A key focus on engineer training aids Gratte Brothers to achieve an impressive staff retention rate

For more than 75 years Gratte Brothers has been one of the UK’s leading independent building services companies, providing a range of electrical, mechanical, security and of course, commercial catering equipment services. The ongoing success of the business is, in part, down to its values, commitments and priorities. These include understanding customer needs and building long-term relationships, delivering outstanding customer service and importantly recruiting, training and retaining staff with the very highest standards. It is this focus on the customer and staff that Catering Managing Director, Colin Barden is particularly passionate about:

“Gratte Brothers has built a nationwide reputation for exceptional customer service standards, unparalleled expertise, technical know-how, and a can-do attitude. We employee over 600 talented individuals across the country, with each and every person playing a key role in making our business what it is today. With an average staff retention rate of 17 years, our secret to success is the way we have been able to seamlessly blend the knowledge and experience of our long-serving members of staff, with the enthusiasm and desire to learn of the newer members of our team. Aside from our own team, Gratte Brothers works with a network of supply chain partners who share our high standards.”

One such partner is First Choice Group, the UK’s largest stockist of genuine OEM spare parts, accessories and consumables. Having built a strong working relationship over several years, Gratte Brothers works in partnership with First Choice on both spare parts supply and also to deliver the exacting level of staff training that the service provider prides itself on. Colin continues:

“Our relationship with First Choice Group started around three years ago when we made the company our preferred partner for spare parts supply in the UK. A company with a great ethos and a commitment to high standards of customer service, we knew First Choice would be able to help us deliver the standards of aftersales service that our customers expect. Soon after, we also identified that First Choice Training, the specialist training arm of the business, would be able to support us further by delivering specialist training, including electrical and gas compliance and specific equipment experience for our own engineers.”

Having invested heavily in facilities and industry-specific certifications, First Choice Training hosts a comprehensive calendar of events throughout the year. This commitment has seen the company become an approved training partner for many leading foodservice brands, including Gratte Brothers. On the specifics of the training Colin explains:

“First Choice Training is a fantastic support, helping us to maintain the skill and ability of our network of engineers. Delivering courses for both our new joiners and our existing engineers alike, the company’s team of expert teachers provide ACS gas training, GasSafe registration, electrical safety compliance and even a managed learning programme for the newest members of our team.”

With dedicated onsite training facilities, fully functional kitchens, breakout rooms and flexible conference and event spaces, the setup in Cannock is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. On the First Choice Training arrangement, Colin adds:

“The facilities at First Choice are exceptional. From the flexible setup and the ability to train on the latest equipment from many of the industry’s leading manufacturers, to the state-of-the-art facilities, including complete presentation and conference rooms, First Choice has it all. As you would expect from one of the industry’s leading training providers, the competence and capability of the teachers and trainers is also second to none.”

With engineers operating remotely across the country and often working with electrical and gas-powered appliances, in a host of commercial catering setups, delivering consistent, high-quality training is crucial. With many years of expertise First Choice Training can offer just the service required by Gratte Brothers, as Colin goes on to say:

“As a service provider, we place a huge amount of importance on the ongoing high-standards of training and education that our engineers undertake. We pride ourselves on ensuring that each of our engineers is  trained to be safe, competent, and that they are multi-skilled to work with a wide range of equipment. Having these high standards are vital to our ongoing service and maintenance strategy at Gratte Brothers. Using a training partner who regularly trains engineers from across the industry, helps to ensure the very best standards, which in turn, ensures our customers receive the same great technical service every time, irrespective of which engineer attends.”

It is essential that any training partner works in harmony with the service provider or manufacturer to get the most from the training programme, whether that is using industry standard courses, or by creating a bespoke package to suit individual needs. On the partnership with First Choice Group, Colin concludes:

“First Choice Group has provided Gratte Brothers with a friendly, collaborative and professional training service and spare parts supply for several years. As such, I would have no hesitation in recommending their offering, whether to a service provider or to a manufacturer looking for spare parts and accessories supply.”

For more information on Gratte Brothers please visit www.gratte.com or call +44 (0)207 837 6433.

To find out more about First Choice Group and the exclusive manufacturer partnerships available, please visit www.firstchoice-cs.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1543 577 778.