Need a helping hand? NICEIC and ELECSA technical helpline team are here to assist

PE gets the opportunity to put a human face to the encyclopaedic knowledge that is the NICEIC and ELECSA technical helpline team.

We’ve all been there before – you find yourself on a job that needs to be finished yesterday and have hit a roadblock. With no colleagues or experts on-site to turn to for some assistance, you’re wishing at this point that you had someone (or something) you could call upon to give you a helping hand. Step forward the NICEIC and ELECSA technical helpline team…

Over 250 years’ combined experience

Offered as a frontline technical support service to NICEIC and ELECSA’s 36,000 registrants, the technical support service is manned by 11 technical experts with a combined industry experience of over 250 years and a huge depth of knowledge in a wide variety of specialisms. Fielding an average call volume of 300 per day, and available five days a week, the team acts as a vital resource for NICEIC and ELECSA contractors who can tap into this well of expertise when technical queries arise. And, having all been ‘on the tools’ previously, they’re well positioned to communicate with and advise those contractors who may otherwise have a limited network to consult with, in language and terms they’ll understand.

If you’re a football fan you’ll know that having 11 talented players at your disposal is never a cast-iron guarantee for success, with the (often understated) leader/captain playing a vital background role in ensuring that the ship is constantly pointing in the right direction. The captain of this particular vessel is Sam Donaghy, Technical Engineering Manager at NICEIC and ELECSA and having had the opportunity to meet him in person as part of this feature, it’s not hard to see why the team is thriving under his leadership.

A warm, welcoming, knowledgeable and switched-on character, Sam started his electrical apprenticeship in 1978 and eventually landed a position on the NICEIC’s technical helpline around five years ago, before moving across to head up the team at the start of 2020. “I’ve really enjoyed the experience and we’re lucky to have a really good team of guys. We’re all very like-minded and it’s not uncommon that we’ll start talking about a technical query at 5pm, and still be there at 8pm chewing the fat about it. That’s one of the most enjoyable parts of the job for me,” says Sam. “No word of a lie, I’ve learnt more in the last five years than I had in the previous 25, such is the level of knowledge and individuals that we have here. Having that collective knowledge and staff who will challenge conventional theory can give you a completely different perspective and way of looking at things, which is tremendous for personal development.”

Never a dull day

So, what does an average day in the life of a technical helpline engineer consist of? “For me, there is no ‘average’ day, as the detail behind each query or task can be so different,” Sam explains. “As a team, our core duties involve managing the technical telephone helpline from Monday to Friday. The telephone helpline is generally there for our registered contractors, but we’ll also take calls from new applicants who want some details about their forthcoming assessment or just some general advice.” He continues: “If they’re not on the phone, the team will be answering emails. These are slightly different as anyone can email us (not just registered contractors) and we’ll regularly get correspondence not just from our registrants, but also from the public, organisations like the police, or even solicitors and legal companies. “Additionally, we’ll also act as an internal verifier of our assessment reports. As part of our competent person registration, the field engineers carrying out the assessments need to have this process reviewed by a separate individual, so the technical helpline acts as this function.”

Clearly, there is a huge breadth and scope of technical subjects that are related to the electrical industry, so are there any particular queries that arise regularly and what happens if the team can’t come up with an instant answer? Sam replies: “In terms of the last point, we’ll never guess an answer to a query. There are times where we’ll be asked a question that we may have to log and we’ll explain to the client that we’ll get back to them after doing some research of our own. The other engineers and I almost take it personally when this happens and, such is the inquisitive gene that we all share, it becomes a bit of a personal mission to resolve the issue. “That’s why it’s great that we have such a breadth of experience across the team, as we’re able to share knowledge and advice with one another if there’s a query that one individual simply can’t answer.”

He adds: “As far as common queries are concerned, there’s a few streams really. Firstly, as soon as there is a change to legislation or regulations you can guarantee we’ll field a number of calls related to that. That creates an interesting challenge for us as the team constantly has to be ahead of the game. When the 18th Edition was introduced, for example, our team took the exam the very next day – they had to! “Keeping up to speed on more general topics is also imperative. To tackle this, the organisation requires all NICEIC and ELECSA engineers to undertake a minimum of 30 hours of CPD every year, comprising both structured and unstructured learning. I can confidently say that this is a target most of the team exceed as a matter of course. “Moving back to the enquires, we’ve seen a number of repeat queries in recent times related to things like supplies to outbuildings in domestic installations, or the correct procedure for a hot tub installation – all driven by lockdown and individuals deciding to make home improvements. “Earlier in the year, we also saw a significant rise in calls relating to EICRs which on the whole were tied to changes to legislation in the PRS and coding queries. Other consistent high traffic topics include EV installations, and subjects like battery storage and smart installations. “On top of these, we’ll still get some old standards too, such as sizing of protective conductors or selecting protective devices, so you can see why one day is never the same as the next.” Sam continues: “We also served a slightly different function during lockdown, as we had many registrants who needed advice about processes and procedures related to Covid, which was an important thing for them. We’ve even taken calls from contractors who were isolated at the time and just wanted to hear a friendly, familiar voice at the end of a line. “The most difficult queries for us to resolve generally tend to involve fault finding, as this can be a very difficult process to support and advise on remotely. We constantly have to ask ourselves whether the person at the other end is working safely, which can create a bit of a minefield.

“It’s also very important to remember that we’re not just there to tell someone how to do their job – that’s not the principle of the hotline – it’s there to guide them and help them learn, much in the same way that a teacher would refuse an answer you’ve given for a maths question without you being able to show the workings and understanding. “Quite often, if we have time, we’ll keep an individual on the phone so that we can let them hear the process we’re going through, which regs books and sections we’re checking etc., so far more helpful to them in the longer term.”

As someone who has been at the coalface of the electrical sector in the past, Sam is well aware of the need for organisations to support their customers with this sort of service, as he explains: “It’s actually one of the requirements of running a CPS that you have some sort of technical helpline available, though it’s not specific as to how many hours this has to operate for and how many staff are manning it. “Personally, I’d like to think that we’d still have this service available, regardless of the requirement, as we get such valuable feedback that can help to drive other areas of the business, such as training courses, Tech Talks, topics for The WIRE webinars, technical articles etc. It’s a very valued service for our contractors and one that you can’t really put a price on.”

New faces always welcome

Although the team is well stocked, NICEIC and ELECSA is always looking for new recruits – whether that’s in the form of field engineers, trainers or technical support staff (see advert on page 10 of this issue) – so what characteristics would a potential new recruit need to bring with them?

“We don’t put an age on people – it’s knowledge and character we’re after,” Sam answers. “Clearly, we need experienced staff who bring a good level of technical understanding with them, but that is not the only criteria. You also need to be able to explain things clearly and articulately, and be able to connect with the audience. “All our team members on the helpline are trained electricians who have been on the tools previously, but naturally there are some gaps in our knowledge base that we’re always happy to fill. For example, the latest engineer we took on has extensive electric vehicle charging and green energy knowledge.” Sam continues: “You also have to understand who you’re talking to – do they understand what you’re saying or do you need to be a bit more forensic before you actually give an answer? “We don’t ever want a person who is acting as a parrot, simply reading an answer and then putting the phone down. In fact, our policy is that we never put the phone down first. We stay on the call until the person at the end of the line is satisfied and finishes the call. “One of the indirect benefits of the Covid situation is that, through working remotely, we’ve been able to cast our net wider in terms of the parts of the country that we’ll recruit candidates from, so that gives us a greater pool to choose from as well.” He adds: “I always enjoyed the experience of working on the tools , because you could get that instant gratification of seeing what you’d done, or a job you’d worked on. Now the gratification is different, but no less rewarding. “When we resolve a problematic query or the callers say they’ve grown their knowledge, it’s something that gives me a lot of personal pride and pleasure. I’d definitely recommend that those who may be looking to change course slightly within the industry consider this type of route.”

A well respected team

Sam concludes: “The one thing that we always have to be mindful of is that our conversations with clients should never come from a personal standpoint. Instead of saying ‘I would do this’, it has to be ‘we would do/recommend this’, so it takes the temptation for the individual to offer personal advice out of the equation and ensures it is coming purely from a company/collective perspective. “I think we’re (rightly) well respected within our own company and the industry as a whole and that gives me an enormous amount of pride. A lot of that comes from the fact that we have a team that really strives to help one another, which makes such a difference. “So, if you’re ever stuck and in need of some help, pick up the phone and give us a call!”

To find out more about NICEIC and ELECSA services click here