Jack Ronan, founder of Polkadot, flanked by Egis and Jonathan
Jack, when did COVID-19 first start to affect your business?
We noticed a surprising increase in bookings last week. Partly I think this is due to people being stuck at home and realising it is actually a good time to get things done. We have also found that a lot of people have left London and are using this as an opportunity to sort out any issues they have in their property – it's a really safe and proactive way of sorting things out.
Are you and your staff allowed to continue visiting clients?
Yes, the official government line is that tradesmen, because they can't work from home, are still allowed to do their job. Social distancing rules still apply and we are taking our own measures to make absolutely sure we protect both our customers and our staff from this virus.
Gas engineers are in fact key workers as people need to be able to have gas leaks repaired and to have their hot water and central heating working. It's important that we keep going in order to keep people comfortable, clean and healthy.
How have you found the mood of clients?
We have a diverse client base who are generally quite pleased to see us arriving on their doorstep in their hour of need. The cups of tea are always plentiful and the conversation unique!
Our clients are proving to be very pragmatic, calm and understanding as the British always seem to be in a time of crisis. People are just really happy that someone is prepared to come and help them at a time when everyone is feeling a bit vulnerable. There is a great feeling of togetherness going around town at the moment and it's great to be a part of it. One of our plumbers helped a single mum who couldn't leave the house last week with her weekly shop – he has a van and she couldn't get a delivery. At the moment it's not really about 'going the extra mile for the customer', it's more about 'doing your bit'.
Plumbing’s an unusual choice of career for a graduate. What took you in this direction?
Before Polkadot I was in the Army. I joined the Army because I was never really able to sit still. So the idea of leaving the Army and going in to an office job didn't fill me with too much excitement.
It sounds silly but as a child I spent most of my time building bases, digging holes, making carts, rafts and Airfix models, so having a go at being a tradesman really appealed to me as I've always liked building and fixing things. Out of all of the trades, plumbing was an obvious choice for me because I could get my City and Guilds/Gas Safe qualifications quickly and then get in to the thick of it. Everyone I spoke to said that 'people always need a plumber' – this must be true as even during this time of madness we are still getting calls.
What aspects of the job would surprise us?
A lot of people don't quite realise what's below their floorboards or behind their walls! We have found some really dodgy things in people's houses over the years that they just wouldn't have had a clue about as the work would have been covered up and left. It just goes to show that it is so important if you are having any plumbing or gas work done in your property, you must have it done by a certified engineer who knows what they are doing as otherwise people can get hurt and houses can be ruined.
Do clients get a crush on posh, hunky, capable plumbers in the way they do on phc doctors?
All of our plumbers are more than capable, some of them hunky and I'm not sure about the posh bit, but we do certainly get some clients ringing up and making specific requests for a certain plumber to come and visit again. I'm sure that's just because people like to see the same face regardless as to how pretty it is!
Generally people are just really pleased if they get a plumber who can communicate well, sort their issues out and not bankrupt them in the process.
Most famous ubend you’ve ever had the pleasure putting your arm around?
That's classified! We aren't really in to name-dropping. Some plumbers take a lot of pride in the calibre of their client list. To be honest, it doesn't really matter to us who's ubend it is. So long as its owner is good to us, we are happy to do the work.
Can you install Nest, Hive and other 'smart plumbing' gizmos?
Yes, and they're really important. The carbon footprint of the plumbing and heating industry is fairly large and these innovations help to reduce it. We also plant a tree for every boiler we install through a charity called Trees for Cities.
What’s your call-out charge, and hourly rate?
£80 plus VAT an hour for general plumbing
£90 plus VAT an hour for gas and central heating work
We charge £40 plus VAT 'to come and have a look' at something
Do you call your clients Sir and Madam?
I've heard about a certain competitor of ours doing this. Generally speaking we introduce ourselves to the customer on the doorstep and if the client says "Hello I'm Frodo Baggins" then that's what we call them! All of our plumbers are polite and good communicators.
Are we meant to tip plumbers?
That would be lovely! Our plumbers work really hard to achieve customer satisfaction and if a client feels like showing a bit of extra appreciation, then why not?
How long before Polkadot is bigger than Pimlico Plumbers?
Crikey. Pimlico Plumbers is a really impressive company and Charlie Mullins has achieved a hell of a lot over the 40 or so years he has been in the game. We just want to keep doing what we are doing to the best of our ability and see where that takes us.
In 10 years what would you like to be doing?
Once I've got this plumbing thing cracked I would really like to get my teeth into an apprenticeship scheme. I think It's so important to get young people skilled in something that can give them satisfaction, independence and a decent wage. There is a shortage of skilled Labour in this country and it would be great to help in trying to improve this.
Thank you Jack!
