2 Minute Interview With..

March 23, 2010 | eSpares Updates | 1 comment

Name:
Lloyd Handahu

Job title:
Business Development Manager

Length of time at eSpares:
6 years

Most recent CD purchase/download?

Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite

Favourite TV shows?

Scrubs, Arrested Development, Dave Chappelle Show, Chuck and very embarrassed to say Glee

Worst habit?

White Converse trainers

What stresses you out?

When I leave South London, and Bruce because he is never nice to me

What do you do to relax?

Sleep ZZZ

Why are we here?

To live and enjoy life

Who is your role model?

My Mum

Which celebrity annoys you the most?

Jordan

What are you up to this weekend?

Just a little drink, and sleeping if I’m lucky

You’re in a time-machine – where would you go?

Into the future just to see how I turn out, and give my future self a big hug

Do you know who broke the microwave in the Unit 21 kitchen?

Tofik Saad heating up a fish lasagne which stank up the whole office.

Favourite spare part?

Universal 4 Sided Oven Door Seal Kit – it’s a love-hate relationship.

Funniest thing that has happened to you at work?

Too rude to say; basically involves a very lovely housewife trying to proposition me due to my nice telephone manner.

Ideal holiday scenario?

-With a fruity cocktail

What should we do for our next company night out?

Karaoke night

Who do you want to be interviewed next?

Michael Kuhlmann [Customer Support]

Easy Rider

March 19, 2010 | eSpares Updates | No comments

The weather in London has been slightly less abominable in the last few days, people have been venturing outside with little more than t-shirts and the odd sunbather (perhaps misguided) has been spotted in green areas. Spring must be upon us.

Spring can be a magical time, the temperature dial begins to creep up, you get a couple of long weekends in May, daffodils bloom… but on London’s streets, a different kind of photosynthesis occurs. After the cold winter months when only the most devoted/foolhardy cycle to work, longer evenings and slightly warmer temperatures cause the less fanatical cyclists like myself to germinate and multiply on to the roads and dedicated cycle paths of the city.

Since my last ride to work at the end of November last year, the muscles I used to move and steer seem to have fallen in to disrepair; after getting in to eSpares Towers on Monday morning I was good for nothing more than going back to bed and moaning about my legs pumping what felt like battery acid. I’ve progressed very slightly over the week, to the point where it’s now Friday afternoon and I don’t feel the need to sleep until I go home and my legs aren’t quite as cramped as they have been on previous days.

My physical failings aside, here at eSpares we think cycling is a great way to get to work; you save money, get some exercise and have a bit of fun too. Ten of us are cyclists at the moment (video star Helen being the most devoted/foolhardy), and our number may grow over the more clement months ahead. We operate the national Ride2Work scheme with the good folks at Evans Cycles, which offers eSpares employees the chance to pay for bikes over twelve months, with significant savings made through tax relief.

Here’s to more sunny mornings and evenings this year; anything to keep us off London Underground can only be a good thing!

How To Replace a Flymo Lawnmower Motor – New Video

March 18, 2010 | Gardening Tips | No comments

I’ve got to hold my hands up to say that I’ve never fitted a lawnmower motor before. To be quite frank I would have found this task daunting and may even have considered just replacing the whole lawnmower if the motor bit the dust. This video on how to fit a Flymo lawnmower motor surprised me as it demonstrated that fitting is actually really easy. After watching this I feel confident that I could take on the task of replacing my mowers motor should the time come.

New Karcher Pressure Washer Videos

March 12, 2010 | Gardening Tips | 1 comment

We’ve always thought that we were missing a trick by not having video content for the pressure washers we offer. Whilst we clearly list the features of each pressure washer we sell, it’s not universal knowledge what exactly 100 bar of water pressure really means or what level of clean you can expect from the dirtblaster lance. If our customers could see how truly easy (and fun) Karcher pressure washers are to use surely it would make the decision of which one to purchase much easier. In basic terms we simply wanted to demonstrate how a pressure washer works. These first two videos demonstrate the functionality of the Karcher pressure washers.

This year Karcher have released an update of their Hose and Handgun Kit for all pressure washers from the K2 to K7 series. Last year we received a lot of questions on the old kit and how to fit it and we’re pleased to see that the upgraded version features “Quick Connect” technology.

How The Web Keeps Products Going For Longer

March 11, 2010 | eSpares Updates | Kitchen Appliances Repair, Help & Advice | No comments

Undeniably as a company we love it when eSpares gets name checked in a blog, who wouldn’t? Aside from the mention I enjoyed the recent blog post by @robram, because he highlights how the web keeps products going for longer. The post explains how Rob used the resources available online to diagnose and fix the broken door lock on his dishwasher. The Internet allowed Rob to fix his dishwasher himself, spending only £10 and 30 minutes of his time.

I personally love stories where people empower themselves via information gleaned from the Internet. Whether it be learning to play the ukulele from MusicTeacher2009 on YouTube or using the 367 recipe reviews for Chocolate Stout Cake to pimp out your baking and create a thing of beauty.

Rob Mansfield, I salute you for fixing your dishwasher yourself. Long live the Internet!

When It’s Time For a New Appliance, It’s Time For Appliances Online

March 9, 2010 | Uncategorized | No comments

Although our business model is based on you mending your existing appliances to get them working properly; we fully recognise that all appliances come to the end of their life at some point. If you are shopping for new appliances online I would recommend that you have a look at the Appliances Online website.

Here’s why I recommend them for your next appliance purchase:

From a functionality perspective their website instills trust. It’s easy to navigate and the product descriptions are clear and accurate.
Appliances Online encourage customers to rate the products they purchase. This means that you can get the real story on that new cooker you wish to purchase from someone who uses it every day.
They’ll price match if you find the item elsewhere cheaper and they’ve got a ‘no fuss’ 10 day returns guarantee.
They only charge £9.99 to recycle your old appliance. Make sure to check out the full details of their appliance recycling scheme.
If you have any questions for them Appliances Online are on Twitter.

I’d like to be clear in stating that eSpares has no commercial agreement with Appliances Online to promote their website. We truly like their website and have heard great things about them from our customers who have decided that it was time to buy new.

Haircut for Charity

March 2, 2010 | Charity News | No comments

As we’ve got a massive website and quite a large digital marketing presence it’s easy to think that there’s a huge team that runs eSpares. Truth be told we only have 70 people on our team and in relative terms we’re actually quite a small company. In that respect we find it remarkable that we’ve been able to achieve such accolades as being nominated for the Etailer of the Year against the likes of Marks and Spencers, Argos and Ocado.

Hack things better with Sugru

February 26, 2010 | DIY & Home Improvement | No comments

Sugru is a really cool new product that I’ve been boring my colleagues about for a couple of months now. It’s a silcone moulding clay/glue that you can shape to fit more or less anything. It sticks to most things, cures overnight and is flexible, durable and heat resistant. It’s one of those things that you can’t quite believe hadn’t already been invented.

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