My New Job With Virgin - Current Field Techs Help Needed!

[LankyLad]

Hi folks,

This forum is great with some crucial info. I've just been offered a job as a Field Tech (with virgin, not subs) and really wanted to ask some questions to current employees. I'm currently earning £25k+ and realise this is a large pay cut but as I'm currently breathing is all sorts of chemicals daily I'm happy to take the cut. I also used to install solar systems so I know I enjoy the driving around and fixing problems kind of role.

If any of you could shed some light on the below questions I would ever so thankful.

1) The business van. The missus has a car, so I could sell mine and use the van for business use - however are they really that strict, I'm not saying I'd be going everywhere in the van but are you allowed to call to the gym or supermarket on the way home etc? If so getting shut of my car in theory takes the 18.5k up to 21k ish.

2) Ive been on hold for this position for a while so can hardly remember the video on wages at the interview day. But am I right in thinking you get annual rises from £18k to £23k, £1000 a year or whatever it is?

3)Are they realistic bonuses you can get? I remember a virgin tech once telling me you get bonuses for zero complaints etc..

4)The up-selling of products, I enjoy sales - Can you realistically earn some decent dough through this? or is it poor like 50p a sale etc.

5)The shifts, I'm aware its 37 hours a week but what happens if you're still working past your set finish time? Whats the overtime rate...normal rate plus?

6) Is Saturday working all day, I have a season ticket at football, work comes first to me, but its nice to know...

7) Whats the virgin package discount like, is it a bargain? I currently have the top package with 2 tivo's

Basically, I just want an honest overview from those in the role before I commit to the job. It would be nice to know my current £25k a year is still achievable with bonuses, up-sells, annual wage increases, saving on the current £70 a month virgin bill and the help of a company van.

Thanks for your help. I genuinely do appreciate it.

All the best!

---------- Post added at 23:51 ---------- Previous post was at 23:39 ----------

If you have anything else helpful please share. Your pros and cons of the job would be nice, what the atmosphere is like within the company etc and if you enjoy it

[The Installer]

Originally Posted by LankyLad

Hi folks,

This forum is great with some crucial info. I've just been offered a job as a Field Tech (with virgin, not subs) and really wanted to ask some questions to current employees. I'm currently earning £25k+ and realise this is a large pay cut but as I'm currently breathing is all sorts of chemicals daily I'm happy to take the cut. I also used to install solar systems so I know I enjoy the driving around and fixing problems kind of role.

Congratulations with the job offer, if you ask me you’re health is far more important than a job, don't get me wrong the money is nice but if as you say you are breathing in all kinds of crap, how long can that carry on for before something gives?

Originally Posted by LankyLad

If any of you could shed some light on the below questions I would ever so thankful.

1) The business van. The missus has a car, so I could sell mine and use the van for business use - however are they really that strict, I'm not saying I'd be going everywhere in the van but are you allowed to call to the gym or supermarket on the way home etc? If so getting shut of my car in theory takes the 18.5k up to 21k ish.

I would ask your line manager about this, you might find you can use the van for personal use, but you will be taxed the same as having a company car etc. As far as I know you’ll need to fill out some forms etc but this policy might have changed so as I said ask your line manager first.

Originally Posted by LankyLad

2) Ive been on hold for this position for a while so can hardly remember the video on wages at the interview day. But am I right in thinking you get annual rises from £18k to £23k, £1000 a year or whatever it is?

Pay goes up with your skill level, in other words you dictate your own pay scale to a certain degree. If you have low fault rates and score well with customer feedback, which they are very big on at present, you'll start to earn more. Also if you want to work your days off, you’ll earn whatever the going OT rate is.

Originally Posted by LankyLad

3)Are they realistic bonuses you can get? I remember a virgin tech once telling me you get bonuses for zero complaints etc..

When I was there, the bonus was quite realistic yes although that was going back some years now....

Originally Posted by LankyLad

4)The up-selling of products, I enjoy sales - Can you realistically earn some decent dough through this? or is it poor like 50p a sale etc.

Not sure on the current rates but you'll need to balance this with your work load, if you want to get finished on time That said, opportunities will fall in your lap from time to time, so you'd be a fool for not taking them.

Originally Posted by LankyLad

5)The shifts, I'm aware its 37 hours a week but what happens if you're still working past your set finish time? Whats the overtime rate...normal rate plus?

See above, and you'll probably find you will have to take the rough with the smooth, some days you'll work over others you won't, so it will prob work out about even in the end. Not sure what the OT rates are now sorry.

Originally Posted by LankyLad

6) Is Saturday working all day, I have a season ticket at football, work comes first to me, but its nice to know...

If you are down to work on a Saturday, it will be all day yep, no football.....

Originally Posted by LankyLad

7) Whats the virgin package discount like, is it a bargain? I currently have the top package with 2 TiVo's

I believe there is a good staff package, not sure what the current if but back in the Telewest days, it was pretty much everything for nothing, this has changed now however.

Originally Posted by LankyLad

Basically, I just want an honest overview from those in the role before I commit to the job. It would be nice to know my current £25k a year is still achievable with bonuses, up-sells, annual wage increases, saving on the current £70 a month virgin bill and the help of a company van.

Thanks for your help. I genuinely do appreciate it.

All the best!

---------- Post added at 23:51 ---------- Previous post was at 23:39 ----------

If you have anything else helpful please share. Your pros and cons of the job would be nice, what the atmosphere is like within the company etc and if you enjoy it

You will work and work hard, but once you are used to it, it's not a bad job TBH, stay well away from contractors (for employment) at all costs however

Good luck, hope that helps

[on in an hour!]

no go on the private use of the vehicle.hospital/emergencies a couple of times a year are tolerated but nothing else.
your job role has a pay band,i was red circled for 3/4 yrs (service tech)as i hit £24k so no pay rise!but that may have moved now (but i dont think so)
there are yearly pay rise deals and plenty of opportunities for you to make extra money by up-selling (decent rates), if a customer gives you a 10 on the NPS you get £10,any extra jobs you take earn points and points convert into £'s quarterly.
your shift is 3 x 10hr and 1 x 7.5hr days.
saturdays is 8-4,roughly 4 out of 6 saturdays are worked.its a 3 week cycle and on one of the cycles you get 3 days straight off.
basic staff package is cheap but all add-ons are at same price as customers.
you receive a mixture of faults and installs.
so if you have a day of just faults the minimum you receive is 14,that would lessen if you had installs but you can receive more jobs if the routing is tight and all in same postcode.
its a demanding but very interesting job.
customers on the whole are happy to see you as you are there to fix their problems and most are great to get on with and always asking what its like doing the job working for a virgin Co etc,..
you are definitely on the right side coming in-house and the benefits are tremendous.
good luck and i hope you like the job.
just as a footnote,in my team of network engineers we have 2 new lads,all the rest of us have been here well over 10 yrs so must be an ok job to do!

[LankyLad]

Thanks so much for both replies! Really given me a good insight into what I can expect and it sounds like if you work hard you can earn enough to be comfortable with.

Definitely happy to quit my current job despite its good points. Currently work 4 on 4 off minimum £25k with 18 paid days off every 7 weeks - but that's for your body to recover from all the crap you breathe in - so I'd definitely put health first & the virgin job is more me anyway.

Looks like I will have to keep a car going but I can deal with that.
Do you only have to go back to base to re-stock or for meetings etc, in other words can you set off from home to your first job? And are you paid from the minute you get in the van or is it just as long as your daily job list has been completed?

Going off those shifts it sounds like a 4 day week which isn't bad, but I'd always be willing to work the extra day if available.

Do they provide good initial training, going out with another tech, any online intranet courses I'm able to complete etc?

The £10 happy customer bonus sounds good, I'm sure I could earn quite a few of those but I bet they don't contact every customer to see how you've gone on, so that would probably limit that...

Thanks again for your help, and the wishes of good luck! Fingers crossed I'll settle in and won't get fired off after the probation period haha.

Looking forward to getting stuck into it now! Cheers.

[RedDragon]

You can drive from home to your first job but you have to be at your first job at your start time ie 08:00, on a 10 hr shift you will finish at 19:00, if you finish your work early you may be asked to picked up extra work to assist other techs who may be struggling, you will pick up extra bonus for completing extra work in your time slot. If you work past your finish time you will be paid overtime at time and half. Overtime is usually available if we are busy and if you asked to work Sundays it's double time.

You will get formal training and on the job training and start on a reduced quota to get you up to speed. Good luck and have fun.