression since joining Chelmsford Plumbing and Heating has accelerated. Under supervision I am now able to install boilers and most heating jobs are becoming more natural and fluid to undertake
Within every job I carry out I apply attention to detail, my peers often comment I have an ‘OCD’ with making my work perfect. I was asked to replace a vented cylinder with a unvented cylinder alongside my ‘mentor’. He allowed me to design the cupboard space for the cylinder installation. I spent a lot of time visualising the pipework within the small space I had to work with. Unfortunately, due to my experience I had not allowed for the discharge pipe from the unvented cylinder within my design or lagging of the pipework, therefore upon completion I had to readjust some of the pipework within the cupboard to allow for the discharge and space my clips away from the wall to allow for lagging. I learnt a very valuable lesson during that experience – I need to allow for all my pipework and lagging. With these experiences, I believe they will only happen once as this is now cemented in my mind never to happen again, especially as I had to work late to rectify my mistakes.

When I first arrive to my designated property of work, my first job is to protect the customer’s property, I always knock on the door with my ‘mentor’ and have the dust sheets under my arms, many times customers are surprised to see this and often comment ‘what a professional thing to do’. I believe first impressions settle the customer with the, sometimes overwhelming, experience of having trades persons within their property (and you often get a cup of tea out of them).

With all my jobs planning of the way I carry these out is critical to time management, efficiency, and quality of work. With correct planning I am able to execute my jobs in the required time frame. When I first started work I would not plan anything and just crash straight into the job not being conscious of the above which resulted in me being messy, getting leeks and being under unnecessary pressure. Through the experience I have gained in the last 2 years I believe I am very ‘level headed’ ‘focused’ ‘professional’ and ‘calm’. I am very keen on positive feedback from customers as it builds my self-confidence. We have a league table within the workplace on engineers achieving the most positive reviews on which I am pleased to say I have been mentioned on many occasions and have also won the reward for most reviews of the quarter.

I feel I am being recognised as a confident young plumbing and heating engineer. My college undertakes site visits and has also commented personally to my managing director on how well advanced I am in comparison to my other students.