• COVID, cracking on, capacity and Christmas!

    25 Oct 2020 Luke Smith Comments Off on COVID, cracking on, capacity and Christmas!

    What a 6 months it has been. The phrase ‘from one extreme to the other’ just doesn’t do it justice!

    When I took the decision to temporarily close the business at the end of March in order to observe lockdown, I, like everyone else, had no idea that it would be 11 weeks before I would be back at work again. Like many of us, I tried to keep myself busy with jobs around the house and garden, helping the children with their home learning, catching up with the inevitable mountain of paperwork that all self employed people have (!) and enjoyed having the opportunity to spend some proper time with my wife and children.

    I started a gradual reopening again at the beginning of June, feeling apprehensive and, if I am honest, a bit scared. I had carried out a risk assessment, invested in PPE and equipped myself with a new cleaning caddy full of antibacterial spray, kitchen towel and hand sanitiser, as well as my own hand soap and hand towel. Not to mention my cool box of lunch and a huge flask of tea!

    Ever since then it has been a complete whirlwind! I have really enjoyed being back at work and seeing all my lovely customers again (from a safe distance of course!) Thank you all so much for your patience and understanding while work was being rebooked in following lockdown and for doing your part by following the safety procedures that we have set out to help keep everyone as safe as possible. The fact that so many of you have found that the hardest part is not being able to offer me a cup of tea or a biscuit just proves what a wonderful bunch you are!

    Because of the 11 weeks worth of work that needed to be rebooked in, plus annual boiler services (for which I allow 1 week each month) and several new projects that I have been lucky enough to be chosen for, I am now fully booked until the end of December, when I will be closing for two weeks for some time off to enjoy Christmas, whatever that may look like this year.

    Although having a full diary is a good thing (for which I am hugely grateful in such uncertain times) and a huge relief for a self employed sole trader, it means that I am having to say ‘no’ a bit more often than I would like. I hope that you will all understand the exceptional circumstances that I find myself in (as we all do) and forgive me for that. As my wife constantly reminds me, I am only one person, with one pair of hands!

    I am now taking bookings for January and February 2021, so if you are planning to treat yourself to a new boiler or bathroom in the New Year, please do drop me a line.

    If your boiler is due a service in November, you should have received an email from us already with an appointment. If your service is due in December, you will hear from us over the next couple of weeks.

    Once again, thank you all so much for being so brilliant!

    Luke

    Categories: Uncategorized