As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interview?

[armyash]

Ok you're on one side of the desk i'm on the other. I have applied for the role of service/breakdown engineer. What questions would you be asking? (Please try and be constructive, I only have tonight left to prepare).

 

[rpm]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Why do you want to work for us?

 

[Nostrum]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Can you do 14 services a day and still find time for 3 repairs on the way home.

If you answer yes, I'll show you the door.

 

[Rickster123]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

What experience do you have?

 

[zeebeedee]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

I'd be asking what boilers and type of systems you have experience working on. I'd be looking for a good knowledge of basic fault finding as well as how to go about logically solving intermittent faults. I'd want to know you knew basic electrical checks so you didn't kill yourself! Mostly I want to know I could get along with you in the future

 

[Leo21]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

I'd be asking what boilers and type of systems you have experience working on. I'd be looking for a good knowledge of basic fault finding as well as how to go about logically solving intermittent faults. I'd want to know you knew basic electrical checks so you didn't kill yourself! Mostly I want to know I could get along with you in the future

What he said, don't try and blag to much. You'll get the job, but the truth will out. Let them know your keen to learn, know the basics and your fast on the pick up.

 

[rpm]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Where do you see yourself in 5yrs time?

 

[armyash]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Excellent thanks, these are all the sort of questions I have had in my head today so i'm thinking along the right track. Going to sit and make plenty of notes now and hopefully have some good answers. Bricking it.

 

[rpm]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Resitting my acs

:joker::joker::joker::joker:
Your on fire tonight lol

 

[dave1]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Where is the job ash? Good luck tomorrow ,, I'm sure it won't be as daunting as you might think. The hardest question is why do you want to work for us? Erm because your going to pay me a nice wage hopefully.

 

[turnpin]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Also may be helpful to have a few questions of your own ready when they ask ....now is there anything you would like to ask us.
Must say the guys have put up some great suggestions for you ...oh and best of luck you will be fine regards Turnpin:smile5:

 

[villa_tom]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

I wouldn't stress about it too much mate.

Truth is, they've made their mind up about you before your bum even hits the chair

I'd just answer everything honestly and you can't go wrong mate

just don't tell porkies. When I was a direct employee, a mate of mine fancied joining. I was at college with him doing our apprenticeships. After that we went our separate ways and spoke every now and then on the phone.

I got him and interview and he said he was an all singing all dancing repair engineer. Turns out he was ****e

got found out in the end and it wasn't pretty. I felt sorry for him really, he is just a really confident bloke and it made him look a tit.

Why you leaving your current job??

 

[stevetheplumber]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

if its social housing they will only be interested in how many boilers you can service in a day

 

[villa_tom]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

if its social housing they will only be interested in how many boilers you can service in a day

Sad but true

 

[dave1]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

if its social housing they will only be interested in how many boilers you can service in a day

Yep, I work social housing you need to stand your ground. I won't do anymore then I feel I can safely do it means giving work back to the office then so be it.

 

[armyash]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

It is part of a social housing contract. I will be expected to carry out maintenance and breakdown repairs as well as annual servicing. I have no problem changing parts and I can diagnose some faults but it can sometimes take me a while to diagnose faults.

 

[villa_tom]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

It is part of a social housing contract. I will be expected to carry out maintenance and breakdown repairs as well as annual servicing. I have no problem changing parts and I can diagnose some faults but it can sometimes take me a while to diagnose faults.

If its social housing I'd make it very clear from the outset what you are and what you aren't prepared to do.

Some me places will give you 10+ properties a day to do and most are multiple appliance jobs.

 

[armyash]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Yep, I work social housing you need to stand your ground. I won't do anymore then I feel I can safely do it means giving work back to the office then so be it.

What hour do you do and on average how many boiler service do you get done in a day. What happen if you are sent to a break down but you don't have the required part on the van? Do you inform the office that it needs to be booked back in for a repair or are you expected to go and get the part same day?

 

[armyash]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

If its social housing I'd make it very clear from the outset what you are and what you aren't prepared to do.

Some me places will give you 10+ properties a day to do and most are multiple appliance jobs.

Surely you cant be expected to give each appliance a strip down and clean?

 

[villa_tom]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

What hour do you do and on average how many boiler service do you get done in a day. What happen if you are sent to a break down but you don't have the required part on the van? Do you inform the office that it needs to be booked back in for a repair or are you expected to go and get the part same day?

When I last worked on the books doing social housing I was given 15 or so addresses to do each day, on the basis that some people would be out. We ran at about 50% no access rate.

If I went to a job that needed parts then I was expected to go to the nearest parts centre and collect it or if it wasn't available, order it and attend the next working day.

I had a decent van stock to be fair and most faults where control faults I could first fix most things.

If I was on servicing I was expected to complete 10 per day (although I never did)

i can can manage a comfortable 8 appliances a day if all goes well

 

[villa_tom]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Surely you cant be expected to give each appliance a strip down and clean?

I was

thats i only ever did 8 appliances max.

The only thing that's on your side is there is a a lot of new condensers in council houses that will only require a strip down if the FGA fails. And even then it may just be the gas valve needs adjusting.

Plus, a lot of properties are In the same street. So travel is at a minimum.

Even so, I still only did 8

 

[armyash]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Although I'm still gaining experience one thing I can always be sure of is that I will always work my hardest. If I get the job I'm going to ask if I can go out with a service engineer for the day and get a heads up on the routine I can expect before I start.

 

[helpsy]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Are you flexible with your finishing times, and prepared to do out of hours/call outs etc.

 

[villa_tom]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Whenever you start at a new company they always send you out with another engineer anyway

mainly to learn the paperwork, but you can also pick his brain and find out what they expect in the real world and not the bull **** they feed you in an interview

 

[dave1]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

I average between 6-8 completed jobs a day, that could be breakdowns or services. Others do anywhere upwards of 10-15!! If you don't have the part you can go and get it time depending or book it. I do 8-5. Who is it your going to interview with? Pm me if you'd rather. What area are you in? In social housing you can get all the rubbish, dirty filthy flats, boilers that have not been maintained open flued appliances that have been left neglected. On the plus side you get a large varied workload learning many different makes and models of appliances.

 

[armyash]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

I average between 6-8 completed jobs a day, that could be breakdowns or services. Others do anywhere upwards of 10-15!! If you don't have the part you can go and get it time depending or book it. I do 8-5. Who is it your going to interview with? Pm me if you'd rather. What area are you in? In social housing you can get all the rubbish, dirty filthy flats, boilers that have not been maintained open flued appliances that have been left neglected. On the plus side you get a large varied workload learning many different makes and models of appliances.

Who do you work for? I hope I get the job and look forward to working on plenty of different appliances. Doesn't bother what state the properties are in, some of the flats I go in now are so full of rubbish and filth I actually didn't believe anyone was living there.

 

[armyash]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Whenever you start at a new company they always send you out with another engineer anyway

mainly to learn the paperwork, but you can also pick his brain and find out what they expect in the real world and not the bull **** they feed you in an interview

That will be good to go out with another engineer before I start, just to see how the routine goes.

 

[dave1]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Who do you work for? I hope I get the job and look forward to working on plenty of different appliances. Doesn't bother what state the properties are in, some of the flats I go in now are so full of rubbish and filth I actually didn't believe anyone was living there.

Ha ha I know that feeling ash!

 

[Gray0689]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Best of luck ash

 

[cr0ft]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

What do you know about my business, that's always my first question. If they don't know anything then it's the shortest interview ever! Don't want someone who isn't at all interested in my business!

Good luck tomorrow, hope it goes well.

 

[Millsy 82]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

What do you know about my business, that's always my first question. If they don't know anything then it's the shortest interview ever! Don't want someone who isn't at all interested in my business!

Good luck tomorrow, hope it goes well.

Every company I have had an interview with ask me that and I always answered not a lot to be honest. What do they want you to turn around and say? what is on the website word for word as 9/10 that is utter rubbish anyway as every company always says the same.

I always go and say the same thing I'm hard working, been working in the trade x amount of time I can do this that and the other I take great pride in my work at other companies I have done this to help things work better/ more efficient.

The main thing with social housing work is can you sign your own name as that's all their worried about you putting your name to a boiler what ever the state of it.

If you get it buy a camera with time/date on it and a scanner as I was going around condemning boilers filling out the paperwork and someone else was going round after me turning them all back on so in the end I was taking photos and scanning the warning notice as there was never any history of who went back to turn them on. Also don't work late! They will get used to it and you will get more and more work to the point that you will be working 7am-9pm.

 

[armyash]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Thought I would update. Interview went ok, didn't ask a great deal about myself just what I have been doing really and then explained the role to me and a bit about the company. Hard to tell if I will get a job out of it or not. I'm happy to do a bit of overtime as it's all paid, when I stay past half 4 now i'm working for free and it happens more often than I would like. I have been told that I will be hearing within a week if I am successful or not. The test paper was ok, I didn't have a lot of time to answer the questions but I either knew the right answers or was on the right track with the majority of them. If I didn't know something I said that's something I would have to revise. Just a matter of waiting now, it's a company I would like to work for and I think I could learn a lot. Fingers crossed. Thanks to everyone for your replies.

 

[cr0ft]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Every company I have had an interview with ask me that and I always answered not a lot to be honest. What do they want you to turn around and say? what is on the website word for word as 9/10 that is utter rubbish anyway as every company always says the same.

I always go and say the same thing I'm hard working, been working in the trade x amount of time I can do this that and the other I take great pride in my work at other companies I have done this to help things work better/ more efficient.

The main thing with social housing work is can you sign your own name as that's all their worried about you putting your name to a boiler what ever the state of it.

If you get it buy a camera with time/date on it and a scanner as I was going around condemning boilers filling out the paperwork and someone else was going round after me turning them all back on so in the end I was taking photos and scanning the warning notice as there was never any history of who went back to turn them on. Also don't work late! They will get used to it and you will get more and more work to the point that you will be working 7am-9pm.

We don't. There's loads of bumf on my website and if someone hasn't bothered to read it I'm not interested in them tbh as there are plenty good tradespeople in the current climate who will take the time to.

 

[cr0ft]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Thought I would update. Interview went ok, didn't ask a great deal about myself just what I have been doing really and then explained the role to me and a bit about the company. Hard to tell if I will get a job out of it or not. I'm happy to do a bit of overtime as it's all paid, when I stay past half 4 now i'm working for free and it happens more often than I would like. I have been told that I will be hearing within a week if I am successful or not. The test paper was ok, I didn't have a lot of time to answer the questions but I either knew the right answers or was on the right track with the majority of them. If I didn't know something I said that's something I would have to revise. Just a matter of waiting now, it's a company I would like to work for and I think I could learn a lot. Fingers crossed. Thanks to everyone for your replies.

Fingers crossed for you mate

 

[turnpin]

Re: As the employer what questions would you ask service/breakdown engineer at interv

Thanks for the update Ash best of luck ...regards Turnpin:smile5: