We love supporting local businesses! Each issue, we have a yarn with a customer from one of our wholesale members.
Meet Rick Wilson from R & G Wilson Electrical Contractors who is a customer at Active Electrical Ballarat.
What do you like most about your local wholesaler?
Great customer service, easy-going and friendly guys all-round.
Has there been a standout moment they’ve helped you out?
There’s not been one standout moment, but I always find them very knowledgeable and good to deal with.
What’s the most difficult job you’ve ever had?
Most jobs involving an architect! They often make jobs more difficult than they need to be.
What has been your most memorable day at work?
When I found out I got my A grade licence. It has opened up so many opportunities for me.
Who’s the worst apprentice/ colleague you’ve had, and why?
Any colleague who thinks they’re better than they really are is very annoying to work with. You can usually tell early on if you have a good apprentice. The same applies to a bad one. An apprentice who stands around with their hands in their pockets in front of clients usually gets a stern stare from the boss. Those apprentices who are proactive and take on responsibility early put themselves in good stead for later on when they are running jobs.
What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened on a job?
We had an RCD fault on a job once. We found the cables had been extensively chewed throughout a skillion roof section. We had sheets of iron pulled back and I reached in to shake a cable to trace where it was going, to grab onto
what I thought must have been a rat, only to find the beady eyes of a possum looking back at me. I spent the next half an hour chasing this possum and eventually removing it, before rewiring the house.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever encountered?
A whole additional level of Sturt Street, Ballarat, now underground, which was once the ground level of shops. I discovered it one day, working as an apprentice, crawling under a floor, and it suddenly opened up to a row of shop fronts. I had no idea it existed.
What’s the biggest %&$* up that someone else made that you’ve had to make right?
Plasterers, every day of the week. Nah we really love you, lads!
What’s the best nickname you’ve ever heard a co-worker have?
Show Bag – always full of %&$.
