Pimlico Plumbers, has anyone worked/working for them?

[kb76]

I have an interview with Pimlico Plumbers after having a telephone chat with them last week. Does anybody work or has worked for them and what are they like? Position is for a heating breakdown engineer. Thanks

 

[CHRISX]

I have an interview with Pimlico Plumbers after having a telephone chat with them last week. Does anybody work or has worked for them and what are they like? Position is for a heating breakdown engineer. Thanks

Hello kb76,

They are a very reputable London Company as far as the standard of work that they provide to Customers but their charges are NOT what I would call average - I think that they charge £200.00 per hour for a Heating Engineer - Plumber or Electrician and not much less for other Trades / Works.

A friend of mine worked for them about 5 years ago and told me that they were `Strict` - He had to wear a uniform which had to be kept clean / never wear a dirty uniform - ensure that his van never went out of the yard Dirty - any complaints from Customers resulted in an `interview` to establish exactly what had happened - Materials had to be meticulously accounted for - stuff like that.

However what He described seems to me like what I would expect from an Employee who could be working in some very prestigious London addresses - Fitzrovia - Belgravia - Kensington - Chelsea etc. - working for some VERY Rich people who often would not hesitate to make a fuss over the slightest `problem`.

I don`t mean that an Employee / Heating Engineer / Plumber / Electrician etc. should not maintain similar good standards when working in ANY Customers Home / premises - they should.

I remember that my friend was earning fairly good money working there - not surprising knowing the Hourly rates that they charge Customers - but as most work was on an Emergency basis He very frequently had to work well into the Evenings - he was definitely not working for example 8:00 - 5:30.

I would guess that this message has not been particularly helpful but perhaps better than no replies - You live a long way from London would you be moving here ?

I know You would not be Commuting LOL.

Chris

 

[drip-dry]

ok to work for.....would not say that reputable..only thing predictable about owner are his cocaine habits,which I can say without any fair of any come back,so watch out for his mood swings..

 

[Jock Spanners]

Pimlico Plumbers is the company that the BBC and Daily Mail used to create all than propaganda about plumbers earning more than doctors. Just because Charlie Mullins pays his guys £80,000 a year the general public thinks we're all earning a fortune. I wish! When I left London 20 years ago I sold my two bedroom flat for £56,000. I easily afforded my mortgage. It was sold again this year for £350,000 - so even on a salary of £80,000 you couldn't afford it today. If you still want the job you'd better have short hair, no tatoos, no ear rings and turn up for the interview wearing a suit. You will be expected to be the consumate professional.

 

[Thegift]

A friend of mine worked for them for a little while. And whilst money was good he has to pay to rent the van, pay for uniform, pay for all your parking tickets, have your own PL insurance (they will tell you the one they want you to have)

they give you some work to start off with then expect you to generate more off the back of them, long hours.

 

[kozak1968]

I doubt if you will get any current employees on here to give there view.

 

[mfgs]

You earn good money, its all self employed. You need to rent the van etc from them, but you get 50% of the price of each job you do and when they charge out at £110 an hour you can do ok from it. The guys I know that worked for them only lasted a couple of years before they had enough and said it was very stressful.

 

[CHRISX]

You earn good money, its all self employed. You need to rent the van etc from them, but you get 50% of the price of each job you do and when they charge out at £110 an hour you can do ok from it. The guys I know that worked for them only lasted a couple of years before they had enough and said it was very stressful.

When I wrote in my previous message that their Hourly charges were £200.00 for a Heating Engineer - a Plumber or Electrician etc. that charge is from 2014 and is for work during the hours of Midnight to 7am - and this is plus VAT.

I hope that I have attached a list of their charges from 2014 - all plus 20% vat.

Obviously these charges will be higher now 2 Years later.


So I imagine that the Nightwork hourly rate charged for a Heating Engineer or Plumber could now be about £280.00 ?


If they pay 50% of the hourly rate tradesmen would be on £140.00 plus per hour for night work - less of course money to pay for renting the Van / Uniform etc. ?

It would be very interesting to find out how much it costs to rent the Van - pay for the Uniforms etc. ?

Chris

 

[lucas121]

I looked into getting a job there,

The information I found was they are amazing payers but they want your blood for it, I'd rather have less money.

From what iv heard it's extremely hard to get an interview, so congratulations and good luck.

 

[AlexGas]

View attachment 27418


When I wrote in my previous message that their Hourly charges were £200.00 for a Heating Engineer - a Plumber or Electrician etc. that charge is from 2014 and is for work during the hours of Midnight to 7am - and this is plus VAT.

I hope that I have attached a list of their charges from 2014 - all plus 20% vat.

Obviously these charges will be higher now 2 Years later.

Two years ago they were charging more than that, these are older figures - at least 5 years old.

 

[AlexGas]

Here are 5 years old figures:

https://web.archive.org/web/20111029191753/http://www.pimlicoplumbers.com/company-charges

 

[kb76]

Thanks all. Moving back up there for work so won't be commuting too much. I put my cv up and got a call, had 30 minute chat with recruitment manager and have now asked me to go up for the interview. I'm used long hours and don't mind smart so will see how I get on. Their updated rates are on the website. Will let you know how it goes

 

[Stanios]

Everything I've heard about them I would consider myself a right criminal working by their charges. Customer is in contract before any work is done, obliged to pay any outrageous fees thrown at them, above mentioned rate is still charged when the plumber is out getting materials.
One of my mates friends got skinned alive after stupidly calling them out - £1200 for changing two immersions on unvented cylinder. The guy changed the temperature/pressure relief valve too after it suddenly started dripping.


I know its in bad taste to slate them as you will potentially and hopefully I guess be employed by them but I detest these kind of practices, but who knows maybe it is possible to be an honest Pimlico plumber, albeit the one who earns the least among his peers.

 

[oz-plumber]

Well, from a business point of view, they must be doing ok.

They are also hiring plumbers, so they must have a call for work in that related area.
Whether it's replacing someone or expanding - is incidental.

As for charges, they have their rates online, so there's no excuse for people questioning the amount after the job.

There also must be plenty of people around who use their services.

It's a far better situation to be in to pick up the money overflowing from the barrel, than scratching around the bottom of the barrel for money.