Winding down for Christmas - FAIL!!!

[Wedg1e]

I've never done 'on call ' as such though we do operate a 'ask how high when they say jump' policy for some favoured customers.
We also used to have an extensive hire fleet of x-ray equipment that would always break down in some godforsaken hole.
Trips that spring to mind: Teesside to Gloucester to replace a blown fuse (company called Graham Manufacturing, haven't heard of them in years); Teesside to Worcester to reset a circuit breaker when 'four of our maintenance sparkies can't find anything wrong with it' (Metal Castings Ltd.); several visits to Brighouse Bay near Kirkcudbright when a compressor station was being built for the Irish gas board (?!) - the radiographers were using a particular x-ray set that didn't like being run from mains generators and would randomly throw a spike into the microprocesor board. The fix was to unplug all the ICs, count to 10 and plug them back in. Trouble was, it took most of the day to drive up there but the bombers could only shoot after hours so I'd have to sit around until they'd tested the kit, then drive home. Next morning there'd be a message on the office answerphone to say that an hour after I left it went phut again. So back in the car... but this year's epic has to be the overnight drive, at the end of a 9-5 day in the office, from Teesside down to the Chunnel and then up to Ahrensburg near Hamburg; then back down to a hotel in Achim, 100 miles closer to a ferry... 900 miles all-in, and I was in Ahrensburg by 0900 hours.

 

[Henrik]

last year I did a 130 mile round trip to some pricks house just to tell em to put some credit on there key meter mind u I got 100 quid for it

Tbh that sounds like my perfect job

 

[Rig Pig]

I've never done 'on call ' as such though we do operate a 'ask how high when they say jump' policy for some favoured customers.
We also used to have an extensive hire fleet of x-ray equipment that would always break down in some godforsaken hole.
Trips that spring to mind: Teesside to Gloucester to replace a blown fuse (company called Graham Manufacturing, haven't heard of them in years); Teesside to Worcester to reset a circuit breaker when 'four of our maintenance sparkies can't find anything wrong with it' (Metal Castings Ltd.); several visits to Brighouse Bay near Kirkcudbright when a compressor station was being built for the Irish gas board (?!) - the radiographers were using a particular x-ray set that didn't like being run from mains generators and would randomly throw a spike into the microprocesor board. The fix was to unplug all the ICs, count to 10 and plug them back in. Trouble was, it took most of the day to drive up there but the bombers could only shoot after hours so I'd have to sit around until they'd tested the kit, then drive home. Next morning there'd be a message on the office answerphone to say that an hour after I left it went phut again. So back in the car... but this year's epic has to be the overnight drive, at the end of a 9-5 day in the office, from Teesside down to the Chunnel and then up to Ahrensburg near Hamburg; then back down to a hotel in Achim, 100 miles closer to a ferry... 900 miles all-in, and I was in Ahrensburg by 0900 hours.

How do the company get away with that? It's ridiculous to expect someone to go without sleep and drive like that!

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Last night I had the great joy of sending out to my engineers a list of customers and sites we will not be attending from 12 noon today, for various reasons. The list has site details, phone numbers and Sit ID.

Also the list of customers we have to attend no matter what, that list is the one we call the "Bitch List".

My engineers have a 4 hour response time, the down side of the job. But as a perk all my engineers are on holiday now. So call outs are at double bubble and TOIL. A small perk.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@Rig Pig
We have a system set up were you will get an 8hour break if returned home after Midnight.
That's the simple way, we have a graph scale. we all agreed to it and it works. If an enginer is of "Rest" the Region Senior on call will handle the call out.

 

[Rig Pig]

@Rig Pig
We have a system set up were you will get an 8hour break if returned home after Midnight.
That's the simple way, we have a graph scale. we all agreed to it and it works. If an enginer is of "Rest" the Region Senior on call will handle the call out.

That sounds a bit more reasonable, we aren't allowed to go on shift with less than 8 hours rest from the one before.

 

[Wedg1e]

How do the company get away with that? It's ridiculous to expect someone to go without sleep and drive like that!

Well I suppose I volunteered for it... equipment needed to go back to the manufacturers for repair, carriers couldn't get it to Ahrensburg till Friday and it was already Tuesday. The hope was that the manufacturer could fix the kit while I waited so I could bring it back with me. In the event they couldn't, but that's another story.
If I didn't set off till Weds I wouldn't get there till Thurs which only saved a day so the only way the trip was worth doing was if it was overnight. I suggested I could split the driving with another body but strangely, nobody was up for it
Even if I'd got an overnight ferry I wouldn't have arrived until mid-late afternoon which wouldn't have saved much either - I couldn't have got back to a ferry port the same day so that would be another day either parked waiting for a boat or driving the long way back!
Good to know I can still stay awake that long

 

[Turbo]

Years ago I had a job driving a pea viner at night. We started at 11pm but the mechanics had us warned that if there was a problem do not ring them til after midnight. If they got a callout after midnight they got the next day off on full pay!
I never had to call them out as we had a well stocked field workshop in an old bomb trailer so I could do any repairs myself.

 

[Rig Pig]

Well I suppose I volunteered for it... equipment needed to go back to the manufacturers for repair, carriers couldn't get it to Ahrensburg till Friday and it was already Tuesday. The hope was that the manufacturer could fix the kit while I waited so I could bring it back with me. In the event they couldn't, but that's another story.
If I didn't set off till Weds I wouldn't get there till Thurs which only saved a day so the only way the trip was worth doing was if it was overnight. I suggested I could split the driving with another body but strangely, nobody was up for it
Even if I'd got an overnight ferry I wouldn't have arrived until mid-late afternoon which wouldn't have saved much either - I couldn't have got back to a ferry port the same day so that would be another day either parked waiting for a boat or driving the long way back!
Good to know I can still stay awake that long

I'm amazed the company went for it, if you'd had a crash the fallout would be horrific, they have completely ignored there duty of care. If we have to ship anything super super urgently it goes in a taxi.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Been on the phone to a customer, they reported their intruder alarm and fire alarm were in fault, can we come out today as they shut for the Holidays.

Quick remote access to both systems, yes in fault, Log shows fault started 9th July 2016. Check our data base. We supplied a quote to fix a week later and was told we are too expensive, they will get back to use.

Note. We hold the high level access codes, so we know if anyone has tried a repair. Contract rules. They can have the fault fixed, by a third party. But we must certify the repairs.

I called her back and informed her there will be no engineer until the quote we supplied is agreed on, she was not happy. I told her also in November that the fault is still showing on the system and her head office have been informed.


Next I know it is her regional boss shouting and swearing and threatening.

He went very quiet, when I informed him the call is recorded and a copy will be sent to head office. He was even more shocked when I e-mailed over the original call out and defect report. I told him we also have a signed certificate, with the site manager signature refusing us access to fix. Plus the reason.


Good night Sir.

If you wish to have it fixed we will have to supply a new quote in the New Year.

Oh yes, your insurance is now invalid and the site will have to be manned 24 hours a day.

I feel good.

 

[octo0072000]

Been on the phone to a customer, they reported their intruder alarm and fire alarm were in fault, can we come out today as they shut for the Holidays.

Quick remote access to both systems, yes in fault, Log shows fault started 9th July 2016. Check our data base. We supplied a quote to fix a week later and was told we are too expensive, they will get back to use.

Note. We hold the high level access codes, so we know if anyone has tried a repair. Contract rules. They can have the fault fixed, by a third party. But we must certify the repairs.

I called her back and informed her there will be no engineer until the quote we supplied is agreed on, she was not happy. I told her also in November that the fault is still showing on the system and her head office have been informed.


Next I know it is her regional boss shouting and swearing and threatening.

He went very quiet, when I informed him the call is recorded and a copy will be sent to head office. He was even more shocked when I e-mailed over the original call out and defect report. I told him we also have a signed certificate, with the site manager signature refusing us access to fix. Plus the reason.


Good night Sir.

If you wish to have it fixed we will have to supply a new quote in the New Year.

Oh yes, your insurance is now invalid and the site will have to be manned 24 hours a day.

I feel good.

Ilike it the worm has turned

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Ilike it the worm has turned

Surely you can't confuse an aardvark with a worm....

 

[octo0072000]

Surely you can't confuse an aardvark with a worm....

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@slim_boy_fat

Surely you can't confuse an aardvark with a worm....

Don't call him Shirley.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@slim_boy_fat


Don't call him Shirley.

OK, Dr Rumack.

 

[tomsutton529]

One cracker my boss got called out to was a fan that was shaking its nuts off and need to be balanced ASAP, this was 9pm, at 10pm he was walking though the gates of the customer and walked past the bloke who had celled him in who kindly pointed to the roof.. my boss took off the cowling and found that the fan had exploded.. late night call out fee, plus travel, plus overtime, plus pay for the following day (it was later than the contracted hours) made for the most expensive fan inspection in history.

 

[Farside]

"Hello, is that Mr Farside?"
"Yes."
"The driver can deliver your item tomorrow, but since it's large and heavy, he doesn't know how late he'll be with it."
"That's ok - I wasn't expecting it until the first week of the New Year anyway. If it arrives tomorrow, that would be nice, but I'm not stressed about it. Tell him to deliver it when he can and not worry."
"Oh, thanks. I'll put you in for the 3rd of January, then."
"Lovely, ta."

Sometimes, it's nice to be nice. Anyway, I've been on the receiving side of Bstfats who want things done yesterday and I don't want to add stress to somebody's life over a delivery that I wasn't fussed about.

 

[rikrobson]

Well its Friday night (in fact its christmas eve now) in Leeds in the travelodge. New server fitted and all good. Abit of a sleep and 4-5 hours drive back up the road in the morning.

 

[Mee]

How do the company get away with that? It's ridiculous to expect someone to go without sleep and drive like that!

Very easily, they have something called a company vehicle driving policy and this puts the onus on the driver to take breaks at specific hours and they often sneak it in when you read a contract of employment, or similar, and when you sign the document you have admitted having the policy and have not adhered to it which puts you at fault.

In the event of an accident one of the first questions is "how long have you driven" followed by "what breaks did you have and when" and with modern vehicle tracking methods its easy to download the data and if you lie the company has the tracking data to prove you have lied and once you lie you are stuffed, they can track you in many ways using current technology and if you breach your company policy you are culpable and not the company.

If you don't know your company vehicle driving policy then speak to your company H&S officer, or appointed person for H$S matters and demand a copy of their policy and stick to it, if anyone kicks up then throw their policy back at them.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I am fielding calls from engineers who need to have call outs escalated upwards. When it reaches me it stops. I have to sort it.

Call from one of the London engineers, a site keeps calling him every 20 minutes wanting a call out. He checked the list and the site are on the “Do not attend” list.

I look up the site and we dropped them as a customer for being difficult and non-paying of bills.

I tell the engineer to block the number and call the site myself.

“Why are you calling us sir, we are not your contractor, as you had issues paying the invoices.”

Them: “I know that, but alarm keeps going off and we need it looked at or we cannot trade, the shopping centre are refusing to let us open. I demand you come out.”

“I am sorry, but for us to attend, we will need credit card details for a £500 deposit. If the call out is less than £500 you will be refunded. More we will charge the card accordingly. Until I get confirmation of the money being received we cannot attend.”

From them: Large amount of rude words. “You cannot do that, that is theft and I will sue the (Pleas insert own rude words please) of you.

The tirade went on for 3 minutes.

When I could get a word in, I asked why he was calling us, when he knew we were not the site contracted company.

Them: “The other lot has dropped us as the claim we did not pay our invoices and will not attend, unless we pay in advance.”

I am sorry Sir, I will not be sending an engineer to your site as I am concerned we will not get paid.

Please do not call us again.

I feel good.