The Guild of Master Plumbers
Last November (The Guild of what?) I waxed lyrical about a bloke who had run an advert in the local newspaper going on about how p*ss-poor plumbers were. But he was different! He cared deeply for his craft, he was a joy to have in your house, he knew all about customer care AND he was a recognised “Master Plumber” to boot.
His qualifications sounded wonderful - a member of the ‘Guild of Master Plumbers’, no less. Yet, upon investigation, this guild turned out to be a company offering intensive training courses and this bloke’s “qualifications” amounted to a whole 5 days training. Wow! 5 days! He MUST be a ‘Master’ of his trade.
Yesterday I received a comment on this particular blog - (Here) from Rob Skinner and I thought I’d reply to it in the blog itself. In the meantime I’ve recently added another post outlining my thoughts on plumbing as a career, if ya wanna read it it’s here
Dear Rob,
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that your courses are great and I certainly never suggested that you were a cowboy outfit. In fact my only objection with the “Guild of Master Plumbers” is the name. I think it’s grossly misleading.
The “Guild” bit p*sses me off but is probably an acceptable moniker. The dictionary definition is “an organization of persons with related interests, goals, etc., esp. one formed for mutual aid or protection” and this probably describes yourselves perfectly well.
Yet most people associate the word ‘guild’ with a group that represents a trade. A body offering help and support to the tradesman, but also offering assurances to the customer. Looking at your website I can’t see that you offer any assurances to potential customers. Do you kick people out of the guild if a number of customers make valid complaints about a member? Do you have any complaints/arbitration procedure? If so, how do customers make such complaints - there is no information on your website? If you don’t, what does your guild offer the consumer?
The main thing that gets my goat though is the “Master Plumbers” bit. Can you really tell me, hand on heart, that someone who’s received 5 days training is a ‘Master’ of anything, let alone plumbing? I dare say that after 5 days training on the bins I’d probably have got the hang of things. However, if I then announced to my colleagues that I was a “Master bin man” it’s not improbably that I’d wake up an hour later under 3 tonnes of rotting vegetables.
From a marketing viewpoint it’s a brilliant name (I only wish I’d thought of it myself) but your graduates are not, by any stretch of the imagination, “master” plumbers. Having said that, the “Guild of barely trained plumbers”, whilst a far more accurate description, doesn’t have the same ring.
Personally, I think the whole NVQ training process as it stands is ludicrous. We get CV’s all the time from 16 year olds desperate to get an apprenticeship so that they can get on a standard two year NVQ 2 course. If they aren’t working for a plumber they can’t get on the course. Yet, if they aren’t trained, most plumbers don’t have the resources to take them on and supervise them. It’s often a catch 22 situation for teenagers and a complete brick wall for the over 25’s.
As you mention, there is no 4 week NVQ course and our C&G qualification isn’t an NVQ. We’ve had to set up a limited company, employ an NVQ 3 qualified plumber to supervise our work and then be his apprentices. All this so we can complete the standard 2 year course! Ludicrous situation but the only way we could get going in a matter of months yet still gain the recognised qualifications.
The industry needs alternative routes to qualification that are accepted by the likes of the IPHE. Your company fulfils a genuine need. I just don’t think that calling yourselves “The Guild of Master Plumbers” is going to endear you, or your courses, to the industry.
Regarding your invitation. We rarely venture beyond the boundaries of Lincolnshire but if I do find myself in anywhere as exotic as Leamington Spa I’ll try and pop in for a cuppa, always assuming you’re still talking to me.
All the best.
