Service Solutions Group

[ar4s1]

Just a word of caution. This company is expanding nationwide at an alarming rate. Take it from a technician who's leaving tomorrow, this is NOT a company that you want to work for. Technicians are at the bottom of the food chain as far as they are concerned. They'll work you to death and give you nothing in return. If you are desparate for work, then do what you need to do. If you're a good experienced tech just looking for a change, do yourself a favor, look somewhere else!

[pdrake65]

Just a word of caution. This company is expanding nationwide at an alarming rate. Take it from a technician who's leaving tomorrow, this is NOT a company that you want to work for. Technicians are at the bottom of the food chain as far as they are concerned. They'll work you to death and give you nothing in return. If you are desparate for work, then do what you need to do. If you're a good experienced tech just looking for a change, do yourself a favor, look somewhere else!

These companies ruin the rep. of the service tech. Always come with no parts and charge too much for crap work. This one is not in my area yet. We have GCS and ATECH among others that we have taken work from.The customers are getting the message on these large companies.

[chilliwilly]

Yes I know what you mean about these bigger companies. The trouble is though the large restaurant and take away chains only like to deal with one company, for contractual and invoice reasons. I think we will see a lot more of these kind of firms in the near future.

The firm I work at now has the UK contract for all the Frankie & Benny's, Chiquitos, And some other up and coming famous chains such as Jamie Olivers Italian, and Chipotle. The other engineers and myself often moan about the management, but they do understand that the firm wouldn't exist without good engineers, and overall are more amiccable than other firms that I have worked for in the past. Its just a shame we have a poor service manager.

I worked for a bakery engineering firm called Norbake in Batley West Yorkshire some time ago now, and they had the contract for all the Tesco supermarket in store bakeries. I was sacked for refusing to carry out bodge repairs to any of the electrical wiring jobs. You would probably get away with it on a temporary basis to get the store going again on the condition its put right asap.

But with them, bodging was the norm across the board and they were creating fire and electrocution hazards, but as far as they were concerned it was me that didn't know what I was talking about. It got to the stage where I was all but loosing my confidence, and asking my old college lectureres and ex work collegues from other companies if I was right with my attitude and technical approach. They all expressed some concern about the matter and just advised me to stick to my guns, then at least I wouldn't loose my reputation when the innevitable happens.

I couldn't beleive the attitude from the management of this firm, when you pointed out the amount of non compliances with the wiring regulations/code and the increase of liabilty regarding safety. Their reply was something like, no we don't do that kind of thing. Even though it was obvious to anyone who knew their bacon. Mind you the engineers they had weren't much cop, most of them were just dickheads that did as they were told, and they probably wouldn't have lasted two minutes at a reputable company.

I was talking to one of the managers where I work now and he asked me about this Norbake where I had worked, as I had put on my CV/Resume that I'd worked there and told them the upshot. He told me someone from that firm had applied for a job, he told me his name but I didn't recognise it. I told him to steer clear of employing anyone that had worked there for any longer than six months for obvious reasons.

Any way they decided to give him a try because he had a good positive attitude in the interview, only to bullet him a month later for being dangerous and receiving bad feedback from other engineers that had followed his jobs. If only they'd of listened me in the first place.The MD who fired me reffered to me as a square peg in a round hole, after being shocked by his comment and pausing, my reply to him was... "Well in that case you and all of your operatives are round pegs that won't fit in any shaped hole except the one in my my arse and that is only on the way out of it!"... "So stick it up your arse!"

I was then escorted out of the building by one of the two faced managers and arse licking engineers of whom I told them both how I felt about them and the firm they worked at. And also told them if they ever saw me out and came up to me and said so much as hello, I would kick their bollocks till they swung and p!ss all over them. I'm not a violent person, but sometimes these kind of people and firms can turn you.

[pdrake65]

i'm thinking i'll try not to get you mad Chilli!!!

[chilliwilly]

Well I was a younger bloke in them days. These days I tend to think the don't get mad, get even approach. I'm very placid really... no honestly though I am.

But we all have a raw nerve that gets touched every so often.

[ar4s1]

Well I was a younger bloke in them days. These days I tend to think the don't get mad, get even approach. I'm very placid really... no honestly though I am.

But we all have a raw nerve that gets touched every so often.

You all seem to know exactly what I'm talking about. The poor management from all levels and lack of parts supplies was spot on.

Chilli you need to be on the look out for them too mate. Our parent company is Franke so it goes without saying that eventually they will be looking to go international.

[JBM1000]

Well I was a younger bloke in them days. These days I tend to think the don't get mad, get even approach. I'm very placid really... no honestly though I am.

But we all have a raw nerve that gets touched every so often.

Move to Oklahoma! You would fit right in and if ever any trouble you just call your crew and they are there in 5 mins for backup! I'm not talking union type I'm talking Midwestern plain old "Red Neck's" way of things here!

[Trublshter]

Good luck to you. I've been around our area supply houses to try to contact a couple of their local techs to get an idea of how their operation is and if it's worth checking into. It's the most reliable way of finding out things like turnover rate and management attitude toward personel assets.

[smsfire2003]

trb did you hear anything from anyone about SSG? There's only two other techs in this state, and there's no supply houses around that they'd go to, ssg ships all parts out to there techs.

[Trublshter]

No I haven't. I was really hoping to. I figured even if they order mfg direct parts they would still get common use mechanical, plumbing, and electrical stock from local vendors. I may take another look at this company here in Mass. I've only stayed at 3 jobs in the past 18 years, so yes, I'm somewhat just as selective as those who hire are.

[jeichenauer]

You all just need to move to Illinois and come work for Eichenauer Services