Baxi Heating Releases Their Coronavirus Update For Their Valued Customers, Installers And Colleagues

4 Jun 2020

At Baxi Heating, they are doing whatever they can to continue to provide the very highest level of customer care and support that they can during this difficult period. The company’s highest priority is the safety of all their valued customers and colleagues. They recognize the uncertainty that coronavirus has caused, and they also know that the heating industry has an important role to play - people still need heating and hot water.

The company’s thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. These are tough, extraordinary times. The company is following government guidelines and recommendations closely, as well as implementing their own practices and procedures, to reduce risk.

free of charge

For householders - The company is taking the following steps to keep the householders and their engineers safe, and to continue to offer an excellent level of service:

• Baxi Customer Support engineers continue to take additional safety measures to keep the users and themselves safe during a visit. This includes social distancing, PPE and antibacterial wipes.
• If a user is self-isolating or have symptoms of coronavirus, let the company know so that they can take the best approach to help the user.
• The company is are prioritizing repairs, especially for the elderly, vulnerable and key workers. If the users are in this category, let the company know on and they will do everything they can to look after them.
• If the user is an NHS employee, the company will repair their Baxi Heating boiler or cylinder free of charge, until 30 June 2020 (terms and conditions apply). The work will be carried out, either by one of their own Baxi Customer Support engineers, or a Baxi Approved Installer. They will ask to see the user’s NHS ID on arrival, and they will only carry out the work at their own property.
• Following the government guidance for working safely in customers home, the company is now taking bookings for annual services. This includes Domestic and General customers whose service has been delayed. If the users do not have a service contract, and would like to arrange a boiler service with Baxi, visit the company’s website or find a local gas safe registered installer.
• If the user’s boiler service has been delayed due to the current situation, they will continue to offer flexibility on their warranty, whether the service is with Baxi or a local Gas Safe registered installer. This includes customers who are shielding or self-isolating because another family member has symptoms.
• The company has removed the offer of timed appointments to customers. Engineers’ shifts have been made more flexible to allow them to start earlier or finish later, to fit in with the needs of their own families as well as those of their customers. The company’s engineers will call the user to confirm ETA, and with their agreement, times can be between 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday.
• The company has altered the opening times of their contact center during the coronavirus emergency:

- Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

- Saturday: 8.30am to 2pm

- Sunday: Closed

- Bank Holidays: Closed

• If the user is having difficulty getting through to the company’s call center, they can contact the company in other ways, such as using Live Chat on the website, their social media channels and their “Contact us” form.
• They have answered some of the most frequently asked questions about what to do during the coronavirus emergency on their website.

work from home

For installers - The company will do all they can to support the installer and their business during this difficult time.

• Some of the company’s sales team are on furlough, under the Government’s coronavirus job retention scheme, as they are unable to travel and meet with their customers at this time. The installers can continue to call their usual Area Sales Manager and their number will automatically connect them to the person covering the installer’s area.
• Engineer support - Baxi Heating is prioritizing repairs over servicing to ensure they can support the most vulnerable customers and key workers. If a boiler is under warranty, they will offer flexibility around servicing timescales during this time so that if a boiler’s service is delayed, the warranty remains valid.
• Training - The company’s training centers will be closed until further notice. However, they have introduced a range of online training courses. Check out #LockdownLearning on their website.
• The Baxi Works loyalty scheme is still operational, and they have arranged for those who operate the helpline to work from home, so they can still contact them as normal.
• If the installer is a member of Megaflo Rewards, they should contact the company for more details.
• Unfortunately, the company has had to suspend same day and next day callouts for Baxi Works members as our call center and engineers are prioritizing repairs for vulnerable people and key workers, then customers with no heating or hot water. They will let the installers know when they are able to resume normal service.
• If the installer is a member of Baxi Works, the company is freezing membership levels so that if installation numbers drop as a result of coronavirus, installers will not lose their Associate or Baxi Approved Installer status.
• The company is switching off the Service Reminder function so that homeowners don’t feel pressured into arranging for an installer to visit to carry out an annual service. They will backdate this function when the country’s isolation period comes to an end. Boiler warranties will not be affected by the delay, as long as a service is carried out within a reasonable time once the isolation period has ended.
• The company has created a hub of information to help installers during the COVID-19 emergency that includes online training called #LockdownLearning.

All of the points above apply to new build and social housing customers and contractors.

PPE and antibacterial wipes

For commercial customers:

• As lockdown eases, the company’s clients are requesting site visits. Their area sales managers will be adhering to strict safety guidelines at all times, including social distancing, and will be provided with PPE and antibacterial wipes. They will also be completing a questionnaire with the customer before a site visit is held.
• The company’s Technical Support line is operating as usual and is here to help and support the customers.
• Engineer support – Baxi Heating’s team is operating as usual and can be contacted their office contact numbers or by the usual email addresses. They can still provide a good network of engineer support for commissioning and call-outs. Their engineers are taking extra precautions to ensure they are able to respond effectively in line with current Government guidelines. They will call before attending to confirm that no one on-site has any symptoms and will carry out a risk assessment on arrival. They will maintain social distancing of two meters and use appropriate PPE. They will clean any tools or instruments when they have finished the job to prevent cross-contamination.
• Training - The company’s training centers will remain closed until restrictions are lifted. If they are booked onto a training course, the company will be contacting them to re-book the course when everything is back to normal. The company has launched a series of online CPDs for commercial specifiers and are running live, online product training courses.
• All colleagues in the Baxi Heating Commercial office are now working from home. They are all set up for smart working and the office telephone numbers have been forwarded. However, if the customer can't get through by telephone, they can find the email addresses of the company’s teams on the company website.

hot water products

For Baxi Heating colleagues, the company has adopted the following precautions:

• The company carried out a risk assessment for the Baxi Heating business following the advice from the World Health Organisation, Public Health England and Gov.UK to reduce the spread of the virus. They have produced health and safety guidance for each of our office and manufacturing sites, training centers, their field service engineers and their field-based sales teams, to reduce the risk of infection or contamination.
• Their engineers have been issued with appropriate PPE and are practicing social distancing when working in people’s homes.
• The company is still manufacturing heating and hot water products for UK homes, businesses and hospitals. However, in order to keep their colleagues safe, we are working within the government guidelines and have spread out their production lines to ensure there is at least two meters between their operatives.
• Colleagues who can work from home are doing so.
• They have restricted UK and international travel, limited meetings, or moved them online, and canceled events and exhibitions for the foreseeable future.
• All their vulnerable colleagues and a number of colleagues from other functions, such as sales, have been furloughed under the Government’s coronavirus job retention scheme.