Since our inception, our sales and support teams globally have valued a direct approach in supporting our local partners and installers. Now, like many companies worldwide, COVID-19 restrictions have forced us to innovate in order to keep us connected with our customers.
Our Installer training programmes operate in multiple markets, run locally by our teams to best suit customer needs. Our UK subsidiary Aico were the first to pioneer ‘Expert Installer Webinars’ in April. Easily accessible, this now enables professionals to remain up to date with legislation, products and technologies as well as information on the selection, siting and installation of alarms.
The UK online webinars are being delivered by Aico’s National Technical Manager – Andy Speake and Product Development Manager – Michael Wright. These training sessions provide one hour of certificated CPD time as well as being up to date on our latest technologies. Andy Speake comments, “This is a fantastic opportunity to keep connected with Electrical Contractors and Gas Safety Engineers, ensuring that they remain informed about regulations and requirements, as well as all the latest in technological advancements.”
Meanwhile in Germany, our teams are now operating their one-day online training course for TÜV-certified smoke alarm specialists or ‘Fachkraft für Rauchwarnmelder’ fully online. With over 11,000 installers trained in Germany by our team over the last 10 years, this programme is fully customised for installers within this market and DIN 14676-1 focused. Similarly, certified carbon monoxide (CO) training and CO alarm installation and legislation is also available.
Ei Electronics France teams used the lockdown period to reach customers who were confined to working from home. This included online sessions presenting Ei Electronics Smoke and CO detection solutions to both the distributors and housing associations. Continuing the initiative, they are now launching two new sessions to train installers on specific solutions such as how to shut off power to a boiler in the event of CO detection using Ei’s RF relay switches. Country Manager Paul Howley agreed that “The enforced lockdown has pushed us to come up with new solutions for reaching our customers and to use digital technology to communicate our message.”
In Ireland, we developed our first ‘Ei Learning’ suite of videos, covering topics of alarm interconnection, indicator guides, installation, and maintenance. With a new installer app soon to be released, these will all add to our growing digital resources for customers.
Overall, these online initiatives have had a key part to play in operations over these last few months. The one thing that the COVID-19 outbreak hasn’t changed is the talent and knowledge within our teams. Sharing this knowledge and staying connected is something we are confident we will always be capable to do in the future, regardless of circumstance. We would like to acknowledge the amazing work our global teams have done to bring our customer training and events online, as well as every other member of the Ei team that continues to make Ei the success it is today.
