10 Years of A&D Plumbing Services

The Start of A&D Plumbing Services

Plumbing has always been a passion of mine, so I decided to enrol myself in a short course to see if I would enjoy pursuing my interest. Turns out I did, as I passed the course with flying colours which led me to take part in other programmes to expand my skill set. It was at this point I decided to use my expertise and start trading, putting in the hard work, dedication and long hours to become my own boss and help the staff at A&D Plumbing develop within the company.

Challenges In The First Year:

As most of us know, working in the real world is very different to the classroom. It’s important to show paying customers that you have the knowledge and skills to complete the job successfully, even if you are new to the trade. In the early years of the business, I did a great deal of subcontracting which involved working long hours, seven days a week, so finding work was not a problem.

How Have Staff Numbers Grown Year After Year?

As demand for our services has rapidly increased since we first started 10 years ago, our staff numbers have grown considerably. To help deal with the workload, we expanded our team by hiring another plumber after two years operating as A&D Plumbing, and an extra gas engineer after three years. Finally, after four years, the increase in incoming work meant we had to move our base from home and open an office with a further member of staff.

Our First Big Job:

The biggest job we were hired for during our first few years of business was a bathroom, ensuite and boiler refit all at the same property. We have since decided not to carry out bathroom refits as we want to focus on boiler installations, but we were very proud to be hired for such a large job when we first started.

We have also carried out unvented boiler installations, including all new controls and system set-up, so there is no requirement for a cold water storage tank and the extra pipework.

 

Biggest Challenge In The Last 10 Years

Much like most other businesses, the biggest challenge the company faced in our first 10 years of trading was the recession. Therefore, we consider one of our greatest achievements to be making it through this tough financial time and still providing a comprehensive range of services on the other side.

Have You Had To Rebrand At All? If So, Why?

While we used to advertise as other names to cover all bases when we first started, we now want A&D Plumbing to be recognised in its own right as a company which stands for quality and excellent customer service. We want to give customers peace of mind that, when they call A&D Plumbing, they are hiring the expertise of a fully regulated, insured company.

What’s Helped A&D Plumbing Services Going Through Hard Times?

We cannot thank our dedicated team here at A&D Plumbing enough for putting in the long hours and hard work to ensure that the job is completed quickly and efficiently. Providing excellent customer service is at the forefront of our business, which is why we work as a close-knit team to deal with any unforeseen problems so the job is finished to the highest levels of care.

Our Improvements:

There have been many significant improvements that have taken place within the company which have contributed to its success, including:

• Improved quality control
• More extensive knowledge of the industry
• Faster level of service
• Better regulated
• More professional services i.e. uniforms, sign-written vans, cards, better aftercare

With the hard work and dedication of our committed staff, the company has gone from strength-to-strength over its 10 years of business, allowing both our team to expand and workload to grow.

What are some of the milestones in A&D Plumbing’s 10 year history?

As we reflect over the last 10 years, to say the company has come on leaps and bounds would be an understatement. We have achieved a great deal during the decade, including:

Having outgrown our original work base at home, we now operate from our modern office, where we work directly for our customers rather than working for contractors.

 

A&D Plumbing Series Growth:

As we celebrate our 10 year anniversary and reflect on the growth of our company, the number of boiler installations we have carried out has increased significantly over the years.

So far in 2015, we have reached 31 installations, with the aim of achieving 100 by the end of the year.

The growth of our company can be reflected in the number of jobs we have successfully completed over the last 10 years. For the first few years, we managed to carry out 500 jobs, and as the business grows we now have the capacity to exceed 3,000 jobs by the end of this year.

Highlights Of The Last 10 Years?

The hard work and dedication we have committed to the company over the last 10 years has enabled us to grow considerably. Over this time we have developed our services, ensuring results which will exceed expectations and excellent customer service. These professional services include:

Supplying such a comprehensive range of services has been a highlight of the last 10 years, as what once seemed unfeasible are now day-to-day jobs handled with ease by myself and the staff.

Goodwill Gestures We Have Carried Out:

 

Providing excellent customer service is very important to us, which is why we are committed to catering to the individual needs of each and every customer. With this is mind, we have completed a couple of jobs for free or at a large discount in certain cases out of goodwill, so the customer does not need to panic about exceeding their budget.

Examples of goodwill jobs we have carried out since the company started a decade ago include:

1. We fitted a shower for a customer in Colchester whose wife had suddenly died of cancer leaving her husband with two young children. Once we had completed the installation, he asked what the bill was but we decided to give it to him on the house; he graciously thanked us with a crate of beer a few days later.
2. We fixed a leak in Woodbridge for a customer who had misheard the prices when the time came to pay the bill. She had recently lost her job and we could see that she couldn’t afford the bill so we reduced it by 80% to cover the van fuel costs.

Future Growth?

Without a recession, we aim to be taking on a minimum of one new engineer every year to help deal with the growing demand for our services and increasing workload.

Congratulations

We would like to extend warm congratulations to our engineer Matt, who has dedicated his time and efforts to the company, excelling in every job he has taken on. He expressed an interest in becoming a qualified oil engineer a couple of years ago, so we put him forward for the programme and he aced it first time. Since then, he has exceeded all expectations, even restoring some boilers back to working order which more experienced engineers from other companies had previously failed to do.

 

General Questions:

Do you offer a warranty on your work?

All our work comes with extended warranty which covers one year on labour and parts offered by the manufacturer. Therefore, our customers can enjoy total peace of mind that they are receiving the best service from our fully qualified professionals.

Are They A Licensed Plumber?

When you are considering hiring a plumber you should first establish whether they are licensed. If a plumber is licensed, then this will prove that they are professional enough to cope with all types of plumbing-related issues. If you gamble on using an unlicensed plumber there is a much greater chance of their work being unsatisfactory. As a consequence, the existing problem will still remain, and you’ll then have the stress of having to hire another plumber.

Have They Got Insurance?

Like licensing, insurance should be something that covers a plumber – and you. Insurance should cover anything from accidents to mistakes, and even theft. Without insurance a plumber is likely to be more selective about what type of job they are prepared to tackle.

How Long Will You Take Before You Start On A Job?

This can be a crucial consideration when you hire a plumber. If you have a pipe that is leaking badly, for instance, a quick response time is vital. Even if you are insured, watching your home flood is never less than a stressful experience. If you’re not insured the difference, in monetary terms, between a plumber who arrives quickly, and one who doesn’t, can be enormous. It can also be the difference between being able to stay in your home or having to move into temporary accommodation.

Does Their Service Operate 24/7?

It’s sensible to make a note of legitimate plumbers, and the differences between those that undertake a round the clock emergency service and those that carry out non-emergency work. The latter will usually not visit a property in an emergency, or be available 24/7, while the former will be, but won’t normally come out for minor problems.

What Are Their Specific Areas Of Expertise?

Even good plumbers will be better equipped at dealing with some problems than others. By ensuring that you have the best plumber for a particular job it makes sense to ask them what they specialize in.

Do they Have Any References?

A good, experienced plumber should have a number of positive references. While, if they belong to several trade organisations, this will underline their commitment to their job.

How Much Do They Charge?

The specialist nature of plumbing contractors means that you can expect to have to pay different prices for different jobs. Calling out a plumber in an emergency will also be more expensive than would be the case with a simple job.

Are Customers Charged For Travel Time?

As professional plumbers can charge for travel time, it’s wise to hire a good plumber that is as local to you as possible.

Are There Service Fees, Too?

Plumbers can charge a fee just for a visit, so be aware of this in advance, and how much they are likely to charge.

Is There Any Charge For Parts?

Though a professional plumber should reach you with the right parts for the job there is always the chance of an unexpected problem being detected. As a result, different parts may be required. So, find out whether the purchasing of new parts will have an impact on how much you are charged overall.

Find out why you should use us! Download our Boiler Guide

A&D Plumbing Services are here to supply, fit and maintain a range of top quality boilers throughout Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. With competitively priced services, and 30 years of experience, you can trust our team to help you buy the best boiler in 2019.

For some advice from our friendly experts, please contact us today on: 01206 205 940