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08/09/2010
GLOBETROTTING OIL RIGGER TAKES UP DRAIN DOCTORING
Former shipbuilder, oil rigger and world traveller Simon Tait (34) is putting down roots and has now started his own plumbing and drainage business.
Steel fabricator Simon has taken on a franchise business of Drain Doctor Plumbing and Drainage (www.draindoctor.co.uk) offering emergency plumbing and drain repairs to commercial and domestic customers in South Manchester covering Stockport, Macclesfield and the surrounding towns and villages.
Simon began his career as an apprentice steel fabricator in the Tyne shipyards where, among other things, he worked on ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. He has also worked in shipyards in France and Holland providing maintenance for ferries.
More recently Simon has worked on North Sea oil rigs maintaining the steel support structures and also plumbing maintenance within the accommodation area.
Spending increasing amounts of time away from home prompted Simon to think about more settled opportunities. Realising that he had the skills to run his own business he started looking for an opportunity. Despite the recession Simon felt that the time was right to start a business by sticking to an opportunity based on a tried and tested formula.
Simon said: “My partner Stacey and I went on an 12 month trip around the world. We started in China and travelled to Hong Kong, then down from Thailand, overland through Malaysia to Singapore then to Australia.
“We bought a camper van in Cairns and drove down the East coast of Australia to Sydney. We sold the van and bought a car which we took to Melbourne where we sold it. Then we flew to New Zealand and then travelled in South America before returning home.”
On their return Simon and Stacey decided to settle in Manchester where Stacey lives. Simon said: “I wanted to be my own boss and I was looking for an opportunity in Manchester. I looked at the Drain Doctor business and realised it is a great opportunity to develop.
“The business is not about sitting in the office waiting for the phone to ring. It is important to market properly. By working hard – and by following the Drain Doctor system that is there to help – success will follow, but it doesn’t happen over night. This was made clear right from the start.”
Simon will start with one fully equipped van and hopes to add another van with a technician within six months. Initially, Stacey, who works part time at Manchester Airport, will help with the administrative work.
“Stacey is going to start training as a nurse soon and when she gets her nursing degree I will have to employ a full-time member of staff. She has said that she is going to tell all her student nurse friends that she is dating a doctor – albeit a Drain Doctor!”
Outlining his plans for the business Simon added: “I aim to give businesses and householders in South Manchester and the surrounding area the same ‘dazzling’ level of service in plumbing and drainage which Drain Doctor provides across the rest of the country.
“My customers get fixed-price, no obligation quotes, a complete guarantee on all our work, and a full 24 hour per day seven day per week service with no call out charges – so people pay the same price for work at any time of day or night. What’s more, I turn up at the agreed time!”
Launched in the United Kingdom in 1993, Drain Doctor Plumbing quickly grew to become the country's largest emergency plumbing and drain repair service. It now provides a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year service across the country with each franchise area such as Manchester South run as an independent business.
•Drain Doctor Plumbing - 0800 70 71 72.
DD1:jh
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31/08/2010
LOCAL DRAIN DOCTOR TO THE RESCUE
Drain Doctor Plumbing (www.draindoctor.co.uk) has come to the rescue of a holiday maker who had lost her keys and looked set to miss a flight to the sun.
The Drain Doctor franchise covering Suffolk recently received a panic phone call at 9.30am from a lady in Stowmarket, Suffolk. She was due to leave home to catch a flight for a family holiday. However, she had just dropped her car keys down the toilet!
Recognising the urgency and always ready to display dazzling levels of service, Drain Doctor customer service representative Daisy Simpson immediately diverted a technician who was just 15 minutes away from another job to answer the emergency call.
He arrived within 20 minutes, removed the toilet pan and retrieved the customer’s car keys. The job was completed quickly and efficiently and the customer was able to leave in time to get to the airport and catch her flight.
Franchise owner Rob Simpson said: “As a husband and father I can appreciate how stressed our customer must have felt at the time. I am so pleased we were able to help and hope they are now relaxing by a pool somewhere.”
The customer was unavailable for comment – she was on holiday with her family!
Rob added: “At Drain Doctor we continue to be available on the telephone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Customers get fixed-price, no obligation quotes, a complete guarantee on all work, and a full 24 hour per day seven day per week service with no call out charges – so people pay the same price for work at any time of day or night. What’s more, we turn up at the agreed time!”
DD1:jh
Notes to editors:
1. Launched in the United Kingdom in 1993, Drain Doctor Plumbing has quickly grown to become the country’s largest emergency plumbing and drain repair service. It now provides a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year service in every part of the country with each franchise run as an independent business.
2. Drain Doctor’s central principle is to deliver dazzling levels of service in a market plagued by cowboy operators who are overcharging customers for shoddy workmanship. Franchisees offer a full 24 hour per day seven day per week service with no call out charges and they give fixed-price, no obligation quotes with a full guarantee on all their work.
3. Technicians are trained not just with technical skills – including the latest techniques such as closed circuit camera drain surveys and no-dig drain repairs – but in customer care that is reflected in such things as wearing overshoes while in customers’ homes and clearing up carefully after every job.
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31/08/2010
PORTUGAL DRAIN DOCTOR KEEPS SOLAR PANEL HEATING SYSTEMS SHINING
Drain Doctor Portugal (www.draindoctor.pt) – a company-owned franchise of Drain Doctor Plumbing (www.draindoctor.co.uk) – is warning businesses in the Algarve region to ensure their solar heating systems are carefully maintained. Regular inspection is essential to avoid the build up of the deadly Legionella bacteria, the cause of Legionnaire’s Disease.
Since April 2010 it has been compulsory in Portugal to install thermal panels to produce hot water. This has led to the potential for an increase in Legionella bacteria in the solar water collection tanks and pipes in heating systems. In hotels and resorts it is mandatory to ensure that water in these reservoirs is heated to 70 degrees Celsius in order to prevent this potential build up.
To ensure that solar heating systems operate at their optimum level they must be regularly serviced on an annual basis. To guarantee the quality of the thermal solar collection systems professional installers and maintenance providers must be certified by the Direcção Geral de Geologia e Energia (DGGE). Installers must have the Certificate of Professional Aptitude (CAP) Technician Installer Solar Thermal Systems.
Director of Drain Doctor Portugal, Paulo Martins, said: “It is important to have these checks carried out by a properly qualified technician.
“Drain Doctor is a certificated provider of maintenance services for solar heating systems. Our maintenance technician holds the appropriate CAP certificate.”
Paulo recommends that to ensure the systems are functioning to their best and to help avoid the build up of Legionella annual maintenance of the solar system should include the following:
• Cleaning of solar collectors.
• Checking of the pump.
• Adjusting the flow and pressure of the solar circuit.
• Checking the expansion vessel.
• Setting the preload (if necessary).
• Verifiying of the concentration of antifreeze fluid.
• Checking the PH of the antifreeze fluid.
• Inspecting the structure.
• Verifying the security features on the collectors and circulation group.
• Checking the temperature probes and the installation of the solar collector.
• Visually verifying stored water.
• Verifying of deposit magnesium anode (hot water).
• Verifying the safety valve (hot water).
• Checking and adjustment of the thermostatic mixing valve (hot water).
• Renewing, if necessary, the liquid in the solar circuit or replacement of pressure in the loop.
• Purging the solar collectors and circulation group.
• Checking the proper functioning of clocks, thermostats and programmers.
Paulo added: “We aim to continue to give businesses and householders in Portugal the same ‘dazzling’ level of service in plumbing and drainage which Drain Doctor provides across the United Kingdom.”
Drain Doctor in the Algarve region covers Loulé, Faro, Silves, Vilamoura, Portimão and Lagos. It is demonstrating the concept of Drain Doctor’s guaranteed 24 hours per day 365 days per year service with a fixed price ‘menu’ and no call-out or out-of-hours charges.
DD1:jh
Notes to editors:
1. Launched in the United Kingdom in 1993, Drain Doctor Plumbing has quickly grown to become the country’s largest emergency plumbing and drain repair service. It now provides a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year service in every part of the country with each franchise run as an independent business.
2. Drain Doctor Portugal was established as a directly-owned operation in the Algarve to prove the concept for the Portuguese market. Its fully-equipped vans cover Faro, Albufeira, Portimao, Largos and Sagres. Once the business has been successfully trading for a time, Drain Doctor will start to sell franchises in the rest of Portugal.
3. Drain Doctor’s central principle is to deliver dazzling levels of service in a market plagued by cowboy operators who are overcharging customers for shoddy workmanship. Franchisees offer a full 24 hour per day seven day per week service with no call out charges and they give fixed-price, no obligation quotes with a full guarantee on all their work.
4. Technicians are trained not just with technical skills – including the latest techniques such as closed circuit camera drain surveys and no-dig drain repairs – but in customer care that is reflected in such things as wearing overshoes while in customers’ homes and clearing up carefully after every job.
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