This article will attract two types of readers:

• Heating engineers in the UK looking for tips to grow in the industry
• General readers just wanting to know what kind of bird a heating engineer is, and how to identify the best in the lot should they ever need to hire.

To inform the readers, and refresh the practitioners, let’s start with who a heating engineer is.

They are professionals whose job is to install and maintain equipment – like pipe work, fixtures and fittings – used for keeping buildings and other structures warm during winters.

With that out of the way, let’s now focus on tips for tradesmen to become a top heating engineer and for clients to identify one.

Be a certified heating engineer

Just having skills and experience is not enough. You need something other than your work to prove it to your potential clients. And having a relevant JIB card – proof of your qualification, competence, and experience – will achieve the objective for you. All the top class heating engineers carry this and you should too. Homeowners, on their part, must check this card to ensure you are going to get good service.

Be frank and honest

Listen to the needs of your clients and understand what the problem is. Then gives the best solution for the problem – be honest, be frank – even if it’s going to take more time, efforts, and money than he expected. Do tell him the repercussions of implementing a quick fix, or cutting corners, should he insist for the same. Just do your part and leave the final decision on him – whatever that may be.

Be polite, punctual and above all – professional

Be polite in your request or demand to the client. Rudeness is the last thing in the mind of successful gas and heating engineers. Be clear in and stick to your quotation and work schedule. Politeness and punctuality goes a long way in endearing you to a client earning you recommendations and ratings leading to further job opportunities.

Treat client’s home and privacy with respect. Keep the area you are working on clean and clear. Don’t intrude, eavesdrop or muck around.

Give you a clear quote breakdown

Nobody likes hidden costs, unexpected charges or paying more than what was quoted. Provide the customer a detailed quote with a clear breakdown of all the services, and time and costs that go into them.
Whether you are a certified central heating engineer working with gas-based equipment or the one with expertise in electric ones, making everything clear upfront helps you gain the trust of the client.

Develop good communication skills

You can’t succeed in any profession without having good communication skills. Listen to customers to figure out the problem and to show you are sincere about the job. Nothing pisses off a customer faster than a tradesman not listening to his needs. There are times when the best possible fix you propose is long and costly and you might need a bit of persuasive skill to convince the customer for it. When the customer realizes what a great job you have done, the positive feedback and word-of-mouth publicity will fetch you number of new openings.