Cold call about Pat testing

[autohausdolby]

Sorry for my first post being a negative one, but I've just had a cold call about Pat testing.

Now my insurance company actually insists on it, and I'm due a visit from the inspector they arrange so not really concentrating I just said "yes, come on Monday." It was only when I got off the phone that I realised they hadn't written to me first which is what they usually do, and then I realised that I'd been had by somebody's well written crib sheet.

As you can imagine, I now want to ring the company responsible to tell them to get lost, but extensive googling has turned up nothing, and the number was withheld.

So my question is, has anybody else had a similar call recently, and if they have did they get a company name? I imagine there is only a relatively small number of people doing this so I've a fair chance of getting the right one.

My business is based in Sheffield by the way.

Any help is much appreciated

 

[movietub]

We all make mistakes!

Since you have no agreement whatsoever, or even a price list by the sound of it... I'm sure you can tell them to get lost when they arrive. Unless they prove themselves to be legit on all levels, in which case, you get your PAT done.

I'm not suprised they are cold calling though. So many businesses I work in are way out of date. I imagine many owners will only stop and consider this if someone calls or pops in to ask the question.

 

[autohausdolby]

That's my plan - they aren't even coming over the door step. I'd rather not have to have an arguement with someone on Monday morning though. Mondays are tough enough without having to deal with that!

 

[movietub]

That's my plan - they aren't even coming over the door step. I'd rather not have to have an arguement with someone on Monday morning though. Mondays are tough enough without having to deal with that!

I recommend the cowards option here:

Lock the door, hide under your desk. Leave a note outside explaining that you died, and that the new guy cares not one jot for electrical safety

 

[autohausdolby]

I'm so wound up that someone as misanthropic as me has fallen for this that I may just consider that as a course of action.

I'm so cross that I can't find out how it is - we're registered with TPS as well so shouldn't even have got the call.

 

[estwig]

Use this picture to make a mask and when the fella turns up on Monday, wear the mask and hand him a piece of paper with some questions on it for him to ask you.

He'll think you mad and leave!

 

[autohausdolby]

Sounds like a plan to me!

 

[UKSBD]

Not defending cold calling in any way, but,

Someone phoned you to see if you needed any PAT testing doing.

You say you do need PAT testing doing.

They have arranged to come and see you about your PAT testing.

Were they passing off as another company, if not, what exactly is the problem?

 

[autohausdolby]

I was expecting a visit from the company that my insurance company uses - I've got no wish to receive a visit from somebody else who, I imagine, will want money for coming.

I don't like cold calling either - there are only 2 of us on site and dealing with them uses valuable time

 

[Digger]

Sorry for my first post being a negative one, but I've just had a cold call about Pat testing.

Now my insurance company actually insists on it, and I'm due a visit from the inspector they arrange so not really concentrating I just said "yes, come on Monday." It was only when I got off the phone that I realised they hadn't written to me first which is what they usually do, and then I realised that I'd been had by somebody's well written crib sheet.

As you can imagine, I now want to ring the company responsible to tell them to get lost, but extensive googling has turned up nothing, and the number was withheld.

So my question is, has anybody else had a similar call recently, and if they have did they get a company name? I imagine there is only a relatively small number of people doing this so I've a fair chance of getting the right one.

My business is based in Sheffield by the way.

Any help is much appreciated

Just say you made a mistake, and that you are upto date afterall...you tried to ring to cancel, but no number to call ( true).Sorry.
Don't blink,bite lip or fiddle .

 

[Christine Hough]

That's my plan - they aren't even coming over the door step. I'd rather not have to have an arguement with someone on Monday morning though. Mondays are tough enough without having to deal with that!

Give them a chance.
If the prices are reasonable, and you want your equipment PAT tested, why not go with them?

I am sure there are plenty of legit people marketing through cold calling.

It may be a rip off, and they may try to charge too much or lock you into a repeating contract... but if they do they are not doing themselves any favours and will not have a long term business.

If they give you and others a good fair service, then why not use them, come back and tell others.

I hope it goes well for you,

 

[autohausdolby]

Joy of joys, they called back this morning to tell me "there's an engineer in your area today"...

This is the company in question:

0844 800 4180
Nationwide Electrical Safety Limited
Office 6, Colton Mill Office Park
Bullerthorpe Lane
Colton
Leeds, LS15 9JN

It took 4 tries and being transferred to get a company name out of them. I've reported them to the TPS

They want about 4 times what the engineer that normally comes charges.

 

[herodigital]

i read this thread as "cold call about pet tasting". that would have been a lot more interesting!

 

[estwig]

i read this thread as "cold call about pet tasting". that would have been a lot more interesting!

Rubber stamp your hamster!!!

 

[Christine Hough]

All well then...

Enjoy,

 

[Ashley_Price]

That sounds like Nationwide Electrical. They have phoned nearly every one of our clients (we've taken most of the calls). At one point, at least one of my team were speaking to them about once a day!

I think they are literally just going through the phone book(s).

Their usual line is to ask for the person that deals with health and safety. If you say they are not available, they say "That's okay, could you just do me a favour and check a plug and see what date is on the green sticker".

 

[matth]

I got a call from them yesterday too...

Exact same question about the green sticker too!

 

[autohausdolby]

That's them. I'm just glad I've found out who it is I was so frustrated yesterday.

 

[Ashley_Price]

I guess it must be working for them - if they are phoning so many people. I guess they are trying to get those who will say "There isn't a sticker on the plug" or similar.

 

[luvbusiness]

I'm so wound up that someone as misanthropic as me has fallen for this that I may just consider that as a course of action.

I'm so cross that I can't find out how it is - we're registered with TPS as well so shouldn't even have got the call.

What is TPS?

 

[matth]

What is TPS?

The Telephone Preference Service

 

[christian_d]

Tell them the date on the green sticker is 5/8/1948 Tell them that you thought it only needed doing once every 90 years and attempt to make an appointment with them for 4/8/2038. Just to see what they say.

 

[autohausdolby]

The Telephone preference service - when we moved into our current premises and contracted BT for a land line we were getting at least 30 direct marketing calls per day in the first week of occupation. The worst were the "we can get you listed on Google/directories/yell.com" etc. type and people calling about electricity supply.

TPS dramitically cuts these time wasters and allows customers to ring us when they need to.

 

[cjd]

Y'all need this:

http://www.voipfoneblog.com/?p=106

 

[MikeJ]

[removed by mod to reflect earlier deletion]

How very strange. Soopatroopa has had a terrible experience with a company doing PAT testing. However, here...

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=1439051#post1439051

... he claims he owns a PAT testing company.

 

[steve23]

Yes - well spotted MikeJ - does sound strange indeed.

Let us await the explanation !

All the best

Steve

 

[Whites Electrical]

Ha,ha,ha sounds like Soopatrooper is some kind of chancer trying to bad mouth other compinies.
Wonder if he has anything to do with this company:-
http://www.purepat.com/html/free_pat_testing.html

Have got a similar cock and bull story on their website about purposely putting faulty items about to try trip-up others and make themself sound some kind of heros!!!

 

[James1980]

If they ask you to read the date on the plug, just give an arbitary recent date and they'll leave you be.

For added authenticity, sound clueless (i.e. as if you're just following their instructions) as opposed to slick (i.e. as if you've been reading these instructions). "Err, it says... 28 / 10 / 10?"


James

 

[Obrady]

Be nice to people who are offering you a service. There's no such thing as a cold call if the caller is friendly and warm to you!

 

[Obrady]

used to work for that company, got a better job now! It was funny to confuse people asking for sticker dates! As well it was amazing how easy it was to control people in them choosing to get emotionally angry at calls, instead of understanding that they are humans just like you and are doing a job!

Had fun, so be nice to people who are offering you a service. There's no such thing as a cold call if the caller is friendly and warm to you!

 

[kulture]

A telephone call is an interruption. The caller has no idea what you are doing and cannot know how busy you are. Cold calls are unwelcome interruptions. I always politely tell them I am not interested and hang up.

 

[Ashley_Price]

Be nice to people who are offering you a service. There's no such thing as a cold call if the caller is friendly and warm to you!

Cobblers!

That should read as "There's no such thing as a cold call if the caller has done their research properly!"

So, no matter how "friendly and warm" to me the caller is, I don't need till rolls as I am a call answering service (yes, we do get calls asking who our current supplier of till rolls is). Therefore why should I be nice when the caller is offering something completely inappropriate?

It's like the time I was in a clothes shop that was having a sale. Now I was looking at the trousers and they didn't have any in my size, they were all too small (I'm sad to say I have to have 46" waist - but that's only because the legs in 42" ones won't go over my large thighs).

The salesman came over to me as I was about to leave and asked if he could help. I said to him that I had been looking for trousers but they were all too small. This chap's response still amuses me several years later "But they're in a sale. They're very good value"!

 

[Obrady]

Laughing my head off at how people come home from work and instead of enjoying their life they sit on the computer negging on about what they choose to look at negatively instead of chilling out and looking to the future! Enjoy your life guys!!!1 I love mine!

 

[mit74]

I had a phone call from these people. They were extremely pushy even when told them I was not interested and I was very suspicious of a Leeds based company asking to pat test products when they wouldn't have known how many products I had to test and my location. How much would they have charged if I said I only had a couple of desktops and a laptop?
You really have to be careful of anyone phoning your company these days.

 

[Ashley_Price]

Laughing my head off at how people come home from work and instead of enjoying their life they sit on the computer negging on about what they choose to look at negatively instead of chilling out and looking to the future! Enjoy your life guys!!!1 I love mine!

Good for you.

 

[MTI]

Joy of joys, they called back this morning to tell me "there's an engineer in your area today"...

This is the company in question:

0844 800 4180
Nationwide Electrical Safety Limited
Office 6, Colton Mill Office Park
Bullerthorpe Lane
Colton
Leeds, LS15 9JN

It took 4 tries and being transferred to get a company name out of them. I've reported them to the TPS

They want about 4 times what the engineer that normally comes charges.

Up to their old tricks again! I have had about genuine 6 missed calls in two days and when i answered today, guess who!

The guy had no idea but was at least polite and proceeded to tell me the nature of the call. I Had to quickly butt in and point out that they are based in my town and that i too provide PAT testing services in Leeds.
Talk about not knowing ya *** from your elbow. I just wish these people would source quality details and double check them before they carry out their daily nonsense. rant over

PAT testing services in Leeds

 

[draelectricals]

Sorry for my first post being a negative one, but I've just had a cold call about Pat testing.

Now my insurance company actually insists on it, and I'm due a visit from the inspector they arrange so not really concentrating I just said "yes, come on Monday." It was only when I got off the phone that I realised they hadn't written to me first which is what they usually do, and then I realised that I'd been had by somebody's well written crib sheet.

As you can imagine, I now want to ring the company responsible to tell them to get lost, but extensive googling has turned up nothing, and the number was withheld.

So my question is, has anybody else had a similar call recently, and if they have did they get a company name? I imagine there is only a relatively small number of people doing this so I've a fair chance of getting the right one.

My business is based in Sheffield by the way.

Any help is much appreciated

Hello - I realise this is late for a reply, I've only just seen the message. I'm not expecting to help in anyway I just wondered if you ever got this sorted out or found out who the company was, or if they did the job was it any good?

cheers

 

[Santia Training]

The best approach is not to agree to anything from a cold call. I know it's hard to tell sometimes, particularly if by luck or judgement they get their timing right.

There's a lot of unecessary PAT testing. Make sure you really do need to have it done.

 

[ecommerce84]

Having just read through this thread and the 12 page thread someone linked too, I have to wonder where are all these electrical items that are suddenly cross wiring and blowing themselves up (that reminds me of a Michael Mcintyre sketch - everyone trusts the fridge ).

I can see people's thoughts that items that are regualary plugged in and out are more likely to work loose in the plug (straighteners in a salon for example), but many people use electrical items at home every day without them sending 240 volts through the user. Computers, TV's, hairdryers, kettles, deep fat fryers, tumble driers, laptops, mobile phone chargers and hundreds more devices are plugged in and out every day in homes across the UK and I can't say I have heard of people blowing themselves up on rogue plug tops.

So that gets me asking is PAT testing simply another health and safety tax (as I suspect), simply a way for a business to stop them getting sued should the worst happen (as I suspect) or genuinely a way to protect the end user from the seemingly never ending stream of suicidal electrical devices that every day are threating to self destruct up and down the country?

 

[OptiRick]

So that gets me asking is PAT testing simply another health and safety tax (as I suspect), simply a way for a business to stop them getting sued...

I imagine it is the combined work of government jobsworths, lawyers, insurance companies and chancers.

And as for the suggestion earlier that cold sellers are just doing a job and aren't bad people etc. Do these cold callers realise how many times we have to stop what we are doing to pick up the frigging telephone to what is another sales call from someone who can't possibly deliver what they are promising because if they could, surely I would have got to know about it and I would be contacting them.