News
To Service or Not to Service?
Monday 1st April 2019
Emily Sime
To Service or Not to Service?
Annual servicing of kitchen equipment is something we as a company always promote, but why? Is it not just another way for us to get you to spend even more of your ever-shrinking budget? So, what is the point? Well hopefully I may be able to answer some of those questions and give you some insight into why we really do harp on about servicing all the time.
Firstly, annual servicing of gas kitchen equipment is recommended by the Health and Safety Executive, and it shows that as a business you are applying due diligence to your employees and patron's safety. This is always positive for those with the responsibility.
It gives your hard-working equipment a little bit of TLC, and as we all know TLC makes us all last a little longer and work a little harder, which surely can't be a bad thing. No-one wants their 10 grid combi to decide that's enough half way through a lunch service of 800 covers, or the dishwasher deciding it's time for a vacation when there is a sea of dirty pans all waiting patiently for their clean down and sanitation routine, (the EHO wouldn't be overly keen on this scenario either).
So, this raises the question- how much will it cost your business if your equipment fails? If your water boiler spits out lime scale and dumps its water on the floor, how much revenue will you lose? All because of an avoidable equipment malfunction, if your kitchen had been serviced, your water boiler would have been descaled- no lime scale equals no problem.
There is a lot of work that goes into servicing the equipment. From greasing gas taps, operational testing, to internal condenser cleaning, Servicing is thorough and designed to ensure all your equipment is running at its optimal capacity. It identifies faults which require attention. It allows a planned approach to carrying out the work before the faults start to cause significant and costly issues with your equipment. It helps to identify when the equipment is coming to the end of its economic life, allowing the budget holder to start making provision for replacement It doesn't mean you will never have a breakdown but it does reduce the likely hood it will happen.
Servicing also optimises working life ensuring you get maximum return on your investment. That is why it is recommended by the manufacturers and most of the professional body's associated with the industry, not just the companies who are doing the work. If your equipment is serviced its works better, for longer.
While we are on the subject, servicing of the engineers also helps them last a little longer, most only require tea or coffee- but some are even partial to a biscuit!