The value of skills and training

By Ben Brocklesby, director at Origin.

In the March column, I spoke about the importance Origin places in our partner relationships and, in particular, the sharing of knowledge and expertise. This month, I want to talk about training and its value in ensuring they have the skills necessary to deliver exceptional standards of fitting, helping us and them stand out in a busy marketplace.

It is essential that our partners and installers have the correct training to get the implementation right first time, every time. This offers the homeowner the best possible level of customer service, decreasing the likelihood of any issues at the installation stage that could result in costly revisits or damage to brand reputation.

With this in mind, we launched ‘Fitter Fitter’ training in late 2013 (specifically for the bifold door at this stage), where two engineers hosted training from one location. In 2019, the training scheme advanced dramatically, and we now offer training for all our products, with 10 engineers based over two sites. This big investment shows Origin’s level of commitment to making sure all our partners and installers are maintaining the very high standards Origin prides itself on.

The Fitter Fitter programme benefits installers by demonstrating the most efficient and technically accurate way to install Origin’s products, and results in attendees receiving an Origin accreditation. The free-to-attend, full-day course, hosted by a senior Origin engineer or installation manager, is designed to cover all elements of the process, giving attendees the chance to ask questions directly to Origin’s technical team.

We are firm believers that training should not just include demonstrations of how to install the products, but should allow the installers to see ‘behind the scenes’ of the manufacturing process. This way of thinking allows partners to be more adept at troubleshooting and resolving issues quickly and efficiently.

For this reason, our Fitter Fitter training days, held at our factory in High Wycombe, include a tour to show partners how the products are made, from start to finish. We also provide this service at our showroom in Warrington, allowing us to offer a nationwide training service to partners.

We are dedicated to supporting our partners up and down the country, and training is a key part of not only learning a new skill, but also reaffirming or adapting already learned ones.

For further information about Origin’s ‘Fitter Fitter’ training days and installation guide, or about becoming an official partner, visit www.origin-global.com.