Quality and standards matter. Let’s create a team that represents your business as the professionals that you are.
Do you want to know what’s happening on your customer’s sites? Do you have concerns about compliance? Are your engineers doing what they’re supposed to be doing? Then auditing is your easy solution to find out.
It’s intensely frustrating when you suspect that your engineers aren’t doing their job effectively, you’re stuck in a situation where your service manager or lead engineer hasn’t got the time to mentor and train your engineers. Maybe you don’t have either.
You’re left watching all opportunities for additional income going slowly down the drain, out of reach. You worry that the promises you made to your customers are not being fulfilled.
This is the last thing that a business needs. The stress can be alleviated by creating a competent team that you can trust. A team that effectively maintains compliant sites, covers costs and maximises profits. This can be achieved.
Should you be worried?
If you’re not checking then, yes is the short answer.
I can only tell you about my experience and the sheer number of issues I come across. It’s rare to audit any premises and find that everything is spot on.
One of the reasons I wanted to step out on my own as a consultant was that I felt a need to let everyone know. It’s so easy to think that everything is ok out there! It’s a mindset that most people have, a pushing under the carpet of those niggles that say that we should be investigating this.
There is a gap in training for fire extinguisher engineers. I say that factually as it is what I see on customer sites. A gap that creates lost revenue streams and a drop in the standard of quality that I know is important to you.
Engineers are sent for external training in a classroom environment where they are taught all that they need to know. Unfortunately, the only hands-on experience they get is how to service a fire extinguisher.
But what happens when they’re out in real life and find themselves in many different environments? There hasn’t been any hands-on training when it comes to this.
They probably feel like this! Confused and out of their depth.
I remember a similar feeling from the early days in my career.
Time and time again I see the results of this lack of experience. Where the written word of the classroom rarely translates to doing the job properly on site.
The Engineer’s struggle
Engineers struggle to evaluate the site competently, to identify the risks that need covering and the correct placement of equipment. They don’t know how to work out the required number of extinguishers or understand the fire ratings. This can potentially mean that no recommendations are made.
In some instances, an engineer may be able to recognise that additional equipment is needed but can’t confidently communicate this to a customer. They don’t have enough knowledge to back up any recommendations they may be able to make. To explain correctly why something is needed for example.
All of this, of course can mean lost revenue for the business and non-compliant sites.
The Problems this causes for you
1. Losing business
Lacking in skill set means that as the professional on site, an engineer could leave the customer not getting the competent service they are paying for. An unhappy customer could look elsewhere, and you lose the business.
Others could come in and point out the mistakes, the customer loses trust and goes elsewhere.
You don’t want to leave the door open to competitors.
2. Lost revenue
The gap in the skill set of engineers means that they are not observant, they don’t know what to be observant of.
You’re missing out on many revenue streams.
- Not identifying areas that need attention, missing out on additional equipment and signage.
- Not advising the customers of their legal responsibilities means no offering of staff training, fire risk assessments.
- The job done right in the first place means that engineers aren’t called back to site to put things right, something that effectively wipes out your profits.
3. Non-compliance
Your customers are not receiving the full service that they are paying for. They rely on the professional on-site to advise them of their legal responsibilities, to provide adequate cover to keep themselves, their staff and premises as safe as possible. Promising a service in line with the British Standards then not providing that is not the integrity that you would have wished for.
So how do we solve this?
Auditing is the solution. Finding out what’s happening out there first and foremost! I will provide a detailed report of my findings and recommendations for solving any problems I discover.
A process to maximise your profits and raise standards
Retrospective audits
Engineers do tend to act differently when they are with me, they can put on their best work rather than their normal work. A retrospective audit is more accurate to determine competency.
I can obtain comprehensive feedback from your customer.
Live on-site audits
A retrospective audit may not give a clear picture of the engineer’s understanding of part 8, the equipment on site could have been installed by someone else in the first place. This is something I can firmly establish with on-site auditing.
I can personally observe behaviour on site and customer interaction.
The Auditing process
My auditing procedure is comprehensive, relating to compliance and good working practices. It covers the technical aspects of BS5306, Parts 3 & 8, fire safety signage, customer service, customer communication, reporting and how your engineer professionally represents themselves, and you as a company. As well as these items I also investigate your engineer’s well-being at work, to find out if they have all that they need to be happy and working at their best.
I’ve worked with many engineers and initially they are concerned and on-edge to have me there watching them work. They are soon reassured by my approach though. They will quickly understand that I am not there to judge or criticise, only to help and support.
Your engineer as an individual
A live on-site audit will give me an opportunity to dive further into the well-being of your engineer to find out their perspective on their role. I find out what they need to develop, their goals and what they like and don’t like about the job.
This is all to help them with what they need as an individual.
Your engineers can be a great source of useful information for the company in terms of what’s needed to make their job better and more efficient. I will feed this back to you.
What I want for you
I have seen where the short falls are prevalent, and the level of quality does not seem to match the importance of the job. I want to make sure that your engineers are doing the very best for the customer, for you and for themselves.
For you, I want to ensure that no further revenue is unnecessarily lost. I have an ethical approach, one of honesty and integrity and would never pursue upselling that is not of benefit to a customer or not needed.
If you are looking for your business to thrive with a confident and competent team of engineers, let’s get started.
What people are saying
“I was taught and mentored by Stephen at a previous company at the start of my fire safety career. I now have a senior role in the fire industry.
I’ve stayed in touch with him and from time to time I have relied on his advice, especially when a unique situation arises.
Even after many years in this industry from time to time a 2nd opinion is invaluable.
Stephen is extremely knowledgeable about the industry’s British Standards, and he is the first and only person I’d rely on to know the answer I’m looking for.
I feel his training & experience in the fire industry is what propelled me to the position I now hold.”
FAQs
Cost of Consultancy Fees.
£450 per day, plus travel expenses
How much time does auditing take?
I can do one audit in half a day providing there are approximately 20 extinguishers per site. One engineer could have a retrospective and live audit on the same day, providing the two sites are in a reasonable distance from each other.
Which engineers should I audit?
You’ll know best! Maybe you just want to check out particular engineers to confirm your suspicions. Or you know already who is committed to the process and just needs additional training. Please contact me to discuss your concerns in the first instance.
Who do you prefer to work with?
For auditing, anyone that you want to find out what’s happening. For training, someone who is interested in developing their knowledge. Someone who has commitment to their role and to you.
Any other questions?
Please ask. I would be delighted to talk to you. Speaking with people in the industry is more pleasure than business!
What are your terms and conditions?
You can read these here: