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Have you seen the new BG vans?
 

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I had a confrontation with a BG 'technican' who started quoting load of bull to me - like you can only run one hot outlet from a combi boiler no matter how big it is, and running a washing machine will stop you getting hot water out of your boiler due to the drop in pressure . . . .

The guy I spoke to did not have a clue - although he said he had been fitting boilers for 10 years. . . .

The problem is someone like that does not have any ideas plumbing systems and how they work which is probably why he was quoting 'text book info' at me!
 
I had a confrontation with a BG 'technican' who started quoting load of bull to me - like you can only run one hot outlet from a combi boiler no matter how big it is, and running a washing machine will stop you getting hot water out of your boiler due to the drop in pressure . . . .

The guy I spoke to did not have a clue - although he said he had been fitting boilers for 10 years. . . .

The problem is someone like that does not have any ideas plumbing systems and how they work which is probably why he was quoting 'text book info' at me!

BG staff take authority from the name of BRITISH GAS, which is one of the reasons the company should trade in their true name of Centrica, being just another large commercial company that uses tricky advertising to gain people's confidence and charge over the odds for what they do.

The latest bit of BG tricky advertising is their guaranteed fixed price from £79, to include parts and labour.

The key word being from: all it really means is that they will quote for a repair and the cost of the parts, and their minimum charge is £79 - big deal!

"Looking after your world" ... "safe and secure knowing you are covered" ... etc, ... all these phrases are subject to small print get-out clauses.

The privatised version of British Gas is a major player in today's rip-off Britain.
 
The service BG provide is second to none. I went to an on call assist the other day where the customer paid £99 for a one fix, the part I fitted to the boiler was over £200 but the customer only paid £99 all in parts and labour, not bad aye?
 
The service BG provide is second to none. I went to an on call assist the other day where the customer paid £99 for a one fix, the part I fitted to the boiler was over £200 but the customer only paid £99 all in parts and labour, not bad aye?

I take it this was under a HomeCare agreement where people pay a monthly fee, and get charged an excess of £99 when they need a repair?
 
I take it this was under a HomeCare agreement where people pay a monthly fee, and get charged an excess of £99 when they need a repair?

No, this customer isn't on contract with British Gas. see, you don't know it all. :)
 
No, this customer isn't on contract with British Gas. see, you don't know it all. :)


Seems rather a coincidence that the charge of £99 is the same as the excess charged on some BG HomeCare cover plans?

Call me a cynic if you like, but I do hold to the old saying: "If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is!"

Which is a well-worn phrase that applies quite aptly to most of BG's advertising!
 
It has been on the radio, it's a one off fix similar on the tiered on call assist but it's a reduced fixed price for energy customers.
 
It has been on the radio, it's a one off fix similar on the tiered on call assist but it's a reduced fixed price for energy customers.

And they pay a monthly premium to cover the fixed price repair - from what I have read on the BG site, it's a slight reduction on the usual HomeCare fees.

But then having fixed their gas prices with BG, they will be paying though the nose for gas anyway.

BG does treat the public like mugs, and they often get away with it, but because people are now so cost conscious due to the recession, I think BG are at serious risk of killing the goose that has laid the golden egg for them so many times over the past couple of decades.
 
The general public love them - £15 per month boiler cover with a Gas Safety certificate as well!

Yeah and the rest . . ..

Its crap - it is nigh on defrauding the people who sign up and they steal the customers from the little companies and tradesmen who are already struggling (no wonder eh?)

I hope Trading Standards hit their false advertising like the way they have done with the cosmetics companies ridiculous claims.

In my mind there is little difference!!!!!!
 
There is nothing false about the British Gas advertising and you know it. Customers have a choice and still they come to British Gas, Fact!


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The service BG provide is second to none. I went to an on call assist the other day where the customer paid £99 for a one fix, the part I fitted to the boiler was over £200 but the customer only paid £99 all in parts and labour, not bad aye?

You seem a pleasant enough guy Doodlebug, but what was the point of posting the above?

Only people that believe in Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy are going to swallow the tale that you fitted over £200 worth of parts for £99!

Telling only half the tale serves to misrepresent the facts.
 
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You seem a pleasant enough guy Doodlebug, but what was the point of posting the above?

Only people that believe in Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy are going to swallow the tale that you fitted over £200 worth of parts for £99!

Telling only half the tale serves to misrepresent the facts.

I have no need to tell lies mate, I remember showing the customer the cost of the part. Sometimes it works the other way, if the part needed cost say, £3, the customer would still pay £99, its swings and roundabouts.


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The difference between what I post and what you post Peter, is that I post facts and you don't, simples!


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The only facts I could find on any BG websites are that £99 is an excess payment on a cover plan - and if BG customers fix their gas prices, then they get a reduction in plan premiums.

So you're suggesting that customers call in BG and take a chance on a £99 fixed fee, whatever the cost of the repair?

Estimates not being allowed of course, as obviously they would duck out if it turns out to be only a small thing.

But then what's to stop them getting a free estimate and assessment from an independent GSR, and then calling in BG if the job is going to be costly?

Doesn't quite add up, does it?
 
The difference between what I post and what you post Peter, is that I post facts and you don't, simples!


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utter carp

Like any other privatised company Bg are all about ££££££££££'s making sure the share holders profit from BG's succes , wether it be from annual gas price rises ( obviously just as temp drops) or over priced labour charges , power flush scams and sales bull.And to be quite frank they do a very good job for the share holders.
The minute the bubble bursts then you will hear the usual cut backs in staff all you guys are is a number on payroll which can be dropped at first sign of profit squeeze
 
The only facts I could find on any BG websites are that £99 is an excess payment on a cover plan - and if BG customers fix their gas prices, then they get a reduction in plan premiums.

So you're suggesting that customers call in BG and take a chance on a £99 fixed fee, whatever the cost of the repair?

Estimates not being allowed of course, as obviously they would duck out if it turns out to be only a small thing.

But then what's to stop them getting a free estimate and assessment from an independent GSR, and then calling in BG if the job is going to be costly?

Doesn't quite add up, does it?

Unfortunately that's what does sometimes happen.


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utter carp

Like any other privatised company Bg are all about ££££££££££'s making sure the share holders profit from BG's succes , wether it be from annual gas price rises ( obviously just as temp drops) or over priced labour charges , power flush scams and sales bull.And to be quite frank they do a very good job for the share holders.
The minute the bubble bursts then you will hear the usual cut backs in staff all you guys are is a number on payroll which can be dropped at first sign of profit squeeze

Is it a crime to make a profit, do you go to work for fun, don't you charge your customers a fee? PowerFlush scams? What are you on about. British Gas are now regulated by the FSA and will always refund any customers who aren't happy, if a system needs a flush, a quote is left, a customer has a choice to pay British Gas to do the work or pay "hammers4spanners" to do the work. The customer is under no pressure to purchase from British Gas its their choice. If I said to you, "hey mate, I've got two products here, one costs £700 and one costs £300" and you choose the £700 product, then that's your choice.
By the way, customer retention at British Gas is at an all time high.

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To be fair to BG this one off fixed price repair is a great deal really. The customer knows the deal from the start and for most people getting their boiler repaired for under a tonne is great for them.

Obviously some parts do cost a couple of quid, and some may not need any parts at all. So on some jobs BG profit greatly,and on others they take a huge hit but the risk is well worth the reward otherwise they wouldn't do it.

Also the customer will get a safety check thrown in with this, as it has to be done once a boiler cover is removed.

Plus any other faults will be fixed in with this 99 quid. So to be fair to them it's a great deal that they can offer.

I can't see where the false advertising comes into this though, I'm not here to toot the BG horn, but credit where credit is due. They do a good job and they wouldn't have so many customers if they didn't do a good job.
 
The powerflush scam is rife in BG Doodlebug and you know it. Even the rep i spoke to yesterday from yellow pages told me BG said he needed a powerflush, but he was a bit savvy and saw it for what it is: A money making scam.

For every £99 fixed price repair that costs over £99, there'll be 10 that cost next to nothing. And just think about all the poor old biddies who trust the name British Gas so blindly, they'll follow any advice given, even if its for a £700 power flush they don't need.

I don't blame you for wanting to keep a secure job with decent pay and benefits, but at least you could do us all a solid and tell it how it really is when you're off the clock. You don't have to defend the fat cats just because you're making them fatter.
 
Quite clearly never understood post as i stated british gas (or russian gas as they should be called) do a very good job at making profit for share holders in many ways which coincidently has recently as this week been picked up as price fixing .

A link from national newspaper

Trouble with the boiler? - Telegraph

They adopt a selling technique which is fraudulent with scare tactics which i hear numourous times a week from disgruntled custs , same as the advert fradulent british gas pfffft!!
 
Quite clearly never understood post as i stated british gas (or russian gas as they should be called) do a very good job at making profit for share holders in many ways which coincidently has recently as this week been picked up as price fixing .

A link from national newspaper

Trouble with the boiler? - Telegraph

They adopt a selling technique which is fraudulent with scare tactics which i hear numourous times a week from disgruntled custs , same as the advert fradulent british gas pfffft!!

The thing is with BG is that you ever like them or you don't. And this isn't a pop ant anyone, but people who don't like them have never worked there and base their opinions on what they hear from unhappy customers. Of course an unhappy customer will not rate BG as they are unhappy. But for every one unhappy customer, they have 1000. Surely this blows any argument against BG out the water.

And this old powerlushing scam that keeps coming up. I have never seen a powerflush carried out that doesn't need it. I've seen powerflushes cancelled when they are not needed though.

As a contractor I've had the privelidge of working all over the midlands for many different firms. And BG by far and away beats them, yes I am bias towards them but why shouldn't I be? They have looked after me and I've contracted there for nearly 2 years which is quite uncommon in the contracting world.

Ive not been brainwashed by the BG machine either. I like it there, I like the way they work and the way I see things done make it easy to see how millions of customers rate them. And at the end of the day, the customers who vote with their feet and those who like BG will use them
 
Some people are beginnig to notice if you go to the big guys ,
SKY / Big Supermarkets / BnQ , Homebase , Halfords

...you wave good bye to small local independant
( or is internet to blame )

...Some of their staff .never mind brainwashed
... Zombified

( Most of us can spot a sales pitch -
and if you can't you learn to )
 
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I'm defending British Gas because I see what you don't see and people who make wild accusations towards a competitor should maybe spend more time looking at themselves. As Villa Tom said, customers speak with their feet and for every unhappy customer you will find a hundred happy customers, the figures speak for themselves. I am proud to work for a company that takes customer satisfaction very seriously.
As for the fraudulent adverts, if they were fraudulent they would have been removed pulled and action against British Gas would have been taken.


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I've seen systems with my own eyes that British Gas have recommended a powerflush on that are pristine. According to the homeowner they didn't even take a water sample. The true cause was the radiators needed balancing and the pump was lazy, hence the cold radiators.

To be fair, powerflushing is widely used as a money spinner for a lot of companies, including those that undercut BG after they have recommended it.

I have worked as a contractor for B.G, and had to attend there little one day training course, in which they made it very clear that they saw themselves as the elite, to the point where I felt patronised, especially considering they were looking to use us/me for their work! This is the attitude that I dislike the most and dare I say it, it does rub off on a lot of the engineers that work for them.

I've no doubt they they are in a position to offer their engineers a great deal with training and all the top quality gear etc, but for that you are expected to actively promote the company and create sales, again this comes straight from the horses mouth.

In effect they have created a kind of franchise arrangement with the engineers, both benefiting each other, which is fine and makes business sense, but when engineers knowingly sell something that is (in my opinion often) un-needed and priced at the higher end of the market it doesn't look good for B.G regardless who's to blame.

This discussion is never going to change the opinions of those that work there, although I have spoken to a lot of ex B.G engineers who do agree with my comments once they are 'released' :devilish: lol

Its business and it all comes down to value for money, or perception of. programmes like rogue traders don't do the small traders much justice and often scare people into paying more for a more trustworthy brand, whether or not they truly get that is open to debate, I certainly have my opinion of it.
 
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