With the UK government currently enforcing ‘non essential’ workers to stay at home and only leave the house for necessities such as food, medicine, or one method of exercise a day, hundreds of thousands of people are moving to remote working for the forseeable future. Calls from industry associations, including the BSIA, NSI, SIA, SSAIB and FIA, have been made to clarify their member’s status and whether it falls under the ‘key worker’ category, but what about installers themselves? What are you doing to protect your business, and most importantly, you and your loved ones, at this difficult moment?
Below, we detail some of the responses we’ve received and seen on social media. And, simply tweet us at @IFSECGlobal with your own thoughts or if you have any advice for others.
While there has now been a little more guidance for the self-employed, many security installers are taking the decision to carry out only emergency work, or have postponed all appointments until the situation improves.
Speaking to the IFSEC International Installer Council, it is clear that many have moved into these practices already, following government advice in an effort to keep both their own families, and their customer’s safe. Ahmet Deveci, Director of CCTV Aware, is rescheduling anything that has been booked in to the end of the “three week lockdown period when we may be in a better position to find out what’s going on,” whilst others have ceased all new business activity for the time being.
All are also working to ensure their customers are still looked after as best they can be at this time. Both Milind Kangle at Lucrum Group and Paul Field from WFP Fire & Security are offering technical support over the phone to anyone that needs it and to better understand the solutions they’ve previously fitted for customers. Indeed, Paul is utilising technology such as Zoom to offer free meetings for site and building managers on a daily call at 10AM, advising on topics such as weekly fire alarm testing, and planned maintenance visits. Looking ahead with a positive mindset, Milind is also exploring “avenues to raise finance for sales and installer recruitment in preparation for the next phase of restrictions being lifted.”
It’s also a period where many are set to catch up on “long overdue project work,” or use it as a chance to keep customer files and admin up to date, as well as attend any online training courses they can. This would seem sensible, as such tasks may become more difficult than usual once restrictions are released, with businesses from all sectors looking to pick up on lost revenue over this time.
In the IT sector, Steven Bishop, of Fabrication Systems, believes many have not got back into “full-on work mode just yet.” Steven added he’s “expecting a greater surge in IT and internet demand” over the coming weeks, so feels he will likely be asked to help people with overstretched internet connections and overloaded cloud services for the forseeable.
Across social media, much of the above is also true, while it is also positive to see customer’s have been understanding in delayed or rescheduled work, as BW-Tech Fire & Security noted here:
Emergency Jobs only for us at the moment.
— BW-Tech Fire & Security (@BWTechUK) March 25, 2020
Yes, think everyone’s on the same page so no issue from any of our clients.
— BW-Tech Fire & Security (@BWTechUK) March 25, 2020
The popular weekly Twitter chat, TradesTalk, also asked its audience on Tuesday how they were acting, with some of the responses also laid out below. Once again, many highlighted the opportunity to organise their admin and keep up-to-date with the latest standards in the industry by undertaking online CPD courses.
A1 The message was clear for me. Stay at home unless you absolutely have to go out. Social responsibility comes first, work comes second. #TradesTalk
— Karen Boom TMIET GSHP Construction Project Manager (@Shes_ElectricUK) March 24, 2020
Unless they have no Power/Heating/Hot Water/Cooking facilities, we wont be attending and even then it is on a case by case basis
— Iain 🇺🇦 💛💙💛💙 (@Sparky_Iain) March 24, 2020
Have your say on what you’re doing to combat the situation, or offer advice to others in the industry on what’s worked for you, below.
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