Page 230 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

The City & Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1

Private customers are the people that most plumbers meet on a daily basis and
first impressions can mean a great deal. A private customer can employ a company
with specialist skills to work in their home, such as installers of solar panels or
contractors who drill boreholes for private water supplies. A landlord of a dwelling
is a private customer and can hire the services of plumbers and gas engineers.
The customer will need to trust the plumber and have faith in their competence.
They will see them as representative of the company that they have hired to
carry out the work. Direct communication, in the form of clearly thought out
conversations, supported by plans and manufacturers’ brochures, will help
establish a good working relationship with the client.

Types of customer

Sometimes plumbing apprentices may be required to deal with a customer’s
representative such as a managing agent when engaged on a maintenance
contract or if involved in minor electrical works. Access arrangements may
need to be finalised and a timescale for the completion of a section of work
will need to be agreed upon.
When dealing with a contracting customer, particularly on-site, a CSCS card will
usually be required and they will expect an organised and efficient workforce
to carry out a specific contract, often requiring a company to include a method
KEY TERM statement for the job. A contract customer can hire a business with specialist

CSCS card: this stands equipment to carry out work on their behalf.
for Construction Skills In larger companies, internal customers may be involved in contracts and the
Certification Scheme card. plumber could be included in a special project or even basic maintenance of
Its purpose is to confirm
that people who work sanitary appliances.
in the built environment In all work situations, the image, performance and conduct of plumbers is
have the necessary paramount in creating a good impression and helping their company gain
competence, and identifies
their qualifications. For further work.
example, a trainee plumber Communication throughout the progress of a job is very important in order
would carry a small plastic to develop good and effective working relationships with a client.
ID craft or operative card
that identifies them as a
person enrolled on an NVQ VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS
programme but not yet
qualified. Initial feedback to a customer on a job will be verbal and is essential for
keeping them up to date with developments, and informing them of
expected completion times and any likely changes to the schedule.

IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH
The first point of written communication with a customer will be the quotation for
the work and the last will be the invoice from the contractor.

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