How Pimlico Plumbers trained 250+ engineers to sell without a classroom
Brian J.Sales Director, Pimlico Plumbers
Pimlico Plumbers has served London for 45 years, with 1-hour response times, 24/7 cover and more than 80,000 customers a year across every major borough. The brand charges premium prices, and its engineers are expected to earn them.
The challenge
Same callout, very different outcomes
Every Pimlico callout is a chance to do more for the customer. A plumber fixing a radiator valve can see the boiler is 15 years old. An electrician replacing a fuse can spot a consumer unit that should have gone years ago. Some engineers mentioned it and turned a £200 callout into a £2,000 job. Others did the repair, wrote the invoice and left.
“Our best engineers see every callout as a chance to help the customer more and grow the job. But most engineers are trained to fix, not to sell. Asking them to upsell without practice is like asking them to install a boiler they’ve never worked on: they’ll avoid it because they’re not confident.”Pimlico Plumbers
Classroom training wasn't an option. With 250+ engineers on the road every day, pulling them in meant missed callouts and lost revenue. Whatever they practiced had to fit around the job.
The solution
Five minutes in the van before the next job
RepLab built scenarios around the conversations each trade actually has in London homes.
- Plumbers: recommending a boiler replacement with finance instead of a patch that fails again in six months, and booking a follow-up quote after an emergency.
- Heating engineers: suggesting modern radiators during the annual gas check, and framing a new boiler as a long-term saving rather than a cost.
- Electricians: explaining the risk of an outdated consumer unit, and introducing smart thermostats or lighting during a routine job.
- Every engineer: defending premium prices, referring a Pimlico colleague from another trade, and asking for a review at the end of a good visit.
Engineers practiced on their phones between jobs. The AI homeowner pushed back the way Londoners do: “that’s more than I expected,” “let me get another quote,” “just fix what’s broken today.”
The impact
Bigger jobs, and the work stays in-house
Average job value rose 22% as engineers turned more repairs into larger projects. Cross-trade referrals tripled. Plumbers called in Pimlico electricians, electricians flagged drainage problems, and revenue that used to go to competitors stayed in the business.
Price complaints went down while job values went up, because engineers could explain what the customer was paying for. New hires practiced every scenario before their first solo callout, and all 250+ engineers trained without a single classroom session or a lost service day.
Related: AI roleplay for field technicians and multi-location rollouts.
