Vaillant Group UK customer communication (updated 26th March 2020)
We’d like to update you about our plans and current position in connection with the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation across the globe
UPDATE: 26/03/2020
Advice for installers and engineers about visiting customer homes.
The situation with COVID-19 within our industry has been changing daily and we’d like to provide our customers an update on the latest position from Government – an extract below:
2. Work carried out in people’s homes Work carried out in people’s homes, for example by tradespeople carrying out repairs and maintenance, can continue, provided that the tradesperson is well and has no symptoms. Again, it will be important to ensure that Public Health England guidelines, including maintaining a two-metre distance from any household occupants, are followed to ensure everyone’s safety. No work should be carried out in any household which is isolating or where an individual is being shielded, unless it is to remedy a direct risk to the safety of the household, such as emergency plumbing or repairs, and where the tradesperson is willing to do so. In such cases, Public Health England can provide advice to tradespeople and households. No work should be carried out by a tradesperson who has coronavirus symptoms, however mild.
The full statement on the Gov.uk website is here:
This guidance could change and we will update this page on our website as and when we hear about changes.
You can find further advice on how installers and engineers should approach visiting and working at customers homes from the Gas Safe Register and HHIC with the links here:
https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help-and-advice/covid-19-advice-and-guidance/ https://www.hhic.org.uk/news/hhic-issue-updated-advice-to-heating-engineers-on-working-during-covid-19-crisis
An update on Glow-worm Service Engineer visits
As a service provider, we are committed to providing heating and hot water to all of our customers. However, the safety of our employees, customers and communities is our number one priority. As such, we have put stringent measures in place to help minimise the risk around COVID-19.
We are operating as per the government guidelines and continue to amend our working processes as appropriate.Since the 23rd of March, we are no longer attending routine service appointments and are only reacting to issues with appliances which could result in no heating or hot water.
advised by Public Health England, washing hands with soap and hot water is one of the most effective ways of limiting the spread of this disease and as a service provider we are committed to ensuring this on our appliances where possible.
All engineers who attend these emergency appointments have appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure safety on site. This includes disposable gloves and hand sanitizer. However, we-reiterate that one of the best forms of protection from COVID-19 is washing hands for 20 seconds with soap and hot water. Hand sanitizer is only to be used when this is not possible.
Before entering any property, we carry out three separate risk assessments: two checks prior to the appointment, and one when the engineer arrives on site. If they feel there is any risk of COVID-19, they have the right to cancel the job and leave the property immediately. We will continue to follow the guidelines laid out by the government and Public Health England and update our working practices accordingly.
UPDATE: 20th March 2020
In light of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 outbreak, we understand that our loyal installers and contractor partners may struggle to carry out their annual service checks on Vaillant or Glow-worm appliances on time.
As you know the annual service validates the guarantee and without this annual service the guarantee is deemed void. Therefore all Vaillant and Glow-worm boilers registered with us with annual services due between February 2020 and June 2020 will maintain their guarantee if the annual service is completed before the end of 2020.
17th March 2020
Here at the Vaillant Group, we are operating as per the Government guidelines and monitoring daily as the situation develops. We take the health of our employees, our customers and the general public very seriously and are closely following the guidelines and recommendations laid out by Public Health England, as well as implementing our own working practices to reduce risk.
• Health & Safety guidelines have been issued to all staff to reduce risk of contamination whether at our own sites or at customer and homeowner sites.
• We have implemented working from home for all staff that are able to do so.
• We have restricted UK and international travel, meetings and events where not business critical.
• Our customer service, Vaillant Advance & Club Energy helplines and sales office are all operating as normal.
• Vaillant Advance & Club Energy installer loyalty programmes are working with the suppliers of rewards to minimise any potential delay in delivery of goods.
• We have taken the decision to suspend our training operations and close our Centres of Excellence until restrictions are lifted. However, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to keep their skills updated we will be looking at new forms of training across digital media – please monitor our social media channels for developments. Any customers booked on training over the next weeks are being contacted to rearrange dates.
• The Vaillant and Glow-worm sales teams are all operating according to Government guidelines. Our trade events at merchants have been postponed and customer meetings are being changed to online Skype meetings or postponed to further reduce risk.
• We have no known issues or stock shortages in the supply chain. As a result of the current political changes in the UK we have already boosted stock levels and therefore remain as confident as we can be at this time to supply the demand we have.
If you have any questions, please contact your local Area Sales Manager.