With summer gradually fading away, we’re edging into what we sweeps call ‘silly season’.

Its name comes from the fact that enquiries explode in the final third of the year.

Emails, calls, texts, social media messages… most sweeps are bombarded with appointment requests. 

And as a result, waiting lists quickly stretch into weeks and months.

But this winter could be even worse than normal.

Last year, there was a frenzy of woodburner and multi fuel stove Installations.

Fuelled by gas price hikes, heating costs were at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

12 months on and those new installations now need sweeping – piling on additional pressure to an industry which was already struggling with capacity.

It was this time last year I wrote an article calling for more sweeps. Since then, we’ve put our money where our mouth is. 

As a company, we have 

• Already taken on additional staff
• Now started recruiting for even MORE sweeps
• Started covering more postcodes
• Offered more appointment slots than ever
• And opened up a HETAS approved training centre in the North West to help new sweeps learn their craft

There are now signs that more sweeps now agree that capacity is becoming an issue. In the past 12 months, we’ve seen more and more sweeping companies expand.

Like us, they understand that, in order to keep up high standards of customer service and response times, taking on staff is essential.

This is good news. But all this takes time to bed in and, for now at least, we’re looking at another ‘silly season’ where demand could outstrip supply like never before in recent memory.

Following my last article, one industry colleague proffered that it wasn’t necessarily the lack of sweep numbers that was the problem, it was that the current cohort of sweeps don’t maximise their capacity.

For example, some will only sweep a small number of chimneys a day. Some don’t travel very far. Some only work part-time for various reasons. And so on.

That’s a fair point, and I tend to agree. But the residual problem endures – there is not enough capacity (self-inflicted or otherwise) to keep up with the growing demand.

As a company, we don’t see having a long waiting list as some sort of badge of honour; we see it as a sign we don’t have enough staff, hence our proactive recruitment strategy.

We also believe that, by opening a HETAS approved training centre, we are able to raise standards. I’m not just talking about ‘on the job’ standards, but the whole supporting structure around running a business.

There are many tradespeople who are excellent at the job but terrible at running an actual business. Whole books have been dedicated the subject, the most popular being The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber.

At Mr Soot, we pride ourselves on our efficient customer service and accessibility. Customers shouldn’t be over the moon simply because we’ve simply bothered to turn up. But a worrying number are; as their previous experience with trades has been patchy, to put it mildly. 

Such a low bar doesn’t help anyone. Our vocational and businesses courses aim to help address that.

But, back to the central point, there is a need to increase capacity. Because chimneys which go unswept through lack of sweep availability at the time customers are thinking about it are potential fire hazards in the making.

Those who drag out the tired old ‘customers should be more organised’ argument are not only ignoring the elephant in the room, but also failing to spot the opportunities for presenting solutions.

They’re also pining for the status quo, as it keeps them feeling wanted and in-demand.

Some just love that long waiting list badge of honour…

Of course, not everyone wants to grow a business, and that’s fine. But like it or not, sweeping capacity needs to be increased.

We’re doing our bit. And thankfully, more are joining us.