Warm lager on a Friday
At six on a Friday the lager starts pouring warm and fobbing. The python cooler under the bar is making a noise. Who looks after it? The brewery installed the font. The pub company supplied the cellar cooling. A separate company services the glasswasher, and the ice machine is on a rental agreement nobody has read since it was signed. The number for the dispense technicians is on a sticker on the cooler, half peeled off.
You ring the number you find. It is the wrong company. By the time the right one logs the call, the evening's lager is lost, and the technician who comes on Monday asks when it was last serviced. Nobody knows.
Why nobody knows who fixes what
Pub equipment arrives in layers. Some belongs to the pub company or brewery and comes with their technical service. Some is leased. Some you bought yourself and service through a local engineer. Each arrangement came with a contract, a phone number and a set of rules about what is covered and how to report faults, and those were given to whoever was running the pub at the time.
Managers and tenants change. Paperwork is filed in the office, or not. When something breaks at the busiest time, the person on duty has to work out ownership, cover and the right number from scraps, while the queue grows.
What equipment confusion costs
| Problem | Effect |
|---|---|
| Wrong company called | Hours lost before the right engineer is booked |
| Cover not known | Paying for repairs that were included, or arguing about them |
| No service history | Repeat faults with no record to show the engineer |
| Servicing dates missed | Equipment that fails when it was due a visit |
| No record of downtime | No evidence when raising poor service with a provider |
A cellar cooling fault can cost a night's draught trade, and a glasswasher down on a Saturday means staff washing by hand while the bar queue grows. The cost is rarely the repair itself. It is the time it takes to get the right person out.
One register for every piece of kit
- We list each item of equipment with you: cellar cooling, python and font coolers, glasswashers, ice machines, dispense equipment, coffee machine, card terminals, and anything else you rely on.
- Each item records who owns it, who services it, the contract or agreement reference, what you have been told is covered, the callout number and the reporting method.
- A QR label on each item opens its page on any phone, so whoever is on duty can see who to call in seconds.
- Faults are logged with a tap: the item, what is wrong, a photo, the time, and who was called. The company's job reference is added when they give one.
- Engineer visits and repairs are recorded with the date, what was done and any charge, building a history for each item.
- Scheduled servicing is shown on a calendar with reminders, so a due visit is booked before it becomes a breakdown.
What each contract actually covers is set by the agreement between you and the provider. We record what you tell us and keep the documents to hand. We do not interpret the terms.
The next time something breaks
The python cooler starts making a noise. The barman scans the label, sees it belongs to the brewery's technical service, taps the number and logs the fault with a photo. The manager gets a message. When the technician arrives, the item's history shows the same fault three months ago, which helps them fix it properly. At the end of the year, you can see which equipment broke down most and how long each provider took to attend.
- The right number for every item in seconds
- Cover and contract details in one place
- A fault and repair history for each piece of kit
- Servicing reminders before breakdowns
Is this how breakdowns go at your pub?
- Staff do not know who to call when equipment fails.
- Callout numbers are on faded stickers or in a drawer.
- You are unsure what the brewery or pub company covers.
- Nobody can say when an item was last serviced.
- The same fault keeps coming back with no record of previous visits.