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Combination Boiler Services Ltd (CBS Boilers) has been working with Vokèra for 30 years. Based in Norfolk, the company specialises in boiler installation, servicing and repair. Director John Wickham, whose father founded the company, spoke to us about the Vokèra boilers he likes to recommend, and why Vokèra’s Affinity loyalty programme is so valuable to installers.

How long have you been working for Vokèra, and what is it that attracted you to working with the brand and the products?

In 1996, I was approached by Vokèra and asked if I wanted to be an agent, as they were looking for a replacement in the Norfolk area. I did a lot of warranty work to start off with, which helped me to get to know the products and the company really well.

How did your relationship with Vokèra evolve from there?

I carried on doing warranty work for another four or five years, and then I began to expand into installations and employ staff. I ended up with three vans that had Vokèra on the side of them! We stuck with Vokèra and if we needed to replace a boiler, we always replaced it with a Vokèra model.

You do a lot of work with Synergy and Pinnacle boilers, what is it that makes you prefer those models?

I like the Pinnacle, it has a twelve-year warranty, and I can still do my own warranty work on it. Most installers put a boiler in and then see it as job done, but I normally install and service all the boilers I work with and see it through its entire lifetime. That’s just the way I like to work. Vokèra has made these boilers very intuitive, where you can just touch the display and it will give you the system information, so they are very user friendly. It’s easy enough to be speaking to a customer on the phone, and have them read out the information you need from the display. We install a lot of Vokèra boilers in sheltered accommodation; they have a great option where you can lock the screen, which prevents customers accidentally changing the settings.

I would also say that they are good value for money. Even the model that most people would describe as entry-level, I find will last as long as – or even sometimes outlast – any premium boiler on the market, if it’s fitted and maintained properly.

How have you found the customer service from Vokèra for both you and the end customer over the years?

Honestly, I can say that I have never personally had a problem. If we need parts, we simply send an email and receive the parts within a day or two. If we need more support on a big job, they always allow us to have a two-hour appointment, which is generous compared to other companies who usually only allow an hour, which can be tight depending on what the issue is.

What have you found particularly useful about Affinity and how valuable are the rewards?

We joined in 2006, which was its first year. The rewards and the gift cards they give you are very nice. Before the rewards vouchers, I used to get a lot of free gifts which I used to give out to staff. I find it very helpful and the Affinity portal is very easy to navigate. I can login, look up which customers are under warranty, which boilers I’ve installed, what the warranty terms are – it couldn’t be much easier.

installers.vokeraaffinity.co.uk