How We’re Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

None of us have been able to avoid the effects of the current coronavirus that has brought so much in our world to a standstill. It’s been difficult for many of us to cope and get on with our lives. At Repair Aid, it has been no different. We’ve had to change the way we do things and approach our job.

Despite that, there has been very little slowdown on ovens breaking down and fridges needing installed. In fact, with so many people spending so much more time at home – creating more meals, stocking up their fridges/freezers more than ever, and washing their clothes more – it has become pretty clear that our services have never been more important.

However, our customers are understandably wary of letting another person into their homes at this time. That’s why we’re here to guide you through what we’re doing to make it is as safe, secure and easy as possible for you to invite one of our talented engineers into your home to solve your appliance problems.

Checking symptoms

Whether it’s our customers and our engineers, we believe we have a responsibility to help reduce the impact of this virus on the lives of both our employees and the customers of Repair Aid. It’s why we require our engineers to report any possible symptoms of the virus and any changes to their health that could indicate infection. We check with them every morning and ask them to perform a temperature check.

If they do report symptoms of COVID-19, we’ll ask them to self-isolate and book them for a test. If they test positive, we’ll sign them off to self-isolate; if they are negative, we’ll allow them back to work.

We also ask our customers to report to us any symptoms that they are experiencing prior to a visit from one of our engineers, or to report if they have been in close contact with someone who has recently contracted the virus. As our engineers are in close proximity to different people on a daily basis, it’s important that we do not put other people at risk – particularly customers who are vulnerable and/or shielding.

We are very grateful to customers who volunteer this information ahead of a visit and if you have been exposed to the virus, we’ll work with you to find a solution to your appliance issue that keeps everyone safe – including rearranging our visit for a later date. No extra fees will be applied.

Following guidelines

We are absolutely dedicated to following the UK government guidelines and Public Health England information on COVID-19. That includes cleaning our hands regularly, covering our faces with a mask and keeping 1-2m apart from members of households. We keep up-to-date on what’s going on in and around London to ensure that we’re promptly responding to any local lockdowns or outbreaks. We don’t think there’s anything inherently political about taking these actions. Our aim when visiting the homes of our customers is to keep them safe – especially people who are vulnerable to the virus and worried about the consequences.

We only ask that you respect our approach while our engineers are in your home.

Going further

We go one step further by also requiring our engineers to wear disposable gloves and disposable overshoes so the chances of mistakenly bringing the virus into your home are drastically reduced. Additionally, all of our vans are stocked with antibacterial sanitisers. In any instance where gloves have to be removed to repair, replace or install an appliance, sanitiser will be applied before any surfaces are touched.

If you don’t see our engineers sanitising their hands, don’t worry – it’s highly likely that they already did so just before they entered your home. We also ask our engineers to sanitise our vans and tools between visits to ensure that they are not inadvertently bringing the virus into our customers’ homes.

Reducing contact

When it comes to call outs, you can book online or phone us on 020 7183 6944 and your call will be redirected to our friendly customer service team who are currently working from home. Our business hours on Monday to Friday are 8am to 6pm, and 10am to 3pm on Saturdays.

When we’re heading out to repair, we’ll text you ahead of time to let you know of our arrival so that you have time to prepare (such as leaving necessary doors open to reduce contact) and limit your interactions with us and any family members or roommates. At the time, we’re only accepting virtual payment methods right now to further reduce the chances of the virus being passed on.

If possible, we also ask that our customers try to leave the window open in rooms where the appliance is located to ensure fresh air; however, this isn’t a requirement.

Any concerns?

We thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. If you have any further questions relating to any of the issues detailed above, just visit our Contact Us page to find your preferred method for getting in touch with us today. We’re happy to offer whatever reassurance you need or fulfil any specific arrangements that would make you feel more comfortable while our engineers visit your home.