Finding a reliable service company to look after your pricey equipment can be a headache, which is why CESA (the Catering Equipment Suppliers' Association) is using Hotelympia to launch its Service Accreditation Scheme.
"Poorly serviced equipment is a huge issue that causes breakdown, raises health and safety concerns, wastes energy and costs caterers millions of pounds a year," says CESA's Keith Warren. "Yet servicing remains the Cinderella area of the industry."
Scheme members (and any subcontractors they use) must comply with set standards of staff skill and service levels.
Requirements include the provision of engineers with appropriate facilities (such as purpose-equipped vehicles with parts and tools to achieve a high first-time fix rate) and suitable insurance cover to a minimum £5m for public liability.
Stand N1650
CESA
020 7793 3030
Hotelympia
17-21 February 2008
ExCel, London