I was quite shocked to realise I hadn't made a blog post in over six years (not that anyone's contacted me to say they missed them!), but it's similarly shocking just sitting here trying to process everything that's happened in that time. There's never been a more challenging time for the hospitality sector, barely recovering from the long-term effects of Brexit & the pandemic, to now be hit with exorbitant energy prices which not only directly affects running costs and prices of supplies, but also decreases footfall and creates a more cautious customer, often seeking bargains or choosing lower cost menu options. Shortly before the first lock-down I was visited by a now sadly departed friend & colleague from Rational UK who was brandishing an invite to the launch of the long-awaited iCombi & iVario ranges, at a very high profile resort in South Wales. Alas, the launch wasn't to be, and the range was launched online, and of course I tuned-in, given there wasn't much else to do at the time. What we didn't know at the time was that, along with challenges of importing spares, we were about to be hit with a new problem in the guise of a worldwide shortage of electronics materials, which not only affected production of catering equipment and spares, but also cars, computers, phones, TVs, just about anything involving circuit boards! I received a number of calls from old contacts across this period querying whether or not there were wait times for new products, and this led to an increase in demand for pre-owned equipment and spare parts. Thankfully these shortages now appear to be getting under control, but supply challenges due to importing difficulties from Europe still remain. What's most concerning about the energy price crisis is that, unlike previous financial crises, this one appears to have no upside for anybody (except for the obvious beneficiaries). In previous recessions, equipment repair & service businesses have (anecdotally, at least) seen an uptick in business as new equipment purchases are deferred. This time around we're seeing previously solid businesses baulking at the prospect of routine repair & maintenance bills. Every week I'm hearing of pubs closing their doors, or selling-up to big breweries. It's hard to see when or where this will end, but it's certainly not what the industry needed after weathering the last few years' problems.
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I remember back in the late 1980s when Corgi registration became compulsory in order to work on gas fittings, it wasn't long before everybody soon realised it wasn't too difficult to achieve just by attending a short course and passing an exam. In less than a week you could effectively become a 'gas expert'. Things soon changed and it's now much more difficult become Gas Safe registered for the first time. Similarly, it's interesting how many self-proclaimed Rational oven 'specialists', 'certified' engineers, 'affiliated' engineers and (dare I say it?) 'experts' etc pop up when a basic Google search is carried out on a related phrase. Many of these may undoubtedly be skilled and familiar with the brand and may have attended one of the several licensed, outsourced Rational courses available. What sets a registered Rational Service Partner aside from these are several factors. There is a direct accountability to Rational UK. We can't just claim a 'high first time fix rate', we have to prove it. We are stringently audited and assessed. Our training is always 'in-house' at Rational HQ under Rational's National Service Manager. We are obliged to carry substantial stock of spares to cover warranty calls. Talking of warranty, we can process any warranty parts failures on older units directly through Rational UK for up to a year after fitting provided there is proof of purchase and the failure hasn't been caused by another component failure or erroneous fitting (including any normal labour costs involved in the replacement). Whilst customers are always very keen to try to establish the credentials of the firm they are inviting in to attend to their most valuable piece of equipment, it's not always clear to them what constitutes being officially authorised. If in doubt, always asked to see their Rational Service Partner ID card or call Rational UK on 01582 748474 to check. If you automatically assume a trained and authorised specialist will cost you more money, it's not always necessarily so. Take this case of a snapped rack holding pin inside the cabinet of a Rational FiveSenses. The customer had been given a price by a non-authorised service company of over £400 to replace it. We had the job completed in less than an hour and at an overall cost of less than £160! The other service company may not have been deliberately expensive, it seemed they had grossly over-estimated the amount of work required to complete the repair because they just weren't sure. Once again it illustrates why, time and again, customers return to us having tried to save money using supposedly cheaper providers. One of the most important ways of maintaining good relations between client and supplier is by clear contracting, ensuring both parties understand the details and limits of any agreement that may happen. As a supplier, having the agreed skills and stock to complete the works requested is critical. We had a call last week from a dealer we've known for some years who had tried getting his customers' Rational products regularly repaired by a general catering equipment engineer, rather than an approved Rational Service Partner. The result was that the engineer never seemed to have the parts required. The dealer decided to return to the Rational Service Partner network for his Rational needs. We had another call this week from a customer who had been required by their head office to use a 'nominated supplier' to attend to a problem with their Rational Self Cooking Center in Kent, which resulted in a part being fitted incorrectly and causing further leakage and damage to a floor. We decided to take a look at service calls we'd attended across the last six months which were of a reactive nature (not scheduled maintenance or follow-ups) where the oven had been completely unusable at the point the call was placed. Out of 52 calls we looked at, 49 were repaired during the first attendance and usually within 24 hours of the call being placed. Of the 3 which required a return visit, 2 were due to being very large parts (for older ovens) not currently stocked in the UK and the remaining 1 was due to customer wanting a quotation. Here are just a few of the problems we've found on some of our first visits to new customers asking us to repair or service their Rational Combis for the first time, which had previously been maintained by non-approved companies:
Very often over the years we have been asked a number of similar questions by customers about whether we can take on the maintenance of other equipment in the kitchen, and occasionally we may lose a customer who has chosen to look for an all-round kitchen maintenance provider. Clearly there are some benefits to this. Often the quoted rate for maintenance on each item is quite low and the convenience of dealing with one set of purchase orders and payments as well as having just one phone number to deal with can be a very attractive proposition to a busy Chef or Catering Manager. So, why do we specialise in the Rational brand and why should you treat your Rational a little differently to the other kitchen equipment by using an accredited Rational Service Partner? Here are just 3 of the reasons why we do and believe you should:
There are many more reasons and we could embellish further on the 3, but we think that's more than enough. Can you afford not to use an accredited, specialist Rational Service Partner? |
AuthorDavid, owner and technician at Combicure. Archives
March 2023
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